Autodesk Auto CAD LT 2011 Command Reference

User Manual: autodesk AutoCAD LT - 2011 - Command Reference Free User Guide for Autodesk AutoCAD Software, Manual

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AutoCAD LT 2011

Command Reference

February 2010

©

2010 Autodesk, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not be
reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose.
Certain materials included in this publication are reprinted with the permission of the copyright holder.
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Contents

Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 1

3D Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3DALIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3DARRAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3DCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Adjust Clipping Planes Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3DCONFIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Adaptive Degradation and Performance Tuning Dialog
Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Performance Tuner Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
-3DCONFIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3DCORBIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3DDISTANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3DDWF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3D DWF Publish Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3DEDITBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3D Edit Bar Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3DFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3DFLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3DFORBIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3D Free Orbit Cursor Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

iii

3DMESH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DMOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Move Gizmo Shortcut Menu . . . . . . .
3DORBIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Orbit Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . .
3DORBITCTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DOSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-3DOSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DPAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DPOLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DPRINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Send to 3D Print Service Dialog Box . . . . .
Create STL File Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
3DROTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Rotate Gizmo Shortcut Menu . . . . . . .
3DSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Scale Gizmo Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . .
3DSIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Studio File Import Options Dialog Box . .
3DSWIVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DWALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Animation Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Animation Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Position Locator Window . . . . . . . . . . .
Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings Balloon .
3DZOOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 2

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. 43
. 44
. 47
. 49
. 50
. 53
. 53
. 54
. 55
. 56
. 57
. 59
. 61
. 61
. 64
. 65
. 67
. 68
. 69
. 72
. 73
. 74
. 75
. 76
. 77
. 79

A Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
ABOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ACISIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ACISOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ACTBASEPOINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ACTMANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Action Macro Manager . . . . . . . . . .
ACTRECORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Action Recorder Preferences Dialog Box .
ACTSTOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Action Macro Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
-ACTSTOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ACTUSERINPUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ACTUSERMESSAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-ACTUSERMESSAGE . . . . . . . . . . . .
ADCCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ADCENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DesignCenter Window . . . . . . . . . .
Search Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . .

iv | Contents

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. 89
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. 93
. 94
. 94
. 95
. 99

ADCNAVIGATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ADDSELECTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ADJUST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ALIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AMECONVERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ANALYSISCURVATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ANALYSISDRAFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ANALYSISOPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Analysis Options Dialog Box . . . . . .
ANALYSISZEBRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ANIPATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Motion Path Animation Dialog Box . . .
Animation Preview Dialog Box . . . . .
ANNORESET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ANNOUPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
APERTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
APPLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Load/Unload Applications Dialog Box .
Startup Suite Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
ARC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARCHIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Archive a Sheet Set Dialog Box . . . . .
Modify Archive Setup Dialog Box . . . .
Archive - Set Password Dialog Box . . . .
-ARCHIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARRAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Array Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-ARRAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- ATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTACHURL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTDEF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attribute Definition Dialog Box . . . . .
-ATTDEF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTDISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Attributes Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
-ATTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attribute Extraction Dialog Box . . . . .
-ATTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTIPEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTREDEF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTSYNC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 103
. 103
. 105
. 107
. 109
. 110
. 111
. 112
. 113
. 116
. 117
. 118
. 121
. 123
. 124
. 124
. 125
. 126
. 129
. 130
. 134
. 135
. 139
. 143
. 144
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. 148
. 149
. 155
. 157
. 158
. 159
. 162
. 163
. 163
. 167
. 170
. 172
. 172
. 174
. 178
. 178
. 180
. 181
. 182
. 183

Contents | v

AUDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AUTOCONSTRAIN . . . . . . . . . . . .
AUTOPUBLISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auto Publish Options Dialog Box .

Chapter 3

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. 184
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. 185
. 186

B Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
BACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BACTIONBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BACTIONSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BACTIONTOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BASSOCIATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BATTMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Block Attribute Manager . . . . . . . .
Edit Attribute Dialog Box . . . . . . .
Block Attribute Settings Dialog Box . .
BATTORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attribute Order Dialog Box . . . . . .
BAUTHORPALETTE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BAUTHORPALETTECLOSE . . . . . . . . . .
BCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BCONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BCPARAMETER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-BCPARAMETER . . . . . . . . . . . .
BCYCLEORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insertion Cycling Order Dialog Box . .
BEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Block Definition Dialog Box . . .
Block Editor Ribbon Contextual Tab .
Block Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-BEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BESETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Block Editor Settings Dialog Box . . .
BGRIPSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BHATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BLIPMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Block Definition Dialog Box . . . . . .
-BLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BLOCKICON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BLOOKUPTABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Property Lookup Table Dialog Box . .
Add Parameter Properties Dialog Box .
BMPOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BOUNDARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Boundary Creation Dialog Box . . . .

vi | Contents

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. 189
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. 257

-BOUNDARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
BOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
BPARAMETER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
BREAK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
BREP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
BROWSER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
B S AV E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 3
BSAVEAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Save Block As Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
BTABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Block Properties Table Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Add Parameter Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
New Parameter Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
BTESTBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
BVHIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
BVSHOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
BVSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Visibility States Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
New Visibility State Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
-BVSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

Chapter 4

C Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
CAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understand Syntax of Expressions . . . . .
Format Feet and Inches . . . . . . . . . . .
Format Angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Points and Vectors . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use AutoLISP Variables . . . . . . . . . . .
Use System Variables in Calculations . . . .
Convert Units of Measurement . . . . . . .
Use Standard Numeric Functions . . . . . .
Calculate a Vector from Two Points . . . . .
Calculate the Length of a Vector . . . . . .
Obtain a Point by Cursor . . . . . . . . . .
Obtain the Last-Specified Point . . . . . . .
Use Snap Modes in Arithmetic Expressions .
Convert Points Between UCS and WCS . . .
Calculate a Point on a Line . . . . . . . . .
Rotate a Point About an Axis . . . . . . . .
Obtain an Intersection Point . . . . . . . .
Calculate a Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Obtain a Radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Obtain an Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calculate a Normal Vector . . . . . . . . . .
Use Shortcut Functions . . . . . . . . . . .
CAMERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Contents | vii

Camera Preview Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
CHAMFER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
CHAMFEREDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
CHANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
CHECKSTANDARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Check Standards Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
CHPROP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
CHSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
CIRCLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
CLASSICIMAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
CLASSICLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
CLASSICXREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
CLEANSCREENON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
CLEANSCREENOFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
CLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
CLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
CLOSEALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
COLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Select Color Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
-COLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
COMMANDLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
COMMANDLINEHIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
COMPILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
CONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
CONSTRAINTBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
CONSTRAINTSETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Constraint Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
+CONSTRAINTSETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
CONVERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
CONVERTCTB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
CONVERTOLDLIGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
CONVERTOLDMATERIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
CONVERTPSTYLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
CONVTOMESH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
CONVTONURBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
CONVTOSOLID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
CONVTOSURFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
COPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
COPYBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
COPYCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
COPYHIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
COPYLINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
COPYTOLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Copy To Layer Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
-COPYTOLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
CUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375

viii | Contents

Customize User Interface Editor . . . . . .
Button Editor Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Image Manager Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Find and Replace Dialog Box - CUI . . . .
CUIEXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CUIIMPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CUILOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Load/Unload Customizations Dialog Box .
CUIUNLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CUSTOMIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Customize Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . .
CUTCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CVADD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CVHIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CVREBUILD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rebuild Surface Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Rebuild Curve Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
CVREMOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CVSHOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CYLINDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 5

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D Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
DATAEXTRACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Extraction Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Folder Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
Data Extraction - Additional Settings Dialog Box .
New Drawings Found Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Link External Data Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . .
Sort Columns Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insert Formula Column Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Set Cell Format Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Formula Column Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Filter Column Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Extraction - Outdated Table Dialog Box . . .
-DATAEXTRACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DATALINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Link Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New Excel Data Link Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
DATALINKUPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DBCONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
dbConnect Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Query Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Column Values Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
Configure a Data Source Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Data View and Query Options Dialog Box . . . .

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. 475

Contents | ix

Export Links Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Export Query Set Dialog Box . . . . .
Export Template Set Dialog Box . . . .
Find Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
Format Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . .
Import Query Set Dialog Box . . . . .
Import Template Set Dialog Box . . . .
Label Template Dialog Box . . . . . .
Label Template Properties Dialog Box .
Link Conversion Dialog Box . . . . . .
Link Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Link Select Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Link Template Dialog Box . . . . . . .
Link Template Properties Dialog Box .
New Label Template Dialog Box . . . .
New Link Template Dialog Box . . . .
New Query Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Replace Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . .
Select a Database Object Dialog Box . .
Select Data Object Dialog Box . . . . .
Sort Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
Synchronize Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
DBLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DCALIGNED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DCANGULAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DCCONVERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DCDIAMETER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DCDISPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DCFORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DCHORIZONTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DCLINEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DCRADIUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DCVERTICAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DDEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Text Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Attribute Definition Dialog Box .
DDPTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Point Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
DDVPOINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Viewpoint Presets Dialog Box . . . . .
DELAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DELCONSTRAINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DETACHURL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGNADJUST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGNATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attach DGN Underlay Dialog Box . . .

x | Contents

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. 478
. 479
. 479
. 480
. 481
. 482
. 483
. 484
. 489
. 490
. 493
. 494
. 498
. 499
. 500
. 501
. 502
. 503
. 504
. 505
. 506
. 507
. 509
. 509
. 511
. 513
. 514
. 515
. 515
. 516
. 517
. 519
. 520
. 521
. 522
. 523
. 524
. 524
. 526
. 526
. 528
. 528
. 529
. 529
. 531
. 532

DGN Underlay Ribbon Contextual tab . . . . . . . . . . .
-DGNATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGNCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGNEXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export DGN Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGNEXPORT Conversion Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-DGNEXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGNIMPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Import DGN Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGNIMPORT Conversion Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGNIMPORT Unit Mapping Table . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-DGNIMPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGNLAYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGNMAPPING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DGN Mapping Setups Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New Mapping Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify DGN Mapping Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
Select Color Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIM and DIM1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMALIGNED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMANGULAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMARC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMBASELINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMBREAK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMCENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMCONSTRAINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMCONTINUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMDIAMETER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMDISASSOCIATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMINSPECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inspection Dimension Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-DIMINSPECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMJOGGED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMJOGLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMLINEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMORDINATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMOVERRIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMRADIUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMREASSOCIATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMREGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dimension Style Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create New Dimension Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes .

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. 534
. 535
. 537
. 539
. 540
. 544
. 547
. 548
. 549
. 552
. 555
. 557
. 558
. 559
. 560
. 561
. 563
. 568
. 569
. 571
. 574
. 577
. 579
. 581
. 583
. 584
. 586
. 588
. 589
. 590
. 592
. 593
. 595
. 596
. 598
. 599
. 603
. 605
. 606
. 607
. 609
. 610
. 611
. 612
. 614
. 616

Contents | xi

Compare Dimension Styles Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645
-DIMSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 646
DIMTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 648
DIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651
DISTANTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652
DIVIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 655
DONUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 656
DRAGMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 658
DRAWINGRECOVERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 659
Drawing Recovery Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 659
DRAWINGRECOVERYHIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 661
DRAWORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662
DSETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663
Drafting Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 664
Pointer Input Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679
Dimension Input Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 680
Tooltip Appearance Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681
DSVIEWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 683
Aerial View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 683
DVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686
DWFADJUST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 694
DWFATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695
Attach DWF Underlay Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 696
Substitute DWF Name Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698
DWF Underlay Ribbon Contextual Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 699
-DWFATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 700
DWFCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702
DWFFORMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703
DWFLAYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704
DWGPROPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704
Drawing Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 705
Add Custom Property Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 712
DXBIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713

Chapter 6

E Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715
EATTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enhanced Attribute Editor .
EATTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-EATTEXT . . . . . . . . .
EDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EDGESURF . . . . . . . . . . . .
EDITSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . .
ELEV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ELLIPSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ERASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ETRANSMIT . . . . . . . . . . .

xii | Contents

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. 715
. 716
. 720
. 721
. 722
. 723
. 725
. 725
. 727
. 730
. 731

Create Transmittal Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transmittal Setups Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Import Transmittal Setups Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Modify Transmittal Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Transmittal - Set Password Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
-ETRANSMIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EXPLODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-EXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EXPORTDWF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Save as DWF Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export to DWF/PDF Options Palette . . . . . . . . .
Page Setup Override Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
Precision Presets Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export to DWF/PDF Ribbon Panel . . . . . . . . . . .
EXPORTDWFX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Save as DWFx Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EXPORTPDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Save as PDF Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EXPORTLAYOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export Layout to Model Space Drawing Dialog Box .
EXPORTSETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EXPORTTOAUTOCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EXTEND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EXTERNALREFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
External References Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EXTERNALREFERENCESCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EXTRUDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 7

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. 732
. 735
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. 745
. 748
. 749
. 751
. 751
. 753
. 754
. 755
. 758
. 759
. 760
. 761
. 762
. 763
. 764
. 765
. 766
. 767
. 771
. 772
. 781
. 781

F Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 787
FBXEXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FBX Export Options Dialog Box . . . .
-FBXEXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FBXIMPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FBX Import Options . . . . . . . . . .
-FBXIMPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Field Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
FILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FILLET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FILLETEDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FILTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Object Selection Filters Dialog Box . .
FIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Find and Replace Dialog Box - FIND .
FLATSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 800
. 804
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. 806
. 808
. 809
. 813

Contents | xiii

Flatshot Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814
FREESPOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817
FREEWEB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 820

Chapter 8

G Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 825
GCCOINCIDENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCCOLLINEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCCONCENTRIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCEQUAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCFIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCHORIZONTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCPARALLEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCPERPENDICULAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCSMOOTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCSYMMETRIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCTANGENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCVERTICAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GEOGRAPHICLOCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Define Geographic Location Dialog Box . . . . .
Location Already Exists Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Coordinate System Already Defined Dialog Box .
Geographic Location Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Location Picker Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
GEOMCONSTRAINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GOTOURL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GRADIENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GRAPHICSCONFIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manual Performance Tuning Dialog Box . . . . .
-GRAPHICSCONFIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GRAPHSCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GRID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GROUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Object Grouping Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
Order Group Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-GROUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 9

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. 850
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. 861
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. 864
. 866

H Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 869
HATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hatch and Gradient Dialog Box . . . . .
Hatch Creation Ribbon Contextual Tab .
Hatch Pattern Palette Dialog Box . . . .
-HATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HATCHEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hatch Edit Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
Hatch Editor Ribbon Contextual Tab . .

xiv | Contents

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-HATCHEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HATCHGENERATEBOUNDARY . . . . . . .
HATCHSETBOUNDARY . . . . . . . . . . .
HATCHSETORIGIN . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HATCHTOBACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HELIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HELP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HIDEOBJECTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HIDEPALETTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HLSETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HYPERLINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box . . . . . .
Edit Hyperlink Dialog Box . . . . . . .
Select Place in Document Dialog Box .
-HYPERLINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HYPERLINKOPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 10

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. 903
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. 906
. 907
. 908
. 908
. 910
. 911
. 912
. 913
. 913
. 914
. 915
. 918
. 919
. 920
. 922

I Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 923
ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IMAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-IMAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IMAGEADJUST . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Image Adjust Dialog Box . . . . . .
-IMAGEADJUST . . . . . . . . . .
IMAGEATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attach Image Dialog Box . . . . .
Image Ribbon Contextual tab . . .
IMAGECLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IMAGEQUALITY . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IMPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IMPRINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
INSERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insert Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
-INSERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
INSERTOBJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insert Object Dialog Box . . . . . .
INTERFERE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interference Settings Dialog Box . .
Interference Checking Dialog Box .
-INTERFERE . . . . . . . . . . . .
INTERSECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ISOLATEOBJECTS . . . . . . . . . . . .
ISOPLANE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 923
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. 938
. 940
. 941
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. 946
. 947
. 948
. 950
. 952
. 954
. 955
. 956
. 957

Contents | xv

Chapter 11

J Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 959
JOIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 959
JPGOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 961
JUSTIFYTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 961

Chapter 12

L Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 963
LAYCUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 963
LAYDEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 964
Delete Layers Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965
-LAYDEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965
LAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 966
Layer Properties Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 967
Layer Filter Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 977
Select Linetype Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 981
Lineweight Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 982
Layer Transparency Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 984
Layer Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 985
Customize Layer Columns Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 988
-LAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 989
LAYERCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 993
LAYERP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 993
LAYERPALETTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 994
LAYERPMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 995
LAYERSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 995
Layer States Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 996
New Layer State to Save Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 999
Edit Layer State Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1000
Select Layers to Add to Layer State Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 1001
Select Layer States Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1002
LAYFRZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1004
LAYISO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1005
LAYMCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1007
Change to Layer Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1008
-LAYMCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1008
LAYLCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1009
LAYMCUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1010
LAYMRG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1010
Merge Layers Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1012
Merge to Layer Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1012
-LAYMRG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1013
LAYOFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1014
LAYON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1015
LAYOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1016
LAYOUTWIZARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1017
Layout Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1018

xvi | Contents

LAYTHW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1019
LAYTRANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1019
Layer Translator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1020
Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1023
Edit/New Layer Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1024
LAYULK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1025
LAYUNISO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1026
LAYVPI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1027
LAYWALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1028
LayerWalk Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1029
LEADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1032
LENGTHEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1034
LIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1037
LIGHTLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1037
Lights in Model Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1038
LIGHTLISTCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1039
LIMITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1040
LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1041
LINETYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1043
Linetype Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1043
Load or Reload Linetypes Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1046
-LINETYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1047
LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1049
LIVESECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1050
LOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1051
LOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1052
Loft Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1056
LOGFILEOFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1059
LOGFILEON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1060
LTSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1061
LWEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1061
Lineweight Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1062
-LWEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1064

Chapter 13

M Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1067
MARKUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Markup Set Manager . . . . .
MARKUPCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . .
MASSPROP . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MATBROWSERCLOSE . . . . . . .
MATBROWSEROPEN . . . . . . . .
Materials Browser . . . . . . .
MATCHCELL . . . . . . . . . . . .
MATCHPROP . . . . . . . . . . . .
Property Settings Dialog Box .
MATEDITORCLOSE . . . . . . . . .

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. 1067
. 1068
. 1073
. 1074
. 1077
. 1078
. 1079
. 1080
. 1080
. 1081
. 1085

Contents | xvii

MATEDITOROPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Materials Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Texture Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nested Map Navigation . . . . . . . . . . .
Material Tool Property Editor . . . . . . . .
MATERIALASSIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MATERIALATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Material Attachment Options Dialog Box . .
MATERIALMAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MATERIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MATERIALSCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MEASURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MEASUREGEOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mesh Object Ribbon Contextual Panels . . .
Mesh Subobject Ribbon Contextual Panels .
MESHCAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHCOLLAPSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHCREASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHEXTRUDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHMERGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHOPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mesh Tessellation Options Dialog Box . . . .
MESHPRIMITIVEOPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mesh Primitive Options Dialog Box . . . . .
MESHREFINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHSMOOTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHSMOOTHLESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHSMOOTHMORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHSPIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHSPLIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHUNCREASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MIGRATEMATERIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MINSERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MIRROR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MIRROR3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MLEADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MLEADERALIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MLEADERCOLLECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MLEADEREDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MLEADERSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multileader Style Manager . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Multileader Style Dialog Box . . . . .
Create New Multileader Style Dialog Box . .
MLEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

xviii | Contents

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. 1085
. 1086
. 1087
. 1097
. 1098
. 1099
. 1100
. 1100
. 1102
. 1106
. 1107
. 1107
. 1110
. 1114
. 1114
. 1130
. 1132
. 1133
. 1134
. 1135
. 1137
. 1140
. 1142
. 1142
. 1146
. 1146
. 1156
. 1157
. 1158
. 1160
. 1161
. 1162
. 1164
. 1165
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. 1170
. 1172
. 1174
. 1177
. 1178
. 1179
. 1181
. 1181
. 1183
. 1189
. 1190

Multiline Edit Tools Dialog Box . . . . . .
-MLEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MLSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multiline Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Create New Multiline Style Dialog Box . .
New, Modify Multiline Style Dialog Boxes .
Load Multiline Styles Dialog Box . . . . . .
MODEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MREDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MSLIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Text Editor Ribbon Contextual Tab . . . .
In-Place Text Editor . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paragraph Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
Columns Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Column Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Background Mask Dialog Box . . . . . . .
Find and Replace Dialog Box - MTEXT . . .
Stack Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
AutoStack Properties Dialog Box . . . . . .
-MTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Symbols and Special Characters . . . . . .
MULTIPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MVSETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MVSETUP on the Model Tab . . . . . . . .
MVSETUP on a Layout Tab . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 14

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. 1191
. 1198
. 1199
. 1202
. 1203
. 1205
. 1206
. 1209
. 1210
. 1211
. 1212
. 1213
. 1213
. 1214
. 1214
. 1215
. 1221
. 1229
. 1231
. 1232
. 1234
. 1235
. 1236
. 1239
. 1240
. 1244
. 1247
. 1247
. 1251
. 1252
. 1253

N Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1257
NAVBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1257
3Dconnexion Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1258
NAVSMOTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1259
NAVSMOTIONCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1260
NAVSWHEEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1260
SteeringWheels Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1261
NAVVCUBE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1264
ViewCube Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1265
NETLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1268
NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1268
Create New Drawing Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1269
Quick Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1272
Advanced Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1274

Contents | xix

NEW Command Prompt .
NEWSHEETSET . . . . . . . . .
NEWSHOT . . . . . . . . . . .
NEWVIEW . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 15

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. 1277
. 1277
. 1278
. 1278

O Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1281
OBJECTSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1281
Annotative Object Scale Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1282
Add Scales to Object Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1283
-OBJECTSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1285
OFFSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1286
OLELINKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1288
Links Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1288
Convert Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1290
Change Icon Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1291
OLESCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1292
OLE Text Size Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1292
OOPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1293
OPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1294
Standard File Selection Dialog Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1295
Buzzsaw Location Shortcuts Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1300
Log In to Buzzsaw Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1301
Create or Edit a Buzzsaw Location Shortcut Dialog Box . . . . . 1302
Select a Buzzsaw Location Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1303
Find Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1304
Add/Modify FTP Locations Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1307
Partial Open Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1309
OPEN Command Prompt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1312
OPENDWFMARKUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1313
OPENSHEETSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1313
OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1314
Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1314
Alternate Font Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1355
Drawing Window Colors Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1357
Command Line Window Font Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 1359
Light Glyph Appearance Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1360
Camera Glyph Appearance Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1361
Thumbnail Preview Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1361
Plot Style Table Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1363
Right-Click Customization Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1365
Field Update Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1367
Visual Effect Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1368
Ribbon Contextual Tab State Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 1369
Advanced Preview Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1371
Add or Change Profile Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1372
Transparency Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1373

xx | Contents

Hidden Message Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1374
Default Scale List Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1375
Initial Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1376
ORTHO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1379
OSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1380

Chapter 16

P Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1383
PAGESETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page Setup Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New Page Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog Box (Page
Setup) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Import Page Setups Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Panning in Real Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-PAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pan Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PARAMETERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parameters Manager - Drawing Editor . . . . . . . . . . .
Parameters Manager - Block Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-PARAMETERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PARAMETERSCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PARTIALOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Partial Load Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-PARTIALOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PARTIALOPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PASTEASHYPERLINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PASTEBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PASTECLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PASTEORIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PASTESPEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paste Special Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PCINWIZARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PDFADJUST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PDFATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-PDFATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attach PDF Underlay Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PDF Underlay Ribbon Contextual tab . . . . . . . . . . .
PDFCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PDFLAYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multiple Selection (PEDIT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2D Polyline Selection (PEDIT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Polyline Selection (PEDIT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Polygon Mesh Selection (PEDIT) . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 1389

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Contents | xxi

PFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1449
PLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1450
PLANESURF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1452
PLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1453
PLOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1460
Plot Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1461
Add Page Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1472
Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog Box . . . . . . . 1473
Plot Job Progress Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1474
Update PC3 File with New Printer Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 1474
-PLOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1476
PLOTSTAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1480
Plot Stamp Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1481
User Defined Fields Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1483
Advanced Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1484
-PLOTSTAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1487
PLOTSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1489
Current Plot Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1490
Select Plot Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1491
-PLOTSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1493
PLOTTERMANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1493
Add-a-Plotter Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1494
Plotter Configuration Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1495
Configure LPT Port Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1508
Settings for COM Port Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1508
Advanced Settings for COM Port Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 1509
PNGOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1511
POINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1512
POINTCLOUD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1513
POINTCLOUDATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1514
Attach Point Cloud Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1515
-POINTCLOUDATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1517
POINTCLOUDINDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1518
POINTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1518
POLYGON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1523
POLYSOLID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1525
PRESSPULL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1529
PREVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1531
PROJECTGEOMETRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1533
PROPERTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1534
Properties Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1535
General Properties of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1538
Cell Border Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1539
Add Distance or Angle Value Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 1541
Lighting Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1542
PROPERTIESCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1550

xxii | Contents

PSETUPIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1550
-PSETUPIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1551
PSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1551
PUBLISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1552
Publish Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1553
Publish Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1557
Publish Block Template Dialog Box (Publish) . . . . . . . . . . 1560
Block Template Options Dialog Box (Publish) . . . . . . . . . . 1562
DWF Password Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1562
Confirm DWF Password Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1563
Publish Job Progress Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1564
-PUBLISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1565
PUBLISHTOWEB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1566
Publish to Web Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1567
PURGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1567
Purge Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1568
-PURGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1571
PYRAMID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1572

Chapter 17

Q Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1575
QCCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1575
QDIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1575
QLEADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1577
Leader Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1578
QNEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1582
QSAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1583
QSELECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1584
Quick Select Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1585
QTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1587
QUICKCALC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1588
QuickCalc Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1589
Variable Definition Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1591
Category Definition Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1593
QUICKCUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1594
QUIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1594
QVDRAWING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1595
QVDRAWINGCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1596
QVLAYOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1596
QVLAYOUTCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1597

Chapter 18

R Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1599
RAY . . . . . .
RECOVER . . .
RECOVERALL .
RECTANG . . .

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. 1599
. 1600
. 1601
. 1602

Contents | xxiii

REDEFINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1604
REDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1604
REDRAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1605
REDRAWALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1605
REFCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1606
REFEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1607
Edit Reference Ribbon Contextual Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1608
Reference Edit Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1609
-REFEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1612
REFSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1613
REGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1614
REGENALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1615
REGENAUTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1615
REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1616
REINIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1617
Re-initialization Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1618
RENAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1619
Rename Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1619
-RENAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1621
RENDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1621
Render Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1622
Missing Texture Maps Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1626
Render Output File Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1628
-RENDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1636
RENDERCROP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1639
RENDERENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1640
Render Environment Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1641
RENDEREXPOSURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1642
Adjust Rendered Exposure Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1643
RENDERPRESETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1645
Render Presets Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1645
Copy Render Preset Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1653
RENDERWIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1654
RESETBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1655
RESUME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1655
REVCLOUD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1656
REVERSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1657
REVOLVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1658
REVSURF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1662
RIBBON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1665
RIBBONCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1665
ROTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1666
ROTATE3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1667
RPREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1670
Advanced Render Settings Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1670
Output Size Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1679

xxiv | Contents

RPREFCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1681
RSCRIPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1681
RULESURF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1682

Chapter 19

S Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1685
SAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1685
SAVEAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1685
Template Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1686
Saveas Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1687
SAVEAS Command Prompts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1690
SAVEIMG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1690
SCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1691
SCALELISTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1693
Edit Drawing Scales Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1693
Add Scale Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1695
Edit Scale Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1696
-SCALELISTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1697
SCALETEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1698
SCRIPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1699
SECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1700
SECTIONPLANE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1703
Section Plane Ribbon Contextual Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1706
SECTIONPLANEJOG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1706
SECTIONPLANESETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1708
Section Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1708
New Layer Name Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1713
SECTIONPLANETOBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1715
Generate Section / Elevation Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1716
SECURITYOPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1718
Security Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1719
Confirm Password Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1720
Advanced Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1721
SEEK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1721
SELECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1722
SELECTSIMILAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1726
Select Similar Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1727
SETBYLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1728
SetByLayer Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1729
SETIDROPHANDLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1730
Set Default i-drop Content Type Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 1731
i-drop Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1731
SETVAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1732
SHADEMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1733
-SHADEMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1733
SHAPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1734
SHAREWITHSEEK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1735

Contents | xxv

Share with Autodesk Seek Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1735
SHEETSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1737
Sheet Set Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1738
Subset Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1745
Publish Sheets Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1747
Select Layout as Sheet Template Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 1749
New Sheet Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1750
Rename & Renumber Sheet Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1751
Rename & Renumber View Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1753
Import Layouts as Sheets Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1754
Insert Sheet List Table Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1756
Edit Sheet List Table Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1761
Sheet Set Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1763
Sheet Set Custom Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1765
Add Custom Property Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1766
Resource Drawing Locations Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1767
Sheet Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1768
New Sheet Selection Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1770
Sheet Selections Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1771
View Category Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1772
List of Blocks Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1773
Select Block Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1775
SHEETSETHIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1776
SHELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1776
SHOWPALETTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1777
SIGVALIDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1777
Validate Digital Signatures Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1778
Digital Signature Contents Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1779
SKETCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1781
SLICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1782
SNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1789
SOLDRAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1791
SOLID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1792
SOLIDEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1793
SOLPROF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1810
SOLVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1813
SPACETRANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1817
SPELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1818
Check Spelling Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1819
Check Spelling Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1822
Dictionaries Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1823
Manage Custom Dictionaries Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 1825
SPHERE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1827
SPLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1828
SPLINEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1834
SPOTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1839

xxvi | Contents

STANDARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1843
Configure Standards Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1844
CAD Standards Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1846
STATUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1848
STLOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1850
Create STL File Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1851
STRETCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1851
STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1853
Text Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1854
-STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1858
STYLESMANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1859
Add-a-Plot-Style-Table Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1860
Plot Style Table Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1861
Edit Lineweights Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1868
SUBTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1869
SUNPROPERTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1871
Sun Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1872
SUNPROPERTIESCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1875
SURFBLEND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1875
SURFEXTEND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1877
SURFFILLET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1878
SURFNETWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1879
SURFOFFSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1881
SURFPATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1883
SURFSCULPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1885
SURFTRIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1886
SURFUNTRIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1888
SWEEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1890
SYSWINDOWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1892

Chapter 20

T Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1895
TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1895
Insert Table Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1896
Table Ribbon Contextual Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1900
-TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1902
Manage Cell Content Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1904
TABLEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1906
TABLEEXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1907
TABLESTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1907
Table Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1908
Create New Table Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1910
New and Modify Table Style Dialog Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . 1911
Create New Cell Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1916
Manage Cell Styles Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1917
Table Cell Format Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1919
Additional Format Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1920

Contents | xxvii

TABLET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1922
TABSURF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1926
TARGETPOINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1928
TASKBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1931
TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1932
Text Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1936
Special Unicode Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1937
Control Codes and Special Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1938
TEXT and the TEXTEVAL System Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . 1939
TEXTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1940
TEXTSCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1940
TEXTTOFRONT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1941
THICKEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1942
TIFOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1943
TIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1944
TINSERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1945
Insert a Block in a Table Cell Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1946
TOLERANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1946
Geometric Tolerance Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1947
Symbol Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1951
Material Condition Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1953
TOOLBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1954
-TOOLBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1954
TOOLPALETTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1956
View Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1958
Tool Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1959
Add Actions Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1960
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1960
TORUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1961
TPNAVIGATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1963
TRACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1963
TRANSPARENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1964
TRAYSETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1965
Tray Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1965
TREESTAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1966
TRIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1967

Chapter 21

U Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1973
U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1973
UCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1974
UCSICON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1981
UCS Icon Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1983
UCSMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985
UCS Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985
Orthographic UCS Depth Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990
UCS Details Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990

xxviii | Contents

ULAYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Underlay Layers Dialog Box . .
UNDEFINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
UNDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
UNION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
UNISOLATEOBJECTS . . . . . . . . .
UNITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing Units Dialog Box . . .
Direction Control Dialog Box .
-UNITS . . . . . . . . . . . . .
UPDATEFIELD . . . . . . . . . . . .
UPDATETHUMBSNOW . . . . . . . .

Chapter 22

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. 1992
. 1992
. 1993
. 1994
. 1997
. 1999
. 2000
. 2000
. 2003
. 2005
. 2006
. 2007

V Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009
VBAIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009
VBALOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 2011
VBAMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012
VBA Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013
VBARUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2016
Macros Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2016
Select Project Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2019
VBA Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2019
-VBARUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2021
VBASTMT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2021
VBAUNLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2022
VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2022
View Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2023
New View / Shot Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2028
Background Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2036
Adjust Sun & Sky Background Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 2038
Adjust Background Image Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2041
-VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2043
VIEWGO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2045
VIEWPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2045
VIEWPLOTDETAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2046
Plot and Publish Details Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2046
Plot and Publish Status Bar Icon Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . 2048
VIEWRES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2049
VISUALSTYLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2050
Visual Styles Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2051
Create New Visual Style and Edit Name and Description Dialog
Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2060
-VISUALSTYLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2061
VISUALSTYLESCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2062
VLISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2062

Contents | xxix

VPCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2063
VPLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2064
VPMAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2066
VPMIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2067
VPOINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2068
VPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2069
Viewports Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2070
-VPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2073
VSCURRENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2077
VSLIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2079
VSSAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2079
VTOPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2080
View Transitions Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2080

Chapter 23

W Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2083
WALKFLYSETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2083
Walk and Fly Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2084
WBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2085
Write Block Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2086
-WBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2089
WEBLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2090
WEDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2093
WHOHAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2095
WIPEOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2096
WMFIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2097
WMFOPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2100
WMF In Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2100
WMFOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2101
WORKSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2101
WSSAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2102
Save Workspace Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2102
WSSETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2103
Workspace Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2103

Chapter 24

X Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2105
XATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2105
Attach External Reference Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2106
External Reference Ribbon Contextual Tab . . . . . . . . . . . 2109
XBIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2110
Xbind Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2111
-XBIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2112
XCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2113
XEDGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2115
XLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2116
XOPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2118

xxx | Contents

Open Reference Files Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2119
XPLODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2120
XREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2122
Bind Xrefs Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2122
-XREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2124

Chapter 25

Z Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2127
ZOOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2127
Zoom Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2131

Chapter 26

Command Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2133
Coordinate Filters (Command Modifier) . . .
Direct Distance Entry (Command Modifier) .
FROM (Command Modifier) . . . . . . . . .
MTP (Command Modifier) . . . . . . . . . .
TRACKING (Command Modifier) . . . . . .
Object Snaps (Command Modifier) . . . . .
Selection Modes (Command Modifier) . . . .

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. 2134
. 2134
. 2135
. 2135
. 2136
. 2137

System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2139
Chapter 27

3D System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2141
3DDWFPREC . . . . . .
3DCONVERSIONMODE
3DOSMODE . . . . . . .
3DSELECTIONMODE . .

Chapter 28

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. 2141
. 2142
. 2142
. 2143

A System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2145
ACADLSPASDOC . . . .
ACADPREFIX . . . . . .
ACADVER . . . . . . . .
ACISOUTVER . . . . . .
ACTPATH . . . . . . . .
ACTRECORDERSTATE .
ACTRECPATH . . . . . .
ACTUI . . . . . . . . . .
ADCSTATE . . . . . . .
AFLAGS . . . . . . . . .
ANGBASE . . . . . . . .
ANGDIR . . . . . . . . .
ANNOALLVISIBLE . . .
ANNOAUTOSCALE . . .
ANNOTATIVEDWG . . .

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. 2145
. 2145
. 2146
. 2146
. 2147
. 2147
. 2148
. 2148
. 2149
. 2149
. 2150
. 2150
. 2151
. 2151
. 2153

Contents | xxxi

APBOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2153
APERTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2154
APPLYGLOBALOPACITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2154
APSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2155
AREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2155
ATTDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2156
ATTIPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2156
ATTMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2157
ATTMULTI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2157
ATTREQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2158
AUDITCTL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2158
AUNITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2159
AUPREC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2159
AUTODWFPUBLISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2160
AUTOMATICPUB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2161
AUTOSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2161

Chapter 29

B System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2163
BACKGROUNDPLOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2163
BACKZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2164
BACTIONBARMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2164
BACTIONCOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2165
BCONSTATUSMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2165
BDEPENDENCYHIGHLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2166
BGRIPOBJCOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2166
BGRIPOBJSIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2167
BINDTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2167
BLIPMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2168
BLOCKEDITLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2168
BLOCKEDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2169
BLOCKTESTWINDOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2169
BPARAMETERCOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2170
BPARAMETERFONT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2170
BPARAMETERSIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2171
BPTEXTHORIZONTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2171
BTMARKDISPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2172
BVMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2172

Chapter 30

C System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2175
CALCINPUT . . . . . . .
CAMERADISPLAY . . . . .
CAMERAHEIGHT . . . . .
CANNOSCALE . . . . . .
CANNOSCALEVALUE . . .
CAPTURETHUMBNAILS .

xxxii | Contents

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. 2175
. 2175
. 2176
. 2176
. 2177
. 2177

CBARTRANSPARENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2178
CCONSTRAINTFORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2178
CDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2179
CECOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2179
CELTSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2180
CELTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2180
CELWEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2181
CENTERMT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2181
CETRANSPARENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2182
CHAMFERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2183
CHAMFERB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2183
CHAMFERC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2183
CHAMFERD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2184
CHAMMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2184
CIRCLERAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2184
CLASSICKEYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2185
CLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2185
CLEANSCREENSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2186
CLISTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2186
CMATERIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2187
CMDACTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2187
CMDDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2188
CMDECHO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2188
CMDINPUTHISTORYMAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2189
CMDNAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2189
CMLEADERSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2190
CMLJUST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2190
CMLSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2191
CMLSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2191
COMPASS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2192
CONSTRAINTBARDISPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2192
CONSTRAINTBARMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2193
CONSTRAINTINFER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2194
CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2194
CONSTRAINTRELAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2195
CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2196
COORDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2196
COPYMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2197
CPLOTSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2197
CPROFILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2198
CROSSINGAREACOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2199
CSHADOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2199
CTAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2200
CTABLESTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2200
CULLINGOBJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2201
CULLINGOBJSELECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2201

Contents | xxxiii

CURSORSIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2202
CVPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2203

Chapter 31

D System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2205
DATALINKNOTIFY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2205
DATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2206
DBCSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2207
DBLCLKEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2207
DBMOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2208
DCTCUST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2208
DCTMAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2209
DEFAULTGIZMO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2210
DEFAULTLIGHTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2213
DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2214
DEFLPLSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2214
DEFPLSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2215
DELOBJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2216
DEMANDLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2217
DGNFRAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2218
DGNIMPORTMAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2218
DGNMAPPINGPATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2219
DGNOSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2219
DIASTAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2220
DIGITIZER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2221
DIMADEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2221
DIMALT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2222
DIMALTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2222
DIMALTF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2223
DIMALTRND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2223
DIMALTTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2224
DIMALTTZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2224
DIMALTU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2225
DIMALTZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2226
DIMANNO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2226
DIMAPOST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2227
DIMARCSYM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2227
DIMASSOC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2228
DIMASZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2229
DIMATFIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2229
DIMAUNIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2230
DIMAZIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2231
DIMBLK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2231
DIMBLK1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2233
DIMBLK2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2234
DIMCEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2234
DIMCLRD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2235

xxxiv | Contents

DIMCLRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2235
DIMCLRT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2236
DIMCONSTRAINTICON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2236
DIMDEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2237
DIMDLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2237
DIMDLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2238
DIMDSEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2238
DIMEXE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2239
DIMEXO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2239
DIMFRAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2239
DIMFXL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2240
DIMFXLON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2240
DIMGAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2241
DIMJOGANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2241
DIMJUST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2242
DIMLDRBLK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2242
DIMLFAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2243
DIMLIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2244
DIMLTEX1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2244
DIMLTEX2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2245
DIMLTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2245
DIMLUNIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2245
DIMLWD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2246
DIMLWE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2247
DIMPOST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2247
DIMRND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2248
DIMSAH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2248
DIMSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2249
DIMSD1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2249
DIMSD2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2250
DIMSE1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2250
DIMSE2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2251
DIMSOXD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2251
DIMSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2252
DIMTAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2252
DIMTDEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2253
DIMTFAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2254
DIMTFILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2254
DIMTFILLCLR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2255
DIMTIH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2255
DIMTIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2256
DIMTM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2256
DIMTMOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2257
DIMTOFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2257
DIMTOH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2258
DIMTOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2258

Contents | xxxv

DIMTOLJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2259
DIMTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2259
DIMTSZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2260
DIMTVP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2260
DIMTXSTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2261
DIMTXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2261
DIMTXTDIRECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2262
DIMTZIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2262
DIMUPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2263
DIMZIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2263
DISPSILH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2264
DISTANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2265
DIVMESHBOXHEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2265
DIVMESHBOXLENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2266
DIVMESHBOXWIDTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2267
DIVMESHCONEAXIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2267
DIVMESHCONEBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2268
DIVMESHCONEHEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2269
DIVMESHCYLAXIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2270
DIVMESHCYLBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2271
DIVMESHCYLHEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2272
DIVMESHPYRBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2273
DIVMESHPYRHEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2274
DIVMESHPYRLENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2275
DIVMESHSPHEREAXIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2276
DIVMESHSPHEREHEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2277
DIVMESHTORUSPATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2278
DIVMESHTORUSSECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2278
DIVMESHWEDGEBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2279
DIVMESHWEDGEHEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2280
DIVMESHWEDGELENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2281
DIVMESHWEDGESLOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2282
DIVMESHWEDGEWIDTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2283
DONUTID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2284
DONUTOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2284
DRAGMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2285
DRAGP1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2286
DRAGP2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2286
DRAGVS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2286
DRAWORDERCTL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2287
DRSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2288
DTEXTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2288
DWFFRAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2289
DWFOSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2289
DWGCHECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2290
DWGCODEPAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2291

xxxvi | Contents

DWGNAME . . . . . . . . .
DWGPREFIX . . . . . . . .
DWGTITLED . . . . . . . .
DXEVAL . . . . . . . . . . .
DYNCONSTRAINTMODE .
DYNDIGRIP . . . . . . . . .
DYNDIVIS . . . . . . . . . .
DYNMODE . . . . . . . . .
DYNPICOORDS . . . . . . .
DYNPIFORMAT . . . . . . .
DYNPIVIS . . . . . . . . . .
DYNPROMPT . . . . . . . .
DYNTOOLTIPS . . . . . . .

Chapter 32

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. 2291
. 2292
. 2292
. 2293
. 2294
. 2294
. 2295
. 2296
. 2297
. 2297
. 2298
. 2298
. 2299

E System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2301
EDGEMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2301
ELEVATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2302
ENTERPRISEMENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2302
ERHIGHLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2302
ERRNO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2303
ERSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2304
EXPERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2304
EXPORTEPLOTFORMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2305
EXPORTMODELSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2306
EXPORTPAPERSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2306
EXPORTPAGESETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2307
EXPLMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2307
EXTMAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2308
EXTMIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2308
EXTNAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2309

Chapter 33

F System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2311
FACETERDEVNORMAL . . . . .
FACETERDEVSURFACE . . . . .
FACETERGRIDRATIO . . . . . .
FACETERMAXEDGELENGTH .
FACETERMAXGRID . . . . . . .
FACETERMESHTYPE . . . . . .
FACETERMINUGRID . . . . . .
FACETERMINVGRID . . . . . .
FACETERPRIMITIVEMODE . . .
FACETERSMOOTHLEV . . . . .
FACETRATIO . . . . . . . . . .
FACETRES . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIELDDISPLAY . . . . . . . . .

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. 2311
. 2312
. 2312
. 2313
. 2314
. 2314
. 2315
. 2315
. 2316
. 2317
. 2318
. 2318
. 2319

Contents | xxxvii

FIELDEVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2319
FILEDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2320
FILLETRAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2321
FILLETRAD3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2321
FILLMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2322
FONTALT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2322
FONTMAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2323
FRAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2323
FRONTZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2324
FULLOPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2325
FULLPLOTPATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2325

Chapter 34

G System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2327
GEOLATLONGFORMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2327
GEOMARKERVISIBILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2328
GFANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2328
GFCLR1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2329
GFCLR2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2329
GFCLRLUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2330
GFCLRSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2330
GFNAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2331
GFSHIFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2331
GLOBALOPACITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2332
GRIDDISPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2333
GRIDMAJOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2333
GRIDMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2334
GRIDSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2334
GRIDUNIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2335
GRIPBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2335
GRIPCOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2336
GRIPCONTOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2336
GRIPDYNCOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2337
GRIPHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2337
GRIPHOVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2338
GRIPMULTIFUNCTIONAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2338
GRIPOBJLIMIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2339
GRIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2339
GRIPSIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2340
GRIPSUBOBJMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2341
GRIPTIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2341
GTAUTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2342
GTDEFAULT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2343
GTLOCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2343

Chapter 35

H System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2345

xxxviii | Contents

HALOGAP . . . . . . . . . . . .
HANDLES . . . . . . . . . . . .
HELPPREFIX . . . . . . . . . .
HIDEPRECISION . . . . . . . .
HIDETEXT . . . . . . . . . . .
HIGHLIGHT . . . . . . . . . .
HPANG . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HPANNOTATIVE . . . . . . . .
HPASSOC . . . . . . . . . . . .
HPBACKGROUNDCOLOR . . .
HPBOUND . . . . . . . . . . .
HPBOUNDRETAIN . . . . . . .
HPCOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . .
HPDLGMODE . . . . . . . . . .
HPDOUBLE . . . . . . . . . . .
HPDRAWORDER . . . . . . . .
HPGAPTOL . . . . . . . . . . .
HPINHERIT . . . . . . . . . . .
HPISLANDDETECTION . . . . .
HPISLANDDETECTIONMODE .
HPLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . .
HPMAXLINES . . . . . . . . . .
HPNAME . . . . . . . . . . . .
HPOBJWARNING . . . . . . . .
HPORIGIN . . . . . . . . . . .
HPORIGINMODE . . . . . . . .
HPQUICKPREVIEW . . . . . . .
HPSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . .
HPSEPARATE . . . . . . . . . .
HPSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . .
HPTRANSPARENCY . . . . . . .
HYPERLINKBASE . . . . . . . .

Chapter 36

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. 2345
. 2345
. 2346
. 2346
. 2347
. 2347
. 2348
. 2348
. 2349
. 2349
. 2350
. 2350
. 2351
. 2352
. 2352
. 2353
. 2354
. 2354
. 2355
. 2355
. 2356
. 2356
. 2356
. 2357
. 2357
. 2358
. 2358
. 2359
. 2359
. 2360
. 2360
. 2361

I System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2363
IMAGEFRAME . . . . .
IMAGEHLT . . . . . . .
IMPLIEDFACE . . . . . .
INDEXCTL . . . . . . .
INETLOCATION . . . .
INPUTHISTORYMODE .
INSBASE . . . . . . . . .
INSNAME . . . . . . . .
INSUNITS . . . . . . . .
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE .
INSUNITSDEFTARGET .
INTELLIGENTUPDATE .

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. 2363
. 2364
. 2364
. 2365
. 2365
. 2366
. 2367
. 2367
. 2367
. 2369
. 2370
. 2372

Contents | xxxix

INTERFERECOLOR . . . .
INTERFEREOBJVS . . . . .
INTERFEREVPVS . . . . .
INTERSECTIONCOLOR . .
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY .
ISAVEBAK . . . . . . . . .
ISAVEPERCENT . . . . . .
ISOLINES . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 37

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. 2372
. 2373
. 2373
. 2374
. 2374
. 2375
. 2375
. 2376

L System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2377
LARGEOBJECTSUPPORT .
LASTANGLE . . . . . . . .
LASTPOINT . . . . . . . .
LASTPROMPT . . . . . . .
LATITUDE . . . . . . . . .
LAYERDLGMODE . . . . .
LAYEREVAL . . . . . . . .
LAYEREVALCTL . . . . . .
LAYERFILTERALERT . . .
LAYERMANAGERSTATE .
LAYERNOTIFY . . . . . .
LAYLOCKFADECTL . . . .
LAYOUTREGENCTL . . .
LEGACYCTRLPICK . . . .
LENSLENGTH . . . . . . .
LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY . .
LIGHTINGUNITS . . . . .
LIGHTLISTSTATE . . . . .
LIGHTSINBLOCKS . . . .
LIMCHECK . . . . . . . .
LIMMAX . . . . . . . . .
LIMMIN . . . . . . . . . .
LINEARBRIGHTNESS . . .
LINEARCONTRAST . . . .
LOCALE . . . . . . . . . .
LOCALROOTPREFIX . . .
LOCKUI . . . . . . . . . .
LOFTANG1 . . . . . . . .
LOFTANG2 . . . . . . . .
LOFTMAG1 . . . . . . . .
LOFTMAG2 . . . . . . . .
LOFTNORMALS . . . . . .
LOFTPARAM . . . . . . .
LOGEXPBRIGHTNESS . .
LOGEXPCONTRAST . . .
LOGEXPDAYLIGHT . . . .

xl | Contents

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. 2377
. 2377
. 2378
. 2378
. 2379
. 2379
. 2380
. 2381
. 2381
. 2382
. 2383
. 2384
. 2385
. 2386
. 2387
. 2387
. 2388
. 2388
. 2389
. 2389
. 2390
. 2390
. 2391
. 2391
. 2392
. 2392
. 2393
. 2393
. 2394
. 2394
. 2395
. 2395
. 2396
. 2397
. 2397
. 2398

LOGEXPMIDTONES . . . .
LOGEXPPHYSICALSCALE .
LOGFILEMODE . . . . . . .
LOGFILENAME . . . . . . .
LOGFILEPATH . . . . . . .
LOGINNAME . . . . . . . .
LONGITUDE . . . . . . . .
LTSCALE . . . . . . . . . .
LUNITS . . . . . . . . . . .
LUPREC . . . . . . . . . . .
LWDEFAULT . . . . . . . .
LWDISPLAY . . . . . . . . .
LWUNITS . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 38

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. 2398
. 2399
. 2399
. 2400
. 2400
. 2401
. 2401
. 2402
. 2402
. 2403
. 2403
. 2404
. 2404

M System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2405
MATBROWSERSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2405
MATEDITORSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2405
MATERIALSPATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2406
MAXACTVP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2406
MAXSORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2407
MAXTOUCHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2407
MBUTTONPAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2407
MEASUREINIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2408
MEASUREMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2409
MENUBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2409
MENUCTL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2410
MENUECHO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2410
MENUNAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2411
MESHTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2411
MIRRHATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2412
MIRRTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2412
MLEADERSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2413
MODEMACRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2413
MSLTSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2414
MSMSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2414
MSOLESCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2415
MTEXTCOLUMN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2415
MTEXTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2416
MTEXTFIXED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2416
MTEXTTOOLBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2417
MTJIGSTRING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2418
MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2418

Chapter 39

N System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2421
NAVBARDISPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2421

Contents | xli

NAVSWHEELMODE . . . . .
NAVSWHEELOPACITYBIG . .
NAVSWHEELOPACITYMINI .
NAVSWHEELSIZEBIG . . . . .
NAVSWHEELSIZEMINI . . . .
NAVVCUBEDISPLAY . . . . .
NAVVCUBELOCATION . . . .
NAVVCUBEOPACITY . . . . .
NAVVCUBEORIENT . . . . .
NAVVCUBESIZE . . . . . . .
NOMUTT . . . . . . . . . . .
NORTHDIRECTION . . . . .

Chapter 40

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. 2421
. 2422
. 2423
. 2423
. 2424
. 2424
. 2425
. 2425
. 2426
. 2426
. 2427
. 2428

O System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2429
OBJECTISOLATIONMODE .
OBSCUREDCOLOR . . . . .
OBSCUREDLTYPE . . . . . .
OFFSETDIST . . . . . . . . .
OFFSETGAPTYPE . . . . . .
OLEFRAME . . . . . . . . .
OLEHIDE . . . . . . . . . .
OLEQUALITY . . . . . . . .
OLESTARTUP . . . . . . . .
OPENPARTIAL . . . . . . .
OPMSTATE . . . . . . . . .
ORTHOMODE . . . . . . .
OSMODE . . . . . . . . . .
OSNAPCOORD . . . . . . .
OSNAPNODELEGACY . . .
OSNAPZ . . . . . . . . . . .
OSOPTIONS . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 41

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. 2429
. 2430
. 2430
. 2432
. 2432
. 2433
. 2433
. 2434
. 2435
. 2435
. 2436
. 2436
. 2437
. 2438
. 2439
. 2439
. 2440

P System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2441
PALETTEOPAQUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2441
PAPERUPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2442
PARAMETERCOPYMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2443
PARAMETERSSTATUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2444
PDFFRAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2444
PDFOSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2445
PDMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2446
PDSIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2446
PEDITACCEPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2447
PELLIPSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2447
PERIMETER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2448
PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2448

xlii | Contents

PERSPECTIVECLIP . . . . . . . . .
PFACEVMAX . . . . . . . . . . . .
PICKADD . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PICKAUTO . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PICKBOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PICKDRAG . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PICKFIRST . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PICKSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PLATFORM . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PLINECONVERTMODE . . . . . . .
PLINEGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PLINETYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PLINEWID . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PLOTOFFSET . . . . . . . . . . . .
PLOTROTMODE . . . . . . . . . .
PLOTTRANSPARENCYOVERRIDE .
PLQUIET . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
POINTCLOUDAUTOUPDATE . . .
POINTCLOUDDENSITY . . . . . .
POINTCLOUDLOCK . . . . . . . .
POINTCLOUDRTDENSITY . . . . .
POLARADDANG . . . . . . . . . .
POLARANG . . . . . . . . . . . . .
POLARDIST . . . . . . . . . . . . .
POLARMODE . . . . . . . . . . . .
POLYSIDES . . . . . . . . . . . . .
POPUPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PREVIEWEFFECT . . . . . . . . . .
PREVIEWFACEEFFECT . . . . . . .
PREVIEWFILTER . . . . . . . . . .
PREVIEWTYPE . . . . . . . . . . .
PRODUCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PROJECTNAME . . . . . . . . . . .
PROJMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PROXYGRAPHICS . . . . . . . . .
PROXYNOTICE . . . . . . . . . . .
PROXYSHOW . . . . . . . . . . . .
PROXYWEBSEARCH . . . . . . . .
PSLTSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PSOLHEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . .
PSOLWIDTH . . . . . . . . . . . .
PSTYLEMODE . . . . . . . . . . . .
PSTYLEPOLICY . . . . . . . . . . .
PSVPSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PUBLISHALLSHEETS . . . . . . . .

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. 2449
. 2449
. 2450
. 2450
. 2451
. 2451
. 2452
. 2452
. 2453
. 2453
. 2454
. 2454
. 2455
. 2456
. 2456
. 2457
. 2457
. 2458
. 2459
. 2459
. 2460
. 2461
. 2461
. 2462
. 2462
. 2463
. 2463
. 2464
. 2464
. 2465
. 2466
. 2466
. 2467
. 2467
. 2468
. 2468
. 2469
. 2469
. 2470
. 2470
. 2471
. 2472
. 2472
. 2473
. 2473
. 2474

Contents | xliii

PUBLISHCOLLATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2474
PUBLISHHATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2475
PUCSBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2476

Chapter 42

Q System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2477
QCSTATE . . . . .
QPLOCATION . .
QPMODE . . . . .
QTEXTMODE . . .
QVDRAWINGPIN .
QVLAYOUTPIN . .

Chapter 43

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. 2477
. 2477
. 2478
. 2479
. 2479
. 2480

R System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2481
RASTERDPI . . . . . . . . .
RASTERPERCENT . . . . . .
RASTERPREVIEW . . . . . .
RASTERTHRESHOLD . . . .
REBUILD2DCV . . . . . . .
REBUILD2DDEGREE . . . .
REBUILD2DOPTION . . . .
REBUILDDEGREEU . . . . .
REBUILDDEGREEV . . . . .
REBUILDOPTIONS . . . . .
REBUILDU . . . . . . . . .
REBUILDV . . . . . . . . .
RECOVERAUTO . . . . . .
RECOVERYMODE . . . . .
REFEDITNAME . . . . . . .
REGENMODE . . . . . . . .
RE-INIT . . . . . . . . . . .
REMEMBERFOLDERS . . . .
RENDERPREFSSTATE . . . .
RENDERUSERLIGHTS . . . .
REPORTERROR . . . . . . .
RIBBONCONTEXTSELECT .
RIBBONCONTEXTSELLIM .
RIBBONDOCKEDHEIGHT .
RIBBONSELECTMODE . . .
RIBBONSTATE . . . . . . .
ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX . .
ROLLOVEROPACITY . . . .
ROLLOVERTIPS . . . . . . .
RTDISPLAY . . . . . . . . .

xliv | Contents

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. 2481
. 2481
. 2482
. 2482
. 2483
. 2483
. 2484
. 2485
. 2485
. 2486
. 2486
. 2487
. 2487
. 2488
. 2489
. 2489
. 2490
. 2490
. 2491
. 2491
. 2492
. 2493
. 2493
. 2494
. 2494
. 2495
. 2495
. 2496
. 2497
. 2497

Chapter 44

S System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2499
SAVEFIDELITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2499
SAVEFILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2500
SAVEFILEPATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2500
SAVENAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2500
SAVETIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2501
SCREENBOXES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2501
SCREENMENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2502
SCREENMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2502
SCREENSIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2503
SELECTIONANNODISPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2503
SELECTIONAREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2504
SELECTIONAREAOPACITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2504
SELECTIONCYCLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2505
SELECTIONPREVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2505
SELECTSIMILARMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2506
SETBYLAYERMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2507
SHADEDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2508
SHADEDIF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2508
SHADOWPLANELOCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2509
SHORTCUTMENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2509
SHOWHIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2510
SHOWLAYERUSAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2511
SHOWMOTIONPIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2511
SHOWPALETTESTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2512
SHPNAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2512
SIGWARN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2513
SKETCHINC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2513
SKPOLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2514
SKTOLERANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2514
SKYSTATUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2515
SMOOTHMESHCONVERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2515
SMOOTHMESHGRID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2516
SMOOTHMESHMAXFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2517
SMOOTHMESHMAXLEV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2517
SNAPANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2518
SNAPBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2518
SNAPISOPAIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2518
SNAPMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2519
SNAPSTYL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2519
SNAPTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2520
SNAPUNIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2520
SOLIDCHECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2521
SOLIDHIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2521
SORTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2522
SPLDEGREE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2523

Contents | xlv

SPLFRAME . . . . . . . . . . . .
SPLINESEGS . . . . . . . . . . . .
SPLINETYPE . . . . . . . . . . . .
SPLKNOTS . . . . . . . . . . . .
SPLMETHOD . . . . . . . . . . .
SSFOUND . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SSLOCATE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SSMAUTOOPEN . . . . . . . . .
SSMPOLLTIME . . . . . . . . . .
SSMSHEETSTATUS . . . . . . . .
SSMSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
STANDARDSVIOLATION . . . . .
STARTUP . . . . . . . . . . . . .
STATUSBAR . . . . . . . . . . . .
STEPSIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
STEPSPERSEC . . . . . . . . . . .
SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE . . . .
SUNPROPERTIESSTATE . . . . . .
SUNSTATUS . . . . . . . . . . . .
SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY . . . .
SURFACEASSOCIATIVITYDRAG .
SURFACEAUTOTRIM . . . . . . .
SURFACEMODELINGMODE . . .
SURFTAB1 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SURFTAB2 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SURFTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SURFU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SURFV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SYSCODEPAGE . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 45

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. 2523
. 2524
. 2524
. 2525
. 2525
. 2526
. 2526
. 2527
. 2527
. 2528
. 2528
. 2529
. 2530
. 2530
. 2531
. 2531
. 2532
. 2536
. 2536
. 2537
. 2537
. 2538
. 2539
. 2539
. 2540
. 2540
. 2541
. 2541
. 2542

T System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2543
TABLEINDICATOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2543
TABLETOOLBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2543
TABMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2544
TARGET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2545
TBCUSTOMIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2545
TDCREATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2546
TDINDWG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2546
TDUCREATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2547
TDUPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2547
TDUSRTIMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2547
TDUUPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2548
TEMPOVERRIDES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2548
TEMPPREFIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2549
TEXTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2549
TEXTEVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2550

xlvi | Contents

TEXTFILL . . . . . . . . . . .
TEXTOUTPUTFILEFORMAT .
TEXTQLTY . . . . . . . . . .
TEXTSIZE . . . . . . . . . . .
TEXTSTYLE . . . . . . . . . .
THICKNESS . . . . . . . . . .
THUMBSIZE . . . . . . . . . .
TILEMODE . . . . . . . . . .
TIMEZONE . . . . . . . . . .
TOOLTIPMERGE . . . . . . .
TOOLTIPS . . . . . . . . . . .
TPSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . .
TRACEWID . . . . . . . . . .
TRACKPATH . . . . . . . . .
TRANSPARENCYDISPLAY . . .
TRAYICONS . . . . . . . . . .
TRAYNOTIFY . . . . . . . . .
TRAYTIMEOUT . . . . . . . .
TREEDEPTH . . . . . . . . . .
TREEMAX . . . . . . . . . . .
TRIMMODE . . . . . . . . . .
TSPACEFAC . . . . . . . . . .
TSPACETYPE . . . . . . . . .
TSTACKALIGN . . . . . . . .
TSTACKSIZE . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 46

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. 2550
. 2551
. 2551
. 2552
. 2552
. 2553
. 2553
. 2554
. 2554
. 2558
. 2559
. 2559
. 2560
. 2560
. 2561
. 2561
. 2562
. 2562
. 2563
. 2563
. 2564
. 2565
. 2565
. 2566
. 2566

U System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2567
UCSAXISANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2567
UCSBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2567
UCSDETECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2568
UCSFOLLOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2568
UCSICON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2569
UCSNAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2570
UCSORG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2570
UCSORTHO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2571
UCSVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2571
UCSVP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2572
UCSXDIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2572
UCSYDIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2573
UNDOCTL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2573
UNDOMARKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2574
UNITMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2574
UOSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2575
UPDATETHUMBNAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2576
USERI1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2576
USERR1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2577

Contents | xlvii

USERS1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2577

Chapter 47

V System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2579
VIEWCTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2579
VIEWDIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2579
VIEWMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2580
VIEWSIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2581
VIEWTWIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2581
VISRETAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2581
VPLAYEROVERRIDES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2582
VPLAYEROVERRIDESMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2583
VPMAXIMIZEDSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2583
VPROTATEASSOC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2584
VSACURVATUREHIGH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2584
VSACURVATURELOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2585
VSACURVATURETYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2585
VSADRAFTANGLEHIGH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2586
VSADRAFTANGLELOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2586
VSAZEBRACOLOR1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2587
VSAZEBRACOLOR2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2588
VSAZEBRADIRECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2588
VSAZEBRASIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2589
VSAZEBRATYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2589
VSBACKGROUNDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2590
VSEDGECOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2590
VSEDGEJITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2591
VSEDGELEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2592
VSEDGEOVERHANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2593
VSEDGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2594
VSEDGESMOOTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2596
VSFACECOLORMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2596
VSFACEHIGHLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2597
VSFACEOPACITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2598
VSFACESTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2599
VSHALOGAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2599
VSHIDEPRECISION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2600
VSINTERSECTIONCOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2600
VSINTERSECTIONEDGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2601
VSINTERSECTIONLTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2602
VSISOONTOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2603
VSLIGHTINGQUALITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2603
VSMATERIALMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2604
VSMAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2605
VSMIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2605
VSMONOCOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2606
VSOBSCUREDCOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2606

xlviii | Contents

VSOBSCUREDEDGES . .
VSOBSCUREDLTYPE . .
VSOCCLUDEDCOLOR .
VSOCCLUDEDEDGES .
VSOCCLUDEDLTYPE . .
VSSHADOWS . . . . . .
VSSILHEDGES . . . . . .
VSSILHWIDTH . . . . .
VSSTATE . . . . . . . . .
VTDURATION . . . . .
VTENABLE . . . . . . .
VTFPS . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 48

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. 2607
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. 2609
. 2610
. 2610
. 2612
. 2613
. 2615
. 2615
. 2616
. 2616
. 2617

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. 2619
. 2619
. 2620
. 2621
. 2621
. 2622
. 2623
. 2623
. 2624
. 2624

X System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2625
XCLIPFRAME . . .
XDWGFADECTL .
XEDIT . . . . . . .
XFADECTL . . . .
XLOADCTL . . . .
XLOADPATH . . .
XREFCTL . . . . .
XREFNOTIFY . . .
XREFTYPE . . . . .

Chapter 50

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W System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2619
WHIPARC . . . . . . . .
WHIPTHREAD . . . . .
WINDOWAREACOLOR .
WMFBKGND . . . . . .
WMFFOREGND . . . . .
WORLDUCS . . . . . .
WORLDVIEW . . . . . .
WRITESTAT . . . . . . .
WSAUTOSAVE . . . . .
WSCURRENT . . . . . .

Chapter 49

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. 2625
. 2626
. 2626
. 2627
. 2627
. 2628
. 2629
. 2629
. 2630

Z System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2631
ZOOMFACTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2631
ZOOMWHEEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2631

Chapter 51

Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2633
Attach Digital Signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2633
Attach Digital Signatures Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2633
Search Folders Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2635

Contents | xlix

Batch Standards Checker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2636
Batch Standards Checker Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2636
SLIDELIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2640

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2679

l | Contents

Commands

You can start a command by using one of the following methods:
■

Click the command name on a menu, toolbar, status bar, or shortcut menu.

■

Enter the command name or command alias at the Command prompt and press ENTER
or SPACEBAR.

The acad.pgp file lists the command aliases. To access the acad.pgp, on the Tools menu, click
Customize ➤ Edit Program Parameters (acad.pgp).
In this Command Reference, near the beginning of each command description is a command
access section that lists the specific ways you can start that command.

1

2

3D Commands

1

3D
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Custom Mesh (Legacy)

Creates 3D polyface mesh objects in common geometric shapes that can be
hidden, shaded, or rendered.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
[Box on page 3/Cone on page 6/DIsh on page 7/DOme on page 8/Mesh
on page 9/Pyramid on page 9/Sphere on page 11/Torus on page 12/Wedge
on page 13]:

Box
Creates a 3D box polyface mesh.
Corner Point Sets the first corner of the box.
Length Sets the first corner of the box.

3

Width
Specifies the width of the box. Enter a distance or specify a point relative to
the corner point of the box.

Height Specifies the height of the box. Enter a distance or specify a point
relative to the corner point of the box.

Rotation Angle Rotates the box about the first corner specified. If you enter
0, the box remains orthogonal to the current X and Y axes.
Reference Aligns the box with other objects in the drawing or relative to an
angle you specify. The base point for the rotation is the first corner of the box.
■

Reference Angle:Defines a reference angle by specifying two points or an
angle from the X axis on the XY plane. For example, you can rotate the

4 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

box to align two specified points on the box with a point on another object.
After defining a reference angle, specify a point for the reference angle to
align with. The box then rotates around the first corner relative to the
angle of rotation specified for the reference angle.
If you enter 0 as a reference angle, the new angle determines the rotation
of the box.
■

New Angle:
Specify a point relative to the base point. The base point for the rotation
is the first corner of the box. The box rotates by the angle between the
reference angle and the new angle. If you want to align the box with
another object, specify two points on the target object to define the new
angle of rotation for the box.
If the reference angle of rotation is 0, the box rotates the angular distance
entered relative to the first corner of the box.

Cube
Creates a cube using the length for the width and height of the box.

Center Point for Base
Radius for Base
Radius for Top
Specify rotation angle of box about the Z axis or [Reference]: Specify an angle
or enter r
Rotation Angle Rotates the cube about the first corner of the box. If you enter
0, the box remains orthogonal to the current X and Y axes.
Reference Aligns the box with other objects in the drawing or relative to an
angle you specify. The base point for the rotation is the first corner of the box.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify a point, enter an angle, or press Enter
You can define a reference angle by specifying two points or an angle from
the X axis on the XY plane. For example, you can rotate the box to align two
specified points on the box with a point on another object. After defining a
reference angle, specify a point for the reference angle to align with. The box

3D | 5

then rotates around the first corner relative to the angle of rotation specified
for the reference angle.
If you enter 0 as a reference angle, the new angle alone determines the rotation
of the box.
Specify the new angle: Specify a point or enter an angle
To specify the new angle of rotation, specify a point relative to the base point.
The base point for the rotation is the first corner of the box. The box rotates
the angular distance between the reference angle and the new angle. If you
want to align the box with another object, specify two points on the target
object to define the new angle of rotation for the box.
If the reference angle of rotation is 0, the box rotates the angular distance
entered relative to the first corner point of the box.

Cone
Creates a cone-shaped polygon mesh.

Specify center point for base of cone: Specify a point (1)
Specify radius for base of cone or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius for Base
Defines the base of the cone by its radius.
Specify radius for top of cone or [Diameter] <0>: Specify a distance, enter d, or
press Enter

Radius for Top Defines the top of the cone by its radius. A value of 0 produces
a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a truncated cone.
Specify height of cone: Specify a distance

6 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>: Enter a value greater than
1 or press Enter
Diameter for Top Defines the top of the cone by its diameter. A value of 0
produces a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a truncated cone.
Specify diameter for top of cone <0>: Specify a distance or press Enter
Specify height of cone: Specify a distance
Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>: Enter a value greater than
1 or press Enter

Diameter for Base
Defines the base of the cone by its diameter.
Specify diameter for base of cone: Specify a distance
Specify radius for top of cone or [Diameter] <0>: Specify a distance, enter d, or
press Enter

Radius for Top Defines the top of the cone by its radius. A value of 0 produces
a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a truncated cone.
Specify height of cone: Specify a distance
Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>: Enter a value greater than
1 or press Enter
Diameter for Top Defines the top of the cone by its diameter. A value of 0
produces a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a truncated cone.
Specify diameter for top of cone <0>: Specify a distance
Specify height of cone: Specify a distance
Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>: Enter a value greater than
1 or press Enter

Dish
Creates the lower half of a spherical polygon mesh.
Specify center point of dish: Specify a point (1)

3D | 7

Specify radius of dish or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d
Radius Defines the dish by its radius.
Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of dish <16>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dish <8>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter
Diameter Defines the dish by its diameter.
Specify diameter of dish: Specify a distance
Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of dish <16>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dish <8>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter

Dome
Creates the upper half of a spherical polygon mesh.
Specify center point of dome: Specify a point (1)
Specify radius of dome or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d
Radius Defines the dome by its radius.
Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of dome: Enter a value greater
than 1 or press Enter
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dome <8>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter
Diameter Defines the dome by its diameter.
Specify diameter of dome: Specify a distance
Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of dome <16>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dome <8>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter

8 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Mesh
Creates a planar mesh whose M and N sizes determine the number of lines
drawn in each direction along the mesh. The M and N directions are similar
to the X and Y axes of an XY plane.
Specify first corner point of mesh: Specify a point (1)
Specify second corner point of mesh: Specify a point (2)
Specify third corner point of mesh: Specify a point (3)
Specify fourth corner point of mesh: Specify a point (4)
Enter mesh size in the M direction: Enter a value between 2 and 256
Enter mesh size in the N direction: Enter a value between 2 and 256

Pyramid
Creates a pyramid or a tetrahedron.
Specify first corner point for base of pyramid: Specify a point (1)
Specify second corner point for base of pyramid: Specify a point (2)
Specify third corner point for base of pyramid: Specify a point (3)
Specify fourth corner point for base of pyramid or [Tetrahedron]: Specify a
point (4) or enter t

3D | 9

Fourth Corner Point
Defines the fourth corner point of the base of a pyramid.
Specify apex point of pyramid or [Ridge/Top]: Specify a point (5) or enter an
option
The Z value of the point specified determines the height for the pyramid's
apex, top, or ridge line.
Apex Point Defines the top of the pyramid as a point (apex).
Ridge Defines the top of the pyramid as a ridge line. The two endpoints must
lie in the same direction as the base points to prevent a self-intersecting
wireframe.
Specify first ridge end point of pyramid: Specify a point (1)
Specify second ridge end point of pyramid: Specify a point (2)

Top Defines the top of the pyramid as a rectangle. If the top points cross, they
create a self-intersecting polygon mesh.
Specify first corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a point
Specify second corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a point
Specify third corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a point
Specify fourth corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a point

10 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Tetrahedron
Creates a tetrahedral polygon mesh.
Specify apex point of tetrahedron or [Top]: Specify a point or enter t
Apex Point Defines the top of the tetrahedron as a point (apex).
Top Defines the top of the tetrahedron as a triangle. If the top points cross,
they create a self-intersecting polygon mesh.
Specify first corner point for top of tetrahedron: Specify a point (1)
Specify second corner point for top of tetrahedron: Specify a point (2)
Specify third corner point for top of tetrahedron: Specify a point (3)

Sphere
Creates a spherical polygon mesh.
Specify center point of sphere: Specify a point (1)
Specify radius of sphere or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius Defines the sphere by its radius.
Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of sphere <16>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of sphere <16>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter

3D | 11

Diameter Defines the sphere by its diameter.
Specify diameter of sphere: Specify a distance
Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of sphere <16>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of sphere <16>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter

Torus
Creates a toroidal polygon mesh that is parallel to the XY plane of the current
UCS.
Specify center point of torus: Specify a point (1)
Specify radius of torus or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d
The radius of the torus is measured from its center point to its outside edge,
not to the center of the tube.

Radius of Torus
Radius Defines the torus by its radius.

12 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Specify radius of tube or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Diameter of Torus
Defines the torus by its diameter.

Specify diameter of torus: Specify a distance
Specify radius of tube or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius of Tube
Defines the tube by its radius.
Enter number of segments around tube circumference <16>: Enter a value greater
than 1 or press Enter
Enter number of segments around torus circumference <16>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter
The radius of the tube of the torus is measured from the center of the tube to
the outside edge of the tube.

Diameter of Tube
Defines the tube by its diameter.
Specify diameter of tube: Specify a distance
Enter number of segments around tube circumference <16>: Enter a value greater
than 1 or press Enter
Enter number of segments around torus circumference <16>: Enter a value
greater than 1 or press Enter

Wedge
Creates a right-angle, wedge-shaped polygon mesh with a sloped face tapering
along the X axis.

3D | 13

Specify corner point of wedge: Specify a point (1)
Specify length of wedge: Specify a distance
Specify width of wedge: Specify a distance
Specify height of wedge: Specify a distance
Specify rotation angle of wedge about the Z axis: Specify an angle
The base point for the rotation is the corner point of the wedge. If you enter
0, the wedge remains orthogonal to the current UCS plane.

3DALIGN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Align Objects

Aligns objects with other objects in 2D and 3D.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ 3D Align
Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ 3D Align
Toolbar: Modeling

14 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Summary
You can specify one, two, or three points for the source object. Then, you can
specify one, two, or three points for the destination.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects: Select the objects to align and press Enter
Specify source plane and orientation . . .
The selected object is moved and rotated so that the base points, and the X
and Y axes of the source and destination align in 3D space. 3DALIGN works
with dynamic UCS (DUCS), so you can dynamically drag the selected objects
and align them with the face of a solid object.
Specify base point or [Copy]: Specify a point or enter c to create a copy
The base point of the source object will be moved to the base point of the
destination.
Specify second point or [Continue] : Specify a point on the object’s X axis, or
press Enter to skip forward to specifying destination points
The second point specifies a new X axis direction within a plane parallel to
the XY plane of the current UCS. If you press Enter instead of specifying a
second point, the X and Y axes are assumed to be parallel with the X and Y
axes of the current UCS.

3DALIGN | 15

Specify third point or [Continue] : Specify a point on the object’s positive XY
plane, or press Enter to skip forward to specifying destination points
The third point fully specifies the orientation of the X and Y axes of the source
object that will be aligned with the destination plane.
Specify destination plane and orientation . . .
Specify first destination point: Specify a point
This point defines the destination of the base point of the source object.
Specify second source point or [eXit] : Specify a point for the X axis of the
destination or press Enter
The second point specifies a new X axis direction for the destination within
a plane parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS. If you press Enter instead
of specifying a second point, the X and Y axes of the destination are assumed
to be parallel with the X and Y axes of the current UCS.
Specify third destination point or [eXit] : Specify a point for the destination’s
positive XY plane, or press Enter
The third point fully specifies the orientation of the X and Y axes of the
destination plane.
NOTE If the destination is a plane on an existing solid object, you can define the
destination plane with a single point by turning on dynamic UCS.

3DARRAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create an Array of Objects

Creates a 3D matrix of objects in a rectangular or polar arrangement.

Access Methods

Button

16 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ 3D Array.
Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ 3D Array
Toolbar: Modeling

Summary
For 3D rectangular arrays, in addition to columns and rows, you also specify
the number of levels in the Z direction. For 3D polar arrays, you specify the
axis of rotation with any two points in space.

The entire selection set is treated as a single element in the array.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter type of array [Rectangular/Polar] : Enter an option or press Enter

3DARRAY | 17

Rectangular Array
Copies objects in a matrix of rows (X axis), columns (Y axis), and levels (Z
axis). An array must have at least two rows or two columns or two levels.
Specifying one row requires that more than one column be specified, and vice
versa. Specifying one level creates a two-dimensional array.
Positive values generate the array along the positive X, Y, and Z axes. Negative
values generate the array along the negative X, Y, and Z axes.

Polar Array
Copies objects about an axis of rotation.
The specified angle determines how far the objects are arrayed about the axis
of rotation. A positive number produces a counterclockwise array rotation. A
negative number produces a clockwise array rotation.
Entering y or pressing Enter rotates each array element.

3DCLIP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a 3D Dynamic View (DVIEW)

18 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Starts an interactive 3D view and opens the Adjust Clipping Planes window.

Summary
The Adjust Clipping Planes window is displayed.

Adjust Clipping Planes Window
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a 3D Dynamic View (DVIEW)

Sets clipping planes for the display in 3D Orbit view.

Access Methods
Command entry: 3dclip

Summary
Use the Adjust Clipping Planes toolbar, or right-click in the Adjust Clipping
Planes window and select an option from the shortcut menu.
Click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the window to see the
effect of the clipping planes. As you rotate the view, different portions of the
objects are clipped as they pass in and out of the clipping planes.
To turn clipping planes off, right-click in the drawing area or the Adjust
Clipping Planes window, and check or clear Front Clipping On and Back
Clipping On.

Adjust Clipping Planes Shortcut Menu
To choose any of the following options, right-click in the Adjust Clipping
Planes window.

Adjust Clipping Planes Window | 19

Adjust Front Clipping Adjusts only the front clipping plane. The line near
the bottom of the window adjusts the front clipping plane. If a check mark
is displayed next to Front Clipping On, you can see the clipping in the 3D
Orbit view as you move the line up or down.
Adjust Back Clipping Adjusts only the back clipping plane. The line near the
top of the window adjusts the back clipping plane. If a check mark is displayed
next to Back Clipping On, you can see the clipping in the 3D Orbit view as
you move the line up or down.
Create Slice Causes the back and front clipping planes to move together,
which shows you a “slice” of the objects in the 3D Orbit view. Adjust the front
and back clipping planes, and then choose Create Slice. You can then move
the front and back clipping planes as one unit.
Pan Displays the pan cursor, a hand cursor that you can use to pan the clipping
plane. Hold down the pick button and drag the cursor in any direction. The
pan cursor stays active until you click another button.
Zoom Displays the zoom cursor, a magnifying-glass cursor that you can use
to enlarge or reduce the clipping plane. To enlarge the image, hold down the
pick button and drag the cursor toward the top of Adjust Clipping Planes
window. To reduce the image, hold down the pick button and drag the cursor
toward the bottom of the window.
Front Clipping On Turns the front clipping plane on or off. A check mark
indicates that the front clipping plane is on, and you can see the results of
moving the line that adjusts the front clipping plane. Choose this option
again to turn the front clipping plane off and remove the check mark.

20 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Back Clipping On Turns the back clipping plane on or off. A check mark
indicates that the back clipping plane is on, and you can see the results of
moving the line that adjusts the back clipping plane. Choose this option again
to turn the back clipping plane off and remove the check mark.
Reset Resets the window and clipping plane to the extents of the drawing.

3DCONFIG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Performance

Sets options that affect 3D display performance.

Summary
Displays the Adaptive Degradation and Performance Tuning dialog box.
If you enter -3dconfig at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Adaptive Degradation and Performance Tuning Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Performance

Controls 3D display performance.

3DCONFIG | 21

Summary
This dialog box can also be accessed from the Performance Settings button
on the System tab of the Options dialog box.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Controls whether adaptive degradation is on or off. With adaptive degradation
on, if performance goes below the specified level, effects are disabled or reduced
in a certain order until performance returns to an acceptable level.
Degrade When FPS Is Below
Sets the level at which adaptive degradation begins in frames per second (FPS).
The default speed is 5 FPS. Enter a number or choose a number from the list.
Degradation Order
Specifies the order in which effects are degraded. Items at the top are degraded
first. Items that are not checked are not degraded. Click Move Up or Move
Down to move a selected item up or down in the chain.
Move Up Moves the selected item up in the chain.
Move Down Moves the selected item down in the chain.

22 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Hardware and Performance Tuning
Specifies hardware settings and performance tuning. The performance tuner
reads your system and decides whether to use software or hardware
implementation for features that support both. Features that work with your
system are turned on, and features that cannot work with your system are
turned off. A log file displays the results. You can make manual changes.
View Tune Log
Displays the Performance Tuner log.
Manual Tune
Displays the Manual Performance Tuning dialog box.
Check for Updates
Checks for updated versions of the graphics card and driver database that is
used for performance tuning.
Get Download Info This button is displayed after you have checked for
updates and when a new driver is available and recommended.
Displays a Web page that describes the certification program for graphics cards
and display drivers. You can download the latest list of certified cards and
drivers at any time.
Graphics hardware certification indicates which graphics card and driver
combinations that Autodesk has tested to ensure that it supports real-time 3D
shading, shadows, smooth-line display, and texture compression features of
AutoCAD LT 2007 (and later) based products. Autodesk certified graphics
hardware is better suited for the 3D display features of AutoCAD LT 2007 and
later releases, and non-certified graphics hardware may not support these
features or may cause problems during use.
Graphics card information for the current system is available in the
Performance Tuner Log, which you can view by clicking the View Tune Log
button in this dialog box.
Remind Me When a New Driver Is Available
Specifies that a notification bubble is displayed when a new driver is available.

Adaptive Degradation and Performance Tuning Dialog Box | 23

Performance Tuner Log
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Performance

Lists the features that have been disabled, if any.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Tools ➤ Options (Options dialog box, System tab)

24 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Command entry: options

Summary
Information includes the system configuration, 3D graphics device, driver,
and if any features have been disabled. If your 3D device shows as certified,
Autodesk tested AutoCAD LT with this specific hardware.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Save Log As
Displays a standard file selection dialog box.

-3DCONFIG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Performance

Controls 3D display performance in the command line.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter option: [Adaptive degradation/Dynamic tessellation/General
options/acceLeration/Plot emulation/“eXit”] :

Adaptive Degradation
Turns off or minimizes display effects when performance drops below the
minimum you specify.

Dynamic Tessellation
Sets the options that determine the smoothness of the objects in a drawing.
Objects are drawn using many short lines (or triangles when drawing spheres).
These lines are called tessellation lines. Objects in your drawing appear smoother
when you use more tessellation lines.
Surface Tessellation Determines the amount of detail for surfaces in your
drawing. A higher setting provides more detail but uses more tessellation lines
and more memory.

-3DCONFIG | 25

Curve Tessellation Determines the amount of detail for curves in your
drawing. A higher setting provides more detail but uses more tessellation lines
and more memory.
Number of Tessellations to Cache Configures your system according to
memory and performance requirements. The 3D cache always stores at least
one tessellation. When this option is set to 1, the tessellation for all viewports
is the same; some objects in the drawing may be regenerated as you zoom in
and out. Setting this option to 2 or more is useful when you have more than
one viewport with different views. Increasing the number requires more
memory.

General Options
Sets performance-related options that are not hardware dependent.
Discard Back Faces Discards back faces when drawing objects. You cannot
see the effect of discarding back faces on some objects, such as spheres, because
you cannot see the back face even when it is present. The effect of discarding
back faces is visible on objects such as those that don't have a top. Discarding
back faces enhances performance.
Transparency Quality Adjusts the transparency quality. At the Low setting,
a screen-door effect achieves transparency without sacrificing speed. At the
Medium setting, the default in software mode, blending improves image
quality. The High setting, the default in hardware mode, produces an image
free of visual artifacts at the cost of drawing speed. Materials must also be
turned on for transparency to be visible.
The General Options prompt is redisplayed.

Acceleration
Specifies whether to use software or hardware acceleration in 3D.
If you select Hardware, you can also specify whether geometry acceleration
are turned on or off.
Hardware Specifies hardware acceleration. The hardware graphics card
performs most of the drawing tasks in 3D to increase performance.
The available drivers are AcadDM10.hdi and direct3d10.hdi.
When you select Hardware, the default driver is set to the AcadDM10.hdi driver
that is included with the program.
■

Driver Name. You can select a driver from a list of available
hardware-accelerated drivers found in the Drv directory. If you want to use
®
a hardware driver from another vendor, it must be supported by the Heidi
Graphics System.

26 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

For more information, see Hardware Acceleration Troubleshooting in the
Driver and Peripheral Guide.
■

Enhanced 3D Performance on page 853

■

Global Smooth Display on page 854

■

Advanced Material Effects on page 854

■

Gooch Hardware Shader on page 854

■

Per-pixel Lighting on page 854

■

Full Shadow Display on page 854

■

Texture Compression on page 854

■

Enhanced 2D Performance on page 854

Software Specifies software acceleration. The software graphics system performs
all of the drawing tasks in 3D.
Texture Compression Enables the use of texture compression to reduce the
amount of video memory required to open and display a drawing that contains
materials with images or has attached images.
NOTE With this option on, the time it takes to load the images may increase the
first time that they are accessed and there is a reduction in the quality of the images
when they are displayed in the viewport or plotted.

Plot Emulation
Turns on or off the use of software emulation for unsupported hardware effects
during the plotting of a drawing with shaded viewports. The use of software
emulation happens when it is turned on, and hardware acceleration is disabled
or is enabled, but does not support Shadows.

3DCORBIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use 3D Navigation Tools

Rotates the view in 3D space with continuous motion.

3DCORBIT | 27

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Navigate panel ➤ Orbit drop-down ➤ Continuous
Orbit.
Menu: View ➤ Orbit ➤ Continuous Orbit
Toolbar: 3D Navigation
Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing
area, and click Other Navigation Modes ➤ Continuous Orbit (3).

Summary
You can view your entire drawing or select one or more objects before starting
the command.
Selecting one of more objects before starting this command limits the display
to those objects only.
While the command is active, right-click to display additional options from
a shortcut menu.
Click in a drawing area and drag the pointing device in any direction to start
the objects moving in the direction that you're dragging. Release the button
on the pointing device and the objects continue their orbit in the direction
that you specified. The speed set for the cursor movement determines the
speed at which the objects spin.
You can change the direction of the continuous orbit by clicking and dragging
again. You can also change the display of the continuous orbit by right-clicking
in the drawing area and choosing an option from the shortcut menu. For
example, you can choose Visual Aids ➤ Grid to add a grid to the view without
exiting Continuous Orbit.

3DDISTANCE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use 3D Navigation Tools

28 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Starts the interactive 3D view and makes objects appear closer or farther away.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: View ➤ Camera ➤ Adjust Distance
Toolbar: 3D Navigation
Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing
area, and click Other Navigation Modes ➤ Adjust Distance (4).

Summary
3DDISTANCE changes the cursor to a line with one arrow pointing up and
one pointing down. Click and drag the cursor vertically toward the top of the
screen to move the camera closer to the objects, making them appear larger.
Click and drag the cursor vertically toward the bottom of the screen to move
the camera away from the objects, making them appear smaller.

3DDWF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish 3D DWF Files

Creates a 3D DWF or 3D DWFx file of your 3D model and displays it in the
DWF Viewer.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF panel ➤ 3D DWF

3DDWF | 29

Toolbar: Standard

Summary
The Export 3D DWF dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. After you enter a file name and click Save, the DWF file viewer is
launched and your DWF file is displayed.
You can also change publishing settings from the 3D DWF Publish dialog box.
NOTE The File Type control on the Export 3D DWF dialog box lists 3D DWF (*.dwf)
and 3D DWFx (*.dwfx) when you use the 3DDWF command.

3D DWF Publish Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish 3D DWF Files

Access Methods

Toolbar: Standard
Shortcut menu: Issue the 3DDWF command and click Tools ➤ Options
from the Export 3D DWF dialog box.
Command entry: 3ddwf

Summary
Allows you to publish a three-dimensional model as a DWF or DWFx file. 3D
®
DWF Publishing, a technology preview in AutoCAD 2006, is now a standard
AutoCAD feature.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

30 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Objects to Publish
Specifies whether all model space objects or selected model space objects are
published to the DWF file.
All Model Space Objects All model space objects are published to the 3D
DWF or 3D DWFx file.
Selected Model Space Objects Allows you to create a selection set of model
space objects, including external references, which are published to the 3D
DWF or 3D DWFx file after you click OK.
Select Objects Active only when Select Model Space Objects is enabled.
Clicking this button minimizes the dialog boxes and lets you select objects in
the drawing workspace. When object selection is completed, press Enter and
the 3D DWF or 3D DWFx Publish dialog box reappears reporting the number
of objects selected for publishing.

3D DWF Organization
Specifies how to group objects in the DWF or DWFx file for viewing in
®
™
Autodesk DWF Viewer.
Group by Xref Hierarchy Arrange objects by xref hierarchy in the viewer. If
unchecked, externally referenced files are listed in the viewer like any other
objects.

Options
These options let you specify if materials are published in the DWF file.
Publish with Materials Most materials that you have assigned to your model
will not be published to the 3D DWF or 3D DWFx file. Materials with
procedural maps and some material properties will not export to the 3D DWF
or 3D DWFx file. If your material contains texture mapping, only the Diffuse
Map gets published along with its scale and orientation data. Including
materials will not significantly affect the size of your 3D DWF or 3D DWFx
files. Default=active.
NOTE Materials that are not supported in 3D DWF or 3D DWFx include Bump,
Opacity, and Reflection mapping, as well as all forms of procedural materials,
which include Checker, Marble, Noise, Speckle, Tile, Waves and Wood.

3D DWF Publish Dialog Box | 31

3DEDITBAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the CV Edit Bar

Reshapes, scales, and edits the tangency of NURBS surfaces.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Control Vertices panel ➤ CV Edit Bar

Summary
The 3D Edit Bar allows you to reshape NURBS surfaces and to change the
tangency at specific points in the U and V directions. The ability to specify
precise coordinates allows you to edit a surface with surgical precision.

32 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Understand the 3D Edit Bar Grips
The 3D Edit Bar has three grips:
■

The expander grip (triangular grip)

■

The magnitude handle (circular grip)

3DEDITBAR | 33

■

The move gizmo (square grip)

34 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select a NURBS surface or curve Selects the 3D objects you want to edit.
When you have selected the objects, press Enter.
Base point Specifies the next edit point.
Displacement Specifies a relative distance and direction for the placement of
the CV using coordinate values that you enter at the command prompt.
Undo Cancels the action without exiting the CV Edit Bar.
Exit Cancels the prompt and returns you to the CV edit bar to continue adding
and editing CVs.

3D Edit Bar Shortcut Menu
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the CV Edit Bar

Displays options to set the tangency and location of a control vertex and move
or align the edit bar.

Access Methods
Shortcut menu: Right-click the Expander grip.

Summary
When you right-click the triangular tangency grip a shortcut menu appears.

3D Edit Bar Shortcut Menu | 35

The shorcut menu has options that allow you to:
■

Reshape the curve (Move Point Location)

■

Edit the tangent scale (Move Tangent Direction)

■

Move the base point to edit a different part of the surface (Relocate Base
Point)

■

Realign the gizmo (the edit bar).

■

Whether to reshape the curve (Move Point Location) or the tangency (Move
Tangent Direction).

Different options appear depending on what option you select.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Move Point Location When selected, moving the base point reshapes the
NURBS surface (and not the tangency).
Move Tangent Direction When selected, moving the base point changes the
tangency (and not the shape of the NURBS surface). This image shows the

36 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

edit bar moving in the U direction on the left, and the V direction on the
right.
U Tangent Direction Moves the edit bar to the U axis to constrain the
tangency edit to that direction. In the image above, the image on the left
shows the edit bar moving in the U direction.
V Tangent Direction Moves the edit bar to the V axis to constrain the
tangency edit to that direction. In the image above, the image on the right
shows the edit bar moving in the V direction.
Normal Tangent Direction Moves the edit bar to edit the tangency of the
curve normal to the current UCS.
Set Constraint Sets whether the change in tangency or point location is
constrained to a specific axis.
■

X, Y or Z. Restricts the change to the designated axis.

■

XY, YX, or ZX. Restricts the change to a plane that is defined by the selected
axes.

Relocate Base Point Moves to a new location and add a new control vertex.
Align Gizmo With Sets the alignment for the change. Choices include
■

World UCS (default)

■

Current UCS

■

Face

3DFACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Custom Mesh (Legacy)

Creates a three-sided or four-sided surface in 3D space.

3DFACE | 37

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Draw ➤ Modeling ➤ Meshes ➤ 3D Face

Summary
List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first point or [Invisible]: Specify a point (1) or enter i
First Point Defines the start point for the 3D surface. After entering the first
point, enter the remaining points in a natural clockwise or counterclockwise
order to create a normal 3D face. If you locate all four points on the same
plane, a planar face is created that is similar to a region object. When you
shade or render the object, planar faces are filled.
Invisible Controls which edges of a 3D face are visible, allowing for accurate
modeling of objects with holes. Entering i or invisible before the first point of
an edge makes the edge invisible.
The invisible specification must precede any object snap modes, XYZ filters,
or coordinate input for that edge. You can create a 3D face in which all edges
are invisible. Such a face is a phantom; it does not appear in wireframe
presentations but can hide material in line drawings. 3D faces do appear in
shaded renderings.
You can combine 3D faces to model complex 3D surfaces.

Specify second point or [Invisible]: Specify a point (2) or enter i
Specify third point or [Invisible] : Specify a point (3), enter i, or press Enter

38 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Specify fourth point or [Invisible] : Specify a point (4),
enter i, or press Enter
The Third Point and Fourth Point prompts are repeated until you press Enter.
Specify points 5 and 6 at these repeating prompts. When you finish entering
points, press Enter.

3DFLY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Walk and Fly Through a Drawing

Changes the 3D view in a drawing interactively to create the appearance of
flying through the model.

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: 3D Navigation
Menu: View ➤ Walk & Fly ➤ Fly
Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing
area, and click Other Navigations Modes ➤ Fly (7).

3DFLY | 39

Summary
3DFLY activates a fly mode in the current viewport. You can leave the XY
plane as though you're flying through or around the model. On the keyboard,
use the four arrow keys, the W (forward), A (left), S (back), and D (right) keys,
and the mouse to determine the direction of your fly. For more information,
see Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings Balloon on page 77.
By default, the Position Locator window opens and displays your position in
the drawing from a top view.
To control walk and fly settings, use the Walk and Fly Settings dialog box. To
specify settings for animating a 3D walk or fly, see Animation Settings Dialog
Box on page 75.

3DFORBIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use 3D Navigation Tools

Rotates the view in 3D space without constraining roll.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Navigate panel ➤ Orbit drop-down ➤ Free Orbit
Menu: View ➤ Orbit ➤ Free Orbit
Toolbar: 3D Navigation
Pointing device: Press Shift+Ctrl and click the mouse wheel to temporarily
enter 3DFORBIT mode.
Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing
area, and click Other Navigations Modes » Free Orbit (2).

40 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Summary
Selecting one of more objects before starting this command limits the display
to those objects only.
While the command is active, right-click to display additional options from
a shortcut menu.
3DFORBIT activates a 3D Free Orbit view in the current viewport. If the user
coordinate system (UCS) icon is on, a shaded 3D UCS icon representing the
current UCS appears in the 3D Orbit view. You can view your entire drawing
or select one or more objects before starting the command.
The 3D Free Orbit view displays an arcball, which is a circle divided into four
quadrants by smaller circles. When the Enable Orbit Auto Target option is
deselected in the shortcut menu, the target of the view stays stationary. The
camera location, or point of view, moves around the target. The center of the
arcball, not the center of the objects you’re viewing, is the target point. Unlike
3DORBIT, 3DFORBIT does not constrain the change in view to prevent roll,
the rotation of the view about an axis orthogonal to the plane of your screen.
NOTE You cannot edit objects while the 3DFORBIT command is active.
Moving your cursor over different parts of the arcball changes the cursor icon,
indicating the direction in which the view rotates. See 3D Free Orbit Cursor
Icons on page 41.
While the command is active, you can access additional 3DORBIT options
from a shortcut menu by right-clicking in the drawing area, or choosing
buttons on the 3D Navigation toolbar. See 3D Orbit Shortcut Menu on page
50.
TIP While in 3D Orbit mode, you can temporarily enter 3D Free Orbit mode by
pressing and holding the Shift key.

3D Free Orbit Cursor Icons
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use 3D Navigation Tools

3D Free Orbit Cursor Icons | 41

View rotation is determined by the placement and appearance of the cursor
as follows:
Sphere Encircled by Two Lines When you move the cursor inside the arcball,
it changes to a small sphere encircled by two lines. If you click and drag in
the drawing area you can move freely around the objects. It works as if your
cursor is grabbing a sphere surrounding the objects and dragging it around
the target point. You can drag horizontally, vertically, and diagonally using
this method.

Circular Arrow When you move the cursor outside the arcball, it becomes a
circular arrow. Clicking outside the arcball and dragging the cursor around
the arcball causes the view to move around an axis that extends through the
center of the arcball, perpendicular to the screen. This is called a roll.

Horizontal Ellipse When you move the cursor over one of the small circles
on the left or right side of the arcball, it becomes a horizontal ellipse. Clicking
and dragging from either of these points rotates the view around the vertical
or Y axis through the middle of the arcball.

Vertical Ellipse When you move the cursor over one of the small circles on
the top or bottom of the arcball, it becomes a vertical ellipse. Clicking and
dragging from either of these points rotates the view around the horizontal
or X axis through the middle of the arcball.

42 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

3DMESH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Custom Mesh (Legacy)

Creates a free-form polygon mesh.

Summary
The mesh density controls the number of facets, and is defined in terms of a
matrix of M and N vertices, similar to a grid consisting of columns and rows.
3DMESH is a legacy method for creating mesh, designed primarily for operation
under program control rather than by manual entry.
To take advantage of smoothing, creasing, and refinement capabilities, use
the MESH command.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Size of mesh in M direction Sets the M direction value. Enter a value between
2 and 256.
Size of mesh in N direction Sets the N direction value. Enter a value between
2 and 256.
M times N equals the number of vertices that you must specify.

3DMESH | 43

Location for vertex (0, 0) Sets the coordinate location of the vertex. Enter a
2D or 3D coordinate.
The location of each vertex in the mesh is defined by m and n, the row and
column indices of the vertex. Defining vertices begins with vertex (0,0). You
must supply the coordinate locations for each vertex in row m before specifying
vertices in row m + 1.
Vertices may be any distance from each other. The M and N orientation of a
mesh depends on the position of its vertices.

3DMESH polygon meshes are always open in both M and N directions. You
can close a mesh with PEDIT.

3DMOVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Move 3D Objects

In a 3D view, displays the 3D Move gizmo to aid in moving 3D objects a
specified distance in a specified direction.

44 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ 3D Move
Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ 3D Move
Toolbar: Modeling

Summary
With the 3D Move gizmo, you can move selected objects and subobjects freely
or constrain the movement to an axis or plane.

If the default gizmo (DEFAULTGIZMO) is 3D Move, the 3D Move gizmo is
displayed whenever you select an object in a view with a 3D visual style. If
you are working in a viewport with 2D Wireframe set as the visual style,
3DMOVE temporarily changes the visual style to 3D Wireframe for the duration
of the command.
The 3D Move gizmo is displayed at the center of the selected 3D object or
objects by default. You can use the shortcut menu to change its location.

3DMOVE | 45

You can also align the 3D Move gizmo with the plane of a face or object by
using the Align Gizmo With ➤ Face option on the shortcut menu. The
direction of the move operation is then constrained relative to this workplane.

When the 3D Move gizmo is displayed, the 3D Move Gizmo shortcut menu
offers options for aligning, moving, or changing to another gizmo.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects Selects the 3D objects you want to move. When you have
selected the objects, press Enter.
When you have selected an object, the gizmo is displayed. You can constrain
the movement by clicking one of the following locations on the gizmo:
■

Move along an axis. Click an axis to constrain the movement to that axis.

■

Move along a plane. Click the area between the axes to constrain the
movement to that plane.

46 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Stretch point When you are specifying the move using the gizmo, sets the
new location of the selected objects. Drag and click to move the objects
dynamically.
Copy When you are specifying the move using the gizmo, creates a copy of
the selected objects instead of moving them. You can make multiple copies
by continuing to specify locations.
Base point Specifies the base point of the 3D objects you want to move.
■

Second point. Specifies where the 3D object or objects will be dragged.
You can also move the cursor to indicate a direction and then enter a
distance.

Displacement Specifies a relative distance and direction for the placement of
the selected 3D objects using coordinate values that you enter at the command
prompt.

3D Move Gizmo Shortcut Menu
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Move 3D Objects

Displays options to set the constraint of a 3D object, switch gizmos, and move
or align the gizmo.

3D Move Gizmo Shortcut Menu | 47

Access Methods
Shortcut menu: Right-click the 3D Move gizmo

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Move Activates the 3D Move gizmo.
Rotate Activates the 3D Rotate gizmo.
Scale Activates the 3D Scale gizmo.
Set Constraint Sets whether the change is constrained to a specific axis.
■

X, Y or Z. Restricts the change to the designated axis.

■

XY, YX, or ZX. Restricts the change to a plane that is defined by the selected
axes.

Relocate Gizmo Moves the gizmo to the point you specify.
Align Gizmo With Sets the alignment for the change. Choices include
■

World UCS (default)

■

Current UCS

■

Face

Custom Gizmo Allows you to define the current gizmo by specifying one,
two, or three points, or an object.
Respect Dynamic UCS When relocating the gizmo, as you move the cursor,
temporarily aligns the XY plane of the UCS with the faces or edges.

48 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

3DORBIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use 3D Navigation Tools

Rotates the view in 3D space, but constrained to horizontal and vertical orbit
only.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Navigate panel ➤ Orbit drop-down ➤ Orbit.
Toolbar: 3D Navigation
Menu: View ➤ Orbit ➤ Constrained Orbit
Pointing device: Press Shift and click the mouse wheel to temporarily enter
3D Orbit mode.
Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing
area, and click Other Navigations Modes » Constrained Orbit (1).

Summary
Selecting one of more objects before starting this command limits the display
to those objects only.
While the command is active, right-click to display additional options from
a shortcut menu.
3DORBIT activates a 3D Orbit view in the current viewport. You can view
your entire drawing or select one or more objects before starting the command.
When 3DORBIT is active, the target of the view stays stationary and the camera
location, or point of view, moves around the target. However, it appears as if
the 3D model is turning as the mouse cursor is dragged In this way, you can
specify any view of the model.

3DORBIT | 49

The 3D Orbit cursor icon appears. If you drag the cursor horizontally, the
camera moves parallel to the XY plane of the world coordinate system (WCS).
If you drag the cursor vertically, the camera moves along the Z axis.
NOTE You cannot edit objects while the 3DORBIT command is active.
While the command is active, you can access additional 3DORBIT options
and modes from a shortcut menu by right-clicking in the drawing area, or
choosing buttons on the 3D Navigation toolbar. See 3D Orbit Shortcut Menu
on page 50.

3D Orbit Shortcut Menu
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use 3D Navigation Tools

When the 3DORBIT command (or any 3D navigation command or mode) is
active, you can access the options on the 3D Orbit shortcut menu. To access
the 3D Orbit shortcut menu, right-click in the 3D Orbit view.

Current Mode: Current
Displays the current mode.

Other Navigation Modes
Choose one of the following 3D navigation modes:
■

Constrained Orbit (1). Constrains orbiting to the XY plane or the Z
direction.

■

Free Orbit (2). Allows orbiting in any direction, without being constrained
to the XY plane or the Z direction. See 3DFORBIT.

■

Continuous Orbit (3). Changes the cursor to a sphere with two continuous
lines encircling it and enables you to set the objects into continuous
motion. See 3DCORBIT.

■

Adjust Distance (4). Simulates moving the camera closer to the object or
farther away. See 3DDISTANCE.

50 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

■

Swivel (5). Changes the cursor to an arched arrow and simulates the effect
of swiveling the camera. See 3DSWIVEL.

■

Walk (6). Changes the cursor to a plus sign and enables you to "walk
through" a model at a fixed height above the XY plane, by dynamically
controlling the location and target of the camera. See 3DWALK.

■

Fly (7). Changes the cursor to a plus sign and enables you to "fly through"
a model without being restricted to a fixed height above the XY plane. See
3DFLY.

■

Zoom (8). Changes the cursor to a magnifying glass with plus (+) and
minus (-) sign and simulates moving the camera closer to an object or
farther away. Works like the Adjust Distance option. See 3DZOOM.

■

Pan (9). Changes the cursor to a hand cursor and moves the view in the
direction that you drag. See 3DPAN.
TIP You can switch to any mode by using the shortcut menu or by entering
the number displayed after its name.

Enable Orbit Auto Target
Keeps the target point on the objects you are viewing rather than on the center
of the viewport. This feature is turned on by default.

Animation Settings
Opens the Animation Settings dialog box, where you can specify settings for
saving an animation file.

Zoom Window
Changes the cursor to a window icon so that you can select a specific area to
zoom in on. When the cursor changes, click a starting point and end point
to define the zoom window. The drawing is zoomed in and focused on the
area you selected.

Zoom Extents
Centers the view and sizes it to display all objects.

Zoom Previous
Displays the previous view.

3D Orbit Shortcut Menu | 51

Parallel
Displays objects so that two parallel lines in a drawing never converge. The
shapes in your drawing always remain the same and do not appear distorted
when they are closer.

Perspective
Displays objects in perspective so that all parallel lines converge at one point.
Objects appear to recede into the distance, and parts of the objects appear
larger and closer to you. The shapes are somewhat distorted when the object
is very close. This view correlates more closely to what your eyes see. See
PERSPECTIVE.

Reset View
Resets the view back to the view that was current when you first started
3DORBIT.

Preset Views
Displays a list of predefined views such as Top, Bottom, and SW Isometric.
Choose a view from the list to change the current view of your model.

Named Views
Displays a list of named views in the drawing. Choose a named view from the
list to change the current view of your model.

Visual Styles
Provides methods for shading objects. For more information about visual
styles, see Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model.
The options are the same as the options in VSCURRENT on page 2077.

Visual Aids
Provides aids to visualizing the objects.
■

Compass. Draws a 3D sphere composed of three lines representing the X,
Y, and Z axes.

■

Grid. Displays a two-dimensional array of lines similar to graph paper. This
grid is oriented along the X and Y axes.

52 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

NOTE Before starting 3DORBIT, you can use the GRID command to set system
variables that control the grid display. The number of major grid lines
corresponds to the value you set using the Grid Spacing option of the GRID
command, which is stored in the GRIDUNIT system variable. Ten horizontal
lines and ten vertical lines are drawn between the major lines.
■

UCS Icon. Displays a shaded 3D UCS icon. Each axis is labeled X, Y, or Z.
The X axis is red, the Y axis is green, and the Z axis is blue.

3DORBITCTR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use 3D Navigation Tools

Sets the center of rotation in 3D Orbit view.

Summary
Starts 3D Orbit view and uses a center of rotation that you specify with your
pointing device. If you specify a point outside the current view, 3DORBITCTR
ignores the specified point and uses the default center of rotation.
3DORBITCTR overrides the AutoTarget option in the 3DORBIT command.

3DOSNAP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Solids and Surfaces from Lines and Curves

■

Create Solids

■

Create Surfaces

■

Modify Surfaces

3DORBITCTR | 53

■

Use Grips to Modify Solids and Surfaces

■

Snap to Locations on Objects (Object Snaps)

Sets the object snap modes for 3D objects.

Access Methods
Menu: Tools ➤ Drafting Settings
Shortcut menu: Press Shift while right-clicking in the drawing area and
click 3D Osnap ➤ Osnap Settings.

Toolbar: Status bar ➤ 3D Object Snap
Command entry: 3dosnap (‘3dosnap for transparent use)

Summary
Displays the 3D Object Snap tab of the Drafting Settings dialog box on page
664. You can also set the 3D object snap settings with the 3DOSMODE on page
2142 system variable.
NOTE Because 3D object snaps can slow performance, select only the object snaps
you need.

-3DOSNAP
Quick Reference
Uses command prompts to set running object snap modes for 3D objects.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter List of Object Snap Modes Specify one or more object snap modes by
entering the first four characters of the name. If you enter more than one,
separate the names with commas.
■

ZVERtex. Snaps to a vertex or a control vertex.

■

ZMIDpoint. Snaps to the midpoint on a face edge.

■

ZCENter. Snaps to the center of a face.

54 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

■

ZKNOt. Snaps to a spline knot.

■

ZPERpendicular. Snaps to a perpendicular face (planar faces only).

■

ZNEAr. Snaps to an object nearest to face.

■

ZNONe. Turns off all 3D object snaps.

See the 3D Object Snaps tab of the Drafting Settings dialog box for more
information.

3DPAN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use 3D Navigation Tools

When a drawing is in a Perspective view, starts the interactive 3D view and
enables you to drag the view horizontally and vertically.

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: 3D Navigation
Menu: View ➤ Pan
Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing
area, and click Other Navigation Modes ➤ Pan (9).

Summary
Moves in the direction that you drag. You can drag the view vertically,
horizontally, or diagonally. 3DPAN changes the cursor to a hand cursor.
You can view your entire drawing or select objects before entering 3DPAN.

3DPAN | 55

3DPOLY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Polylines

Creates a 3D polyline.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ 3D Polyline.
Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Polyline

Summary
A 3D polyline is a connected sequence of straight line segments created as a
single object. 3D polylines can be non-coplanar; however, they cannot include
arc segments.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify start point of polyline: Specify a point (1)
Specify endpoint of line or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter an option
Specify endpoint of line or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter an option
Specify endpoint of line or [Close/Undo]: Specify a point or enter an option

56 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Endpoint of Line Draws a straight line from the previous point to the specified
new point. The prompt is repeated until you press Enter to end the command.

Undo Deletes the last line created. You can continue drawing from the previous
point.

Close Draws a closing line from the endpoint back to the first point, and then
ends the command. To be closed, a 3D polyline must contain at least two
lines.

3DPRINT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Print 3D Models

Sends a 3D model to a 3D printing service.

Access Methods

Button

3DPRINT | 57

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ 3D Print panel ➤ Send to 3D Print Service.
Menu: Application menu ➤ Publish ➤ Send to 3D Print Service

Summary
The 3DPRINT command opens the 3D Printing - Prepare Model for Printing
dialog box. You can
■

Learn about preparing 3D models for printing

■

Continue

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select solids or watertight meshes: Select 3D solids or watertight meshes. Press
Enter.
As you select solids or watertight meshes, note the following:
■

You can select uniformly scaled blocks and xrefs that contain solids or
watertight meshes. Non-uniformly scaled blocks and xrefs cannot be
included in the selection set.

■

Only solids and watertight meshes within selected blocks and xrefs are
included in the STL file. All other geometry is discarded.

■

Watertight meshes are converted to 3D solids based on the current value
of the SMOOTHMESHCONVERT system variable. (Values of 0 and 1 create
smoothed solids. Values of 2 and 3 create faceted solids.) 3DPRINT does
not optimize, or merge, coplanar faces during this conversion.

No other command prompts display. However, the following display in the
order listed:
■

Send to 3D Print Service Dialog Box

■

Create STL File Dialog Box

■

The Autodesk 3D Printing Website

58 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Send to 3D Print Service Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Print 3D Models

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ 3D Print panel ➤ Send to 3D Print Service.
Menu: Application menu ➤ Publish ➤ Send to 3D Print Service
Command entry: 3dprint

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Objects
The following buttons allow you to change the selection set:
Select Objects
Displays the canvas where you can add or remove objects from the selection
set. Objects that you have already selected are removed from the selection set
and replaced by newly selected objects.
To add objects to the selection set, select the objects.
To remove objects from the selection set, shift-select the objects.
Quick Select
Displays the Quick Select Dialog Box.
Use the Quick Select Dialog Box.

Output Dimensions
As part of the 3D printing process, selected 3D solids and watertight meshes
within a bounding box are saved as an STL file. This file can be used by a 3D
printing service to output a physical model.

Send to 3D Print Service Dialog Box | 59

You can select blocks or external references (xrefs) that contain 3D solids and
watertight meshes. However, only 3D solids and watertight meshes within
selected blocks or xrefs are included in the STL file. Other objects are not
included when you save the STL file.
You can modify the dimensions of the bounding box and specify the scale of
3D solids and watertight meshes within the bounding box. If you modify this
option, the proportions of these objects are unaffected.
You can modify the following options. All of these options are based on one
another. If you modify one, the others are automatically adjusted.
Scale
Specifies the scale of selected 3D objects within the bounding box.
Length (X)
Specifies the X dimension of the model bounding box.
Width (Y)
Specifies the Y dimension of the model bounding box.
Height (Z)
Specifies the Z dimension of the model bounding box.

Output Preview
Provides a dynamic preview of selected 3D solids and watertight meshes. If
you modify output dimensions, the output preview remains unaffected.
Zoom Extents
Sets the display so that the image fits within the preview window. This dialog
box is resizeable. If desired, you can enlarge the preview.
Pan
Moves the image horizontally and vertically within the preview window. You
can also pan by holding down the scroll wheel of your mouse as you move
the mouse.
Zoom
Changes the magnification of the preview. To zoom in or out, select this
button, then hold the left mouse button and drag upwards or downwards.
You can also roll the mouse scroll wheel to zoom or out at any time.
Orbit

60 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Rotates the image within the preview window as you drag the image with the
mouse.

Create STL File Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export Stereolithography STL Files

Saves a drawing as an STL file.

Access Methods
Command entry: stlout

Summary
The Create STL File dialog box is a standard file selection dialog box. It displays
when you use the 3DPRINT or STLOUT commands.
The STL file format is preferred by 3D printing service providers. If you have
prepared your drawing for 3D printing, you can save it with the STLOUT
command, rather than the 3DPRINT command.
The FACETRES system variable determines how the solid is triangulated. A
higher value creates a finer mesh that more accurately represents the model.
This also results in a much larger file.

3DROTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Rotate 3D Objects

In a 3D view, displays the 3D Rotate gizmo to aid in revolving 3D objects
around a base point.

Create STL File Dialog Box | 61

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ 3D Rotate.
Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ 3D Rotate
Toolbar: Modeling

Summary
With the 3D Rotate gizmo, you can rotate selected objects and subobjects
freely or constrain the rotation to an axis.

If you are working in a viewport with 2D Wireframe set as the visual style,
3DROTATE temporarily changes the visual style to 3D Wireframe for the
duration of the command.
The 3D Rotate gizmo is displayed at the center of the selected object or objects
by default. You can adjust the axis of rotation by using the shortcut menu to
change the location of the gizmo.

62 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

When the 3D Rotate gizmo is displayed, the 3D Rotate Gizmo shortcut menu
offers options for aligning, moving, or changing to another gizmo.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects Specifies the objects that you want to rotate.
Base point Sets the center point of the rotation.
Pick a rotation axis On the 3D Scale gizmo, specifies the axis of rotation.
Move the mouse until the axis path you want to select turns yellow, then click
to select it.

Specify angle start point or type an angle Sets the relative start point of the
rotation. You can also enter an angle value.
Specify angle end point Rotates the object about the specified axis. Click to
end the rotation.

3DROTATE | 63

3D Rotate Gizmo Shortcut Menu
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Rotate 3D Objects

Displays options to set the constraint of a 3D object, switch gizmos, and move
or align the gizmo.

Access Methods
Shortcut menu: Right-click the 3D Rotate gizmo

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Move Activates the 3D Move gizmo.
Rotate Activates the 3D Rotate gizmo.
Scale Activates the 3D Scale gizmo.
Set Constraint Sets whether the change is constrained to a specific axis.
■

X, Y or Z. Restricts the change to the designated axis.

Relocate Gizmo Moves the gizmo to the point you specify.
Align Gizmo With Sets the alignment for the change. Choices include
■

World UCS (default)

■

Current UCS

■

Face

64 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Custom Gizmo Allows you to define the current gizmo by specifying one,
two, or three points, or an object.
Respect Dynamic UCS When relocating the gizmo, as you move the cursor,
temporarily aligns the XY plane of the UCS with the faces or edges.

3DSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Scale 3D Objects

In a 3D view, displays the 3D Scale gizmo to aid in resizing 3D objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ 3D Scale

Summary
With the 3D Scale gizmo, you can resize selected objects and subobjects along
an axis or plane, or resize the objects uniformly.
When the 3D Scale gizmo is displayed, the 3D Scale Gizmo shortcut menu
offers options for aligning, moving, or changing to another gizmo.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects Specifies the objects to be scaled.
Specify base point Specifies the base point for the scaling.

3DSCALE | 65

Pick a scale axis or plane Specifies whether the object is scaled uniformly or
only along a specific axis or plane. You have the following choices:
■

Scale uniformly. Click the area closest to the vertex of the 3D Scale gizmo.
The interior region of all axes of the gizmo is highlighted.

■

Constrain the scale to a plane. Click between the parallel lines between
the axes that define the plane. This option is only available for meshes,
not solids or surfaces.

■

Constrain the scale to an axis. Click the axis. This option is only available
for meshes, not solids or surfaces.

Specify scale factor Specifies the amount of change. Drag to dynamically
modify the size of the selected objects or enter a scale value. For example,
enter 2 to double the size of the selection.

66 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Copy Creates and scales a copy of the selected objects.
Reference Sets a scale based on a ratio.
■

Reference length. Sets the relative amount that represents the current size
in the scale ratio.

■

New Length. Sets the relative value used to calculate the new size. For
example, if the reference length is 1 and the new length is 3, the size of
the selected objects is tripled.

■

Points. Specifies the relative value used to calculate the new size based on
two points that you specify.

3D Scale Gizmo Shortcut Menu
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Gizmos to Modify Objects

Displays options to set the constraint of a 3D object, switch gizmos, and move
or align the gizmo.

Access Methods
Shortcut menu: Right-click the 3D Scale gizmo

List of Options
The following menu options are displayed when you right-click the 3D Scale
gizmo.
Move Activates the 3D Move gizmo.

3D Scale Gizmo Shortcut Menu | 67

Rotate Activates the 3D Rotate gizmo.
Scale Activates the 3D Scale gizmo.
Set Constraint Sets whether the change is constrained to a specific axis.
■

X, Y or Z. Restricts the change to the designated axis.

■

XY, YX, or ZX. Restricts the change to a plane that is defined by the selected
axes.

■

XYZ. Applies the scaling uniformly to all axes.

NOTE Unlike most other objects, mesh objects support non-uniform scale.
Relocate Gizmo Moves the gizmo to the point you specify.
Align Gizmo With Sets the alignment for the change. Choices include
■

World UCS (default)

■

Current UCS

■

Face

Custom Gizmo Allows you to define the current gizmo by specifying one,
two, or three points, or an object.
Respect Dynamic UCS When relocating the gizmo, as you move the cursor,
temporarily aligns the XY plane of the UCS with the faces or edges.

3DSIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import Autodesk 3ds MAX Files

Imports an Autodesk 3ds MAX (3DS) file.

68 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Insert ➤ 3D Studio

Summary
Data that can be imported from a 3ds MAX file includes meshes, materials,
mappings, lights, and cameras. Procedural materials, smoothing groups, and
keyframe data cannot be imported. For lights and materials, use
CONVERTOLDLIGHTS and CONVERTOLDMATERIALS.
The 3D Studio File Import dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. After you choose a file to import, the 3D Studio File Import Options
dialog box is displayed.

3D Studio File Import Options Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import Autodesk 3ds MAX Files

3D Studio File Import Options Dialog Box | 69

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Insert ➤ 3D Studio
Command entry: 3dsin

Summary
Lists available and selected 3D objects, saves 3D objects to layers, and handles
objects that use multiple materials.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Available Objects

®

Displays the names of all objects in the specified Autodesk® 3ds MAX (3DS)
file. You can select up to 70 objects.
Object Name and Type Displays the type and assigned name of each object.
Add All Adds all of the objects in the Available Objects list to the Selected
Objects list.
Add Adds the objects currently selected in the Available Objects list to the
Selected Objects list.

Selected Objects
Displays the selected 3ds MAX objects to import.
Object Name and Type Displays the type and assigned name of each object.
Remove Removes objects selected in the Selected Objects list and returns them
to the Available Objects list.
Remove All Removes all objects from the Selected Objects list and returns
them to the Available Objects list.

Save to Layers
Controls how 3ds MAX objects are assigned to layers in the drawing.
By Object Creates a layer for each object in the 3ds MAX file and places the
object on that layer. The name of the layer is the same as the name of the
object.

70 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

By Material Creates a layer for each material in the 3ds MAX file and places
objects to which that material is attached on that layer. The name of the layer
is the same as the name of the material.
By Object Color Creates a layer for each object color in the 3ds MAX file.
Each 3ds MAX object is placed on the layer corresponding to its color. The
name of the layer is COLORnn, where nn is the 3ds MAX color index. If the
3ds MAX file contains objects with no color, these objects are placed on a
layer called COLORNONE.
Single Layer Creates a single layer called AVLAYER and places all objects on
that layer.

Multiple Material Objects
3ds MAX assigns materials by face, element, or object. AutoCAD assigns
materials by object only. When AutoCAD encounters a 3ds MAX object
assigned multiple materials, AutoCAD must find a way to handle the
assignment.

Always Prompt
Displays the Material Assignment Alert dialog box for each object with multiple
materials. The dialog box displays the name of the object. The options you
select determine how 3DSIN handles the assignment. The options are as
follows:
Split Object by Material Splits the object into multiple objects, one for each
material. This preserves the material assignments that were made in the 3ds
MAX file. It also increases the complexity of the drawing geometry.
Assign First Material Assigns the first material assigned to each
multiple-material object to the entire object. See the 3ds MAX documentation
for an explanation of how the first-assigned material is determined.
Select a Material Assigns one of the materials that was assigned to the object
in the 3ds MAX file to the entire object. Select the material from the list below
this option, or choose NONE to revert to the AutoCAD default material.

Split by Material
Splits all objects with multiple materials into multiple objects, one for each
material. This preserves the material assignments that were made in the 3ds
MAX file. It also increases the complexity of the drawing geometry.

Assign First Material
Assigns the first material assigned to each multiple-material object to the entire
object. See the 3ds MAX documentation for an explanation of how the
first-assigned material is determined.

3D Studio File Import Options Dialog Box | 71

Don't Assign a Material
Assigns no material to each multiple-material object. This option loses all
material assignment information but preserves the 3ds MAX geometry. The
object reverts to the AutoCAD default material.

3DSWIVEL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use 3D Navigation Tools

Changes the target of the view in the direction that you drag.

Access Methods

Toolbar: 3D Navigation
Menu: View ➤ Camera ➤ Swivel
Pointing device: Press Ctrl and click the mouse wheel to temporarily enter
3DSWIVEL mode.
Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing
area, and click Other Navigations Modes » Swivel (5).

Summary
Simulates panning with a camera in the direction that you drag. The target
of the view changes. You can swivel the view along the XY plane or along the
Z axis.

72 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

3DWALK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Walk and Fly Through a Drawing

Changes the 3D view in a drawing interactively to create the appearance of
walking through the model.

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: 3D Navigation
Menu: View ➤ Walk and Fly ➤ Walk
Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing
area, and click Other Navigation Modes ➤ Walk (6).

Summary
3DWALK activates a walk mode in the current viewport. On the keyboard,
use the four arrow keys or the W (forward), A (left), S (back), and D (right)
keys to determine the direction of your walk. To specify the direction of the
view, you drag the mouse in the direction you want to look. For more
information, see Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings Balloon on page 77.
By default, the Position Locator window opens and displays your position in
the drawing from a top view.
To control walk and fly settings, use the Walk and Fly Settings dialog box. To
specify settings for animating a 3D walk or fly, see Animation Settings Dialog
Box on page 75.

3DWALK | 73

Animation Controls
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Preview Animations

Creates and saves an animation created with 3D navigation commands such
as 3DWALK on page 73 and 3DFLY on page 39.

Animation Panel
The Animation panel on the ribbon allows you to create walk-throughs of
your model. You can create a walk-through by specifying a path with the
ANIPATH command or with the animation controls when one of the 3D
Navigation commands are enabled.
Animation Play
Displays the Animation Preview window within which you can view the
recorded animation.
Animation Record
Starts the recording for a walk-through animation that does not follow a
specific path.
Animation Pause
Pauses the recording of a walk-through animation that does not follow a
specific path.
Animation Save
Stops and saves the recording of a walk-through animation that does not
follow a specific path.

74 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Animation Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Walk and Fly Through a Drawing

Specifies settings for recording an animation of 3D navigation.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Settings
Determines the settings for an animation file.
Visual Style
Displays a list of visual styles and render presets that you can apply to an
animation file.
Resolution
Displays a list of resolutions. The default value is 320 x 240.
Frame Rate (FPS)
Specifies a frame rate (in seconds). Values are between 1 and 60. The default
value is 30.
Format
Specifies a list of animation output formats. Available formats are AVI, MPG,
WMV, and MOV.

Animation Settings Dialog Box | 75

Position Locator Window
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Walk and Fly Through a Drawing

Displays the top-view position of a 3D model when in a walk or fly navigation.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Zoom In Zooms in to the display in the Position Locator window.
Zoom Out Zooms out from the display in the Position Locator window.
Zoom Extents Zooms to the extents of the display in the Position Locator
window.
Preview Displays your current location in the model. You can drag the position
indicator to change your position. You can also drag the target indicator to
change the direction of the view.

76 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

Position Indicator Color Sets the color of the dot that shows your current
position.
Position Indicator Size Sets the size of the indicator. You can choose Small,
Medium, or Large.
Position Indicator Blink Turns the blinking effect on or off.
Position Z Specifies the Z coordinate for the position indicator. You can
modify the setting by entering a new value.
Target Indicator Displays an indicator that shows the target of the view.
Target Indicator Color Sets the color of the target indicator.
Target Z Specifies the Z coordinate for the target position indicator. You can
modify the setting by specifying a point in the drawing area or entering a new
value.
Preview Transparency Sets the transparency of the preview window. You
can choose a value from 0 to 95.
Preview Visual Style Sets the visual style of the preview.

Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings Balloon
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Walk and Fly Through a Drawing

The Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings balloon displays the keyboard and
mouse controls that control walk and fly modes.

Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings Balloon | 77

Summary
Press TAB to turn the display of the balloon on and off. You can specify
whether to display the instructions, and how often, in the Walk and Fly
Settings dialog box.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Up arrow/W key Moves the camera backward.
Down arrow/S key Moves the camera forward so that you appear to be walking
(or flying) forward.
Left arrow/A key Moves the camera to the left, so that you appear to be
moving to the left.
Right arrow/D key Moves the camera to the right.
Drag mouse Sets the target so that you look or turn.
F key Toggles between fly (3DFLY) and walk (3DWALK) modes.

78 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

3DZOOM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify 3D Views

Zooms in and out in a perspective view.

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: 3D Navigation
Menu: View ➤ Zoom
Pointing device: Scroll the mouse wheel to zoom in and out.
Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing
area, and click Other Navigation Modes ➤ Zoom (8).

Summary
Zooming in a perspective view simulates moving the camera closer to the
target or farther away. Objects appear closer or farther away, but the position
of the camera does not change.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed in a perspective view.
Press Esc or Enter to exit, or right-click to display shortcut-menu.
Enter option [All/Extents/Window/Previous/Object] :
All Zooms to display the entire drawing.
Extents Zooms to display the drawing extents and results in the largest possible
display of all the objects
Window Zooms to display an area specified by two points of a rectangular
window.
Previous Zooms to display the previous view.

3DZOOM | 79

Object Zooms to display one or more selected objects as large as possible and
in the center of the view.
Real Time Using the pointing device, zooms interactively.

80 | Chapter 1 3D Commands

A Commands

2

ABOUT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Start a Drawing

Displays information about AutoCAD LT.

Access Methods
Menu: Help ➤ About
Command entry: 'about for transparent use

Summary
Copyright information and product information is displayed. Product
information includes the version number and service pack, serial number, license
type and expiration date, and the text of the license agreement. You can save
the product information as a text file.

81

ACISIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import ACIS SAT Files

Imports an ACIS (SAT) file and creates 3D solid, body, or region objects.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Insert ➤ ACIS File

Summary
The Select ACIS File box is displayed. Select the file to import in the File Name
list. The SAT (ASCII) ACIS file is imported into the drawing.
NOTE ACISIN imports SAT files up to ACIS version 7.0.

ACISOUT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export ACIS SAT Files

Exports a body object, solid, or region to an ACIS file.

Summary
Selected objects that are not solids or regions are ignored, and the Create ACIS
File dialog box is displayed. Enter the name of the file you want to create. The
selected objects are exported to an ASCII file.

82 | Chapter 2 A Commands

NOTE When exchanging SAT files to earlier versions of AutoCAD, you need to set
the ACISOUTVER on page 2146 system variable to the ACIS version used for that
release. For example, to export SAT files to AutoCAD Release 14, set ACISOUTVER
to 16.

ACTBASEPOINT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Base Points

Inserts a base point in an action macro.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Action Recorder panel ➤ Insert Base Point

Summary
During the time of recording, if you enter actbasepoint at the Command
prompt, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify a base point: Specify a point
Inserts a base point in an action macro, which requests a user-defined point
when the action macro is played back. The inserted base point is represented
by a node with an icon that displays a crosshairs and a small black silhouette
of a person in the lower right corner. This icon is followed by the point
specified in an italic font. You can insert a base point by selecting an action
macro or the command node in the Action tree.
A base point establishes a point location with absolute coordinates, which is
used by the prompts that follow in the action macro.

ACTBASEPOINT | 83

NOTE When you play back the action macro (with a base point inserted) in a
version older than AutoCAD 2010, an error message is displayed and the action
macro is removed from the location of available action macros.

ACTMANAGER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Manage Action Macros

Manages action macro files.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Action Recorder panel ➤ Manage Action Macros
Command entry: 'actmanager for transparent use

Summary
The Action Macro Manager on page 84is displayed.
Use the Action Macro Manager to copy, rename, modify, or delete action
macro files.

Action Macro Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Manage Action Macros

Copies, renames, modifies, or deletes action macro files.

84 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Action Recorder panel ➤ Manage Action Macros
Command entry: actmanager (or 'actmanager for transparent use)

Summary
Your recorded action macro (ACTM) files are listed in the Action Macro
Manager.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Copy
Creates a duplicate copy of an action macro.
Rename
Renames an action macro.
Modify
Displays the selected action macro in the Action Macro dialog box on page
89.

Action Macro Manager | 85

Delete
Moves the selected action macro (ACTM) file to the Windows Recycle Bin.
You can select and delete one or more action macros.
Options
Displays the Options dialog box on page 1314 (Files tab). From the Files tab, you
can locate the paths used to record and play back your (ACTM) files from the
Action Recorder Settings node.
Close Closes the Action Macro Manager dialog box.
NOTE When a single action macro is selected, you can use Copy, Rename, Modify,
and Delete. But, when multiple action macros are selected, you can only use
Delete.

ACTRECORD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Record an Action Macro with the Action Recorder

Starts the Action Recorder.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Action Recorder panel ➤ Record
Menu: Tools ➤ Action Recorder ➤ Record
Shortcut menu: Right-click in the drawing area and click Action Recorder
➤ Record.

Summary
The Action Recorder Preferences dialog box on page 87 controls the behavior
of the Action Recorder panel when playing back or recording an action macro.

86 | Chapter 2 A Commands

You can create an action macro by recording most of the commands that you
are already familiar with.

Action Recorder Preferences Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Record an Action Macro with the Action Recorder

Controls the behavior of the Action Recorder panel when playing back or
recording an action macro.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Action Recorder panel ➤ Preference

Summary
Customizes the settings used for the Action Recorder.

Action Recorder Preferences Dialog Box | 87

ACTSTOP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Record an Action Macro with the Action Recorder

Stops the Action Recorder and provides the option of saving the recorded
actions to an action macro file.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Action Recorder panel ➤ Stop
Menu: Tools ➤ Action Recorder ➤ Stop
Shortcut menu: Right-click in the drawing area and click Action Recorder
➤ Stop.
Command entry: 'actstop for transparent use

Summary
The Action Macro dialog box on page 89 is displayed.
If you enter -actstop at the Command prompt, options are displayed on page
91.
You can use this command to stop the recording or playback of an action
macro based on the current state of the Action Recorder. When the recording
of an action macro is stopped, the recorded actions are saved to an action
macro file.

88 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Action Macro Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Record an Action Macro with the Action Recorder

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Action Recorder panel ➤ Stop
Menu: Tools ➤ Action Recorder ➤ Stop

Action Macro Dialog Box | 89

Shortcut menu: Right-click in the drawing area and click Action Recorder
➤ Stop.
Command entry: actstop (or 'actstop for transparent use)

Summary
Saves or renames the current action macro and defines the playback behavior
for the action macro.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Action Macro Command Name Specifies the command name for the current
action macro.
File Name Displays the file name for the current action macro.
Folder Path Displays the location where the current action macro file is stored
or will be saved to.
Description Specifies a description for the current action macro. The
description is displayed in a tooltip when the cursor hovers over the top node
of the action macro in the Action tree.
Restore Pre-Playback View Defines how the view, prior to the playback of
an action macro, is restored.
■

When Pausing for User Input. Restores the view prior to the playback of
an action macro when a request for user input occurs.

■

Once Playback Finishes. Restores the view prior to the playback of an action
macro when playback is complete.

Check for Inconsistencies When Playback Begins Specifies if the action
macro should be scanned for inconsistencies between the current drawing
state and the drawing state when the macro was recorded.
More Options Controls the display of additional options in the Action Macro
dialog box.
■

Restore Pre-Playback View

■

Check for Inconsistencies When Playback Begins

90 | Chapter 2 A Commands

-ACTSTOP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Record an Action Macro with the Action Recorder

Stops the Action Recorder and provides the option of saving the recorded
actions to an action macro file

Access methods
Command entry: '-actstop for transparent use

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter action macro name : Press ENTER, or enter a name for the
action macro
Enter an option [“Description”/“Settings”/“Exit”] : Enter an option and
press ENTER
Description Specifies a description for the current action macro.

Settings
Defines the behavior of the action macro during playback.
Restores the original view before a request for input. Restores the view prior
to the playback of an action macro when a request for user input occurs.
Restores the original view after playback is complete. Restores the view
prior to the playback of an action macro when playback is complete
Prompts during playback if inconsistencies are found. Specifies if the action
macro should be scanned for inconsistencies between the current drawing
state and the drawing state when the macro was recorded.
Exit Stops and saves the action macro recording with the specified name.

-ACTSTOP | 91

ACTUSERINPUT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pause for User Input

Pauses for user input in an action macro.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Action Recorder panel ➤ Pause for User Input
Command entry: 'actuserinput for transparent use

Summary
The next recorded action is set to pause for user input when the action macro
is played back. When a pause for user input is added to an action, the icon
for the action in the Action tree displays a small black silhouette of a person
in the lower-right corner and the text assigned to the action node is displayed
in italic font.
You can insert a pause for user input by selecting the value node in the Action
tree that you want to pause and provide input for during playback.

ACTUSERMESSAGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert User Messages

Inserts a user message into an action macro.

92 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Action Recorder panel ➤ Insert Message
Command entry: 'actusermessage for transparent use

Summary
The Insert User Message dialog box is displayed.
Inserts a user message that is displayed when the action macro is played back.
If you enter -actusermessage at the Command prompt, options are displayed
on page 93.
You can insert a message into an action macro by selecting an action in the
Action tree, and then entering the text that you want displayed during
playback.

-ACTUSERMESSAGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert User Messages

Inserts a user message into an action macro

Access Methods
Command entry: '-actusermessage for transparent use

Summary
Inserts a user message that is displayed when the action macro is played back.
Click Close to continue playback.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.

-ACTUSERMESSAGE | 93

Enter a message to display during playback : Enter a message and press
ENTER, or press ENTER to exit the command
NOTE You can enter a maximum of 256 characters for the user message.

ADCCLOSE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of DesignCenter

Closes DesignCenter.

Summary
™

Closes the DesignCenter window.

ADCENTER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of DesignCenter

Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Content panel ➤ DesignCenter
Toolbar: Standard
Menu: Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ DesignCenter

94 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Summary
The DesignCenter is displayed.

DesignCenter Window
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the DesignCenter Window

Browses, finds, and previews content, and inserts content, which includes
blocks, hatches, and external references (xrefs).

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Content panel ➤ DesignCenter
Toolbar: Standard
Menu: Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ DesignCenter
Command entry: adcenter

Summary
Use the buttons in the toolbar at the top of DesignCenter for display and
access options.
When you click the Folders tab or the Open Drawings tab, the following two
panes are displayed from which you can manage drawing content:
■

Content area (right pane) on page 96

■

Tree view (left pane) on page 98
NOTE The DesignCenter Online (DC Online tab) is disabled by default. You
can enable it from the CAD Manager Control utility.

DesignCenter Window | 95

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Content Area (DesignCenter) Displays the content of the "container" currently
selected in the tree view. A container is a network, computer, disk, folder, file,
or web address (URL) containing information accessible by DesignCenter.
Depending on the container selected in tree view, the content area typically
displays the following:
■

Folders containing drawings or other files

■

Drawings

■

Named objects contained in drawings (named objects include blocks, xrefs,
layouts, layers, dimension styles, table styles, multileader styles, and text
styles)

■

Images or icons representing blocks or hatch patterns

■

Web-based content

■

Custom content developed by third-party applications

96 | Chapter 2 A Commands

From the content area, you can insert blocks or hatch patterns or attach
external references in a drawing by dragging, by double-clicking, or by
right-clicking and choosing Insert Block, Attach Xref, or Copy. You can drag
or right-click to add other content to drawings, such as layers, dimension
styles, and layouts. You can drag blocks and hatches from DesignCenter to
tool palettes.
NOTE You can access relevant content area and tree view options on a shortcut
menu by right-clicking in the tree view or the content area.
Load Displays the Load dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box). Use
Load to navigate to files on local and network drives or on the Web, and then
to select content to load in the content area.
Back Returns to the most recent location in the history list.
Forward Returns to the next later location in the history list.
Up Displays the contents of the container one level above the current
container.
Stop (DC Online tab) Stops the current transfer.
Reload (DC Online tab) Reloads the current page.
Search Displays the Search dialog box, where you can specify search criteria
to locate drawings, blocks, and nongraphical objects within drawings.
Search also displays custom content saved on your desktop.
Favorites Displays the contents of the Favorites folder in the content area. The
Favorites folder contains shortcuts to items you access often. You can add items
to Favorites either by right-clicking the content area or right-clicking an item
in the tree view, and then clicking Add to Favorites. To delete an item from
Favorites, use the Organize Favorites option on the shortcut menu and then
use the Refresh option on the shortcut menu.
NOTE The DesignCenter folder is automatically added to Favorites. This folder
contains drawings with discipline-specific blocks that you can insert in drawings.
Home Returns DesignCenter to your home folder. On installation, the home
folder is set to ...\Sample\DesignCenter. Change the home folder using the
shortcut menu in the tree view.
Tree View Toggle Displays and hides the tree view. Hide the tree view if you
need more space in your drawing area. When the tree view is hidden, you can
use the content area to navigate to containers and to load content.

DesignCenter Window | 97

The Tree View Toggle button is not available while you're using the History
list in the tree view.
Preview Displays and hides a preview of the selected item in a pane below
the content area. If there is no preview image saved with the selected item,
the Preview area is empty.
Description Displays and hides a text description of the selected item in a
pane below the content area. If a preview image is also displayed, the
description is displayed below it. If there is no description saved with the
selected item, the Description area is empty.

Views
Provides different display formats for the content that is loaded in the content
area. You can select a view from the Views list or click the Views button
repeatedly to cycle through the display formats. The default view varies for
the type of content currently loaded in the content area.
Large Icon Displays the names of the loaded content in large icon format.
Small Icon Displays the names of the loaded content in small icon format.
List View Displays the names of the loaded content in a list.
Detail View Displays additional information about the loaded content. You
can sort the items by name, size, type, and other properties, depending on
the type of content that is loaded in the content area.
Refresh (Shortcut Menu Only) Refreshes the display in the content area to
reflect any changes you have made. Right-click the content area background
and click Refresh on the shortcut menu.
Autodesk Seek Design Content Opens a web browser and displays the
Autodesk Seek (SEEK on page 1721) home page. Product design information
available on Autodesk Seek depends on what content providers, both corporate
partners and individual contributors, publish to Autodesk Seek
(SHAREWITHSEEK on page 1735). Such content could include 3D models, 2D
drawings, specifications, brochures, or descriptions of products or components.

Tree View (DesignCenter)
Displays the hierarchy of files and folders on your computer and network
drives, a list of open drawings, custom content, and a history of the last
locations you accessed. Select an item in the tree view to display its contents
in the content area.

98 | Chapter 2 A Commands

NOTE In the sample\designcenter folder are drawings containing discipline-specific
blocks that you can insert in drawings. These drawings are called symbol library
drawings.
Use the buttons in the toolbar at the top of DesignCenter to access tree view
options.
Folders Displays the hierarchy of files and folders on your computer and
network drives, including My Computer and Network Neighborhood.
You can use ADCNAVIGATE to navigate to a specific file name, directory
location, or network path in the DesignCenter tree view. See ADCNAVIGATE
on page 103.
Open Drawings Displays all drawings open in the current work session,
including drawings that are minimized.
History Displays a list of the files that you opened most recently in
DesignCenter. With the history displayed, right-click a file to display
information about the file or to delete the file from the History list.
DC Online Accesses the DesignCenter Online web page. When you establish
a web connection, two panes are viewed on the Welcome page. The left side
displays folders containing symbol libraries, manufacturer sites, and additional
content libraries. When a symbol is selected, it is displayed on the right side
and can be downloaded into your drawing.
NOTE The DesignCenter Online (DC Online tab) is disabled by default. You can
enable it from the CAD Manager Control utility.

Search Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of DesignCenter

Searches for content such as drawings, hatch patterns, and blocks.

Search Dialog Box | 99

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Content panel ➤ DesignCenter
Toolbar: Standard
Menu: Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ DesignCenter
Command entry: adcenter

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Look For
Specifies the type of content to search for. The content type you specify
determines which tabs are displayed in the Search dialog box and the search
fields it provides. The Date Modified and Advanced tabs are displayed only
when the Drawings option is selected in Look For.
In
Specifies a search path name. To enter multiple paths, separate them with
semicolons. Use Browse to select a path from a tree view list.
Browse

100 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Displays a tree view in the Browse for Folder dialog box, in which you can
specify the drives and folders to search.
Search Subfolders
Includes subfolders in the search path.
Search Now
Starts the search based on criteria you specify.
Stop
Stops the search and displays the accumulated results in the Search Results
panel.
New Search
Clears the Search For the Word(s) box and places the cursor in the box.
Search Results Panel
Displays the results of the search in resizable columns at the bottom of the
window. Double-click an item to load it into DesignCenter.

Search Tabs (Search Dialog Box)
Display search fields relevant to the type of content specified in the Look For
list. The name of the tab reflects the content type. You can use wild-card
characters to extend or limit your search patterns.
Search for the Word(s)
Specifies the text string to look for in the field you specify. Use the asterisk
and question mark wild-card characters to broaden your search.
■

* (Asterisk): Matches any string and can be used anywhere in the search
string.

■

? (Question mark): Matches any single character; for example, ?BC matches
ABC, 3BC, and so on.

This option is available on the Drawings tab and, when available, the Custom
Content tab.
In the Field(s)
Specifies the property fields to search. For drawings, all fields other than File
Name are derived from the information entered in the Drawing Properties
dialog box (DWGPROPS on page 704).

Search Dialog Box | 101

This option is available on the Drawings tab and the Custom Content tab.
NOTE Custom content developed by third-party applications may not provide
fields for searches using the Search dialog box.
Search for the Name
Specifies the name of the drawing, block, layer, xref, or other content type
that you want to find.
This option is available on all tabs except Drawings and Custom Content.

Date Modified Tab (Search Dialog Box)
Finds content that was created or modified during a certain time period.
All Files Finds all the files that match the criteria you specify on other tabs,
regardless of creation date or date modified. This is the default setting.
Find All Files Created or Modified Finds files created or modified during a
specific time period. The search locates files that match the criteria you specify
on this and other tabs.
Between
Searches for files created or modified between the dates you specify.
During the Previous Month(s)
Searches for files created or modified within the number of months you specify.
During the Previous Day(s)
Searches for files created or modified within the number of days you specify.

Advanced Tab (Search Dialog Box)
Finds content within drawings; this tab is available only when you select
Drawings in Look For.
Containing
Specifies the type of text in a drawing that you want to search for. For example,
you can search for text contained within a block attribute, such as a
manufacturer's catalog number.
Containing Text
Specifies the text you want to search for.
Size Is
Specifies a minimum or maximum file size. Select At Least or At Most, and
enter a value in KB.

102 | Chapter 2 A Commands

ADCNAVIGATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Access Content with DesignCenter

Loads a specified DesignCenter drawing file, folder, or network path.

Summary
The path or drawing file name you specify is loaded in the tree view of the
DesignCenter Folders tab.
ADCNAVIGATE supports remote domains or workgroups if you have the target
domain or workgroup mapped to a drive letter.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter pathname :
At the prompt, you can enter a path in any of the following formats:
■

Folder path: c:\project files\electrical

■

Folder path and a file name: c:\project files\electrical\circuit2.dwg

■

UNC (universal naming convention) network path: \\server1\campus_project

DesignCenter is displayed, with the Folder tab active, and the path or drawing
file that you specified is loaded.

ADDSELECTED
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Copy, Offset, or Mirror Objects

ADCNAVIGATE | 103

Creates a new object based on the object type and general properties of a
selected object.

Access Methods
Shortcut menu: Select a single object, right-click, and click Add Selected.

Summary
Differs from COPY by duplicating only the general properties on page 1538 of
an object. For example, creating an object based on a selected circle adopts
the general properties of the circle, such as its color and layer, but prompts
you for the new circle’s center point and radius.
With the ADDSELECTED command, you can create a new object with the
same object type as a selected object. Certain objects have special properties
that are supported in addition to its general properties, as shown in the
following table.
Object type

Special properties supported by ADDSELECTED

Gradient

Gradient name, Color 1, Color 2, Gradient Angle,
Centered

Text, MText, Attribute
Definition

Text Style, Height

Dimensions (Linear,
Aligned, Radial, Diametric, Angular, Arc Length,
and Ordinate)

Dim Style, Dim Scale

Tolerance

Dim Style

Leader

Dim Style, Dim Scale

Multileader

Multileader Style, Overall Scale

Table

Table Style

Hatch

Pattern, Scale, Rotation

Block Reference, External
Reference

Name

104 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Object type

Special properties supported by ADDSELECTED

Underlays (DWF, DGN,
Image, and PDF)

Name

List of Prompts
The following prompt is displayed.
Select object: Use an object selection method
The prompts vary by object type.

ADJUST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Underlay Contrast, Fade, Monochrome, and Colors for the
Background

Adjusts the fade, contrast and monochrome settings of the selected image or
underlay (DWF, DWFx, PDF, or DGN).

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Adjust

Summary
With the ADJUST command, you can control several display settings for
selected images and underlays (DWF, DWFx, PDF, and DGN underlays). To
confirm the settings, use the Properties palette.

ADJUST | 105

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
The list of prompts depends on whether you select one or more images, or
one or more underlays.

Images
Fade Controls the fade effect in the image. Values range from 0 through 100.
The greater the value, the lighter that the image appears. This setting works
indirectly with the contrast effect; a higher contrast value blends the image
into the background when fade is set to a higher value.
Contrast Controls the contrast, and indirectly the fading effect in the image.
Values range from 0 through 100. The greater the value, the stronger the
contrast.
Brightness Controls the brightness, and indirectly, the contrast in the image.
Values range from 0 through 100. The greater the value, the brighter the image
and the more pixels that become white when you increase contrast.

Underlays
Fade Controls the fade effect in the underlay. Values range from 0 through
100. The greater the value, the lighter that the linework in the underlay
appears. This setting works indirectly with the contrast effect; a higher contrast
value blends the underlay into the background when fade is set to a higher
value.
Contrast Controls the contrast, and indirectly the fading effect in the underlay.
Values range from 0 through 100. The greater the value, the stronger the
contrast.
Monochrome Controls the color saturation of all areas while maintaining
the luminance. When turned on, the underlay appears in shades of gray
starting at black if the background color luminance is 50 percent or more. If
the background color luminance is less than 50 percent, then the colors are
inverted, with the darkest areas displaying as white, and the lightest areas
displaying as black.

106 | Chapter 2 A Commands

ALIGN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Align Objects

Aligns objects with other objects in 2D and 3D.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Align.
Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ Align

Summary
Either one, two, or three pairs of source points and definition points can be
specified to move, rotate, or tilt the selected objects, aligning them with points
on another object.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects: Select the objects to align and press ENTER
ALIGN Using One Pair of Points When you select only one source point and
destination point pair, the selected objects move in 2D or 3D from the source
point (1) to the destination point (2).

ALIGN | 107

ALIGN Using Two Pairs of Points When you select two point pairs, you can
move, rotate, and scale the selected objects in 2D or 3D to align with other
objects.

The first set of source and destination points defines the base point for the
alignment (1, 2). The second set of points defines the angle of rotation (3, 4).
After you enter the second set of points, you are prompted to scale the object.
The distance between the first and second destination points (2, 4) is used as
the reference length to which the object is scaled. Scaling is available only
when you are aligning objects using two point pairs.
NOTE If you use two source and destination points to perform a 3D alignment
on nonperpendicular working planes, you get unpredictable results.
ALIGN Using Three Pairs of Points When you select three point pairs, you
can move and rotate the selected objects in 3D to align with other objects.

108 | Chapter 2 A Commands

The selected objects move from the source point (1) to the destination point
(2).
The selected object is rotated (1 and 3) so that it aligns with the destination
object (2 and 4).
The selected object is then rotated again (3 and 5) so that it aligns with the
destination object (4 and 6).

AMECONVERT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Models with Other Applications

Converts AME solid models to AutoCAD solid objects.

Summary
The objects you select must be Advanced Modeling Extension (AME) Release
2 or 2.1 regions or solids. All other objects are ignored.

AMECONVERT | 109

Because of increased accuracy in the new solid modeler, AME models may
look slightly different after conversion. This difference is noticeable where
the previous version of the solid modeler identified the surfaces of two different
shapes as so close as to be considered in the same plane. The new solid
modeler's finer tolerance may interpret these surfaces as being slightly offset.
This phenomenon is most apparent with aligned features such as fillets,
chamfers, and through-holes.
Holes might become blind holes when the new modeler, with its much finer
approximation capability, interprets what was once a through-hole as being
slightly less wide than the solid. Typically, the length of the remaining solid
material is the difference between the tolerance of the previous modeler and
that of the new modeler.
Likewise, updated fillets or chamfers can occasionally be placed slightly below
the surface, creating a hole through the solid, leaving the original shape
unaltered. Also, drawing fillets or chamfers slightly above the original surface
creates an uneven transition between the solid and the fillet or chamfer.

ANALYSISCURVATURE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Analyze the Curvature of a Surface

Displays a color gradient onto a surface to evaluate different aspects of its
curvature.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Analysis panel ➤ Curvature

Summary
Allows you to visualize Gaussian, minimum, maximum, and mean U and V
surface curvature. Maximum curvature and a positive Gaussian value display
as green; minimum curvature and a negative Gaussian value display as blue.

110 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Positive Gaussian curvature means that the surface is shaped like a bowl.
Negative Gaussian curvature means the surface is shaped like a saddle (as
shown below). Mean curvature and a zero Gaussian value means that the
surface is flat in at least one direction (planes, cylinders, and cones have zero
Gaussian curvature).
To change the curvature analysis display settings, use the Curvature tab on
page 114 of the Analysis Options dialog box on page 113.

ANALYSISDRAFT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Analyze the Draft of a Surface

Displays a color gradient onto a 3D model to evaluate whether there is
adequate space between a part and its mold.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Analysis panel ➤ Draft

ANALYSISDRAFT | 111

Summary
The color spectrum shows draft angle changes within a specified range. The
maximum draft angle displays as red, and the minimum draft angle displays
as blue.

If the surface is parallel to the construction plane with surface normals facing
in the same direction as the current UCS, the draft angle is 90.0. When
perpendicular, it is 0. If the surface is parallel to the current UCS with surface
normals facing in the opposite direction than the current UCS, the draft angle
is -90.0.
To change the draft analysis display settings, use the Draft Angle tab on page
115 of the Analysis Options dialog box on page 113.

ANALYSISOPTIONS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Analyze Surfaces

Sets the display options for zebra, curvature, and draft analysis.

112 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Analysis panel ➤ Analysis Options
Command entry: analysisoptions

Summary
The Analysis Options dialog box on page 113is displayed.

Analysis Options Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Analyze Surfaces

Sets the display options for zebra, curvature, and draft analysis.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Analysis panel ➤ Analysis Options
Command entry: analysisoptions

List of Tabs
The Analysis Options dialog box contains the following tabs:
■

Zebra on page 113

■

Curvature on page 114

■

Draft Angle on page 115

Zebra Tab (Analysis Options Dialog Box)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Analyze Surfaces

Analysis Options Dialog Box | 113

Changes the display settings for the ANALYSISZEBRA command.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Select Object to Analyze
Prompts you to select the surface objects to analyze. When you are done
selecting objects, press Enter to return to the Analysis Options dialog box.

Stripe Display
Stripe Direction
Specifies the display angle. (VSAZEBRADIRECTION on page 2588) This option
is only available when Type is set to Cylinder. If you are using the Chrome
Ball type, change the stripe directions with the VSAZEBRADIRECTION on
page 2588 system variable.
Type
Sets analysis display type. (VSAZEBRATYPE on page 2589)
Size
Sets the width of the zebra stripes. (VSAZEBRASIZE on page 2589)
Color 1
Sets the first color for zebra stripes. (VSAZEBRACOLOR1 on page 2587)
Color 2
Sets the second color for zebra stripes. (VSAZEBRACOLOR2 on page 2588)

Clear Zebra Analysis
Removes the zebra display from all objects in the current drawing.

Curvature Tab (Analysis Options Dialog Box)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Analyze Surfaces

Changes the display settings for the ANALYSISCURVATURE command.

114 | Chapter 2 A Commands

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Select object to analyze
Prompts you to select the surface objects to analyze. When you are done
selecting objects, press Enter to return to the Analysis Options dialog box.

Color Mapping
Display Style
Specifies the display for color mapping (VSACURVATURETYPE on page 2585
system variable).
Enter the maximum curvature value (VSACURVATUREHIGH on page 2584 system
variable). When the surface curvature reaches this value, it displays as green.
Enter the minimum curvature value (VSACURVATURELOW on page 2585 system
variable). When the surface curvature reaches this value, it displays as blue.
Auto Range
Calculates the curvature range so that 80% of the values are within the high
and low range (VSACURVATUREHIGH on page 2584 and VSACURVATURELOW
on page 2585 system variables).
Max Range
Calculates the maximum and minimum ranges of all objects selected for
curvature analysis (VSACURVATUREHIGH on page 2584 and
VSACURVATURELOW on page 2585 system variables).

Clear Curvature Analysis
Removes the curvature analysis display from all objects in the current drawing.

Draft Angle Tab (Analysis Options Dialog Box)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Analyze Surfaces

Changes the display settings for the ANALYSISDRAFT command.

Analysis Options Dialog Box | 115

List of Options
The following options are available.

Select object to analyze
Prompts you to select the surface objects to analyze. When you are done
selecting objects, press Enter to return to the Analysis Options dialog box.

Color Mapping
Maps green to the highest draft angle, red to the medium draft angle, and
blue to the lowest draft angle.
Angle Sets the value for the high and low draft angles. The draft angle is the
angle in degrees between the surface normal and the UCS plane.
Enter a value for the highest angle allowed (VSADRAFTANGLEHIGH on page
2586). When the object’s angle reaches this value, it displays in green.
Displays the average value of the high and low angles. When the object’s angle
reaches this value, it displays in red.
Enter a value for the lowest angle allowed (VSADRAFTANGLELOW on page
2586). When the object’s angle reaches this value, it displays in blue.
Clear Draft Angle Analysis
Removes the curvature analysis display from all objects in the current drawing.

ANALYSISZEBRA
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Analyze Surface Continuity with Zebra Analysis

Projects stripes onto a 3D model to analyze surface continuity.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Analysis panel ➤ Draft

Summary
The way the stripes line up where two surfaces meet, helps analyze the
tangency and curvature of the intersection.

116 | Chapter 2 A Commands

In this example, the surface continuity is G0 because the surface edges are
coincident, but they are not tangent and they have different curvatures. The
fact that the stripes are not aligned shows that the surfaces are not tangent.
To change the zebra analysis display settings, use the Zebra Analysis tab on
page 113 of the Analysis Options dialog box on page 113.

ANIPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Motion Path Settings

Saves an animation file of a camera moving or panning in a 3D model.

Access Methods

Button

ANIPATH | 117

Ribbon: Render tab ➤ Animations panel ➤ Animation Motion Path
Menu: View ➤ Motion Path Animations

Summary
The Motion Path Animation dialog box on page 118 is displayed.

Motion Path Animation Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Motion Path Settings

Specifies settings for a motion path animation and creates an animation file.

Access Methods

Button

118 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Ribbon: Render tab ➤ Animations panel ➤ Animation Motion Path
Menu: View ➤ Motion Path Animations
Command entry: anipath

Summary
A path object must be created first and then selected as the camera path or
the target path. A path object can be a line, arc, elliptical arc, circle, polyline,
3D polyline, or spline.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Camera
Link Camera To Links a camera to a static point or a motion path in a
drawing.
Point
Links a camera to a static point in a drawing.
Path
Links a camera to a motion path in the drawing.
Pick Point/Select Path
Selects either the point where a camera is located or the path along which a
camera travels, depending on whether Point or Path was selected.
Point/Path List
Displays a list of named points or paths to which you can link a camera. To
create a path, you can link a camera to a line, arc, elliptical arc, circle, polyline,
3D polyline, or spline.
NOTE When you create a motion path, a camera is automatically created. If you
delete an object that you specified as a motion path, the named motion path is
also deleted.

Target
Link Target To Links a target to a point or a path.
If the camera is linked to a point, the target must be linked to a path. If the
camera is linked to a path, you can link the target to either a point or a path.
Point

Motion Path Animation Dialog Box | 119

If the camera is linked to a path, links the target to a static point in the
drawing.
Path
Links the target to a motion path in the drawing.
Pick Point/Select Path
Selects either the point or a path for the target, depending on whether Point
or Path was selected.
Point/Path List
Displays a list of named points or paths to which you can link the target. To
create a path, you can link a target to a line, arc, elliptical arc, circle, polyline,
3D polyline, or spline.

Animation Settings
Controls the output of the animation file.
Frame Rate (FPS)
The speed at which the animation will run, measured in frames per second.
Specify a value from 1 to 60. The default value is 30.
Number of Frames
Specifies the total number of frames in the animation.
With the frame rate, this value determines the length of the animation. When
you change this number, the Duration value is automatically recalculated.
Duration (seconds)
Specifies the duration (in sections) of the animation.
When you change this number, the Number of Frames value is automatically
recalculated.
Visual Style
Displays a list of visual styles and render presets that you can apply to an
animation file. For more information, see VISUALSTYLES on page 2050 and
RENDERPRESETS on page 1645.
Format
Specifies the file format for the animation.
You can save an animation to an AVI, MOV, MPG, or WMV file format for
future playback. The MOV format is available only if Apple QuickTime Player

120 | Chapter 2 A Commands

is installed. The WMV format is available and is the default selection only if
Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 or later is installed. Otherwise, AVI is the
default selection.
Resolution
Defines the width and height of the resulting animation in screen display
units. The default value is 320 x 240.
Corner Deceleration
Moves a camera at a slower rate as it turns a corner.
Reverse
Reverses the direction of an animation.
When Previewing Show Camera Preview
Enables the display of the Animation Preview dialog box so you can preview
the animation before you save it.
Preview
Displays the movement of the camera for the animation in the viewport. If
“When Previewing Show Camera Preview” is checked, the Animation Preview
dialog box on page 121 also displays a preview of the animation.

Animation Preview Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Motion Path Settings

Animation Preview Dialog Box | 121

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Render tab ➤ Animations panel ➤ Animation Motion Path
Menu: View ➤ Motion Path Animations
Command entry: anipath

Summary
Previews a motion path animation that you created with a motion path or
3D navigation.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Preview Displays a preview of the animation you set up either in the Motion
Path Animation dialog box or when walking or flying through an animation
and recording it from the ribbon.
Play Plays the animation preview. The Play button is disabled when an
animation is already playing.

122 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Record Records the animation, starting from the current frame displayed in
the Preview region. All frames following the current frame are overwritten.
The Overwrite Confirmation warning is displayed to confirm that you intend
to overwrite the existing frames. The Record button is disabled when an
animation is playing.
Pause Pauses the animation at the current frame displayed in the Preview
region. After pausing an animation, the Pause button is disabled.
Save Opens the Save As dialog box. You can save an animation to an AVI,
MOV, MPG, or WMV file format for future playback. Once you save the
animation, you are returned to the drawing. The Save button is disabled when
an animation is playing.
Visual Style Specifies the visual style displayed in the Preview region. The
visual style is initially set to Current, which is the visual style defined in the
active viewport. Choose from a list of preset and user-defined visual styles.
Slider Moves frame-by-frame through the animation preview. You can move
the slider to a specific frame in the animation. A tooltip displays the current
frame and total number of frames in the animation.

ANNORESET
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add and Modify Scale Representations

Resets the locations of all alternate scale representations of the selected
annotative objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Annotation Scaling panel ➤ Sync Scale Positions
Menu: Modify ➤ Annotative Object Scale ➤ Synchronize Multiple-Scale
Positions

ANNORESET | 123

Summary
The location of each scale representation of an annotative object can be
adjusted using grips. For each selected annotative object, all alternate scale
representations are returned to the location of the object’s current scale
representation.

ANNOUPDATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Annotative Styles

Updates existing annotative objects to match the current properties of their
styles.

Access Methods
Command entry: annoupdate

Summary
When a non-annotative text object is updated to an annotative text style, the
object becomes annotative and supports the current annotation scale on page
2645. If the text style has a fixed Paper Height, the object is set to that height.
If the text style’s Paper Height is set to 0, the size of the text does not change.
The Paper Height value is inferred by dividing the model height by the current
annotation scale.
If an annotative object is updated to a non-annotative style, the object becomes
non-annotative and any alternate scale representations on page 2671 are removed.

APERTURE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps

124 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Controls the size of the object snap target box.

Access Methods
Command entry: aperture (or 'aperture for transparent use)

Summary
Object snap applies only to objects inside or crossing the object snap target
box. The APBOX on page 2153 system variable controls whether the object snap
target box is displayed. The number of pixels you enter using APERTURE
controls the size of the object snap box. The higher the number, the larger
the target box. You can also change this setting in the Options dialog box,
Drafting tab.

APERTURE controls the object snap target box, not the pickbox displayed at
the Select Objects prompt. The object selection pickbox is controlled by the
PICKBOX on page 2451 system variable.

APPLOAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoLISP Automatic Loading

Loads and unloads applications and defines which applications to load at
startup.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ Load Application
Menu: Tools ➤ Load Application

APPLOAD | 125

Summary
The Startup Suite option loads the specified applications each time the product
first starts. Application files can be dragged from the files list, or from any
application with dragging capabilities.
The Load/Unload Applications dialog box is displayed.

Load/Unload Applications Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoLISP Automatic Loading

Loads and unloads applications and defines which applications to load at
startup.

126 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ Load Application
Menu: Tools ➤ Load Application
Command entry: appload

Summary
Loads and unloads applications and specifies applications to be loaded at
startup.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
The options at the top of this dialog box are derived from the standard file
selection dialog box. Following are descriptions of the additional options
provided by the Load/Unload Applications dialog box:
Load Loads or reloads the applications that are currently selected either in
the files list or on the History List tab. Load is unavailable until you select a
file that you can load. ObjectARX, VBA, and DBX applications are loaded
immediately, but LSP, VLX, and FAS applications are queued and then loaded
when you close the Load/Unload Applications dialog box.
If you select a file that is already loaded, Load reloads the application when
applicable. You cannot reload ObjectARX applications. In this case, you must
first unload the ObjectARX application and then load it again. The Load option
is also available from a shortcut menu by right-clicking a file on the History
List tab.
Loaded Applications
Displays an alphabetical list (by file name) of currently loaded applications.
LISP routines are displayed in this list only if you loaded them in the
Load/Unload Applications dialog box. You can drag files into this list from
the files list or from any application with dragging capabilities, such as
®
®
Microsoft Windows Explorer.
If you use the AutoCAD web browser to load an application, the web browser
downloads the application to a temporary location on your machine. This is

Load/Unload Applications Dialog Box | 127

the location from which AutoCAD loads the application, as displayed in this
list.
You can also unload certain applications from this list. See the Unload option
for details. Files that you cannot unload are not available for selection.
History List
Displays an alphabetical list (by file name) of applications that you previously
loaded with Add To History selected. You can drag files into this list from the
files list, or from any application with dragging capabilities, such as Windows
Explorer. If Add To History is not selected when you drag files into this list,
the dragged files are loaded but not added to the history list.
You can load and remove applications from this list, but to unload applications,
you must use the Loaded Applications tab. See the Load, Unload, and Remove
options.
Add to History
Adds any applications that you load to the history list.
You may prefer to clear this option when loading applications with the
AutoCAD web browser, because these applications are unavailable once the
cache for the application's temporary location is emptied.
Unload/Remove
Unloads the selected applications or removes them from the History List.
Unload is available only when a file is selected on the Loaded Applications
tab. Remove is available only when you select a file on the History List tab.
LISP applications cannot be unloaded, nor can ObjectARX applications that
are not registered for unloading.
NOTE Remove does not unload the selected application. The Remove option is
also available from a shortcut menu by right-clicking an application on the History
List tab.
Startup Suite
Contains a list of applications that are loaded each time you start AutoCAD.
You can drag application files from the files list, or from any application with
dragging capabilities such as Windows Explorer, into the Startup Suite area
to add them to the Startup Suite.
You cannot add applications that you load with the AutoCAD web browser
to the Startup Suite.
Contents

128 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Displays the Startup Suite dialog box. You can also add files to the Startup
Suite by clicking the Startup Suite icon or by right-clicking an application on
the History List tab and clicking Add to Startup Suite on the shortcut menu.
Status Line
Displays messages that indicate the status of loading and unloading operations.

Startup Suite Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoLISP Automatic Loading

Adds and removes application files from the Startup Suite. These are the
applications that are loaded each time you start AutoCAD.

Access Methods
Menu: Tools ➤ Load Application
Command entry: appload

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
List of Applications
Displays an alphabetical list (by file name) of the application files to load at
startup.

Startup Suite Dialog Box | 129

Add
Displays the Add File to Startup Suite dialog box. You can use this dialog box
to select files to add to the startup suite.
Remove
Removes selected files from the Startup Suite.

ARC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Arcs

Creates an arc.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Arc drop-down ➤ 3-Point
Menu: Draw ➤ Arc
Toolbar: Draw

Summary
To create an arc, you can specify combinations of center, endpoint, start point,
radius, angle, chord length, and direction values.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify start pointof arc or [Center]: Specify a point, enter c, or press ENTER to
start tangent to last line, arc, or polyline

Start Point
Specifies the starting point of the arc.

130 | Chapter 2 A Commands

NOTE If you press ENTER without specifying a point, the endpoint of the last
drawn line or arc is used and you are immediately prompted to specify the endpoint
of the new arc. This creates an arc tangent to the last drawn line, arc, or polyline.
Specify second point of arc or [Center/End]:

Second Point
Draws an arc using three specified points on the arc's circumference. The first
point is the start point (1). The third point is the endpoint (3). The second
point (2) is a point on the circumference of the arc.
Specify end point of arc: Specify a point (3)

You can specify a three-point arc either clockwise or counterclockwise.

Center
Specifies the center of the circle of which the arc is a part.
Specify center point of arc:
Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]:
End Point Using the center point (2), draws an arc counterclockwise from
the start point (1) to an endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn from
the center point through the third point (3).

The arc does not necessarily pass through this third point, as shown in the
illustration.
Angle Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1) using a center
point (2) with a specified included angle. If the angle is negative, a clockwise
arc is drawn.
Specify included angle: Specify an angle

ARC | 131

Chord Length Draws either a minor or a major arc based on the distance of
a straight line between the start point and endpoint.
If the chord length is positive, the minor arc is drawn counterclockwise from
the start point. If the chord length is negative, the major arc is drawn
counterclockwise.
Specify length of chord: Specify a length

End
Specifies the endpoint of the arc.
Specify end point of arc:
Specify center point of arc or [Angle/Direction/Radius]:
Center Point Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1) to an
endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn from the center point (3)
through the second point specified (2).

Angle Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1) to an endpoint
(2), with a specified included angle. If the angle is negative, a clockwise arc is
drawn.
Specify included angle: Enter an angle in degrees or specify an angle by moving the
pointing device counterclockwise

Direction Begins the arc tangent to a specified direction. It creates any arc,
major or minor, clockwise or counterclockwise, beginning with the start point

132 | Chapter 2 A Commands

(1), and ending at an endpoint (2). The direction is determined from the start
point.
Specify tangent direction for the start point of arc:

Radius Draws the minor arc counterclockwise from the start point (1) to the
endpoint (2). If the radius is negative, the major arc is drawn.
Specify radius of arc:

Center
Specifies the center of the circle of which the arc is a part.
Specify center point of arc:
Specify start point of arc:
Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]:
End Point Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (2) to an
endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn from the center point (1)
through a specified point (3).

Angle Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (2) using a center
point (1) with a specified included angle. If the angle is negative, a clockwise
arc is drawn.
Specify included angle:

ARC | 133

Chord Length Draws either a minor or a major arc based on the distance of
a straight line between the start point and endpoint.
If the chord length is positive, the minor arc is drawn counterclockwise from
the start point. If the chord length is negative, the major arc is drawn
counterclockwise.
Specify length of chord:

Tangent to Last Line, Arc, or Polyline
Draws an arc tangent to the last line, arc, or polyline drawn when you press
ENTER at the first prompt.

Specify end point of arc: Specify a point (1)

ARCHIVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish, Transmit, and Archive Sheet Sets

Packages the current sheet set files for archive.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu

134 | Chapter 2 A Commands

➤ Publish ➤ Archive

Summary
The Archive a Sheet Set dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -archive at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Archive a Sheet Set Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish, Transmit, and Archive Sheet Sets

Packages the current sheet set files for archive.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu
Command entry: archive

➤ Publish ➤ Archive

Summary
The Sheets tab lists the sheets to be included in the archive package in sheet
order and according to subset organization. The Files Tree tab lists the files to
be included in the package in a hierarchical tree format. The Files Table tab
displays the files to be included in the package in a table format.
All files to be included in the archive package are indicated by a check mark
next to the file name. To remove a file from the archive package, select the
check box. Right-click in the file display area to display a shortcut menu, from
which you can clear all check marks or apply check marks to all files.
NOTE Make sure that the files to be archived are not currently open in any
application.

Archive a Sheet Set Dialog Box | 135

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Sheets Tab
Lists the sheets to be included in the archive package in sheet order and
according to subset organization. A sheet set must be open in the Sheet Set
Manager. Archive can be selected from the shortcut menu displayed when
the top-level sheet set node is right-clicked, or archive can be entered at the
Command prompt.

Files Tree Tab
Lists the files to be included in the archive package in a hierarchical tree
format. By default, all files associated with the current drawing (such as related
xrefs, plot styles, and fonts) are listed. You can add files to the archive package
or remove existing files. Related files that are referenced by URLs are not
included in the archive package.
Included
Reports the number of files included in the package and the size of the package.

136 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Files Table Tab
Displays the files to be included in the archive package in a table format. By
default, all files associated with the current drawing (such as related xrefs, plot
styles, and fonts) are listed. You can add files to the archive package or remove
existing files. Related files that are referenced by URLs are not included in the
archive package.
■

Included on page 136

Archive a Sheet Set Dialog Box | 137

Add a File
Opens a standard file selection dialog box, in which you can select an
additional file to include in the archive package. This button is available on
both the Files Tree tab and the Files Table tab.

Enter Notes to Be Included with This Archive
Provides a space where you can enter notes related to the archive package.
The notes are included in the archive report. You can specify a template of
default notes to be included with all your archive packages by creating an
ASCII text file called archive.txt. This file must be saved to a location specified
by the Support File Search Path option on the Files tab in the Options dialog
box.

View Report
Displays report information that is included with the archive package. Includes
any archive notes that you entered. If you have created a text file of default
notes, the notes are also included in the report.
Save As Opens a File Save dialog box, in which you can specify a location in
which to save a report file. Note that a report file is automatically included
with all archive packages that you generate; by choosing Save As, you can
save an additional copy of a report file for reference purposes.

138 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Modify Archive Setup
Displays the Modify Archive Setup dialog box, in which you can specify options
for the archive package.

Modify Archive Setup Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish, Transmit, and Archive Sheet Sets

Access Methods
Command entry: archive

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Modify Archive Setup Dialog Box | 139

Archive Type and Location
Specifies the type and location of archive package created.
Archive Package Type
Specifies the type of archive package created.
Archive Package Type

Description

Folder

Creates an archive package of uncompressed files in a new or existing folder.

Self-Extracting Executable

Creates an archive package of files as a
compressed, self-extracting executable file.
Double-clicking the resulting EXE file decompresses the archive package and restores the files.

Zip

Creates an archive package of files as a
compressed ZIP file. To restore the files,
you need a decompression utility such as
the shareware application PKZIP or WinZip.

File Format
Specifies the file format to which all drawings included in the archive package
will be converted. You can select a drawing file format from the drop-down
list.
Archive File Folder
Specifies the location in which the archive package is created. Lists the last
nine locations in which archive packages were created. To specify a new
location, click Browse and navigate to the location you want.
If this field is left blank, the archive file is created in the folder containing the
sheet set data (DST) file.
Archive File Name

140 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Specifies the method for naming the archive package. Displays the default file
name for the archive package. This option is not available if the archive
package type is set to Folder.
Archive File Name Type Description
Prompt for a File Name

Displays a standard file selection dialog box
where you can enter the name of the
archive package.

Overwrite if Necessary

Uses a logical default file name. If the file
name already exists, the existing file is
automatically overwritten.

Increment File Name if Ne-

Uses a logical default file name. If the file

cessary

name already exists, a number is added to
the end. This number is incremented each
time a new archive package is saved.

Path Options
Provides options for the archive.
Use Organized Folder Structure
Duplicates the folder structure for the files being transmitted. The root folder
is the top-level folder within a hierarchical folder tree.
The following considerations apply:
■

Relative paths remain unchanged. Relative paths outside the source root
folder retain up to one level of the folder path above them, and are placed
in the root folder.

■

Absolute paths within the root folder tree are converted to relative paths.
Absolute paths retain up to one level of the folder path above them, and
are placed in the root folder.

■

Absolute paths outside the root folder tree are converted to No Path and
are moved to the root folder or to a folder within the root folder tree.

■

A Fonts folder is created, if necessary.

■

A PlotCfgs folder is created, if necessary.

■

A SheetSets folder is created to hold all support files for sheet sets, if
necessary. The sheet set data (DST) file, however, is placed in the root
folder.

Modify Archive Setup Dialog Box | 141

This option is not available if you're saving an archive package to an Internet
location.
Source Root Folder
Defines the source root folder for relative paths of drawing-dependent files,
such as xrefs. This option determines the source root folder for the Use
Organized Folder Structure option.
The source root folder also contains the sheet set data (DST) file when a sheet
set is archived.
Place All Files in One Folder
All files are installed to a single, specified target folder when the archive
package is created.
Keep Files and Folders As Is
Preserves the folder structure of all files in the archive package. This option is
not available if you're saving an archive package to an Internet location.

Actions
Specifies the actions applicable to the archive package.
Set Default Plotter to 'None'
Changes the printer/plotter setting in the archive package to None.
Prompt for Password
Opens the Archive—Set Password dialog box, where you can specify a password
for your archive package.
Purge Drawings
Does a complete purge of all the drawings in the archive.
NOTE As the purge is done in silent mode, you will not receive any notifications
when the drawings have been removed.

Include Options
Specifies the various options available with the archive package.
Include Fonts
Includes any associated font files (TXT and SHX) with the archive package.
Include Files from Data Links
Adds external files referenced by a data link to the transmittal package.

142 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Include Textures from Materials
Includes textures with materials that are attached to objects or faces.
Include Photometric Web Files
Includes photometric web files that are associated with web lights in the
drawing.
Include Unloaded File References
Includes all unloaded external file references. The unloaded file references are
listed in the Files Tree and Files Table and report under their appropriate
category.
Include Sheet Set Data and Files
Includes the sheet set data (DST) file, label block drawing files, callout block
drawing files, and drawing template (DWT) files with the archive package.

Archive - Set Password Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish, Transmit, and Archive Sheet Sets

Access Methods
Command entry: archive

Archive - Set Password Dialog Box | 143

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Password for Compressed Archive Package
Provides a space for an optional password for the archive package. When
others attempt to open the archive package, they must provide this password
to access the files. Password protection cannot be applied to folder archive
packages.

Password Confirmation
Provides a space to confirm the password that you entered in the Password
field. If the two passwords do not match, you are prompted to reenter them.

-ARCHIVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish, Transmit, and Archive Sheet Sets

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Sheet Set name or [?] : Enter a predefined sheet set name, enter ? to display
a list of sheet sets, or press ENTER

Sheet Set Name
Specifies a sheet set to use for the archive package. This option is available
only when a sheet set is open.
Create Archive Package Creates the archive package from the specified sheet
set.
Report Only Opens a File Save dialog box, in which you can specify a location
in which to save a report file. Note that a report file is automatically included
with all archive packages that you generate; by choosing Save As, you can
save an additional copy of a report file for reference purposes.
Password You are only prompted for a password if you selected Prompt for
Password in the archive setup.

144 | Chapter 2 A Commands

AREA
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Obtain Area and Mass Properties Information

Calculates the area and perimeter of objects or of defined areas.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ Area.
Menu: Tools ➤ Inquiry ➤ Area

Summary
Several commands are available to provide area information including AREA,
MEASUREGEOM on page 1110MASSPROP on page 1074. Alternatively, use
BOUNDARY on page 256 to create a closed polyline or region. Then use LIST
on page 1049 or the Properties palette on page 1535 to find the area.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first corner point on page 145 or [Object on page 146/Add Area on page
147/Subtract Area on page 147] : Select an option
The area and perimeter of the specified object displays at the Command prompt
and in the tooltip.

Specify Corner Points
Calculates the area and perimeter defined by specified points. All points must
lie in a plane parallel to the XY plane of the current user coordinate system
(UCS).
A rubberband line from the first specified point to the cursor is displayed.
Once the second point is specified, a line segment and a polygon with green
fill are displayed.

AREA | 145

Continue to specify points to define a polygon and then press ENTER to
complete the definition of the perimeter. The area to be calculated is
highlighted in green.
If you do not close the polygon, the area is calculated as if a line were drawn
from the last point entered to the first. When the perimeter is calculated, that
line length is added.

Object
Calculates the area and perimeter of a selected object. You can calculate the
area of circles, ellipses, splines, polylines, polygons, regions, and 3D solids.
NOTE 2D solids (created with the SOLID on page 1792 command) do not have an
area reported.
Select object:
If you select an open polyline, the area is calculated as if a line were drawn
from the last point entered to the first. When the perimeter is calculated that
line length is ignored.
The centerline of a wide polyline is used to make area and perimeter
calculations.

The centerline of a wide polyline is used to make area and perimeter (or length)
calculations.

146 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Add Area
Turns on Add mode and keeps a running balance of the total area as you
continue to define areas. You can use the Add Area option to calculate
individual areas and perimeters of defined areas and objects and the total area
of all defined areas and objects.
You can also select to specify the points. A rubberband line from the first
specified point to the cursor is displayed

Specify points to define a polygon (3). The area to be added is highlighted in
green. Press ENTER. AREA calculates the area and perimeter and returns the
total area of all the areas defined by selecting points or objects since Add mode
was turned on.
If you do not close the polygon, the area is calculated as if a line were drawn
from the last point entered to the first. When the perimeter is calculated, that
line length is added.

Subtract Area
Similar to the Add Area option, but subtracts areas and perimeters. You can
use the Subtract Area option to subtract a specified area from a total area.
You can also specify the area to be subtracted with points. A rubberband line
from the first specified point to the cursor is displayed.

AREA | 147

The specified area to be subracted is highlighted in red.
The total area and perimeter displays at the Command prompt and in the
tooltip.

ARRAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create an Array of Objects

Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Array.
Toolbar: Modify
Menu: Modify ➤ Array.

Summary
You can create copies of objects in a regularly spaced rectangular or polar
array.

The Array dialog box is displayed. You can create rectangular or polar arrays
by choosing the appropriate option. Each object in an array can be manipulated

148 | Chapter 2 A Commands

independently. If you select multiple objects, the objects are treated as one
item to be copied and arrayed.
If you enter -array at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Array Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create an Array of Objects

Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Array
Menu: Modify ➤ Array
Toolbar: Modify
Command entry: array

Array Dialog Box | 149

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Rectangular Array
Creates an array of rows and columns of copies of the selected object.

Rows
Specifies the number of rows in the array.
If you specify one row, you must specify more than one column. If you specify
a large number of rows and columns for the array, it might take a while to
create the copies. By default, the maximum number of array elements that
you can generate in one command is 100,000. The limit is set by the
MAXARRAY setting in the registry. To reset the limit to 200,000, for example,
enter (setenv "MaxArray" "200000") at the Command prompt.
Columns
Specifies the number of columns in the array.
If you specify one column, you must specify more than one row. If you specify
a large number of rows and columns for the array, it might take a while to
create the copies. By default, the maximum number of array elements that
you can generate in one command is 100,000. The limit is set by the
MAXARRAY setting in the registry. To reset the limit to 200,000, for example,
enter (setenv "MaxArray" "200000") at the Command prompt.

Offset Distance and Direction
Provides a space for you to specify the distance and direction of the array's
offset.
Row Offset
Specifies the distance (in units) between rows. To add rows downward, specify
a negative value. To specify row spacing with the pointing device, use the Pick
Both Offsets button or the Pick Row Offset button.

150 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Column Offset
Specifies the distance (in units) between columns. To add columns to the left,
specify a negative value. To specify column spacing with the pointing device,
use the Pick Both Offsets button or the Pick Column Offset button.
Angle of Array
Specifies the angle of rotation. This angle is normally 0, so the rows and
columns are orthogonal with respect to the X and Y drawing axes of the current
UCS. You can change the measurement conventions for angles using UNITS
on page 2000. The ANGBASE on page 2150 and ANGDIR on page 2150 system
variables affect the angle of arrays.
Pick Both Offsets
Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can use the pointing
device to set the row and column spacing by specifying two diagonal corners
of a rectangle.
Pick Row Offset
Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can use the pointing
device to specify the distance between rows. ARRAY prompts you to specify
two points and uses the distance and direction between the points to specify
the value in Row Offset.
Pick Column Offset
Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can use the pointing
device to specify the distance between columns. ARRAY prompts you to specify
two points and uses the distance and direction between the points to specify
the value in Column Offset.
Pick Angle of Array
Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can specify the angle of
rotation by entering a value or using the pointing device to specify two points.
You can change the measurement conventions for angles using UNITS on
page 2000. The ANGBASE on page 2150 and ANGDIR on page 2150 system variables
affect the angle of arrays.

Polar Array
Creates an array by copying the selected objects around a specified center
point.

Array Dialog Box | 151

Center Point
Specifies the center point of the polar array. Enter coordinate values for X and
Y, or choose Pick Center Point to use the pointing device to specify the
location.
Pick Center Point
Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can use the pointing
device to specify the center point in the drawing area.

Method and Values
Specifies the method and values used to position objects in the polar array.
Method
Sets the method used to position objects. This setting controls which of the
Method and Value fields are available for specifying values. For example, if
the method is Total Number of Items & Angle to Fill, the related fields are
available for specifying values; the Angle Between Items field is not available.
Total Number of Items
Sets the number of objects that appear in the resultant array. The default value
is 4.
Angle to Fill
Sets the size of the array by defining the included angle between the base
points of the first and last elements in the array. A positive value specifies
counterclockwise rotation. A negative value specifies clockwise rotation. The
default value is 360. A value of 0 is not permitted.
Angle Between Items

152 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Sets the included angle between the base points of the arrayed objects and
the center of the array. Enter a positive value. The default direction value is
90.
NOTE You can choose the Pick buttons and use the pointing device to specify
the values for Angle to Fill and Angle Between Items.
Pick Angle to Fill Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can
define the included angle between the base points of the first and last elements
in the array. ARRAY prompts you to select a point relative to another point
in the drawing area.
Pick Angle Between Items Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that
you can define the included angle between the base points of the arrayed
objects and the center of the array. ARRAY prompts you to select a point
relative to another point in the drawing area.

Rotate Items as Copied
Rotates the items in the array, as shown in the preview area.

More/Less
Turns the display of additional options in the Array dialog box on and off.
When you choose More, additional options are displayed, and the name of
this button changes to Less.

Object Base Point
Specifies a new reference (base) point relative to the selected objects that will
remain at a constant distance from the center point of the array as the objects
are arrayed. To construct a polar array, ARRAY determines the distance from
the array's center point to a reference (base) point on the last object selected.
The point used depends on the type of object, as shown in the following table.
Base point settings by object
Object type

Default base point

Arc, circle, ellipse

Center point

Polygon, rectangle

First corner

Donut, line, polyline, 3D polyline, ray, spline

Starting point

Block, paragraph text, single-line text

Insertion point

Construction lines

Midpoint

Array Dialog Box | 153

Base point settings by object
Object type

Default base point

Region

Grip point

Set to Object's Default
Uses the default base point of the object to position the arrayed object. To
manually set the base point, clear this option.
Base Point
Sets a new X and Y base point coordinate. Choose Pick Base Point to temporarily
close the dialog box and specify a point. After you specify a point, the Array
dialog box is redisplayed.
NOTE To avoid unexpected results, set the base point manually if you are
constructing a polar array and do not want to rotate the objects.

Select Objects
Specifies the objects used to construct the array. You can select objects before
or after the Array dialog box is displayed. To select objects when the Array
dialog box is displayed, choose Select Objects. The dialog box temporarily
closes. When you finish selecting objects, press ENTER. The Array dialog box
is redisplayed, and the number of objects selected is shown below the Select
Objects button.
NOTE If you select multiple objects, the base point of the last selected object is
used to construct the array.

Preview Area
Shows a preview image of the array based on the current settings in the dialog
box. The preview image is dynamically updated when you move to another
field after changing a setting.
Preview
Closes the Array dialog box and displays the array in the current drawing.

154 | Chapter 2 A Commands

-ARRAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create an Array of Objects

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects: Use an object selection method
Enter the type of array [Rectangular/Polar] : Enter an option or press
ENTER

Rectangular
Creates an array of rows and columns of copies of the selected objects.

Enter the number of rows (---) <1>:Enter a nonzero integer or press ENTER
Enter the number of columns (|||) <1>:Enter a nonzero integer or press ENTER
If you specify one row, you must specify more than one column and vice
versa.
The selected object, or cornerstone element, is assumed to be in the lower-left
corner, and generates the array up and to the right.
The specified distance between the rows and columns includes the
corresponding lengths of the object to be arrayed.
Enter the distance between rows or specify unit cell (---):
To add rows downward, specify a negative value for the distance between
rows. ARRAY skips the next prompt if you specify two points for the opposite
corners of a rectangle.

-ARRAY | 155

Specify the distance between columns (|||):
To add columns to the left, specify a negative value for the distance between
columns. Rectangular arrays are constructed along a baseline defined by the
current snap rotation. This angle is normally 0, so the rows and columns are
orthogonal with respect to the X and Y drawing axes. The Rotate option of
the SNAP on page 1789 command changes the angle and creates a rotated array.
The SNAPANG on page 2518 system variable stores the snap rotation angle.
If you specify a large number of rows and columns for the array, it might take
a while to create the copies. By default, the maximum number of array
elements that you can generate in one command is 100,000. The limit is set
by the MAXARRAY setting in the registry. To reset the limit to 200,000, for
example, enter (setenv "MaxArray" "200000") at the Command prompt.

Polar
Creates an array by copying the selected objects around a specified center
point.

Specify center point of array or [Base]: Specify a point or enter b to specify a new
base point
Center Point Creates an array defined by a center point.
Base Specifies a new reference (base) point relative to the selected objects that
will remain at a constant distance from the center point of the array as the
objects are arrayed.
Enter the number of items in the array: Enter a positive integer or press ENTER
If you enter a value for the number of items, you must specify either the angle
to fill or the angle between items. If you press ENTER (and do not provide the
number of items), you must specify both.
Specify the angle to fill (+=ccw, -=cw) <360>: Enter a positive integer for a
counterclockwise rotation or a negative integer for a clockwise rotation

156 | Chapter 2 A Commands

You can enter 0 for the angle to fill only if you specify the number of items.
If you specify an angle to fill without providing the number of items, or if
you specify the number of items and enter 0 as the angle to fill or press ENTER,
the following prompt is displayed:
Angle between items: Specify an angle
If you specified the number of items and entered 0 as the angle to fill or pressed
ENTER, ARRAY prompts for a positive or negative value to indicate the
direction of the array:
Angle between items (+=ccw, -=cw): Enter a positive integer for a counterclockwise
rotation or a negative integer for a clockwise rotation
ARRAY determines the distance from the array's center point to a reference
point on the last object selected. The reference point used is the center point
of a circle or arc, the insertion base point of a block or shape, the start point
of text, and one endpoint of a line or trace.
Rotate arrayed objects? : Enter y or n, or press ENTER
In a polar array, the reference point of the last object in the selection set is
used for all objects. If you defined the selection set by using window or crossing
selection, the last object in the selection set is arbitrary. Removing an object
from the selection set and adding it back forces that object to be the last object
selected. You can also make the selection set into a block and replicate it.

ARX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of ObjectARX

Loads, unloads, and provides information about ObjectARX applications.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter an option [?/Files/Groups/Commands/CLasses/Services/Load/Unload]:

ARX | 157

? - List Applications
Lists the currently loaded ObjectARX applications, which can be third-party
programs or internal applications such as Render.

Load
Displays the ObjectARX/DBX File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box). This option loads the specified ObjectARX application.

Unload
Unloads the specified ObjectARX application.
Enter ARX/DBX file name to unload:

Commands
Lists the AcEd-registered commands (AcEd-registered commands are described
in the ObjectARX Developer's Guide).

Options
Presents developer-related ObjectARX application options. These options are
explained in greater detail in the ObjectARX Developer's Guide.
Group Causes the specified group of commands to be the first group searched
when resolving the names of AutoCAD commands.
Classes Displays a class hierarchy of C++ classes derived from objects registered
in the system.
Services Lists the names of all registered services.

ATTACH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Files as Underlays

Inserts an external reference, image, or underlay (DWF, DWFx, PDF, or DGN
files) in the current drawing.

Access Methods

Button

158 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Attach

Summary
The Select Reference File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. To select multiple DWG files for attach, set the Files of Type to
Drawing. You can select one file only for all other file formats.

- ATTACH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Files as Underlays

Inserts an external reference, image, or underlay (DWF, DWFx, PDF, or DGN
files) in the current drawing.

Summary
Attach an external reference, image, or underlay (DWF, DWFx, PDF, or DGN)
file from the command line.

List of Prompts
The list of prompts differs depending on whether you are attaching an
underlay, an image, or an external reference.

DWF and DWFx Underlay Prompts
Path to File Enters the location of the DWF or DWFx file including the file
name.
Sheet name Enters a sheet name.
? Enters multiple sheets.
* Lists sheets available in the DWF or DWFx file.
Insertion point Specify the location of the lower, left-hand corner of the
underlay by clicking on screen or entering the X,Y coordinates.
Base Image Size Displays the underlay’s height and width in units

- ATTACH | 159

Scale Factor Resizes the underlay. For example, if the base image size is 36 x
24 and you enter a scale factor of 2, the underlay will display at 72 x 48.
Rotation Sets an angle of rotation for the underlay.

PDF Underlay Prompts
Path to File Enters the location of the PDF file including the file name.
Page Number Enters a page number.
? Enters multiple pages.
* Lists pages available in the PDF file.
Insertion Point Specifies the location of the lower, left-hand corner of the
underlay by clicking on screen or entering the X,Y coordinates.
Base Image Size Displays the underlay’s height and width in units
Scale Factor Resizes the underlay. For example, if the base image size is 36 x
24 and you enter a scale factor of 2, the underlay will display at 72 x 48.
Rotation Sets an angle of rotation for the underlay.

DGN Underlay Prompts
Path to File Enters the location of the DGN file including the file name.
Name of Model Enters a model name.
? Enters multiple models.
* Lists pages available in the DGN file.
Insertion Point Specifies the location of the lower, left-hand corner of the
underlay by clicking on screen or entering the X,Y coordinates.
Base Image Size Displays the underlay’s height and width in units
Scale Factor Resizes the underlay. For example, if the base image size is 36 x
24 and you enter a scale factor of 2, the underlay will display at 72 x 48.
Rotation Sets an angle of rotation for the underlay.

Image Prompts
Path to File Enters the location of the image file including the file name.
Insertion Point Specifies the location of the lower, left-hand corner of the
image by clicking on screen or entering the X,Y coordinates.
Base Image Size Displays the image’s height and width in units

160 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Scale Factor Resizes the image. For example, if the base image size is 36 x 24
and you enter a scale factor of 2, the underlay will display at 72 x 48.
Rotation Sets an angle of rotation for the underlay.

External Reference Prompts
Path to File Enters the location of the external reference file including the
file name.
Reference Type Selects whether to attach this file as an underlay or an overlay.
Press Enter to attach the file as an underlay (attachment).
NOTE Unlike attached external references, overlaid external references are not
included when the drawing is attached or overlaid as an external reference to
another drawing.
Insertion Point Specifies the location of the lower, left-hand corner of the
external reference by clicking on screen or entering the X,Y coordinates.
Scale Sets the scale factor for the X,Y, and Z axes. The scale for the Z axis is
the absolute value of the specified scale factor.
■

Specify scale factor for XYZ axes: Enter a nonzero value

■

Specify insertion point:

■

Specify rotations angle <0>:

X, Y, Z Sets the X, Y, and Z scale factor.
■

Specifies scale factor for XYZ axes: Enter a nonzero value

■

Specifies insertion point:

■

Specifies rotations angle <0>:

Rotate Sets the rotation angle for both the individual blocks and the entire
array.
PScale Sets the scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes to control the display of
the block as it is dragged into position.
PX, PY, PZ Sets the scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes to control the display
of the block as it is dragged into position.
PRotate Sets the rotation angle of the block as it is dragged into position.
Base Image Size Displays the external reference’s height and width in units

- ATTACH | 161

Scale Factor Resizes the external reference. For example, if the base image
size is 36 x 24 and you enter a scale factor of 2, the external reference will
display at 72 x 48.
Unit Changes the type of units to scale the external reference.

ATTACHURL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Using Hyperlinks in a Drawing

Attaches hyperlinks to objects or areas in a drawing.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter hyperlink insert option [Area/Object] : Enter a or press ENTER

Area
Creates the URLLAYER layer, draws a polyline on that layer, and attaches a
URL to the polyline.
The polyline that represents the area is displayed in the color assigned to
URLLAYER. The default color is red. When you move the cursor over the area
in the drawing, the cursor changes to a hyperlink cursor to indicate that a
URL is attached to the area.

Object
Attaches a URL to the selected object.
When you move the cursor over the object in the drawing, the cursor changes
to a hyperlink cursor to indicate that a URL is attached to the object.

162 | Chapter 2 A Commands

ATTDEF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Block Attributes

Creates an attribute definition for storing data in a block.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Attributes panel ➤ Define Attributes.
Menu: Draw ➤ Block ➤ Define Attributes

Summary
The Attribute Definition dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -attdef at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
An attribute is an object that is created and included with a block definition.
Attributes can store data such as part numbers, product names, and so on.

Attribute Definition Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Block Attributes

Defines the mode; attribute tag, prompt, and value; insertion point; and text
settings for an attribute.

ATTDEF | 163

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Attributes panel ➤ Define Attributes
Menu: Draw ➤ Block ➤ Define Attributes
Command entry: attdef

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Mode
Sets options for attribute values associated with a block when you insert the
block in a drawing.
The default values are stored in the AFLAGS on page 2149 system variable.
Changing the AFLAGS setting affects the default mode for new attribute
definitions and does not affect existing attribute definitions.
Invisible
Specifies that attribute values are not displayed or printed when you insert
the block. ATTDISP on page 170 overrides Invisible mode.

164 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Constant
Gives attributes a fixed value for block insertions.
Verify
Prompts you to verify that the attribute value is correct when you insert the
block.
Preset
Sets the attribute to its default value when you insert a block containing a
preset attribute.
Lock Position
Locks the location of the attribute within the block reference. When unlocked,
the attribute can be moved relative to the rest of the block using grip editing,
and multiline attributes can be resized.
Multiple Lines
Specifies that the attribute value can contain multiple lines of text. When this
option is selected, you can specify a boundary width for the attribute.
NOTE In a dynamic block, an attribute's position must be locked for it to be
included in an action's selection set.

Attribute
Sets attribute data.
Tag
Identifies each occurrence of an attribute in the drawing. Enter the attribute
tag using any combination of characters except spaces. Lowercase letters are
automatically changed to uppercase.
Prompt
Specifies the prompt that is displayed when you insert a block containing this
attribute definition. If you do not enter a prompt, the attribute tag is used as
a prompt. If you select Constant in the Mode area, the Prompt option is not
available.
Default
Specifies the default attribute value.
Insert Field Button

Attribute Definition Dialog Box | 165

Displays the Field dialog box. You can insert a field as all or part of the value
for an attribute.
Multiline Editor Button
When Multiple Line mode is selected, displays an in-place text editor with a
text formatting toolbar and ruler. Depending on the setting of the ATTIPE on
page 2156 system variable, the Text Formatting toolbar displayed is either the
abbreviated version, or the full version.
For more information, see the In-Place Text Editor.
NOTE Several options in the full In-Place Text Editor are grayed out to preserve
compatibility with single-line attributes.

Insertion Point
Specifies the location for the attribute. Enter coordinate values or select Specify
On-screen and use the pointing device to specify the placement of the attribute
in relation to the objects that it will be associated with.
Specify On-Screen
Displays a Start Point prompt when the dialog box closes. Use the pointing
device to specify the placement of the attribute in relation to the objects that
it will be associated with.
X
Specifies the X coordinate of the attribute's insertion point.
Y
Specifies the Y coordinate of the attribute's insertion point.
Z
Specifies the Z coordinate of the attribute's insertion point.

Text Settings
Sets the justification, style, height, and rotation of the attribute text.
Justification
Specifies the justification of the attribute text. See TEXT on page 1932 for a
description of the justification options.
Text Style
Specifies a predefined text style for the attribute text. Currently loaded text
styles are displayed. To load or create a text style, see STYLE on page 1853.
Annotative

166 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Specifies that the attribute is . If the block is annotative, the attribute will
match the orientation of the block. Click the information icon to learn more
about annotative objects.
Text Height
Specifies the height of the attribute text. Enter a value, or choose Height to
specify a height with your pointing device. The height is measured from the
origin to the location you specify. If you select a text style that has fixed height
(anything other than 0.0), or if you select Align in the Justification list, the
Height option is not available.
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the attribute text. Enter a value, or choose
Rotation to specify a rotation angle with your pointing device. The rotation
angle is measured from the origin to the location you specify. If you select
Align or Fit in the Justification list, the Rotation option is not available.
Boundary Width
Specifies the maximum length of the lines of text in a multiple-line attribute
before wrapping to the next line. A value of 0.000 means that there is no
restriction on the length of a line of text.
Not available for single-line attributes.

Align Below Previous Attribute Definition
Places the attribute tag directly below the previously defined attribute. If you
have not previously created an attribute definition, this option is not available.

-ATTDEF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Block Attributes

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Current attribute modes: Invisible=current Constant=current Verify=current
Preset=current Lock position=current Annotative =current Multiple line =current

-ATTDEF | 167

Enter an option to change [Invisible/Constant/Verify/Preset/Lock
position/Annotative/Multiple lines] :
Enter attribute tag name: Enter any characters except spaces or exclamation points
Enter attribute value: Enter the appropriate text or press ENTER (this prompt is
displayed only if you turned on Constant mode)
Enter attribute prompt: Enter the text for the prompt line or press ENTER (this
prompt is not displayed if you turned on Constant mode)
Enter default attribute value: Enter the appropriate text or press ENTER (this prompt
is not displayed if you turned on Constant mode)
Specify location of multiline attribute: Specify a point (this prompt is displayed
only if you turned on Multiple line mode)
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point or enter an option (this prompt is displayed
only if you turned on Multiple line mode)

Attribute Modes
The current value line indicates the current settings for each attribute mode
(either Y for on or N for off). Entering i, c, v, p, l, a, or m toggles the modes
on or off. Press ENTER when you have finished adjusting the mode settings.
The AFLAGS on page 2149 system variable stores the current mode settings and
can be used to set the default modes.
Invisible Specifies that attribute values are displayed when you insert the
block. ATTDISP on page 170 overrides Invisible mode.
Constant Gives attributes a fixed value for block insertions.
Verify Prompts for verification that the attribute value is correct when you
insert the block.
Preset Sets the attribute to its default value when you insert a block containing
a preset attribute.
Lock Position Locks the location of the attribute within the block reference.
When unlocked, the attribute can be moved relative to the rest of the block
using grip editing, and multiline attributes can be resized.
NOTE In a dynamic block, an attribute's position must be locked for it to be
included in an action's selection set.
Annotative Specifies that the attribute is .
Multiple Lines Specifies that the attribute value can contain multiple lines
of text. When this option is selected, you can specify a boundary width for
the attribute.

168 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Attribute Tag Name
Specifies the attribute tag, which identifies each occurrence of an attribute in
the drawing. The tag can contain any characters except spaces or exclamation
marks (!). Lowercase letters are automatically changed to uppercase.

Attribute Prompt
Specifies the prompt that is displayed when you insert a block containing this
attribute definition. If you press ENTER, the attribute tag is used as the prompt.
If you turn on Constant mode, this prompt is not displayed.
NOTE For single-line attributes, you can enter up to 256 characters. If you need
leading blanks in the prompt or the default value, start the string with a backslash
(\). To make the first character a backslash, start the string with two backslashes.

Default Attribute Value
Specifies the default attribute value. The default attribute value appears when
a block is inserted into your drawing. A default value is not required. If you
turn on Constant mode, the Attribute Value prompt is displayed instead.
When Multiple Line mode is off, -ATTDEF then displays the same prompts as
the TEXT command, using the attribute tag instead of requesting a text string.
Current text style: "Standard" Text height: 0.2000
Specify start point of text or [Justify / Style]: Enter an option or press ENTER
Specify paper text height : Specify a height, or press ENTER
The Specify Paper Text Height prompt is displayed only if the current text
style is .
For a description of each option, see TEXT on page 1932.
NOTE For single-line attributes, you can enter up to 256 characters. If you need
leading blanks in the prompt or the default value, start the string with a backslash
(\). To make the first character a backslash, start the string with two backslashes.
When Multiple Line mode is on, -ATTDEF then displays several of the prompts
used by the MTEXT command. For a description of each option, see MTEXT
on page 1214.

Attribute Value (Constant Mode)
Specifies the value for a constant attribute. This prompt is displayed only if
you turn on Constant mode.
ATTDEF then displays the same prompts as the TEXT command, using the
attribute tag instead of requesting a text string. For a description of each
option, see TEXT on page 1932.

-ATTDEF | 169

When Multiple Line mode is on, -ATTDEF then displays several of the prompts
used by the MTEXT command. For a description of each option, see MTEXT
on page 1214.

Location of Multiline Attribute (Multiple Line Mode)
Specifies the first corner of the bounding box for the multiple-line text. This
location is used as the starting point for the attribute.

Opposite Corner (Multiple Line Mode)
As you drag the pointing device to specify the opposite corner, a rectangle is
displayed to show the location and width of the multiple-line text. The arrow
within the rectangle indicates the direction of the text flow.

ATTDISP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Block Attributes

Controls the visibility overrides for all block attributes in a drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Retain Attribute Display
Menu: View ➤ Display ➤ Attribute Display
Command entry: 'attdisp for transparent use

170 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Summary

The drawing is regenerated after you change the visibility settings unless
REGENAUTO on page 1615, which controls automatic regeneration, is off. The
current visibility of attributes is stored in the ATTMODE on page 2157 system
variable.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter attribute visibility setting [Normal/ON/OFF] :
Normal Restores the visibility settings of each attribute. Visible attributes are
displayed. Invisible attributes are not displayed.
On Makes all attributes visible, overriding the original visibility settings.
Off Makes all attributes invisible, overriding the original visibility settings.

ATTDISP | 171

ATTEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes)

Changes attribute information in a block.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Edit Attributes.
Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Attribute ➤ Single

Summary
The Edit Attributes dialog box is displayed to edit attribute values for a specific
block.
If you enter -attedit at the Command prompt, options are displayed to edit
attribute values and properties independent of a block.

Edit Attributes Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes)

Changes attribute information in a block.

172 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Edit Attributes
Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Attribute ➤ Single
Command entry: attedit

Summary
To change attribute properties such as position, height, and style, use
-ATTEDIT.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Block Name
Indicates the name of the selected block. The value of each attribute contained
in the block is displayed in this dialog box.
List of Attributes
Displays the first eight attributes contained in the block. Edit the attribute
values. If the block contains additional attributes, use Previous and Next to
navigate through the list. You cannot edit attribute values on locked layers.
Multiple-line attributes display the In-Place Text Editor on page 1221 with the
Text Formatting toolbar and the ruler. Depending on the setting of the ATTIPE

Edit Attributes Dialog Box | 173

on page 2156 system variable, the Text Formatting toolbar displayed is either
the abbreviated version, or the full version.
To use a field as the value, right-click and click Insert Field on the shortcut
menu to display the Field dialog box.
Previous
Displays the previous eight attribute values. Previous is available only if the
selected block contains more than eight attributes and you used Next to display
the additional attributes.
Next
Displays the next eight attribute values. If the block contains no additional
attributes, Next is unavailable.

-ATTEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Blocks

List of Prompts
If you enter -attedit at the Command prompt, the following prompts are
displayed.
Edit attributes one at a time? [Yes/No] : Enter y or press ENTER to edit
attributes one at a time, or enter n to edit attributes globally
The following prompts filter the attributes to be changed based on attribute
tag, current value, or object selection.

Yes
Edits attributes one at a time. Attributes to be edited one at a time must be
visible and parallel to the current UCS.
Attribute values are case sensitive.

174 | Chapter 2 A Commands

The first attribute in the selection set is marked with an X. You can change
any properties of the attribute you select.
Enter an option [Value/Position/Height/Angle/Style/Layer/Color/Next] :
Enter the property to change, or press ENTER for the next attribute
If the original attribute was defined with aligned or fit text, the prompt does
not include Angle. The Height option is omitted for aligned text. For each of
the options except Next, ATTEDIT prompts for a new value. The X remains
on the current attribute until you move to the next attribute.

Value
Changes or replaces an attribute value.
Enter type of value modification [Change/Replace]: Enter c or r or press ENTER
Change Modifies a few characters of the attribute value.
Either string can be null. The ? and * characters are interpreted literally, not
as wild-card characters.
Replace Substitutes a new attribute value for the entire attribute value.
If you press ENTER, the attribute value is empty (null).

Position
Changes the text insertion point.

-ATTEDIT | 175

If the attribute is aligned, ATTEDIT prompts for both ends of a new text
baseline.

Height
Changes the text height.

When you specify a point, the height becomes the distance between the
specified point and the start point of the text.

Angle
Changes the rotation angle.

If you specify a point, the text is rotated along an imaginary line between the
specified point and the start point of the text.

Style
Changes the style setting.

176 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Layer
Changes the layer.

Color
Changes the color.
You can enter a color from the AutoCAD Color Index (a color name or
number), a true color, or a color from a color book.
You can enter a color name, a color number between 1 and 255, or bylayer
or byblock.
True Color Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object.
Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to be used for the
selected object.
If you enter a color book name, you are prompted to enter the color name in
the color book, such as PANTONE® 573.

Next
Moves to the next attribute in the selection set. If there are no more attributes,
ATTEDIT ends.

No
Edits more than one attribute at a time. Global editing applies to both visible
and invisible attributes.
Editing attributes globally limits you to replacing a single text string with
another text string. If you edit attributes one at a time, you can edit any or
all of the attributes.
Yes Edits only visible attributes.
Attribute values are case sensitive. To select empty (null) attributes, which
normally are not visible and cannot be selected, enter a backslash (\).
Select the attribute you want to change.
Either string can be empty (null). The ? and * characters are interpreted literally,
not as wild-card characters.
No Edits attributes whether they are visible or not. Changes to attributes are
not reflected immediately. The drawing is regenerated at the end of the
command unless REGENAUTO on page 1615, which controls automatic
regeneration, is off.
Attribute values are case sensitive. To select empty (null) attributes, which
normally are not visible, enter a backslash (\).
The attributes that match the specified block name, attribute tag, and attribute
value are selected.

-ATTEDIT | 177

Either string can be empty (null). The ? and * characters are interpreted literally,
not as wild-card characters.

ATTEXT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Block Attributes

Extracts attribute data, informational text associated with a block, into a file.

Access Methods
Summary
The Attribute Extraction dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -attext at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Attribute Extraction Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes)

178 | Chapter 2 A Commands

Access Methods
Command entry: attext

Summary
Specifies the file format for the attribute information, the objects from which
you want to extract information, and the template and output file names for
the information.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

File Format
Sets the format for the file into which you are extracting the attribute data.
Comma Delimited File (CDF)
Generates a file containing one record for each block reference in the drawing
that has at least one matching attribute tag in the template file. Commas
separate the fields of each record. Single quotation marks enclose the character
fields.
Space Delimited File (SDF)
Generates a file containing one record for each block reference in the drawing
that has at least one matching attribute tag in the template file. The fields of
each record have a fixed width; therefore, field separators or character string
delimiters are not appropriate.
DXF Format Extract File (DXX)
Produces a subset of the AutoCAD Drawing Interchange File format containing
™
only block reference, attribute, and end-of-sequence objects. DXF format
extraction requires no template. The file name extension .dxx distinguishes
the output file from normal DXF files.

Select Objects
Closes the dialog box so you can use the pointing device to select blocks with
attributes. When the Attribute Extraction dialog box reopens, Number Found
shows the number of objects you selected.

Number Found
Indicates the number of objects you selected using Select Objects.

Attribute Extraction Dialog Box | 179

Template File
Specifies a template extraction file for CDF and SDF formats. Enter the file
name in the box, or choose Template File to search for existing template files
using a standard file selection dialog box. The default file extension is .txt. If
you select DXF under File Format, the Template File option is not available.

Output File
Specifies the file name and location for the extracted attribute data. Enter the
path and file name for the extracted attribute data, or choose Output File to
search for existing template files using a standard file selection dialog box.
The .txt file name extension is appended for CDF or SDF files and the .dxx file
name extension for DXF files.

-ATTEXT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes)

List of Prompts
Enter extraction type or enable object selection [Cdf/Sdf/Dxf/Objects] :
Enter an option or press ENTER
CDF: Comma-Delimited File Generates a file containing one record for each
block reference in the drawing. Commas separate the fields of each record.
Single quotation marks enclose the character fields.
In the Select Template File dialog box, enter the name of an existing attribute
extraction template file.
In the Create Extract File dialog box, enter the name for the output file. The
extract file's file name extension is .txt for CDF or SDF format.
SDF: Space-Delimited File Generates a file containing one record for each
block reference in the drawing. The fields of each record have a fixed width;
therefore, field separators or character string delimiters are not used.
In the Select Template File dialog box, enter the name of an existing attribute
extraction template file.
In the Create Extract File dialog box, enter the name for the output file. The
extract file's file name extension is .txt for CDF or SDF format.

180 | Chapter 2 A Commands

DXF: Drawing Interchange File Produces a subset of the AutoCAD Drawing
Interchange File format containing only block reference, attribute, and
end-of-sequence objects. DXF-format extraction requires no template. The file
name extension .dxx distinguishes the output file from normal DXF files.
In the Create Extract File dialog box, enter the name for the output file. The
extract file's file name extension is .dxx for DXF format.
Objects Selects objects whose attributes you want to extract.

ATTIPEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify a Block Attribute Definition

Changes the textual content of an attribute within a block.

Summary
If you select a single-line attribute, displays the In-Place Text Editor on page
1221 without the Text Formatting toolbar and the ruler. Right-click to display
options.
If you select a multiple-line attribute, displays the In-Place Text Editor on page
1221 with the Text Formatting toolbar and the ruler. Depending on the setting
of the ATTIPE on page 2156 system variable, the Text Formatting toolbar
displayed is either the abbreviated version shown, or the full version.

Use the abbreviated version for compatibility with previous AutoCAD LT
releases and editing operations. Use the full version for additional text
formatting options.
The following prompts are displayed.

ATTIPEDIT | 181

NOTE Not all MTEXT formatting options are available for multiline attributes even
with the full In-Place Editor.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select attribute to edit: Select an attribute within a block

Mask the Objects Behind Attribute Text
If the text in a multiple-line attribute overlaps other objects within the block,
you can hide those objects that interfere with the text with a background
mask. Click the Options button in the Text Formatting toolbar and click
Background Mask to display the Background Mask dialog box on page 1234.

ATTREDEF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify a Block Attribute Definition

Redefines a block and updates associated attributes.

Summary
New attributes assigned to existing block references use their default values.
Old attributes in the new block definition retain their old values. Any old
attributes that are not included in the new block definition are deleted.
WARNING ATTREDEF removes any format or property changes made with the
ATTEDIT or EATTEDIT commands. It also deletes any extended data associated
with the block, and might affect dynamic blocks and blocks created by third-party
applications.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter the name of the block you wish to redefine:
Select objects for new block:
Select objects:
Insertion base point of new block: Specify a point

182 | Chapter 2 A Commands

ATTSYNC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify a Block Attribute Definition

Updates block references with new and changed attributes from a specified
block definition.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Synchronize Attributes

Toolbar: Modify II
Command entry: attsync

Summary
You are prompted for the names of blocks you want to update with the current
attributes defined for the blocks.
Use this command to update all instances of a block containing attributes
that was redefined using the BLOCK or BEDIT commands. ATTSYNC does not
change any values assigned to attributes in existing blocks.
NOTE Use the ATTREDEF command to redefine and update blocks in one
command.
Entering ? displays a list of all block definitions in the drawing. Enter the
name of the block you want to update.
Pressing ENTER allows you to use your pointing device to select the block
whose attributes you want to update.
If a block you specify does not contain attributes or does not exist, an error
message is displayed, and you are prompted to specify another block.

ATTSYNC | 183

WARNING ATTSYNC removes any format or property changes made with the
ATTEDIT or EATTEDIT commands. It also deletes any extended data associated
with the block, and might affect dynamic blocks and blocks created by third-party
applications.

AUDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Repair a Damaged Drawing File

Evaluates the integrity of a drawing and corrects some errors.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu

➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Audit

Summary
For easy access, AUDIT places all objects for which it reports errors in the
Previous selection set. However, editing commands affect only the objects
that belong to the current paper space or model space.
If you set the AUDITCTL on page 2158 system variable to 1, AUDIT creates a
text file describing problems and the action taken and places this report in
the same folder as the current drawing, with the file extension .adt.
If a drawing contains errors that AUDIT cannot fix, use RECOVER on page
1600 to retrieve the drawing and correct its errors.

184 | Chapter 2 A Commands

AUTOCONSTRAIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints

Applies geometric constraints to a selection set of objects based on orientation
of the objects relative to one another.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Geometric panel ➤ Auto Constrain
Menu: Parametric ➤ AutoConstrain
Toolbar: Parametric

Summary
You can apply geometric constraints to a selection set of geometry within the
specified tolerance set using the AutoConstrain tab in the Constraint Settings
dialog box on page 352.
Specify the Settings option to change the types of constraints applied, the
order in which they are applied, and the applicable tolerances.
The Settings option displays the Constraint Settings dialog box with the
Autoconstrain tab on page 354 selected.

AUTOPUBLISH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Publish Options

AUTOCONSTRAIN | 185

Publishes drawings to DWF, DWFx, or PDF files automatically to a specified
location.

Summary
Publishes a drawing to a DWF, DWFx, or PDF file. The file format (DWF,
DWFx, or PDF) is specified in the Auto Publish dialog box on page 186.
To view information about the published drawings, click the Plotting Details
Report Available icon in the tray on the right side of the status bar. Clicking
this icon opens the Plot and Publish Details dialog box, which provides
information about your completed plot and publish jobs. This information
is also saved to the Plot and Publish log file. The shortcut menu for this icon
also provides an option to view the most recently published DWF, DWFx, or
PDF file.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
AutoPublish DWF Automatically publishes the drawing to a DWF, DWFx, or
PDF file. The file format (DWF, DWFx, or PDF) is specified in the Auto Publish
dialog box on page 186.
Location Specifies a directory where the published drawings are stored. Opens
Select a Folder for Generated Files dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box on page 1295).

Auto Publish Options Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Publish Options

Publishes drawings to DWF, DWFx, or PDF files automatically to a specified
location.

Access Methods
Menu: Application menu

186 | Chapter 2 A Commands

➤ Options

Shortcut menu: Right-click in the command window, or (with no commands
active and no objects selected) right-click in the drawing area, and choose
Options. Select the Plot and Publish tab.
Command entry: options

Summary
Specifies options for publishing drawings to DWF, DWFx, or PDF files when
you save or close a drawing file, or issue the AUTOPUBLISH on page 185
command.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Auto-Publish Options
Specifies where DWF or PDF files are saved when you publish drawing sheets.
Publish on Specifies when the publishing takes place.
■

Save (Publishes when the drawing is saved)

■

Close (Publishes when the drawing is closed)

■

Prompt on Save (Publishes when the drawing is prompted to save)

■

Prompt on Close (Publishes when the drawing is prompted to close)

Location Specifies a directory where exported files are saved when you publish
drawings by selecting the following options in the list:
■

Drawing folder

■

DWF and PDF (sub-folder relative to Drawing folder)

■

Previously selected location

Click the [...] button to specify a new location to save the published drawings.
Include Specifies whether to publish the model, the layouts or both the model
and layouts are saved when you publish drawings.

General DWF/PDF options
Specifies options for creating a single-sheet or multi-sheet DWF, DWFx, and
PDF files.
File Format Specifies whether the DWG should be published as a DWF, DWFx,
or PDF file.

Auto Publish Options Dialog Box | 187

Type Specifies that a single-sheet or a multi-sheet is generated for all the sheets
listed in the Publish dialog box.
Layer Information Specifies whether layer information is included in the
published DWF, DWFx, or PDF file.
NOTE Layer information for 3D DWF entries does not get published.
Merge Control Specifies whether overlapping lines overwrite (the top line
hides the bottom line) or merge (the colors of the lines blend together).

DWF Data Options
Lists and allows you to specify the data that you can optionally include in the
published file.
Password Protection Specifies options for protecting DWF, DWFx, or PDF
files with passwords.
Block Information Specifies whether block property and attribute information
is included in the published DWF, DWFx, or PDF files.
NOTE You must set block information to Include in order for block template file
information to be available.
Block Template File Allows you to create a new block template (DXE) file,
edit an existing block template file, or use the settings of a previously created
block template file.
Create opens the Publish Block Template dialog box on page 1560, in which
you can create a new block template.
Edit opens the Select Block Template dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box on page 1295), in which you can select an existing block template
to modify.

188 | Chapter 2 A Commands

B Commands

3

BACTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions

Adds an action to a dynamic block definition.

Summary
This command is available only in the Block Editor on page 231. Actions define
how the geometry of a dynamic block reference moves or changes when the
custom properties of a block reference are manipulated in a drawing. You
associate actions with parameters.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select parameter: Select a parameter in the block definition with which to associate
the action
You can associate parameters with the following types of actions.

Array
Adds an array action to the current dynamic block definition. An array action
can be associated with a linear, polar, or XY parameter. Specifies that the
selection set of objects arrays when the action is triggered in a dynamic block
reference.

189

Select Objects Defines the objects that will be included in the action when
modified.
Enter Distance Between Columns When a linear or polar parameter is
selected, specifies the distance between the selected objects when the array
action is modified. To specify the distance, use the mouse pointer.
■

Specify opposite corner.

Enter Distance Between Rows or Specify Unit Cell When an XY parameter
is selected, specifies the distance between the selected objects when the array
action is modified. To specify the distance, use the mouse pointer. To specify
unit cell, enter two values separated by a comma for each of the two points.
Specify Action Location When BACTIONBARMODE on page 2164 is set to 0,
determines where the action is placed within the Block Editor.

Lookup
The lookup action displays the Property Lookup Table dialog box on page 253
where you can create a lookup table for the block reference.

Flip
A set of objects is flipped around the reflection line of the flip parameter when
the action is triggered in the block reference.
A flip action can only be associated with a flip parameter.
Specify Selection Set Determines the objects that will be mirrored about the
flip parameter reflection line.

Move
Specifies that the selection set of objects moves when the action is triggered
in a dynamic block reference. A move action can be associated with a point,
linear, polar, or XY parameter.
Select Objects Select Objects on page 190
Specify Action Location Specify Action Location on page 190
Specify Parameter Point When a linear or polar parameter is selected,
determines whether the start or end point of the parameter is used to determine
the base point of the action.
When an XY parameter is selected, determines which corner of the parameter
will be associated with the action. The objects selected for the action will be
moved relative to this point.
Multiplier When BACTIONBARMODE on page 2164 is set to 0 and the action
is triggered, changes the associated parameter value by the specified distance.

190 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Offset When BACTIONBARMODE on page 2164 is set to 0 and the action is
triggered, increases or decreases the angle of the selected parameter by the
specified value.
XY When an XY parameter is selected, specifies whether the distance applied
to the action is the parameter's X distance, Y distance, or XY distance from the
parameter's base point.

Rotate
Specifies that the selection set of objects rotates when the action is triggered
in a dynamic block reference. A rotate action can only be associated with a
rotation parameter.
Specify Selection Set Determines the objects that will be rotated about the
parameter base point.

Scale
Specifies that the selection set of objects scales relative to the defined base
point when the action is triggered in a dynamic block reference. A scale action
can only be associated with a linear, polar, or XY parameter.
Select Objects Select Objects on page 190
Specify Action Location Specify Action Location on page 190
Base Type Specifies whether the base point for the action is dependent or
independent of the associated parameter’s base point.
Dependent Scales or moves selected objects relative to the base point of the
associated parameter.

Independent Scales or moves selected objects relative to a base point defined
separately from that of the associated parameter.

BACTION | 191

XY When an XY parameter is selected, sets the Scale Type custom property.
■

X. Scales the selected object only along the X-axis of the XY parameter.

■

Y. Scales the selected object only along the Y-axis of the XY parameter.

■

XY. Scales the selected object along both the X- and Y-axes of the XY
parameter.

Stretch
Specifies that the selection set of objects will stretch or move when the action
is triggered in a dynamic block reference. A stretch action can be associated
with a point, linear, polar, or XY parameter.
Specify Parameter Point When a linear or polar parameter is selected,
determines whether the start or end point of the parameter is used to determine
the base point of the action.
When an XY parameter is selected, determines which corner of the parameter
will be associated with the action. The objects selected for the action will be
stretched relative to this point.
Specify Stretch Frame Creates a box that represents the boundary area for
the action when modified.
■

Specify opposite corner.

■

Specify objects.

CPolygon Creates a polygon that represents the boundary area for the action
when modified.
■

First polygon point.

■

Specify endpoint.

192 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Specify Action Location Specify Action Location on page 190
■

Multiplier on page 190

■

Offset on page 191

■

XY on page 191

Select Objects Select Objects on page 190

Polar Stretch
Specifies that the selection set of objects stretches or moves when the action
is triggered in a dynamic block reference. A polar stretch action can only be
associated with a polar parameter.
Specify Parameter Point Determines whether the start or end point of the
parameter is used to determine the base point of the action.
Specify Stretch Frame Specify Stretch Frame on page 192
■

CPolygon on page 192

Specify Objects to Rotate Only Determines the objects in the selection that
will rotate and not stretch.
Specify Action Location Specify Action Location on page 190
■

Multiplier on page 190

■

Offset on page 191

BACTIONBAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions and Parameters

Displays or hides action bars for a selection set of parameter objects.

Access Methods

BACTIONBAR | 193

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Show
All Actions/Hide All Actions
Command entry: bedit ➤ bactionbar

Summary
You can only use the BACTIONBAR command in the Block Editor on page
231 and when in Action Bar mode (BACTIONBARMODE on page 2164 system
variable is set to 1). The BACTIONBAR command controls the display of action
bars for parameter objects in the Block Editor. An action bar is a toolbar-like
element that displays the actions associated with a parameter object.
On the ribbon, you can also show or hide all action bars for all parameter
objects.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter an option [Show on page 194/Hide on page 194/Reset] : Specify
a parameter to show or hide the action bars

Show
Displays the action bars for the selected parameter objects in the Block Editor.

Hide
Hides the action bars for the selected parameter objects in the Block Editor.

Reset
Displays all action bars for the parameter objects in the Block Editor and resets
to the default position relative to the parameters they are associated with.

BACTIONSET
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Dynamic Block Definitions

Specifies the selection set of objects associated with an action in a dynamic
block definition.

194 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Access Methods
Command entry: bedit ➤ bactionset
Shortcut menu: Select an action in the block definition. Right-click in the
Block Editor drawing area. Click Action Selection Set, and then click an option.

Summary
Re-specifies the selection set of objects associated with an action by creating
a new selection set or by adding to or removing objects from the existing
selection set. You can only use the BACTIONSET command in the Block Editor
on page 231.
NOTE The BACTIONSET command is disabled when the BACTIONBARMODE on
page 2164 system variable is set to 1.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select action: Select an action in the current dynamic block definition

Specify Selection Set
Creates a new selection set for the selected action, or modifies an existing
selection set.
Select objects Defines the objects that will be included in the action when
modified.
Remove Removes objects from the original selection set associated with the
selected action.
Specify Stretch Frame Creates a box that represents the boundary area for
the action when modified.
■

Specify opposite corner.

■

Specify objects.

CPolygon Creates a polygon that represents the boundary area for the action
when modified.
■

First polygon point.

■

Specify endpoint.

Specify Objects to Rotate Only Determines the objects in the selection that
will rotate and not stretch.

BACTIONSET | 195

BACTIONTOOL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions

Adds an action to a dynamic block definition.

Access Methods

Panel

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel
Command entry: bedit ➤ bactiontool

Summary
Actions define how the geometry of a dynamic block reference moves or
changes when the custom properties of a block reference are manipulated in
a drawing. You associate actions with parameters. The BACTIONTOOL
command is used in the Block Editor on page 231 either on the ribbon or by
action tools on the Actions tab of the Block Authoring palettes.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select action type [Array/“Lookup”/Flip/Move/Rotate/Scale/sTretch/“Polar
stretch”]:

Array

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Array

196 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Specifies that the selection set of objects arrays when the action is triggered
in a dynamic block reference. An array action can be associated with a linear,
polar, or XY parameter.
Select Parameter Select a parameter to associate with the action.
Select Objects Defines the objects that will be included in the action when
modified.
Enter Distance Between Columns When a linear or polar parameter is
selected, specifies the distance between the selected objects when the array
action is modified. To specify the distance, use the mouse pointer.
■

Specify opposite corner.

Enter Distance Between Rows or Specify Unit Cell When an XY parameter
is selected, specifies the distance between the selected objects when the array
action is modified. To specify the distance, use the mouse pointer. To specify
unit cell, enter two values separated by a comma for each of the two points.
Specify Action Location When BACTIONBARMODE on page 2164 is set to 0,
determines where the action is placed within the Block Editor.

Lookup

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Lookup
The lookup action displays the Property Lookup Table dialog box where you
can create a lookup table for the block reference.

Flip

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Flip
A set of objects is flipped around the reflection line of the flip parameter when
the action is triggered in the block reference. A flip action can only be
associated with a flip parameter.
Specify Selection Set Determines the objects that will be mirrored about the
flip parameter reflection line.

BACTIONTOOL | 197

Move

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Move
Specifies that the selection set of objects moves when the action is triggered
in a dynamic block reference. A move action can be associated with a point,
linear, polar, or XY parameter.
Select Parameter Select Parameter on page 197
Select Objects Select Objects on page 197
Specify Action Location Specify Action Location on page 197
Specify Parameter Point When a linear or polar parameter is selected,
determines whether the start or end point of the parameter is used to determine
the base point of the action.
When an XY parameter is selected, determines which corner of the parameter
will be associated with the action. The objects selected for the action will be
moved relative to this point.
Multiplier When BACTIONBARMODE on page 2164 is set to 0 and the action
is triggered, changes the associated parameter value by the specified distance.
Offset When BACTIONBARMODE on page 2164 is set to 0 and the action is
triggered, increases or decreases the angle of the selected parameter by the
specified value.
XY When an XY parameter is selected, specifies whether the distance applied
to the action is the parameter's X distance, Y distance, or XY distance from the
parameter's base point.

Rotate

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Rotate
Specifies that the selection set of objects rotates when the action is triggered
in a dynamic block reference. A rotate action can only be associated with a
rotation parameter.

198 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Select Parameter Select Parameter on page 197
Select Objects Select Objects on page 197
Specify Action Location Specify Action Location on page 197
Base Type Specifies whether the base point for the action is dependent or
independent of the associated parameter’s base point.
Dependent Scales or moves selected objects relative to the base point of the
associated parameter.

Independent Scales or moves selected objects relative to a base point defined
separately from that of the associated parameter.

Scale

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Scale

BACTIONTOOL | 199

Specifies that the selection set of objects scales relative to the defined base
point when the action is triggered in a dynamic block reference. A scale action
can only be associated with a linear, polar, or XY parameter.
Select Parameter Select Parameter on page 197
Select Objects Select Objects on page 197
Specify Action Location Specify Action Location on page 197
Base Type Base Type on page 199
■

Dependent on page 199

■

Independent on page 199

XY When an XY parameter is selected, sets the Scale Type custom property.
■

X. Scales the selected object only along the X-axis of the XY parameter.

■

Y. Scales the selected object only along the Y-axis of the XY parameter.

■

XY. Scales the selected object along both the X- and Y-axes of the XY
parameter.

Stretch

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Stretch
Specifies that the selection set of objects will stretch or move when the action
is triggered in a dynamic block reference. A stretch action can be associated
with a point, linear, polar, or XY parameter.
Select Parameter Select Parameter on page 197
Specify Parameter Point When a linear or polar parameter is selected,
determines whether the start or end point of the parameter is used to determine
the base point of the action.
When an XY parameter is selected, determines which corner of the parameter
will be associated with the action. The objects selected for the action will be
stretched relative to this point.
Specify Stretch Frame Creates a box that represents the boundary area for
the action when modified.
■

Specify opposite corner.

200 | Chapter 3 B Commands

■

Specify objects.

CPolygon Creates a polygon that represents the boundary area for the action
when modified.
■

First polygon point.

■

Specify endpoint.

Specify Action Location Specify Action Location on page 197
■

Multiplier on page 198

■

Offset on page 198

■

XY on page 198

Select Objects Select Objects on page 197

Polar Stretch

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Polar Stretch
Specifies that the selection set of objects stretches or moves when the action
is triggered in a dynamic block reference. A polar stretch action can only be
associated with a polar parameter.
Select Parameter Select Parameter on page 197
Specify Parameter Point Determines whether the start or end point of the
parameter is used to determine the base point of the action.
Specify Stretch Frame Specify Stretch Frame on page 200
■

CPolygon on page 201

Specify Objects to Rotate Only Determines the objects in the selection that
will rotate and not stretch.
Specify Action Location Specify Action Location on page 197
■

Multiplier on page 198

■

Offset on page 198

BACTIONTOOL | 201

BASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Blocks

Sets the insertion base point for the current drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Set Base Point
Menu: Draw ➤ Block ➤ Base
Command entry: base (or 'base for transparent use)

Summary
The base point is expressed as coordinates in the current UCS. When you
insert or externally reference the current drawing into other drawings, this
base point is used as the insertion base point.

BASSOCIATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Dynamic Block Definitions

Associates an action with a parameter in a dynamic block definition.

Summary
Associates an orphaned action with a parameter. You can only use the
BASSOCIATE command in the Block Editor on page 231. An action becomes

202 | Chapter 3 B Commands

orphaned when the parameter with which it is associated is removed from
the block definition.
NOTE The BASSOCIATE command is disabled when the BACTIONBARMODE on
page 2164 system variable is set to 1.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select action object: Select an action in the current block definition that is not
associated with a parameter
Select parameter to associate with action: Select a parameter to associate with
the action (if you selected a lookup action, you can select one or more lookup
parameters)
If you selected an action and parameter combination that requires that the
action be associated with a key point on the parameter, prompts are displayed
to select the parameter point to associate with the action.

BATTMAN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify a Block Attribute Definition

Manages the attributes for a selected block definition.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Attributes panel ➤ Manage
Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Attribute ➤ Block Attribute Manager
Toolbar: Modify II

BATTMAN | 203

Summary
The Block Attribute Manager is displayed.
If the current drawing does not contain any blocks with attributes, a message
is displayed.
This command controls all attribute properties and settings of a selected block
definition. Any changes to the attributes in a block definition are reflected in
the block references.

Block Attribute Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify a Block Attribute Definition

Manages the attribute definitions for blocks in the current drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Attributes panel ➤ Manage
Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Attribute ➤ Block Attribute Manager
Toolbar: Modify II
Command entry: battman

Summary
You can edit the attribute definitions in blocks, remove attributes from blocks,
and change the order in which you are prompted for attribute values when
inserting a block.

204 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Attributes of the selected block are displayed in the attribute list. By default,
Tag, Prompt, Default, Mode, and Annotative attribute properties are displayed
in the attribute list. You can specify which attribute properties you want
displayed in the list by choosing Settings.
For each selected block, a description below the attribute list identifies the
number of its instances in the current drawing and in the current layout.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Select Block
You can use your pointing device to select a block from the drawing area.
When you choose Select Block, the dialog box closes until you select a block
from the drawing or you cancel by pressing ESC.
If you modify attributes of a block and then select a new block before you
save the attribute changes you made, you are prompted to save the changes
before selecting another block.
Block
Lists all block definitions in the current drawing that have attributes. Select
the block whose attributes you want to modify.
List of Attributes
Displays the properties of each attribute in the selected block.
Blocks Found in Drawing
Reports the total number of instances of the selected block in the current
drawing.
Blocks Found in Current Space

Block Attribute Manager | 205

Reports the number of instances of the selected block in the current model
space or layout.
Sync
Updates all instances of the selected block with the attribute properties
currently defined. This does not affect any values assigned to attributes in
each block.
Move Up
Moves the selected attribute tag earlier in the prompt sequence. The Move Up
button is not available when a constant attribute is selected.
Move Down
Moves the selected attribute tag later in the prompt sequence. The Move Down
button is not available when a constant attribute is selected.
Edit
Opens the Edit Attribute dialog box, where you can modify attribute properties.
Remove
Removes the selected attribute from the block definition. If Apply Changes
to Existing References is selected in the Settings dialog box before you choose
Remove, the attribute is removed from all instances of the block in the current
drawing. The Remove button is not available for blocks with only one attribute.
Settings
Opens the Block Attribute Settings dialog box, where you can customize how
attribute information is listed in the Block Attribute Manager.
Apply
Applies the changes you made, but leaves the dialog box open.

Edit Attribute Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify a Block Attribute Definition

206 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Allows you to edit attributes for a block definition.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Attributes panel ➤ Manage
Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Attribute ➤ Block Attribute Manager
Toolbar: Modify II
Command entry: battman

Summary
The Edit Attribute dialog box contains the following tabs:
■

Attribute

■

Text Options on page 207

■

Properties on page 210

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Block Name
Displays the name of the block whose attributes are to be edited.
Auto Preview Changes
Controls whether or not the drawing area is immediately updated to display
any visible attribute changes you make. If Auto Preview Changes is selected,
changes are immediately visible. If Auto Preview Changes is cleared, changes
are not immediately visible.
Clearing Auto Preview Changes results in a small improvement in performance.
Auto Preview Changes is not available if Apply Changes to Existing References
is not selected.

Attribute Tab (Edit Attribute Dialog Box)
Defines how a value is assigned to an attribute and whether or not the assigned
value is visible in the drawing area, and sets the string that prompts users to
enter a value. The Attribute tab also displays the tag name that identifies the
attribute.

Edit Attribute Dialog Box | 207

Mode
Mode options determine whether and how attribute text appears.
Invisible
Displays or hides the attribute in the drawing area. If selected, hides the
attribute value in the drawing area. If cleared, displays the attribute value.
Constant
Identifies whether the attribute is set to its default value. You cannot change
this property. If a check mark is shown in the check box, the attribute is set
to its default value and cannot be changed. If the check box is empty, you
can assign a value to the attribute.
Verify
Turns value verification on and off. If selected, prompts you to verify the
values you assign to the attribute when inserting a new instance of the block.
If this option is cleared, verification is not performed.
Preset
Turns default value assignment on and off. If selected, sets the attribute to its
default value when the block is inserted. If cleared, ignores the attribute's
default value and prompts you to enter a value when inserting the block.
Multiple Lines
Indicates whether the attribute was defined as a Multiple Lines attribute and
can contain multiple lines of text.

Data
Data options set the attribute text that is displayed.
Tag

208 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Sets the identifier assigned to the attribute.
Prompt
Sets the text for the prompt that is displayed when you insert the block.
Default
Sets the default value assigned to the attribute when you insert the block.

Text Options Tab (Edit Attribute Dialog Box)
Sets the properties that define the way an attribute's text is displayed in the
drawing. Change the color of attribute text on the Properties tab.

Text Style
Specifies the text style for attribute text. Default values for this text style are
assigned to the text properties displayed in this dialog box.
Justification
Specifies how attribute text is justified.
Height
Specifies the height of the attribute text.
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the attribute text.
Annotative
Specifies that the attribute is . Click the information icon to learn more about
annotative objects.
Backwards
Specifies whether or not the text is displayed backwards.
Upside Down

Edit Attribute Dialog Box | 209

Specifies whether or not the text is displayed upside down.
Width Factor
Sets the character spacing for attribute text. Entering a value less than 1.0
condenses the text. Entering a value greater than 1.0 expands it.
Oblique Angle
Specifies the angle that attribute text is slanted away from its vertical axis.

Properties Tab (Edit Attribute Dialog Box)
Defines the layer that the attribute is on and the color, lineweight, and linetype
for the attribute's line. If the drawing uses plot styles, you can assign a plot
style to the attribute using the Properties tab.

Layer
Specifies the layer that the attribute is on.
Linetype
Specifies the linetype of attribute text.
Color
Specifies the attribute's text color.
Plot Style
Specifies the plot style of the attribute.
If the current drawing uses color-dependent plot styles, the Plot Style list is
not available.
Lineweight
Specifies the lineweight of attribute text.

210 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Changes you make to this option are not displayed if the LWDISPLAY system
variable is off.

Block Attribute Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify a Block Attribute Definition

Controls the appearance of the attribute list in the Block Attribute Manager.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Attributes panel ➤ Manage
Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Attribute ➤ Block Attribute Manager
Toolbar: Modify II
Command entry: battman

Block Attribute Settings Dialog Box | 211

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Display in List
Specifies the properties to be displayed in the attribute list. Only the selected
properties are displayed in the list. The Tag property is always selected.
Select All
Selects all properties.
Clear All
Clears all properties.
Emphasize Duplicate Tags
Turns duplicate tag emphasis on and off. If this option is selected, duplicate
attribute tags are displayed in red type in the attribute list. If this option is
cleared, duplicate tags are not emphasized in the attribute list.
Apply Changes to Existing References
Specifies whether or not to update all existing instances of the block whose
attributes you are modifying. If selected, updates all instances of the block
with the new attribute definitions. If cleared, updates only new instances of
the block with the new attribute definitions.
You can choose Sync in the Block Attribute Manager to apply changes
immediately to existing block instances. This temporarily overrides the Apply
Changes to Existing References option.

BATTORDER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes)

Specifies the order of attributes for a block.

212 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Summary
Displays the Attribute Order dialog box, which controls the order in which
attributes are listed and prompted for when you insert or edit a block reference.
You can only use the BATTORDER command in the Block Editor on page 231.

Attribute Order Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes)

Access Methods
Command entry: bedit ➤ battorder

Summary
Specifies the order in which attributes are listed and prompted for when you
insert or edit a block reference.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Attribute Definitions

Attribute Order Dialog Box | 213

Lists the attribute definitions in the current block.
Move Up
Moves the selected attribute definition up in the list.
Move Down
Moves the selected attribute definition down in the list.

BAUTHORPALETTE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Custom Block Authoring Tools

Opens the Block Authoring Palettes window in the Block Editor.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Manage panel ➤ Authoring
Palettes

Summary
Displays the Block Authoring Palettes window in the Block Editor. You can
open the Block Authoring Palettes window only from the Block Editor.
The Block Authoring Palettes window contains the following tabs:
■

Parameters tab

■

Actions tab

■

Parameter Sets tab

■

Constraints tab

214 | Chapter 3 B Commands

BAUTHORPALETTECLOSE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Custom Block Authoring Tools

Closes the Block Authoring Palettes window in the Block Editor.

Summary
You can close the Block Authoring Palettes window only from the Block Editor.

BCLOSE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of the Block Editor

Closes the Block Editor.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Close panel ➤ Close Block Editor
Shortcut menu: In the Block Editor, right-click in the drawing area. Click
Close Block Editor

Summary
Closes the Block Editor. If you have modified the block definition since it was
last saved, you are prompted to save or discard the changes.

BAUTHORPALETTECLOSE | 215

BCONSTRUCTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Construction Geometry Within a Block

Converts geometry into construction geometry.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Constraint Parameters panel ➤
Construction Geometry

Summary
The BCONSTRUCTION command is used in the Block Editor on page 231 to
convert geometry into construction geometry. This command also controls
the display of construction geometry and changes construction geometry back
to regular geometry.
Construction geometry is not displayed in the block reference; in the Block
Editor it is displayed with a gray dashed linetype. You cannot modify the
color, linetype, or layer of the construction geometry.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects or [Show all on page 217/Hide all on page 217]: Select objects to
convert or revert geometry
Enter an option [Convert/Revert] : Specify an option

Convert
Converts the valid selected objects into construction geometry and displays
the number of objects converted. Authoring objects are not converted.

216 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Revert
Changes the selected objects back to regular geometry. The geometry is set to
the current layer.

Show All
Displays all construction geometry.

Hide All
Hides all construction geometry.

BCPARAMETER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Constraints in Dynamic Blocks

Applies constraint parameters to selected objects, or converts dimensional
constraints to parameter constraints.

Access Methods

Panel

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel

Summary
The BCPARAMETER command is used in the Block Editor on page 231. This
command applies a constraint parameter to an object or between constraint
points on object(s).

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.

BCPARAMETER | 217

Enter an option
[Linear/Horizontal/Vertical/Aligned/ANgular/Radial/Diameter/Convert] :
Specify an option

Linear

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Linear
Creates a horizontal or vertical constraint parameter based on the locations
of the extension line origins and the location of the dimension line similar
to the DIMLINEAR on page 599 command.
Object Selects an object instead of a constraint point. Press Enter or click the
drop-down list to select the object.

Horizontal

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Horizontal
Constrains the X distance of a line or between two points on different objects.
Valid objects include lines and polyline segments.
Object Object on page 218

Vertical

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Vertical
Constrains the Y distance of a line or between two points on different objects.
Valid objects include lines and polyline segments.
Object Object on page 218

Aligned

Button

218 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Aligned
Constrains the length of a line or the distance between two lines, a point on
an object and a line, or two points on different objects.
Object Object on page 218
Point & Line Selects a point and a line object. The aligned constraint controls
the distance between a point and the closest point on a line.
2Lines Selects two line objects. The lines are made parallel and the aligned
constraint controls the distance between the two lines.

Angular

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Angular
Constrains the angle between two lines or polyline segments. It is similar to
an angular dimension.
3Point Selects three valid constraint points on the object.
Valid Objects or Points

Characteristics

Pair of lines
Pair of polyline subobjects
Three constraint points
Arc

■

When you select two lines, the angle
between the lines is constrained. The
initial value always defaults to a value
less than 180 degrees.

■

When you specify three constraint
points, the following applies:

■

■

First point — angle vertex

■

Second and third points — endpoints of the angle

When you select an arc, a three-point
angular constraint is created. The angle
vertex is at the center of the arc and
the angle endpoints of the arc are at
the endpoints of the arc.

BCPARAMETER | 219

When you enter or edit an angle value that is either negative or is greater than
360 degrees, the number entered is stored for the expression (for example,
390), but the value displayed is based on the formatting of the units (for
example, 30 if decimal degrees).
When an expression with variables evaluates to greater than 360 or less than
-360, the constraint value is displayed in the Parameters Manager palette based
on the units of the drawing.

Radial

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Radius
Creates a radial constraint parameter for a circle, arc, or polyline arc segment.
Valid Objects or Points

Characteristics

Circle
Arc

■

Constrains the radius of the circle or
arc.

Diameter

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Diameter
Creates a diameter constraint parameter for a circle, arc, or polyline arc
segment.
Valid Objects or Points

Characteristics

Circle
Arc

■

Convert

220 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Constrains the diameter of the circle
or arc.

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Convert
Converts the dimensional constraints to constraint parameters.
Objects other than dimensional constraints are ignored and filtered from the
selection set.

-BCPARAMETER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Constraints in Dynamic Blocks

Applies constraint parameters to selected objects, or converts dimensional
constraints to parameter constraints.

Summary
If you enter -bcparameter in the Command prompt, options are displayed on
page 217.

BCYCLEORDER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Blocks

Changes the cycling order of grips for a dynamic block reference.

Summary
Displays the Insertion Cycling Order dialog box. The BCYCLEORDER command
is available only in the Block Editor on page 231.

-BCPARAMETER | 221

Insertion Cycling Order Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Blocks

Specifies the grip-cycling order for the insertion point of a dynamic block
reference.

Access Methods
Command entry: bedit ➤ bcycleorder

Summary
When you insert a dynamic block reference in a drawing, you can use the Ctrl
key to cycle through the grips that have cycling turned on in the block
definition. The grip you select as you cycle is used as the insertion point for
the block reference.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Grip Cycling List
Lists the grips in the dynamic block definition. A check mark in the cycling
column indicates that cycling is turned on for that grip.

222 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Move Up
Moves the selected grip up in the cycling order for the dynamic block reference.
Move Down
Moves the selected grip down in the cycling order for the dynamic block
reference.
Cycling
Turns cycling on or off for the selected grip. A check mark in the cycling
column indicates that cycling is turned on for that grip.

BEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Dynamic Block Definitions

Opens the block definition in the Block Editor.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor
Toolbar: Standard
Menu: Tools ➤ Block Editor
Shortcut menu: Select a block reference. Right-click in the drawing area.
Click Block Editor.

Summary
The Edit Block Definition dialog box on page 224 is displayed. Select a block
definition to edit or enter a name for a new block definition to create, then
click OK to open the Block Editor. If the ribbon is active, the Block Editor
ribbon contextual tab on page 226 is displayed. Otherwise, the Block Editor
toolbar is displayed.

BEDIT | 223

When the BLOCKEDITLOCK system variable is set to 1, the Block Editor cannot
be opened.
The Block Editor is a separate environment for creating and changing block
definitions for the current drawing. You can also use it to add dynamic
behavior to blocks.

Edit Block Definition Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Dynamic Block Definitions

Select from a list of block definitions that are saved in the drawing to edit in
the Block Editor. You can also enter a name for a new block definition to
create in the Block Editor.

Access Methods

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor
Toolbar: Standard
Menu: Tools ➤ Block Editor
Command entry: bedit

224 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Summary
When you click OK, the Edit Block Definition dialog box closes, and the Block
Editor is displayed.
■

If you selected a block definition from the list, that block definition is
displayed and is available for editing in the Block Editor.

■

If you entered a name for a new block definition, the Block Editor is
displayed, and you can start adding objects to the block definition.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Block to create or edit
Specifies the name of the block to edit or create in the Block Editor. If you
select , the current drawing is opened in the Block Editor.
After you add dynamic elements to the drawing, you can then save it and
insert it as a dynamic block reference in a drawing.
Name List (Unlabeled)
Displays a list of block definitions that are saved in the current drawing. When
you select a block definition from the list, the name is displayed in the Name
box. When you click OK, this block definition is opened in the Block Editor.
When you select , the current drawing is opened in the
Block Editor.
Preview
Displays a preview of the selected block definition. A lightning bolt icon
indicates that the block is a dynamic block.
Description
Displays the block definition description specified in the Block area of the
Properties palette in the Block Editor.

Edit Block Definition Dialog Box | 225

Block Editor Ribbon Contextual Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Dynamic Block Definitions

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor
Menu: Tools ➤ Block Editor
Command entry: bedit
Shortcut menu: Select a block reference. Right-click in the drawing area.
Click Block Editor.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Open/Save Panel
Edit Block Opens the block definition in the Block Editor.
Save Block Saves the current block definition.
Test Block Displays a window within the Block Editor to test a dynamic block.
Save Block As Saves a copy of the current block definition under a new name.

Geometric Panel
Auto Constrain Applies geometric constraints to a selection set of objects
based on orientation of the objects relative to one another.
Coincident (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Constrains two points together
or a point to a curve (or an extension of a curve).
Colinear (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Causes two or more line segments
to lie along the same line.

226 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Concentric (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Constrains two arcs, circles,
or ellipses to the same center point.
Fix (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Locks points and curves in position.
Parallel (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Causes selected lines to lie parallel
to each other.
Perpendicular (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Causes selected lines to
lie 90 degrees to one another.
Horizontal (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Causes lines or pairs of points
to lie parallel to the X axis of the current coordinate system.
Vertical (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Causes lines or pairs of points to
lie parallel to the Y axis of the current coordinate system.
Tangent (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Constrains two curves to maintain
a point of tangency to each other or their extensions.
Smooth (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Constrains a spline to be
contiguous and maintain G2 continuity with another spline, line, arc, or
polyline.
Symmetric (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Causes selected objects to
become symmetrically constrained about a selected line.
Equal (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Resizes selected arcs and circles to
the same radius, or selected lines to the same length.
Show Constraints Displays constraint bars for the selected objects with
geometric constraints applied to them.
Show All Displays all geometric constraints in the drawing.
Hide All Hides all geometric constraints in the current drawing.
Constraint Settings Controls the display of geometric constraints on constraint
bars.

Dimensional Panel
Linear (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Creates a horizontal or vertical constraint
parameter based on the locations of the extension line origins and the location
of the dimension line similar to the DIMLINEAR command.
Horizontal (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Creates a horizontal constraint
parameter by picking two constraint points. Valid objects include lines and
polyline segments.

Block Editor Ribbon Contextual Tab | 227

Vertical (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Creates a vertical constraint parameter
by picking two constraint points. Valid objects include lines and polyline
segments.
Aligned (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Creates an aligned constraint parameter
using one of the following ways.
■

Selects a point and a line object. The aligned constraint controls the
distance between a point and the closest point on a line.

■

Selects two line objects. The lines are made parallel and the aligned
constraint controls the distance between the two lines.

Radius (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Creates a radial constraint parameter
for a circle, arc, or polyline arc segment.
Diameter (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Creates a diameter constraint
parameter for a circle, arc, or polyline arc segment.
Angular (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Creates an angular constraint
parameter by picking two lines or polyline segments or an arc. It is similar to
an angular dimension.
Convert (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Converts the dimensional constraints
to constraint parameters.
Block Table Displays a dialog box to define variations of a block.
Constraint Settings Sets preferences in behavior when displaying dimensional
constraints.

Manage Panel
Delete Constraints Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from
a selection set of objects.
Construction Geometry Converts geometry into construction geometry.
Block Constraint Status Turns the constraint display status on and off and
controls the shading of objects based on their constraint level.
Parameters Manager Controls the associative parameters used in the drawing.
Authoring Palettes Opens the Block Authoring Palettes window in the Block
Editor.
Block Editor Settings Displays the Block Editor Settings dialog box.

228 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Action Parameters Panel
Point (BPARAMETER on page 262) Defines custom X and Y properties for the
block reference.
Linear (BPARAMETER on page 262) Defines the distance between two key
points in the block definition.
Polar (BPARAMETER on page 262) Defines a distance and angle for two key
points in the block definition.
XY (BPARAMETER on page 262) Defines an X and Y distance from the base
point of a block definition.
Rotation (BPARAMETER on page 262) Defines an angle for the block reference.
Flip (BPARAMETER on page 262) Mirrors objects or the entire block reference
about a reflection line.
Alignment (BPARAMETER on page 262) Rotates the block reference about a
point to align with other objects in the drawing.
Visibility (BPARAMETER on page 262) Defines objects that will either display
or not display within the block definition.
Lookup (BPARAMETER on page 262) Defines user parameters that are
determined by a lookup table.
Basepoint (BPARAMETER on page 262) Defines a changeable base point for
the dynamic block reference in relation to the geometry in the block.
Move (BACTIONTOOL on page 196) Specifies that the selection set of objects
moves when the action is triggered in a dynamic block reference. A move
action can be associated with a point, linear, polar, or XY parameter.
Stretch (BACTIONTOOL on page 196) Specifies that the selection set of objects
will stretch or move when the action is triggered in a dynamic block reference.
A stretch action can be associated with a point, linear, polar, or XY parameter.
Polar Stretch (BACTIONTOOL on page 196) Specifies that the selection set
of objects stretches or moves when the action is triggered in a dynamic block
reference. A polar stretch action can only be associated with a polar parameter.
Scale (BACTIONTOOL on page 196) Specifies that the selection set of objects
scales relative to the defined base point when the action is triggered in a
dynamic block reference. A scale action can only be associated with a linear,
polar, or XY parameter.
Rotate (BACTIONTOOL on page 196) Specifies that the selection set of objects
scales relative to the defined base point when the action is triggered in a

Block Editor Ribbon Contextual Tab | 229

dynamic block reference. A scale action can only be associated with a linear,
polar, or XY parameter.
Flip (BACTIONTOOL on page 196) A set of objects is flipped around the
reflection line of the flip parameter when the action is triggered in the block
reference. A flip action can only be associated with a flip parameter.
Array (BACTIONTOOL on page 196) Specifies that the selection set of objects
arrays when the action is triggered in a dynamic block reference. An array
action can be associated with a linear, polar, or XY parameter.
Lookup (BACTIONTOOL on page 196) A set of objects is flipped around the
reflection line of the flip parameter when the action is triggered in the block
reference. A flip action can only be associated with a flip parameter.
Attribute Definition Creates an attribute definition for storing data in a block.
Show All Actions (BACTIONBAR on page 193) Displays all action bars for
the parameter objects in the Block Editor.
Hide All Actions (BACTIONBAR on page 193) Hides all action bars for the
parameter objects in the Block Editor.

Visibility Panel
Visibility States Creates, sets, or deletes a visibility state in a dynamic block.
Visibility Mode (BVMODE) Controls how objects that are made invisible for
the current visibility state are displayed in the Block Editor.
Make Visible (BVSHOW) Makes objects visible in the current visibility state
or all visibility states in a dynamic block definition.
Make Invisible (BVHIDE) Makes objects invisible in the current visibility
state or all visibility states in a dynamic block definition.
Block Visibility States Specifies the current visibility state displayed in the
Block Editor.

Close Panel
Close Block Editor Closes the Block Editor.

230 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Block Editor
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Dynamic Block Definitions

The Block Editor contains a special authoring area in which you can draw and
edit geometry as you would in the drawing area.

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: Standard
Shortcut menu: Select a block reference. Right-click in the drawing area.
Click Block Editor.
Menu: Tools ➤ Block Editor
Command entry: bedit

Summary
You use the Block Editor to define dynamic behavior for a block definition.
In the Block Editor, you add parameters and actions, which define custom
properties and dynamic behavior.
The following commands are used for creating dynamic blocks and are available
only in the Block Editor:
■

BACTION

■

BACTIONBAR on page 193

■

BACTIONSET

■

BACTIONTOOL

■

BASSOCIATE

■

BATTORDER

Block Editor | 231

■

BAUTHORPALETTE

■

BAUTHORPALETTECLOSE

■

BCLOSE

■

BCPARAMETER on page 217

■

BCYCLEORDER

■

BCONSTRUCTION on page 216

■

BGRIPSET

■

BLOOKUPTABLE

■

BPARAMETER

■

BSAVE

■

BSAVEAS

■

BTABLE on page 276

■

BTESTBLOCK on page 281

■

BVHIDE

■

BVSHOW

■

BVSTATE

When the BLOCKEDITLOCK system variable is set to 1, the Block Editor cannot
be opened.
The Block Editor also provides a Block Editor toolbar and Block Authoring
palettes that contain tools for creating dynamic blocks. The Block Authoring
Palettes window contains the following tabs:
■

Parameters tab on page 234

■

Actions tab on page 236

■

Parameter Sets tab on page 237

■

Constraints tab on page 238

232 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Block Editor Toolbar
Provides tools for working in the Block Editor, creating dynamic blocks, and
working with visibility states.
The Block Editor toolbar is displayed when the ribbon is not active. It is also
displayed only when you enter the Block Editor with the ribbon closed.

Edit or Create Block Definition Displays the Edit Block Definition dialog
box.
Save Block Definition Saves the current block definition.
Save Block As Saves a copy of the current block definition under a new name.
Name Displays the name of the current block definition.
Test Block (BTESTBLOCK on page 281) Displays a window within the Block
Editor to test a dynamic block.
Automatically Constrain Objects (AUTOCONSTRAIN on page 185) Applies
geometric constraints to a selection set of objects based on orientation of the
objects relative to one another.
Apply Geometric Constraint (GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 848) Applies or
persists geometric relationships between objects or points on objects.
Display / Hide Constraints Bar (CONSTRAINTBAR on page 350) Displays
or hides the geometric constraints on an object.
Parameter Constraint (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Applies constraint
parameters to selected objects, or converts dimensional constraints to
parameter constraints.
Block Table (BTABLE on page 276) Displays a dialog box to define variations
of a block.
Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds a parameter with grips to a dynamic block
definition.
Action (BACTION) Adds an action to a dynamic block definition.
Define Attribute (Attribute Definition Dialog Box) Creates an attribute
definition for storing data in a block.
Authoring Palettes (BAUTHORPALETTE on page 214) Opens the Block
Authoring Palettes window in the Block Editor.

Block Editor | 233

Parameters Manager (PARAMETERS on page 1402) Controls the associative
parameters used in the drawing.
Learn About Dynamic Blocks Displays demonstrations in the New Features
Workshop for creating dynamic blocks.
Close Block Editor (BCLOSE on page 215) Closes the Block Editor.
Visibility Mode (BVMODE) Controls how objects that are made invisible for
the current visibility state are displayed in the Block Editor.
Make Visible (BVSHOW) Makes objects visible in the current visibility state
or all visibility states in a dynamic block definition.
Make Invisible (BVHIDE) Makes objects invisible in the current visibility
state or all visibility states in a dynamic block definition.
Manage Visibility States (Visibility States Dialog Box on page 284) Creates,
sets, or deletes a visibility state in a dynamic block.
Visibility State Specifies the current visibility state displayed in the Block
Editor.

Parameters Tab (Block Authoring Palettes Window)
Provides tools for adding parameters to a dynamic block definition in the
Block Editor. Parameters specify positions, distances, and angles for geometry
in the block reference. When you add a parameter to a dynamic block
definition, it defines one or more custom properties for the block.
Point Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds a point parameter to the dynamic
block definition and defines custom X and Y properties for the block reference.
A point parameter defines an X and Y location in the drawing. In the Block
Editor, a point parameter looks similar to an ordinate dimension.
Linear Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds a linear parameter to the dynamic
block definition and defines a custom distance property for the block reference.
A linear parameter shows the distance between two anchor points. A linear
parameter constrains grip movement along a preset angle. In the Block Editor,
a linear parameter looks similar to an aligned dimension.
Polar Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds a polar parameter to the dynamic
block definition and defines custom distance and angle properties for the
block reference. A polar parameter shows the distance between two anchor
points and displays an angle value. You can use both grips and the Properties
palette to change both the distance value and the angle. In the Block Editor,
a polar parameter looks similar to an aligned dimension.

234 | Chapter 3 B Commands

XY Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds an XY parameter to the dynamic block
definition and defines custom horizontal and vertical distance properties for
the block reference. An XY parameter shows the X and Y distances from the
base point of the parameter. In the Block Editor, an XY parameter displays as
a pair of dimensions (horizontal and vertical). These dimensions share a
common base point.
Rotation Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds a rotation parameter to the
dynamic block definition and defines a custom angle property for the block
reference. A rotation parameter defines an angle. In the Block Editor, a rotation
parameter displays as a circle.
Alignment Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds an alignment parameter to the
dynamic block definition. An alignment parameter defines an X and Y location
and an angle. An alignment parameter always applies to the entire block and
needs no action associated with it. An alignment parameter allows the block
reference to automatically rotate around a point to align with other objects
in the drawing. An alignment parameter affects the angle property of the block
reference. In the Block Editor, an alignment parameter looks like an alignment
line.
Flip Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds a flip parameter to the dynamic block
definition and defines a custom flip property for the block reference. A flip
parameter flips objects. In the Block Editor, a flip parameter displays as a
reflection line. Objects can be flipped about this reflection line. A flip parameter
displays a value that shows if the block reference has been flipped or not.
Visibility Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds a visibility parameter to the
dynamic block definition and defines a custom visibility property for the block
reference. With visibility parameter, you can create visibility states and control
the visibility of objects in the block. A visibility parameter always applies to
the entire block and needs no action associated with it. In a drawing, you
click the grip to display a list of visibility states available for the block reference.
In the Block Editor, a visibility parameter displays as text with an associated
grip.
Lookup Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds a lookup parameter to the dynamic
block definition and defines custom lookup properties for the block reference.
A lookup parameter defines a custom property that you can specify or set to
evaluate to a value from a list or table you define. It can be associated with a
single lookup grip. In the block reference, you click the grip to display a list
of available values. In the Block Editor, a lookup parameter displays as text.
Base Point Parameter (BPARAMETER) Adds a base point parameter to the
dynamic block definition. A base point parameter defines a base point for the
dynamic block reference relative to the geometry in the block. A base point

Block Editor | 235

parameter cannot be associated with any actions, but can belong to an action's
selection set. In the Block Editor, a base point parameter displays as a circle
with crosshairs

Actions Tab (Block Authoring Palettes Window)
Provides tools for adding actions to a dynamic block definition in the Block
Editor. Actions define how the geometry of a dynamic block reference move
or change when the custom properties of a block reference are manipulated
in a drawing. You associate actions with parameters.
Move Action (BACTIONTOOL) Adds a move action to the dynamic block
definition when you associate the action with a point, linear, polar, or XY
parameter. A move action is similar to the MOVE command. In a dynamic
block reference, a move action causes objects to move a specified distance and
angle.
Scale Action (BACTIONTOOL) Adds a scale action to the dynamic block
definition when you associate the action with a linear, polar, or XY parameter.
A scale action is similar to the SCALE command. In a dynamic block reference,
a scale action causes its selection set to scale when the associated parameter
is edited by moving grips or by using the Properties palette.
Stretch Action (BACTIONTOOL) Adds a stretch action to the dynamic block
definition when you associate the action with a point, linear, polar, or XY
parameter. A stretch action causes objects to move and stretch a specified
distance in a specified location.
Polar Stretch Action (BACTIONTOOL) Adds a polar stretch action to the
dynamic block definition when you associate the action with a polar parameter.
A polar stretch action rotates, moves, and stretches objects a specified angle
and distance when the key point on the associated polar parameter is changed
through a grip or the Properties palette
Rotate Action (BACTIONTOOL) Adds a rotate action to the dynamic block
definition when you associate the action with a rotation parameter. A rotate
action is similar to the ROTATE command. In a dynamic block reference, a
rotate action causes its associated objects to rotate when the associated
parameter is edited through a grip or the Properties palette.
Flip Action (BACTIONTOOL) Adds a flip action to the dynamic block
definition when you associate the action with a flip parameter. With a flip
action you can flip a dynamic block reference about a specified axis called a
reflection line.
Array Action (BACTIONTOOL) Adds an array action to the dynamic block
definition when you associate the action with a linear, polar, or XY parameter.

236 | Chapter 3 B Commands

An array action causes its associated objects to copy and array in a rectangular
pattern when the associated parameter is edited through a grip or the Properties
palette.
Lookup Action (BACTIONTOOL) Adds a lookup action to the dynamic block
definition. When you add a lookup action to a dynamic block definition and
associate it with a lookup parameter, it creates a lookup table. You can use a
lookup table to assign custom properties and values to a dynamic block.

Parameter Sets Tab (Block Authoring Palettes Window)
Provides tools for adding a parameter and at least one action at the same time
to a dynamic block definition in the Block Editor. When you add a parameter
set to a dynamic block, the actions are automatically associated with the
parameter. After you add a parameter set to a dynamic block, you double-click
the yellow alert icon (or use the BACTIONSET command) and follow the
Command prompts to associate the action with a selection set of geometry.
Point Move Automatically adds a move action associated with the point
parameter.
Linear Move Automatically adds a move action associated with the endpoint
of the linear parameter.
Linear Stretch Automatically adds a stretch action associated with the linear
parameter.
Linear Array Automatically adds an array action associated with the linear
parameter.
Linear Move Pair Automatically adds a two move action, one associated with
the base point and one associated with the endpoint of the linear parameter.
Linear Stretch Pair Automatically adds two stretch actions, one associated
with the base point and one associated with the endpoint of the linear
parameter.
Polar Move Automatically adds a move action associated with the polar
parameter.
Polar Stretch Automatically adds a stretch action associated with the polar
parameter.
Polar Array Automatically adds an array action associated with the polar
parameter.
Polar Move Pair Automatically adds two move actions, one associated with
the base point and one associated with the endpoint of the polar parameter.

Block Editor | 237

Polar Stretch Pair Automatically adds two stretch actions, one associated
with the base point and one associated with the endpoint of the polar
parameter.
XY Move Automatically adds a move action associated with the endpoint of
the XY parameter.
XY Move Pair Automatically adds two move actions, one associated with the
base point and one associated with the endpoint of the XY parameter.
XY Move Box Set Automatically adds four move actions, one associated with
each key point on the XY parameter.
XY Stretch Box Set Automatically adds four stretch actions, one associated
with each key point on the XY parameter.
XY Array Box Set Automatically adds an array action associated with the XY
parameter.
Rotation Set Automatically adds a rotation action associated with the rotation
parameter.
Flip Set Automatically adds a flip action associated with the flip parameter.
Visibility Set Adds a visibility parameter to the dynamic block definition and
allows visibility states to be defined. No action is necessary with the visibility
parameter.
Lookup Set Automatically adds a lookup action associated with the lookup
parameter.

Constraints Tab (Block Authoring Palettes Window)
Provides tools for applying geometric constraints and constraint parameters
to objects. When you apply geometric constraint to a pair of objects, the order
in which the objects are selected and the point on which each object is selected
can affect how the objects are positioned relative to each other.

Geometric Constraints
Coincident Constraint (GCCOINCIDENT on page 825) Constrains two points
together or a point to a curve (or an extension of a curve).
Perpendicular Constraint (GCPERPENDICULAR on page 834) Causes selected
lines to lie 90 degrees to one another.
Parallel Constraint (GCPARALLEL on page 833) Causes selected lines to lie
parallel to each other.

238 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Tangent Constraint (GCTANGENT on page 838) Constrains two curves to
maintain a point of tangency to each other or their extensions.
Horizontal Constraint (GCHORIZONTAL on page 831) Causes lines or pairs
of points to lie parallel to the X axis of the current coordinate system.
Vertical Constraint (GCVERTICAL on page 839) Causes lines or pairs of points
to lie parallel to the Y axis of the current coordinate system.
Colinear Constraint (GCCOLLINEAR on page 827) Causes two or more line
segments to lie along the same line.
Concentric Constraint (GCCONCENTRIC on page 828) Constrains two arcs,
circles, or ellipses to the same center point.
Smooth Constraint (GCSMOOTH on page 835) Constrains a spline to be
contiguous and maintain G2 continuity with another spline, line, arc, or
polyline.
Symmetric Constraint (GCSYMMETRIC on page 836) Causes selected objects
to become symmetrically constrained about a selected line.
Equal Constraint (GCEQUAL on page 829) Resizes selected arcs and circles
to the same radius, or selected lines to the same length.
Fix Constraint (GCFIX on page 830) Locks points and curves in position.

Constraint Parameters
Aligned Constraint (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Constrains the length of
a line or the distance between two lines, a point on an object and a line, or
two points on different objects.
Horizontal Constraint (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Constrains the X
distance of a line or between two points on different objects. Valid objects
include lines and polyline segments.
Vertical Constraint (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Constrains the Y distance
of a line or between two points on different objects. Valid objects include lines
and polyline segments.
Angular Constraint (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Constrains the angle
between two lines or polyline segments. It is similar to an angular dimension.
Radial Constraint (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Constrains the radius of a
circle, arc, or polyarc segment.
Diameter Constraint (BCPARAMETER on page 217) Constrains the diameter
of a circle, arc, or polyarc segment.

Block Editor | 239

-BEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Dynamic Block Definitions

Summary
If you select a block in a drawing and enter -bedit at the Command prompt,
the selected block is opened in the Block Editor on page 231. If nothing is
selected, the following prompt is displayed:

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed
Enter block name on page 240 or [? on page 240]: Enter a name or ?

Block Name
Specifies the name of a block saved in the current drawing to open in the
Block Editor or specifies the name of a new block to create.

?—List Previously Defined Blocks
Lists the block names in the text window.
Enter block(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press Enter

BESETTINGS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Edit Dynamic Blocks

Displays the Block Editor Settings dialog box.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Manage panel ➤ Dialog Box
Launcher

240 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Command entry: besettings

Summary
The Block Editor Settings dialog box on page 241 is displayed.

Block Editor Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Edit Dynamic Blocks

Access Methods
Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Manage panel ➤ Dialog Box
Launcher
Command entry: besettings

Block Editor Settings Dialog Box | 241

Summary
Controls the environment settings of the Block Editor.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Authoring Objects
Controls the color of parameter and grip objects and specifies the orientation
of the parameter text.
Parameter Color
Sets the color of parameters in the Block Editor.
(BPARAMETERCOLOR on page 2170 system variable)
Grip Color
Sets the color of grips in the Block Editor.
(BGRIPOBJCOLOR on page 2166 system variable)
Parameter Text Alignment
Forces the text displayed for action parametes and constraint parameters in
the Block Editor to be horizontal.
(BPTEXTHORIZONTAL on page 2171 system variable)

Parameter Font
Sets the font for the authoring objects.
Font Name
Sets the font used for parameters and actions in the Block Editor.
(BPARAMETERFONT on page 2170 system variable)
Font Style
Specifies font character formatting for the authoring objects, such as italic,
bold, or regular.

Parameter and Grip Size
Controls the size of the parameter and grip objects.
Parameter Size
Sets the size of parameter text and features in the Block Editor relative to the
screen display.
(BPARAMETERSIZE on page 2171 system variable)
Grip Size

242 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Sets the display size of custom grips in the Block Editor relative to the screen
display.
(BGRIPOBJSIZE on page 2167 system variable)

Constraint Status
Specifies the color overrides for objects in the Block Editor to show constraint
status.
Unconstrained
Sets the color of the unconstrained objects.
Partially Constrained
Sets the color of the partially constrained objects.
Fully Constrained
Sets the color of the fully constrained objects.
Improperly Constrained
Sets the color of the over-constrained objects.

Highlight Dependent Objects During Selection
Automatically highlights all objects that are dependent on the currently
selected authoring objects. Use this option when you need to confirm or
change dependent objects.

Display Tickmarks for Parameters With Value Sets
Controls whether or not value set markers are displayed for dynamic block
references.
(BTMARKDISPLAY on page 2172 system variable)

Display Action Bars
Indicates whether the action bars or the legacy action objects are displayed
in the Block Editor.
(BACTIONBARMODE on page 2164 system variable)

Reset Values
Resets the Block Editor settings to default values.

Block Editor Settings Dialog Box | 243

BGRIPSET
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Grips for Dynamic Blocks

Creates, deletes, or resets grips associated with a parameter.

Access Methods
Shortcut menu: Select a parameter in the block definition. Right-click in
the Block Editor drawing area. Click Grip Display, and then click an option.

Summary
Specifies the number of grips displayed for a parameter. Also resets the position
of grips for a parameter to their default location. You can only use the
BGRIPSET command in the Block Editor on page 231.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select parameter: Select a parameter in the current dynamic block definition
Enter number of grip objects for parameter or reset position
[0/1/2/4/Reposition]: Enter the number of grips to display for the parameter (the
number of grips available will vary depending on the type of parameter you selected)
or enter reposition to reposition the existing grips in the block definition to their
default locations

BHATCH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills

Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern or gradient fill.

244 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Summary
The BHATCH command has been renamed to HATCH. If you enter bhatch,
the Hatch and Gradient dialog box on page 870is displayed. If you enter -bhatch
or -hatch, Command prompts are displayed.

BLIPMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

Controls the display of marker blips.

Access Methods
Command entry: 'blipmode for transparent use

Summary
When Blip mode is on, a temporary mark in the shape of a plus sign (+) appears
where you specify a point. BLIPMODE is off by default.

To remove marker blips, use REDRAW, REGEN, ZOOM, PAN, or other
commands that redraw or regenerate the drawing.

BLIPMODE | 245

BLOCK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Blocks

Creates a block definition from selected objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Create
Menu: Draw ➤ Block ➤ Make
Toolbar: Draw

Summary
The Block Definition dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -block at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
You create a block definition by selecting objects, specifying an insertion
point, and giving it a name. You can create your own blocks or use the blocks
provided in the DesignCenter or tool palettes.

Block Definition Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Blocks

Defines and names a block.

246 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Create
Menu: Draw ➤ Block ➤ Make
Toolbar: Draw
Command entry: block

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Name
Names the block. The name can have up to 255 characters and can include
letters, numbers, blank spaces, and any special character not used by the
operating system or the program for other purposes.
The block name and definition are saved in the current drawing.

Preview
If an existing block is selected under Name, displays a preview of the block.

Base Point
Specifies an insertion base point for the block. The default value is 0,0,0.
Specify On-Screen

Block Definition Dialog Box | 247

Prompts you to specify the base point when the dialog box is closed.
Pick Insertion Base Point
Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can specify an insertion base
point in the current drawing.
X
Specifies the X coordinate value.
Y
Specifies the Y coordinate value.
Z
Specifies the Z coordinate value.

Objects
Specifies the objects to include in the new block and whether to retain or
delete the selected objects or convert them to a block instance after you create
the block.
Specify On-Screen
Prompts you to specify the objects when the dialog box is closed.
Select Objects
Closes the Block Definition dialog box temporarily while you select the objects
for the block. When you finish selecting objects, press Enter to redisplay the
Block Definition dialog box.
Quick Select
Displays the Quick Select dialog box, which defines a selection set.
Retain
Retains the selected objects as distinct objects in the drawing after you create
the block.
Convert to Block
Converts the selected objects to a block instance in the drawing after you
create the block.
Delete
Deletes the selected objects from the drawing after you create the block.

248 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Objects Selected
Displays the number of selected objects.

Behavior
Specifies the behavior of the block.
Annotative
Specifies that the block is . Click the information icon to learn more about
annotative objects.
Match Block Orientation to Layout
Specifies that the orientation of the block references in paper space viewports
matches the orientation of the layout. This option is unavailable if the
Annotative option is cleared.
Scale Uniformly
Specifies whether or not the block reference is prevented from being
non-uniformly scaled.
Allow Exploding
Specifies whether or not the block reference can be exploded.

Settings
Specifies settings for the block.
Block Unit
Specifies the insertion units for the block reference.
Hyperlink
Opens the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, which you can use to associate a
hyperlink with the block definition.

Description
Specifies the text description of the block.

Open in Block Editor
Opens the current block definition in the Block Editor on page 231 when you
click OK.

Block Definition Dialog Box | 249

-BLOCK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Blocks

If you enter -block at the Command prompt, the following prompts are
displayed.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter block name or [?]: Enter a name or ?

Block Name
Names the block. The name can have up to 255 characters and can include
letters, numbers, blank spaces, and any special character not used by Microsoft
Windows and the program for other purposes if the system variable EXTNAMES
is set to 1.
If you enter the name of an existing block, you are prompted as follows:
Redefine Block Reference By redefining a block, you automatically update
all references to that block. Attributes attached to existing block references
remain unchanged in the drawing. However, new insertions of the block do
not prompt for attributes unless the attribute definitions are included in the
new block definition (use ATTREDEF to redefine blocks that contain attributes).
Specify Insertion Base Point The point specified as the base point is used
for subsequent insertions of the block. Typically, a base point is the center of
the block or its lower-left corner. The base point is also the point about which
you can rotate the block during insertion. A block with 0 rotation is oriented
according to the UCS in effect when it was created. Entering a 3D point inserts
the block at a specific elevation. Omitting the Z coordinate uses the current
elevation.

■

Annotative:
Enter a to create an block.

250 | Chapter 3 B Commands

If you enter yes, the block becomes annotative.
Match Orientation to Layout in Paper Space Viewports If you enter yes,
the block’s orientation in paper space viewports will match the orientation
of the layout.
Select Objects If you specify the insertion base point, you are prompted to
select the objects.
The program defines a block using the objects selected, the insertion base
point, and the name provided, and then erases the selected objects from the
drawing. You can restore the deleted objects by entering the OOPS command
immediately after BLOCK.

The insertion base point becomes the origin of the block's coordinate system,
which is parallel to the UCS in effect at the time that you define the block.
When you insert the block into a drawing, its coordinate system is aligned
parallel to the current UCS. Thus, you can insert a block at any orientation
in space by setting the UCS first.

?—List Previously Defined Blocks
Lists the block names in the text window.
Enter Blocks to List In the list, external references (xrefs) are indicated with
the notation Xref: resolved.
In addition, externally dependent blocks (blocks in an xref) are indicated with
the notation xdep: XREFNAME, where xrefname is the name of an externally
referenced drawing. The following terms are used in the list:
■

User Blocks: Number of user-defined blocks in the list.

■

External References: Number of xrefs in the list.

■

Dependent Blocks: Number of externally dependent blocks in the list.

■

Unnamed Blocks: Number of unnamed (anonymous) blocks in the drawing.

-BLOCK | 251

BLOCKICON
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Blocks

Generates preview images for blocks displayed in DesignCenter.

Access Methods
Menu: File ➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Update Block Icons

Summary
Use this command to generate icons for blocks created with an earlier release.
You can enter a series of comma-delimited block names or wild-card characters.
For example, enter b1,?2, to specify that block B1 and all two-character blocks
ending with 2 should be updated.
After you enter the block names, a message is displayed describing the process
as it proceeds. Press ESC at any time to stop.

BLOOKUPTABLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Lookup Actions

Displays or creates a lookup table for a dynamic block definition.

Summary
When a lookup action is applied to a lookup parameter on page 269, the
Property Lookup Table dialog box is automatically displayed.
If a table is already defined for the lookup action, then that table is displayed
in the dialog box.

252 | Chapter 3 B Commands

NOTE The BLOOKUPTABLE command is disabled when the BACTIONBARMODE
on page 2164 system variable is set to 1.

Property Lookup Table Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Lookup Actions

Creates and modifies a lookup table for custom properties within the dynamic
block definition.

Access Methods
Command entry: bedit ➤ blookuptable
Pointing device: Double-click a lookup action

Summary
The lookup table assigns custom property values to the dynamic block
reference. If Reverse Lookup is selected for a lookup property, the block
reference displays a lookup grip with a list of properties that change the display
of the dynamic block reference.

Property Lookup Table Dialog Box | 253

The lookup table also allows the values of lookup parameters to be controlled
by the values of other parameters (input properties).

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Action Name
Displays the associated lookup action name, which you can edit in the
Properties palette.
Add Properties
Displays the Add Parameter Properties dialog box on page 254.
Audit
Checks the data to ensure that each row is unique.
Input Properties
Displays the parameters you select in the Add Parameter Properties dialog box
on page 254 as columns. When a parameter value matches the input property
column, the corresponding lookup property is assigned to the block reference.
Lookup Properties
Displays the custom value assigned to the input properties. Click the bottom
of a lookup column to make the lookup property read-only or to allow reverse
lookup. Allow Reverse Lookup enables a drop-down list associated with the
lookup grip that changes the block reference to match the input property
values in the table.

Add Parameter Properties Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Lookup Actions

Adds parameter properties to a lookup table.

254 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Access Methods
Command entry: bedit ➤ blookuptable

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Parameter Properties
Displays a list of parameters not yet added to the lookup table. Select a
parameter and click OK to add it to the lookup table.

Property Type
Specifies the type of property to add to the lookup table.
Add Input Properties
Displays the available custom properties in parameters you’ve already added
to the block definition.
Add Lookup Properties
Displays the available lookup property parameters that can be added to the
lookup table.

Add Parameter Properties Dialog Box | 255

BMPOUT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export Raster Files

Saves selected objects to a file in device-independent bitmap format.

Summary
The Create Raster File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Enter the file name in the dialog box.
A bitmap file that contains the objects you select is created. The file reflects
what is displayed on the screen. Light glyphs that are displayed in the drawing
appear in the new file, even if the Plot Glyph property of the lights is set to
No.
NOTE When the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0 (Off), Command prompts are
displayed.

BOUNDARY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Combine Areas (Regions)

Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Boundary

256 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Menu: Draw ➤ Boundary

Summary
The Boundary Creation dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -boundary at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
Each point that you specify identifies the surrounding objects and creates a
separate region or polyline.

Boundary Creation Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Combine Areas (Regions)

Defines the object type, boundary set, and island detection method for creating
a region or polyline using a specified point within an area enclosed by objects.

Boundary Creation Dialog Box | 257

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Boundary
Menu: Draw ➤ Boundary
Command entry: boundary

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Pick Points
Determines a boundary from existing objects that form an enclosed area
around the specified point.

Island Detection
Controls whether boundary detects internal closed boundaries, called islands.

Object Type
Controls the type of the new boundary object. boundary creates the boundary
as a region or a polyline object.

Boundary Set
Defines the set of objects boundary analyzes when defining a boundary from
a specified point.
Current Viewport Defines the boundary set from everything in the current
viewport extents. Selecting this option discards any current boundary set.
New Prompts you to select the objects that define the boundary set. boundary
includes only the objects that can be used to create a region or closed polyline
when it constructs the new boundary set.
For more information about the options in this dialog box, see HATCH.

258 | Chapter 3 B Commands

-BOUNDARY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Combine Areas (Regions)

If you enter -boundary at the Command prompt, the following prompts are
displayed.
Specify internal point or [Advanced options]: Specify a point or enter a

Internal Point
Creates a region or polyline from existing objects that form an enclosed area.
Specify a point inside the area.

Advanced Options
Sets the method BOUNDARY uses to create the boundary.
Enter an option [Boundary set/Island detection/Object type]: Enter an option
or press Enter to return to the previous prompt
Boundary Set Defines the set of objects boundary analyzes when it creates a
boundary from a specified point. For information about defining a boundary
set at the Command prompt, see the HATCH Command prompt option.
Island Detection Specifies whether boundary uses objects within the outermost
boundary as boundary objects. For information about specifying island
detection at the Command prompt, see the HATCH Command prompt option.
Object Type Specifies the type of object that boundary creates.
■

Region

■

Polyline

-BOUNDARY | 259

BOX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid Box

Creates a 3D solid box.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modeling panel ➤ Box
Menu: Draw ➤ Modeling ➤ Box
Toolbar: Modeling

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first corner or [Center]: Specify a point or enterc for center
Specify other corner or [Cube/Length]: Specify the other corner of the box or
enteran option
If the other corner of the box is specified with a Z value that differs from the
first corner, then no height prompt is displayed.
Specify height or [2Point] : Specify the height or enter 2P for the 2 Point
option
Entering a positive value draws the height along the positive Z axis of the
current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the height along the negative
Z axis.
The base of the box is always drawn parallel to the XY plane of the current
UCS (workplane). The height of the box is specified in the Z-axis direction.
You can enter both positive and negative values for the height.

260 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Center
Creates the box by using a specified center point.

Cube Creates a box with sides of equal length.

Length Creates a box with length, width, and height values you specify. The
length corresponds to the X axis, the width to the Y axis, and the height to
the Z axis.

Cube
Creates a box with sides of equal length.

BOX | 261

Length
Creates a box with length, width, and height values you specify. If you enter
values, the length corresponds to the X axis, the width to the Y axis, and the
height to the Z axis. If you pick a point to specify the length, you also specify
the rotation in the XY plane.

2Point
Specifies that the height of the box is the distance between the two specified
points.

BPARAMETER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Parameters to Dynamic Blocks

Adds a parameter with grips to a dynamic block definition.

262 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Access Methods

Panel

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel

Summary
You can use the bparameter command only in the Block Editor on page 231.
A parameter defines custom properties for the block reference. After you add
a parameter, you must associate an action with the parameter to make the
block dynamic.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter parameter type [Alignment/Base on page
264/pOint/Linear/Polar/XY/Rotation/Flip/“Visibility”/looKup] : Enter a
parameter type

Alignment

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Alignment
Rotates the block reference about a point to align with other objects in the
drawing.
Specify Base Point of Alignment Specifies the grip about which the block
reference will rotate to align with another object in the drawing.
Name Sets the Name custom property for this parameter.
Specify Alignment Direction Determines the angle of alignment for the
block reference.
Type Determines whether the block reference will align tangent or
perpendicular to objects in the drawing.

BPARAMETER | 263

Base

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Basepoint
Defines a changeable base point for the dynamic block reference in relation
to the geometry in the block.
Specify Parameter Location Determines the default location of the basepoint
for the block definition. This will be the location of the basepoint grip in the
block reference.

Point

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Point
Defines custom X and Y properties for the block reference.
Specify Parameter Location Determines the X and Y location of the point
parameter in the block definition. This will be the location of the point grip
in the block reference.
Name Name on page 263
Label Defines a custom descriptive label for the location of the parameter.
Chain Determines whether the parameter is included in the selection set of
an action that is associated with a different parameter.
■

Yes. A change to an action associated with this parameter will also trigger
other actions associated with this parameter, just as if you had edited the
parameter through a grip or custom property.

■

No. Associated actions are not triggered.

Description Defines an extended description of the Label on page 264 custom
property. When the block reference is inserted, this description is displayed
at the bottom of the Properties palette.
Palette Specifies whether the Label custom property is displayed in the
Properties palette when the block reference is selected in a drawing.

264 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Linear

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Linear
Defines the distance between two key points in the block definition.
Specify Start Point/Endpoint Specifies the key points for the parameter in
the block definition.
Name Name on page 263
Label Label on page 264
Chain Chain on page 264
Description Description on page 264
Base Specifies the Base Location property for the parameter.
■

Startpoint. The start point of the parameter remains fixed when the
endpoint of the parameter is edited in the block reference.

■

Midpoint. The midpoint of the parameter remains fixed, and the start
point and endpoint of the parameter move simultaneously equal distances
from the midpoint.

Palette Palette on page 264
Value Set Limits the available values for the parameter to the values specified
in the set.
■

List. Specifies a list of available values for the parameter in a block reference.

■

Increment. Specifies a value increment and minimum and maximum values
for the parameter in the block reference.

Specify Label Location Specifies the location of the parameter label on page
264 in the block definition.
Enter Number of Grips Determines the number of grips that will display in
the block reference.
■

0. No grips will be displayed in the block reference. Rather, the selected
geometry can be edited in the Properties palette or a lookup table on page
252.

BPARAMETER | 265

■

1. A grip will be displayed at just the endpoint of the parameter.

■

2. A grip will be displayed at both the start point and endpoint of the
parameter.

Polar

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Polar
Defines a distance and angle for two key points in the block definition.
Specify Base Point Determines the point in the block definition relative to
which the grip will be placed.
Name Name on page 263
Label Label on page 264
Chain Chain on page 264
Description Description on page 264
Palette Palette on page 264
Value Set Value Set on page 265
Specify Endpoint Determines the distance and angle from the base point.
The distance and angle are custom properties in the Properties palette.
Specify Label Location Specify Label Location on page 265
Enter Number of Grips Enter Number of Grips on page 265

XY

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ XY
Defines an X and Y distance from the base point of a block definition.
Specify Base Point Determines the maximum X distance for the parameter.
Name Name on page 263

266 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Label Label on page 264
Chain Chain on page 264
Description Description on page 264
Palette Palette on page 264
Value Set Value Set on page 265
Specify Endpoint Determines the maximum Y distance for the parameter.
Specify Number of Grips Determines the number of grips that will display
in the block reference.
■

0. on page 265

■

1. A grip will be displayed at the endpoint of the Y distance.

■

2. A grip will be displayed at both endpoints.

■

4. Grips will be displayed at all four corners of the parameter.

Rotation

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Rotation
Defines an angle for the block reference.
Specify Base Point Determines the point about which the selected block
geometry will be rotated.
Name Name on page 263
Label Label on page 264
Chain Chain on page 264
Description Description on page 264
Palette Palette on page 264
Value Set Value Set on page 265
Specify Radius of Parameter Determines the distance between the base point
of the parameter and the grip.

BPARAMETER | 267

Specify Default Rotation Angle Determines the location of the grip in the
block reference.
Base Angle Specifies a base angle other than 0 for the parameter grip.

Flip

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Flip
Mirrors objects or the entire block reference about a reflection line.
Specify Base Point Determines the first point for the line of reflection. The
parameter grip will be displayed at this point.
Name Name on page 263
Label Label on page 264
Description Description on page 264
Palette Palette on page 264
Specify Endpoint of Reflection Line Determines the endpoint of the
reflection line.
Specify Label Location Specify Label Location on page 265

Visibility

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Visibility
Defines objects that will either display or not display within the block
definition.
Specify Parameter Location Determines a location for the parameter grip.
The parameter can be placed anywhere within the block definition.
Name Name on page 263
Label Label on page 264
Description Description on page 264

268 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Palette Palette on page 264

Lookup

Button

Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Action Parameters panel ➤ Lookup
Defines user parameters that are determined by a lookup table.
Specify Parameter Location Specify Parameter Location on page 268
Name Name on page 263
Label Label on page 264
Description Description on page 264
Palette Palette on page 264

BREAK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Break and Join Objects

Breaks the selected object between two points.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Break
Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Break at Point
Menu: Modify ➤ Break
Toolbar: Modify

BREAK | 269

Summary
You can create a gap between two specified points on an object, breaking it
into two objects. If the points are off of an object, they are automatically
projected on to the object. break is often used to create space for a block or
text.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select object: Use an object selection method, or specify the first break point (1) on
an object
The prompts that are displayed next depend on how you select the object. If
you select the object by using your pointing device, the program both selects
the object and treats the selection point as the first break point. At the next
prompt, you can continue by specifying the second point or overriding the
first point.
Specify second break point or [First point]: Specify the second break point (2) or
enter f
Second Break Point Specifies the second point to use to break the object.
First Point Overrides the original first point with the new point that you
specify.
Specify first break point:
Specify second break point:

270 | Chapter 3 B Commands

The portion of the object is erased between the two points that you specify.
If the second point is not on the object, the nearest point on the object is
selected; therefore, to break off one end of a line, arc, or polyline, specify the
second point beyond the end to be removed.
To split an object in two without erasing a portion, enter the same point for
both the first and second points. You can do this by entering @ to specify the
second point.
Lines, arcs, circles, polylines, ellipses, splines, donuts, and several other object
types can be split into two objects or have one end removed.
The program converts a circle to an arc by removing a piece of the circle
starting counterclockwise from the first to the second point.

You can also break selected objects at a single point with the Break at Point
tool.
Valid objects include lines, open polylines, and arcs. Closed objects such as
circles cannot be broken at a single point.

BREAK | 271

BREP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Original Forms of Composite Solids

Removes the history from 3D solids and composite solids, and associativity
from surfaces.

Summary
When a solid loses the history of the original parts from which it was created,
the original parts can no longer be selected and modified. BREP also removes
surface associativity. When a surface loses associativity it loses any
mathematical expressions or information about how the surface was created.

BROWSER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Get Started with Internet Access

Launches the default web browser defined in your system's registry.

272 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: Web

Summary
Pressing Enter displays your web browser, which automatically connects to
the location you specify. Because browser does not append “http://” to web
locations, you can specify an FTP or file location to your default web browser.

BSAVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Blocks Within a Drawing

Saves the current block definition.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Open/Save panel ➤ Save Block

Summary
Saves changes to the current block definition.
You can only use the BSAVE command in the Block Editor on page 231.

BSAVE | 273

BSAVEAS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Blocks Within a Drawing

Saves a copy of the current block definition under a new name.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Open/Save panel ➤ Save Block As

Summary
Displays the Save Block As dialog box on page 274.
You can only use the BSAVEAS command in the Block Editor on page 231.

Save Block As Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Blocks Within a Drawing

Saves a copy of the current block definition under a new name.

274 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Open/Save panel ➤ Save Block As
Command entry: bedit ➤ bsaveas

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Block Name
Specifies a new name under which to save a copy of the current block
definition.
Block List
Displays a list of block definitions that are saved in the current drawing.
Preview
Displays a preview of the selected block definition.
Description
Displays the block definition description specified in the Block area of the
Properties palette in the Block Editor.
Save Block Definition to Drawing File

Save Block As Dialog Box | 275

Saves the block definition as a drawing file. Selecting a pre-existing drawing
file overwrites the saved file. By default, the block name specified is taken as
the drawing file name.

BTABLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define User Parameters in Dynamic Blocks

Displays a dialog box to define variations of a block.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Block Table

Summary
You can only use the btable command in the Block Editor on page 231. The
Block Properties Table dialog box on page 277 is displayed after you specify a
location point. The location point determines where the grip and table icon
are located in the block definition. The grip location determines where the
grip appears in the block reference and displays a context menu based on the
contents of the block properties table. The type of properties that can be
included in the block properties table include legacy parameters, parameter
constraints, user parameters, and attributes. The legacy action parameters that
are added to the lookup tables cannot be added to the Block Properties Table.
Each row in the table defines a different variation of the block reference, and
can be accessed by the lookup grip.
If a block table is already created in the block editor, entering the btable
command directly displays the Block Properties Table dialog box (see
BLOOKUPTABLE on page 252 command).

276 | Chapter 3 B Commands

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify parameter location or [Palette]: Specify a location point

Palette
Specifies whether the block table item is displayed in the Properties palette
for the block reference.

Block Properties Table Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define User Parameters in Dynamic Blocks

Defines the variations for a set of user-defined properties in the block definition
through a grid control.

Access Methods

Button

Block Properties Table Dialog Box | 277

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Block Table
Command entry: bedit ➤ btable

Summary
You can press Shift+Enter to add a new line for a multiline attribute value in
the grid in the Block Properties Table dialog box.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Add Properties
Displays the Add Parameter Properties dialog box on page 278 where you can
add parameters already defined in the Block Properties Table.
New Properties
Displays the New Parameter dialog box on page 280 where you can create and
add new user parameters to the Block Properties Table.
Audit
Checks the Block Properties Table for errors.
Grid Control Displays the name of parameters added to the table. You can
also modify the properties of the table.
Block Properties Must Match A Row In The Table
Specifies whether the properties added to the grid control can be modified
individually for a block reference.
Default Value When Properties Do Not Match Table
Displays the default values when other properties are changed without
matching a row.

Add Parameter Properties Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define User Parameters in Dynamic Blocks

278 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Adds parameter properties to the block properties table.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Block Table
Command entry: bedit ➤ btable

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Parameter Properties
Displays a list of dimensional constraint parameters, user parameters, legacy
parameters, and attribute definitions.
Name
Displays the names of parameters available to add to the block properties
table.
Type

Add Parameter Properties Dialog Box | 279

Identifies the type of the parameter.

New Parameter Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define User Parameters in Dynamic Blocks

Creates and defines a new user parameter to be added to the block properties
table.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Block Table
Command entry: bedit ➤ btable

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Name
Displays the name of the new user parameter.
Value
Displays the value of the user parameter.
Type

280 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Determines the type of the new parameter. You can select a real, distance,
area, volume, angle, or string parameter type.
Display in Properties Palette
Specifies whether to display the user parameter as a property in the Properties
palette for the block reference.

BTESTBLOCK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Test Blocks Within the Block Editor

Displays a window within the Block Editor to test a dynamic block.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Open / Save panel ➤ Test Block

Summary
You can only use the btestblock command in the Block Editor on page 231.
With the Test Block window you can test a dynamic block without closing
the Block Editor. You can select the block reference and test the grips or display
the Properties palette and test the behavior when changing the properties.
You can also insert additional copies of the block to test the inserting behavior.
You can make changes and test the block without saving the changes to the
block definition.
In the Test Block window, all AutoCAD commands operate the same way
except the BEDIT on page 223, SAVE on page 1685, SAVEAS on page 1685, and
QSAVE on page 1583 commands. The bedit command is not available in Test
Block window. The save, saveas, and qsave commands remove the Test Block
status from the window and the Test Block window becomes an open drawing.

BTESTBLOCK | 281

A Close Test Block Window contextual panel is added to the ribbon when you
are in the Test Block mode.
In the Block Editor, the BCLOSE on page 215, BTESTBLOCK on page 281, and
CLOSE on page 335 commands automatically close the Test Block window and
discard the temporary file. The btestblock command closes the current Test
Block window and opens a new window with the current definition.
NOTE Please ensure that there are entities present in the block being tested before
running the btestblock command.

BVHIDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Visibility of Objects in a Block

Makes objects invisible in the current visibility state or all visibility states in
a dynamic block definition.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Visibility panel ➤ Make Invisible
Shortcut menu: Select objects to hide for visibility states. Right-click in the
Block Editor drawing area. Click Object Visibility ➤ Hide for Current State
or click Object Visibility ➤ Hide for All States

Summary
Makes objects invisible for the current visibility state. You can only use the
bvhide command in the Block Editor on page 231.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.

282 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Select objects to hide: Select objects to hide for the current visibility state or all
visibility states
Hide for current state or all visibility states [Current/All] : Enter
currentto hide the selected objects for the current visibility state or enter all to hide
the selected objects for all visibility states in the block definition

BVSHOW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Visibility of Objects in a Block

Makes objects visible in the current visibility state or all visibility states in a
dynamic block definition.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Visibility panel ➤ Make Visible
Shortcut menu: Select objects to make visible for visibility states. Right-click
in the Block Editor drawing area. Click Object Visibility ➤ Show for Current
State or click Object Visibility ➤ Show for All States

Summary
Allows you to make objects visible for visibility states. You can only use the
bvshow command in the Block Editor on page 231.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed
Select objects to make visible: Select objects to make visible for the current visibility
state or all visibility states
Make visible for current state or all visibility states [Current/All] :
Enter current to make the selected objects visible for the current visibility state or enter
all to make the selected objects visible for all visibility states in the block definition

BVSHOW | 283

BVSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Visibility of Objects in a Block

Creates, sets, or deletes a visibility state in a dynamic block.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Visibility panel ➤ Visibility States

Summary
Displays the Visibility States dialog box on page 284. You can only use the
BVSTATE command in the Block Editor on page 231 after a visibility parameter
has been added to the block definition.

Visibility States Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Visibility of Objects in a Block

Creates or modifies visibility states.

284 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Visibility panel ➤ Visibility States
Command entry: bedit ➤ bvstate

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Visibility States
Lists the available visibility states for the current dynamic block definition.
The order of this list is reflected in the dynamic block reference when the grip
is clicked to display the list of visibility states. The state at the top of the list
is the default state for the block reference.
Set Current
Sets the selected visibility state as the current state to display in the Block
Editor. Does not change the default visibility state that is displayed when the
block is inserted in a drawing, nor does it change the displayed visibility state
for block references already inserted and edited in the drawing.
New
Displays the New Visibility State dialog box. on page 286
Rename
Renames the selected visibility state.

Visibility States Dialog Box | 285

Delete
Deletes the selected visibility state.
Move Up
Moves the selected visibility state up in the list.
Move Down
Moves the selected visibility state down in the list.

New Visibility State Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Visibility of Objects in a Block

Creates a new visibility state.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Block Editor contextual tab ➤ Visibility panel ➤ Visibility States
Command entry: bedit ➤ bvstate

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

286 | Chapter 3 B Commands

Visibility State Name
Specifies the name for the new visibility state.
Visibility Options for New States
Displays options for the new visibility state.
Hide All Existing Objects in New State
Specifies that all objects in the block definition will be hidden in the new
visibility state.
Show All Existing Objects in New State
Specifies that all objects in the block definition will be shown in the new
visibility state.
Leave Visibility of Existing Objects Unchanged in New State
Specifies that the visibility of objects in the new visibility state will be the
same as in the current visibility state on which the new state is based.

-BVSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Visibility of Objects in a Block

Access Methods
Command entry: bedit ➤ -bvstate

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Current visibility state: 
Enter an option [New on page 287/Set on page 288/Delete on page 288] :
Enter an option or press Enter

New
Creates a new visibility state.
Hide All

-BVSTATE | 287

Specifies that all objects in the block definition will be hidden in the new
visibility state.
Show All
Specifies that all objects in the block definition will be shown in the new
visibility state.
Current Visibility
Specifies that the visibility of objects in the new visibility state will be the
same as in the current visibility state on which the new state is based.

Set
Specifies the visibility state to set as current.

Delete
Deletes a visibility state.

288 | Chapter 3 B Commands

4

C Commands

CAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

Evaluates mathematical and geometric expressions.

Access Methods
Command entry: 'cal for transparent use

Summary
CAL is an online geometry calculator that evaluates point (vector), real, or
integer expressions. The expressions can access existing geometry using the
object snap functions such as CEN, END, and INS.
®

You can insert AutoLISP variables into the arithmetic expression and assign
the value of the expression back to an AutoLISP variable.
You can use these arithmetic and vector expressions in any command that
expects points, vectors, or numbers.

289

Understand Syntax of Expressions
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

CAL evaluates expressions according to standard mathematical rules of
precedence:
■

Expressions in parentheses first, starting with the innermost set

■

Operators in standard order: exponents first, multiplication and division
second, and addition and subtraction last

■

Operators of equal precedence from left to right

Numeric Expressions
Numeric expressions are real integer numbers and functions combined with
the operators in the following table.
Numeric operators
Operator

Operation

()

Groups expressions

^

Indicates exponentiation

*,/

Multiplies, divides

+, -

Adds, subtracts

The following are examples of numeric expressions:
3
3 + 0.6
(5.8^2) + PI

290 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Vector Expressions
A vector expression is a collection of points, vectors, numbers, and functions
combined with the operators in the following table.
Vector operators
Operator

Operation

()

Groups expressions

&

Determines the vector product of vectors (as a vector)
[a,b,c]&[x,y,z] = [ (b*z) - (c*y) , (c*x) - (a*z) , (a*y) - (b*x) ]

*

Determines the scalar product of vectors (as a real number)
[a,b,c]*[x,y,z] = ax + by + cz

*, /

Multiplies, divides a vector by a real number
a*[x,y,z] = [a*x,a*y,a*z]

+,-

Adds, subtracts vectors (points)
[a,b,c] + [x,y,z] = [a+x,b+y,c+z]

The following are examples of vector expressions:
A+[1,2,3] provides the point located [1,2,3] units relative to point A.
The expression
[2<45<45] + [2<45<0] - [1.02, 3.5, 2]
adds two points and subtracts a third point. The first two points are expressed
in spherical coordinates.

Format Feet and Inches
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

Enter feet and inches using the following format:
feet'-inches" or feet' inches" or feet'inches"

Format Feet and Inches | 291

You can separate feet, inches, and fractional inches with a dash, a space, or
nothing. You can use any of the following syntax cases to enter valid feet-inch
formatted values:
■

5' or 60”

■

5'-9” or 5' 9” or 5'9”

■

5'-1/2” or 5' 1/2” or 5'1/2”

■

5'-9-1/2” or 5' 9-1/2” or 5'9-1/2”

■

5'-9 1/2” or 5' 9 1/2” or 5'9 1/2”

To designate inches for linear calculations, entering double quotes (“) is
optional. For example, instead of entering 5'9-1/2”, you could enter 5'9-1/2.
WARNING With imperial units, CAL interprets a minus or a dash (-) as a unit
separator rather than a subtraction operation. To specify subtraction, include at
least one space before or after the minus sign. For example, to subtract 9” from
5', enter 5' -9” rather than 5'-9”.

Format Angles
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

The default units for angles are decimal degrees. Enter angles using the
following format:
d'”
You must enter 0d when entering an angle that is less than 1 degree (minutes
and seconds only). You can omit the minutes or seconds if they are zero.
Enter a number followed by r to enter angles in radians. Enter a number
followed by g to enter angles in grads.
The following examples show ways of entering angles:
5d10'20"
0d10'20"

292 | Chapter 4 C Commands

124.6r
14g
Angles entered in any format are converted to decimal degrees.
Pi radians is equal to 180 degrees, and 100 grads is equal to 90 degrees.

Use Points and Vectors
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

Both points and vectors are pairs or triples of real numbers. A point defines a
location in space, but a vector defines a direction (or translation) in space.
Some CAL functions, such as pld and plt, return a point. Other functions,
such as nor and vec, return a vector.

Formatting Points and Vectors
A point or vector is a set of three real expressions enclosed in brackets ([ ]):
[r1,r2,r3]
The notation p1, p2, and so forth designates points. The notation v1, v2, and
so forth designates vectors. In drawings, points are displayed as dots, and
vectors are displayed as lines with arrows.
CAL supports points expressed in all formats.
Point formats
Coordinate system

Point format

Polar

[dist> Expression: P1=cen+[1,0]
>> Select entity for CEN snap: Select a circle or an arc
Command: cal
>> Expression: R1=dist(end,end)/3
>> Select entity for END snap: Select an object with an endpoint
This example uses the values of variables P1 and R1:
Command: circle
Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tangent tangent radius)]: 'cal
>> Expression: P1+[0,1]
Specify radius of circle or [Diameter] : 'cal
>> Expression: R1+0.5

Use System Variables in Calculations
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

You can use the getvar function to read the value of a system variable.

Use System Variables in Calculations | 295

The syntax is
getvar(variable_name)

The following example uses getvar to obtain the point that is the center of
the view in the current viewport.
getvar(viewctr)
With this method, you can also access the user system variables, USERI1-5
and USERR1-5. For example, to retrieve the value stored in USERR2, enter the
following:
getvar(userr2)

Convert Units of Measurement
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

The cvunit function converts either a number or a point from one unit of
measurement to another. See the acad.unt file for a list of units that you can
convert. The syntax is
cvunit(value, from_unit, to_unit)

The following example converts the value 1 from inches to centimeters:
cvunit(1,inch,cm)

Use Standard Numeric Functions
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

296 | Chapter 4 C Commands

CAL supports the standard numeric functions in the following table.
Numeric functions
Function

Description

sin(angle)

Sine of the angle

cos(angle)

Cosine of the angle

tang(angle)

Tangent of the angle

asin(real)

Arcsine of the number; the number must be between -1 and 1

acos(real)

Arccosine of the number; the number must be between -1 and 1

atan(real)

Arctangent of the number

ln(real)

Natural log of the number

log(real)

Base-10 log of the number

exp(real)

Natural exponent of the number

exp10(real)

Base-10 exponent of the number

sqr(real)

Square of the number

sqrt(real)

Square root of the number; the number must be nonnegative

abs(real)

Absolute value of the number

round(real)

Number rounded to the nearest integer

trunc(real)

Integer portion of the number

r2d(angle)

Angles in radians converted to degrees; for example, r2d(pi) converts
the pi radians to 180 degrees

d2r(angle)

Angles in degrees converted to radians; for example, d2r(180) converts 180 degrees to radians and returns the value of pi

pi

The constant pi

Use Standard Numeric Functions | 297

Calculate a Vector from Two Points
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

The functions vec and vec1 calculate a vector from two points.
vec(p1,p2) Provides the vector from point p1 to point p2.
vec1(p1,p2) Provides the unit vector from point p1 to point p2.
The following example uses CAL to move selected objects 3 units in the
direction from the center of one selected circle to the center of another selected
circle:
Command: move
Select objects
Specify base point or displacement: 'cal
>> Expression: 3*vec1(cen,cen)
Select entity for CEN snap: Specify a circle or an arc
Specify second point of displacement or :
Specify a point or press Enter
The following examples illustrate the meaning of vector and point calculations.
Examples of vector and point calculations
Expression

Meaning

vec(a,b)

Determines vector translation from point a to point b.

vec1(a,b)

Determines unit vector direction from point a to point b.

L*vec1(a,b)

Determines vector of length L in the direction from point a
to point b.

a+v

Determines point b, which is a translation of the point a
through vector v.

a+[5<20]

Determines point b located 5 units away from point a at an
angle of 20 degrees. Note that [5<20] is a vector in polar coordinates.

298 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Calculate the Length of a Vector
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

The abs function calculates the length of a vector.
abs(v) Calculates the length of vector v, a nonnegative real number.
In spherical coordinates (dist> Expression: cen+[0,1]
>> Select entity for CEN snap: Select a circle or an arc
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 'cal
>> Expression: +3*vec1(cen,cen)
The first point of the line is 1 unit in the Y direction from the center of the
first selected circle. The second point of the line is 3 units away from the first
point. The direction of the line is from the center of the first selected circle
to the center of the second selected circle.

Use Snap Modes in Arithmetic Expressions
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

You can use Snap modes as parts of arithmetic expressions. The program
prompts you to select an object and returns the coordinate of the appropriate
snap point. Using arithmetic expressions with Snap modes greatly simplifies
entering coordinates relative to other objects.

300 | Chapter 4 C Commands

When you use these Snap modes, enter only the three-character name. For
example, when you use the Center Snap mode, enter cen. CAL Snap modes
set the value of the LASTPOINT system variable.
CAL Snap modes
Abbreviation

Snap mode

END

ENDPOINT

INS

INSERT

INT

INTERSECTION

MID

MIDPOINT

CEN

CENTER

NEA

NEAREST

NOD

NODE

QUA

QUADRANT

PER

PERPENDICULAR

TAN

TANGENT

The following example uses the Center and Endpoint Snap modes in a CAL
expression:
(cen+end)/2
CAL prompts for a circle or arc and an object. It then determines the midpoint
between the center of the circle or arc and the end of the selected object.
Using the Midpoint Snap mode, in the following example CAL prompts for
an object and returns a point 1 unit in the Y direction from the midpoint of
the selected object:
mid+[,1]
The following example uses the Endpoint Snap mode to calculate the centroid
of a triangle defined by three endpoints:
(end+end+end)/3

Use Snap Modes in Arithmetic Expressions | 301

Convert Points Between UCS and WCS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

Normally, the program assumes all coordinates to be relative to the current
UCS. The following functions convert points between UCS and WCS.
w2u(p1) Converts point p1 expressed in the WCS to the current UCS.
u2w(p1) Converts point p1 expressed in the current UCS to the WCS.
You can use w2u to find the WCS origin in terms of the current UCS:
w2u([0,0,0])

Filtering the X, Y, and Z Components of a Point or Vector
The following functions filter the X, Y, and Z components of a point or vector.
Point-filter functions
Function

Description

xyof(p1)

X and Y components of a point; Z component is set to 0.0

xzof(p1)

X and Z components of a point; Y component is set to 0.0

yzof(p1)

Y and Z components of a point; X component is set to 0.0

xof(p1)

X component of a point; Y and Z components are set to 0.0

yof(p1)

Y component of a point; X and Z components are set to 0.0

zof(p1)

Z component of a point; X and Y components are set to 0.0

rxof(p1)

X component of a point

ryof(p1)

Y component of a point

rzof(p1)

Z component of a point

302 | Chapter 4 C Commands

The following example provides the Z component of a point expressed in
spherical coordinates:
zof([2<45<45])
The following example provides a point whose X and Y coordinate values are
taken from point a and the Z coordinate value from point b:
xyof(a)+zof(b)

Calculate a Point on a Line
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

The plt and pld functions return a point on a given line. You can specify the
location of the point on the line either by its distance from the first point or
parametrically by a t parameter.
pld(p1,p2,dist) Calculates a point on the line passing through points p1 and
p2. The parameter dist defines the distance of the point from the point p1.
plt(p1,p2,t) Calculates a point on the line passing through points p1 and p2.
The parameter t defines the parametric location of the point on the line.
The following are examples of the parameter t:
If t=0 the point is p1
If t=0.5 the point is the midpoint between p1 and p2
If t=1 the point is p2

Rotate a Point About an Axis
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

Calculate a Point on a Line | 303

The rot function rotates a point about an axis and returns the resulting point.
rot(p,origin,ang) Rotates point p through angle ang about the Z axis passing
through the point origin, as shown in the following example:

rot(p,AxP1,AxP2,ang) Rotates point p through an angle ang about the axis
passing through points AxP1 and AxP2, as shown in the following example.
The axis is oriented from the first point to the second point.

Obtain an Intersection Point
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

The ill and ilp functions determine intersection points.
ill(p1,p2,p3,p4) Determines the intersection point between two lines (p1,p2)
and (p3,p4). All points are considered three-dimensional.

304 | Chapter 4 C Commands

ilp(p1,p2,p3,p4,p5) Determines the intersection point between a line (p1,p2)
and a plane passing through three points (p3,p4,p5).

Calculate a Distance
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

dist(p1,p2) Determines the distance between two points, p1 and p2. This is
the same as the vector expression abs(p1-p2).
dpl(p,p1,p2) Determines the shortest distance between point p and the line
passing through points p1 and p2.

dpp(p,p1,p2,p3) Determines the distance from a point p to a plane defined
by three points (p1,p2,p3).
dist(p1,p2) Determines the distance between two points, p1 and p2. This is
the same as the vector expression abs(p1-p2).

Calculate a Distance | 305

The following example returns half the distance between the centers of two
selected objects:
dist(cen,cen)/2
The following example finds the distance between the point 3,2,4 and a plane
you define by selecting three endpoints:
dpp([3,2,4],end, end, end)

Obtain a Radius
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

The rad function determines the radius of a selected object.
rad Determines the radius of a selected object. The object can be a circle, an
arc, or a 2D polyline arc segment.
The following example uses rad with the CIRCLE command. The radius of
the new circle is two-thirds of the radius of the selected polyline arc segment:
Command: circle
Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tangent tangent radius)]: cen
of Select the circle
Specify radius of circle or [Diameter] : 'cal

306 | Chapter 4 C Commands

>> Expression: 2/3*rad
>> Select circle, arc or polyline segment for RAD function: Select the circle

Obtain an Angle
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

The ang function determines the angle between two lines. Angles are measured
counterclockwise with respect to either the X axis, in the two-dimensional
case, or to a user-specified axis, in the three-dimensional case.
ang(v) Determines the angle between the X axis and vector v. The vector v is
considered 2D, projected on the XY plane of the current UCS.
ang(p1,p2) Determines the angle between the X axis and the line (p1,p2),
oriented from p1 to p2. The points are considered 2D, projected on the XY
plane of the current UCS.
ang(apex,p1,p2) Determines the angle between lines (apex,p1) and (apex,p2).
The points are considered 2D, projected on the XY plane of the current UCS.
ang(apex,p1,p2,p) Determines the angle between lines (apex,p1) and (apex,p2).
The lines are considered 3D. The last parameter, point p, is used to define the
orientation of the angle. The angle is measured counterclockwise with respect
to the axis going from apex to p.
The following examples show how angles are measured.

Obtain an Angle | 307

You can determine the angle between the two sides of a triangle using the
ang function, as shown in the following example:
Command: cal
>> Expression: ang(end,end,end)
Select the apex of the angle, and then select the two opposite vertices.

Calculate a Normal Vector
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

308 | Chapter 4 C Commands

The nor function calculates the unit normal vector (a vector perpendicular to
a line or plane), not a point. The vector defines the direction of the normal,
not a location in space. You can add this normal vector to a point to obtain
another point.
nor Determines the three-dimensional unit normal vector of a selected circle,
arc, or polyline arc segment. This normal vector is the Z coordinate of the
object coordinate system (OCS) of the selected object.
nor(v) Determines the two-dimensional unit normal vector to vector v. Both
vectors are considered 2D, projected on the XY plane of the current UCS. The
orientation of the resulting normal vector points to the left of the original
vector v.
nor(p1,p2) Determines the 2D unit normal vector to line p1,p2. The line is
oriented from p1 to p2. The orientation of the resulting normal vector points
to the left from the original line (p1,p2).
nor(p1,p2,p3) Determines the 3D unit normal vector to a plane defined by
the three points p1, p2, and p3. The orientation of the normal vector is such
that the given points go counterclockwise with respect to the normal.
The following illustrations show how normal vectors are calculated:

Calculate a Normal Vector | 309

The following example sets the view direction perpendicular to a selected
object. The program displays the object in plan view and does not distort the
object by the parallel projection.
Command: vpoint
Current view direction: VIEWDIR=current
Specify a view point or [Rotate] : 'cal
>> Expression: nor
>> Select circle, arc or polyline for NOR function:

Use Shortcut Functions
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Command Prompt Calculator

The functions in the table are shortcuts for commonly used expressions that
combine a function with the Endpoint Snap mode.
Shortcut functions
Function

Shortcut for

Description

dee

dist(end,end)

Distance between two endpoints

ille

ill(end,end,end,end)

Intersection of two lines defined by four
endpoints

mee

(end+end)/2

Midpoint between two endpoints

nee

nor(end,end)

Unit vector in the XY plane and normal to
two endpoints

pldee (d)

pld(d,end,end)

Point at a distance along a line determined
by two endpoints (see pld)

pltee (t)

plt(t,end,end)

Point at a parametric location on a line determined by two endpoints (see plt)

vee

vec(end,end)

Vector from two endpoints

310 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Shortcut functions
Function

Shortcut for

Description

vee1

vec1(end,end)

Unit vector from two endpoints

CAMERA
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define a 3D View with a Camera

Sets a camera and target location to create and save a 3D perspective view of
objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Render tab ➤ Camera panel ➤ Create Camera.
Toolbar: View

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed
Current camera settings: Height= Lens Length=
Specify camera location : Enter a value or specify a point
Sets the point from which you view objects in a model.
Specify target location: Enter a value or specify a point
Sets the target location of a camera’s lens.
Enter an
option[“?”/“Name”/“LOcation”/“Height”/“Target”/“LEns”/“Clipping”/“View”/“”]:
?—List Cameras Displays a list of the currently defined cameras.

CAMERA | 311

Enter camera name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press Enter to list all cameras.
Name Names a camera.
Enter name for new camera :
Location Specifies the location of the camera.
Specify camera location :
Height Changes the camera height.
Specify camera height :
Target Specifies the target of the camera.
Specify camera target :
Lens Changes the lens length of the camera.
Specify lens length in mm :
Clipping Defines front and back clipping planes and sets their values.
Enable front clipping plane? [Yes/No] : Specify Yes to enable front clipping
Specify front clipping plane offset from target plane : Enter a distance
Enable back clipping Plane? : Specify Yes to enable back clipping
Specify back clipping plane offset from target plane : Enter a distance
View Sets the current view to match the camera settings.
Switch to camera view? [Yes/No] :
Exit Cancels the command.

Camera Preview Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define a 3D View with a Camera

Displays a preview of a camera view.

312 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Render tab ➤ Camera panel ➤ Create Camera.
Toolbar: View
Command entry: camera

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Preview Displays a preview of a camera view defined with the CAMERA
command.
Visual Style Specifies the visual style applied to the preview.
Display This Window When Editing a Camera Specifies that the Camera
Preview dialog box is displayed when you edit a camera.

CHAMFER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Chamfers

Bevels the edges of objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Chamfer and Fillet drop-down
➤ Chamfer

CHAMFER | 313

Menu: Modify ➤ Chamfer
Toolbar: Modify

Summary
The distances and angles that you specify are applied in the order that you
select the objects.

You can chamfer lines, polylines, rays, and xlines.
You can also chamfer 3D solids and surfaces. If you select a mesh to chamfer,
you can choose to convert it to a solid or surface before completing the
operation.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
(TRIM mode) Current chamfer Dist1 = current, Dist2 = current
Select first line on page 314 or [Undo on page 315/Polyline on page 315/Distance
on page 316/Angle on page 316/Trim on page 316/mEthod on page 317/Multiple
on page 317]: Use an object selection method or enter an option

First Line
Specifies the first of two edges required to define a 2D chamfer, or the edge
of a 3D solid to chamfer.
If you select lines or polylines, their lengths adjust to accommodate the
chamfer line. You can hold down Shift while selecting the objects to override
the current chamfer distances with a value of 0.
If the selected objects are line segments of a 2D polyline, they must be adjacent
or separated by no more than one segment. If they're separated by another
polyline segment, CHAMFER deletes the segment that separates them and
replaces it with the chamfer.
If you select an edge on a 3D solid, you must indicate which one of the two
surfaces adjacent to the edge is the base surface.
Enter Surface Selection Option Entering o or pressing Enter sets the selected
surface as the base surface. Entering n selects either of the two surfaces adjacent
to the selected edge.

314 | Chapter 4 C Commands

After you select the base surface and the chamfer distances, select the edges
of the base surface to chamfer. You can select edges individually or all the
edges at once.

Edge Selects an individual edge to chamfer.

Loop Switches to Edge Loop mode.
Edge Loop Selects all edges on the base surface.

Undo
Reverses the previous action in the command.

Polyline
Chamfers an entire 2D polyline.
The intersecting polyline segments are chamfered at each vertex of the polyline.
Chamfers become new segments of the polyline.

CHAMFER | 315

If the polyline includes segments that are too short to accommodate the
chamfer distance, those segments are not chamfered.

Distance
Sets the distance of the chamfer from the endpoint of the selected edge.
If you set both distances to zero, CHAMFER extends or trims the two lines so
they end at the same point.

Angle
Sets the chamfer distances using a chamfer distance for the first line and an
angle for the second line.

Trim
Controls whether CHAMFER trims the selected edges to the chamfer line
endpoints.
NOTE Trim sets the TRIMMODE system variable to 1; No Trim sets TRIMMODE
to 0.
If the TRIMMODE system variable is set to 1, CHAMFER trims the intersecting
lines to the endpoints of the chamfer line. If the selected lines do not intersect,

316 | Chapter 4 C Commands

CHAMFER extends or trims them so that they do. If TRIMMODE is set to 0,
the chamfer is created without trimming the selected lines.

Method
Controls whether CHAMFER uses two distances or a distance and an angle to
create the chamfer.

Multiple
Chamfers the edges of more than one set of objects.

Expression
Controls the chamfer distance with a mathematical expression. See Control
Geometry with the Parameters Manager for a list of operators and functions
allowed.

CHAMFEREDGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Chamfers

Bevels the edges of 3D solids and surfaces.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Solid tab ➤ Solid Editing panel ➤ Chamfer Edge
Menu: Modify ➤ Solid Editing ➤ Chamfer Edge
Toolbar: Solid Editing

Summary
You can select more than one edge at a time, as long as they belong to the
same face. Enter a value for the chamfer distance or click and drag the chamfer
grips.

CHAMFEREDGE | 317

List of Prompts
Select an Edge Selects a single solid or surface edge to chamfer.
Distance 1 Sets the distance of the first chamfer edge from the selected edge.
The default value is 1.
Distance 2 Sets the distance of the second chamfer edge from the selected
edge. The default value is 1.
Loop Chamfers all edges on a single face.
Expression Controls the chamfer distance with a mathematical expression.
See Control Geometry with the Parameters Manager for a list of operators and
functions allowed.

CHANGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Change the Properties of Objects

Changes the properties of existing objects.

318 | Chapter 4 C Commands

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed
Select objects:
Specify “change point” or [“Properties”]: Specify a new point, or press Enter to
enter new values

Specify Objects
If you select lines and other changeable objects in the same selection set, you
get varying results depending on the object selection sequence. The easiest
way to use CHANGE is to select only lines in a selection set or select only
objects other than lines in a selection set.
Except for zero-thickness lines, the objects selected must be parallel to the
current user coordinate system (UCS).

Change Point or Values
Changes the selected objects. The result depends on the type of objects you
select.
Lines Moves the endpoints of the selected lines that are closest to the change
point to the new point, unless Ortho mode is on. If Ortho mode is on, the
selected lines are modified so that they become parallel to either the X or the
Y axis; their endpoints are not moved to the specified coordinate.

Circles Changes the circle radius. If you selected more than one circle, the
prompt is repeated for the next circle.

Text Changes text location and other properties.
Specify New Text Insertion Point Relocates the text.

CHANGE | 319

Attribute Definitions Changes the text and text properties of an attribute
that is not part of a block.
Blocks Changes the location or rotation of a block.
Specifying a new location relocates the block. Pressing Enter leaves the block
in its original location.

Properties
Modifies properties of existing objects.
NOTE The Plotstyle option is displayed only when you are using named plot styles.
You can change several properties at a time. The Enter Property to Change
prompt is redisplayed after each option is completed.
Color Changes the color of the selected objects.
For example, to change a color to red, enter red or 1. If you enter bylayer, the
object assumes the color of the layer on which it is located. If you enter
byblock, the object inherits the color of the block of which it is a component.
■

True Color. Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object. The
integer values range from 0 to 255 seperated by commas.

■

Color Book. Specifies a color from a loaded color book to be used for the
selected object.

Elev Changes the Z-axis elevation of 2D objects.
You can change the elevation of an object only if all its points have the same
Z value.

Layer Changes the layer of the selected objects.
Ltype Changes the linetype of the selected objects.
If the new linetype is not loaded, the program tries to load it from the standard
linetype library file, acad.lin. If this procedure fails, use LINETYPE to load the
linetype.

320 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Ltscale Changes the linetype scale factor of the selected objects.
Lweight Changes the lineweight of the selected objects. Lineweight values
are predefined values. If you enter a value that is not a predefined value, the
closest predefined lineweight is assigned to the selected objects.
Thickness Changes the Z-direction thickness of 2D objects.
Changing the thickness of a 3D polyline, dimension, or layout viewport object
has no effect.

Transparency Changes the transparency level of selected objects.
Set the transparency to ByLayer or ByBlock, or enter a value from 0 to 90.
Material Changes the material of the selected objects if a material is attached.
Annotative Changes the property of the selected objects.

CHECKSTANDARDS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Check Drawings for Standards Violations

Checks the current drawing for standards violations.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ CAD Standards panel ➤ Check
Menu: Tools ➤ CAD Standards ➤ Check

CHECKSTANDARDS | 321

Toolbar: CAD Standards

Summary
Set standards by creating a file that defines properties for layers, dimension
styles, linetypes, and text styles, and save it as a standards file with the .dws
file name extension.
The Check Standards dialog box is displayed.

Check Standards Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Check Drawings for Standards Violations

Analyzes the current drawing for standards violations.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ CAD Standards panel ➤ Check
Menu: Tools ➤ CAD Standards ➤ Check
Toolbar: CAD Standards
Command entry: checkstandards

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Problem
Provides a description of a nonstandard object in the current drawing. To fix
a problem, select a replacement from the Replace With list, and then click
Fix.
Replace With

322 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Lists possible replacements for the current standards violation. If a
recommended fix is available, it is preceded by a check mark. If a recommended
fix is not available, no items are highlighted in the Replace With list.
Preview of Changes
Indicates the properties of the nonstandard object that will be changed if the
fix currently selected in the Replace With list is applied.
Fix
Fixes the nonstandard object using the item currently selected in the Replace
With list, and advances to the next nonstandard object in the current drawing.
This button is unavailable if a recommended fix does not exist or if an item
is not highlighted in the Replace With list.
Next Problem
Advances to the next nonstandard object in the current drawing without
applying a fix.
Mark This Problem as Ignored
Flags the current problem as ignored. If the Show Ignored Problems option is
turned off in the CAD Standards Settings dialog box, problems flagged as
ignored are not displayed the next time the drawing is checked.
Settings
Displays the CAD Standards Settings dialog box, which specifies additional
settings for the Check Standards dialog box and the Configure Standards dialog
box.
Close
Closes the Check Standards dialog box without applying a fix to the standards
violation currently displayed in Problem.

CHPROP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Change the Properties of Objects

CHPROP | 323

Changes the properties of an object.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects:
Enter property to change [Color on page 324/LAyer on page 324/LType on page
324/ltScale on page 324/LWeight on page 324/Thickness on page 325/TRansparency
on page 325/Material on page 325/Annotative on page 325]:
NOTE The Plotstyle option is displayed only when you are using named plot styles.
If you select several objects with different values for the property you want
to change, varies is displayed as the current value.

Color
Changes the color of the selected objects.
For example, to change a color to red, enter red or 1. If you enter bylayer, the
object assumes the color of the layer on which it is located. If you enter
byblock, the object inherits the color of the block of which it is a component.
True Color Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object.
Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to be used for the
selected object.

Layer
Changes the layer of the selected objects.

Ltype
Changes the linetype of the selected objects.
If the new linetype is not loaded, the program tries to load it from the standard
linetype library file, acad.lin. If this procedure fails, use LINETYPE to load the
linetype.

Ltscale
Changes the linetype scale factor of the selected objects.

Lweight
Changes the lineweight of the selected objects. Lineweight values are
predefined values. If you enter a value that is not a predefined value, the
closest predefined lineweight is assigned to the selected objects.

324 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Thickness
Changes the Z-direction thickness of 2D objects.
Changing the thickness of a 3D polyline, dimension, or layout viewport object
has no effect.

Transparency
Changes the transparency level of selected objects.
Set the transparency to ByLayer or ByBlock, or enter a value from 0 to 90.

Material
Changes the material of the selected objects if a material is attached.

Annotative
Changes the property of the selected objects.

CHSPACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Move Objects

Moves objects between model space and paper space.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Change Space
Menu: Modify ➤ Change Space

Summary
The moved object is scaled appropriately in the new space.

CHSPACE | 325

When transferring objects to paper space, the SOURCE viewport that you click
determines the paper space location of the transferred objects. When
transferring objects to model space, the TARGET viewport that you click
determines the model space location of the transferred objects.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects:
Set the SOURCE viewport active and press Enter to continue:
Returns prompts similar to the following:
N object(s) changed from MODEL space to PAPER space.
Objects were scaled by a factor of n to maintain visual appearance.

CIRCLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Circles

Creates a circle.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Circle drop-down
Menu: Draw ➤ Circle
Toolbar: Draw

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify center point on page 327 for circle or [3P on page 327/2P on page 328/Ttr
(tan tan radius) on page 329]: Specify a point or enter an option

326 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Center Point

Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Circle drop-down ➤ Center, Radius
Draws a circle based on a center point and a diameter or a radius.
Radius Defines the radius of the circle. Enter a value, or specify a point.
For example:

Diameter Defines the diameter of the circle. Enter a value, or specify a second
point.
For example:

3P (Three Points)

Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Circle drop-down ➤ 3-point
Draws a circle based on three points on the circumference.
For example:

CIRCLE | 327

Tan, Tan, Tan
Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Circle drop-down ➤ Tan, Tan, Tan
Creates a circle tangent to three objects.
For example:

2P (Two Points)

Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Circle drop-down ➤ 2-Point
Draws a circle based on two endpoints of the diameter.
For example:

328 | Chapter 4 C Commands

TTR (Tangent, Tangent, Radius)

Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Circle drop-down ➤ Tan, Tan, Radius
Draws a circle with a specified radius tangent to two objects.
Sometimes more than one circle matches the specified criteria. The program
draws the circle of the specified radius whose tangent points are closest to the
selected points.
For example:

CLASSICIMAGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Manage Raster Images

Manages referenced image files in the current drawing.

Summary
The legacy Image Manager is displayed. The IMAGE command now displays
the External References palette.
NOTE This command will be removed in future releases.

CLASSICIMAGE | 329

CLASSICLAYER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Layers to Manage Complexity

Opens the legacy Layer Properties Manager.

Summary
The legacy Layer Properties Manager is displayed. The LAYER command
displays the current Layer Properties Manager.
NOTE This command will be removed in future releases.

CLASSICXREF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings

Manages referenced drawing files in the current drawing.

Summary
The legacy Xref Manager is displayed. The EXTERNALREFERENCES on page
771 command displays the current External References palette.
NOTE This command will be removed in future releases.

330 | Chapter 4 C Commands

CLEANSCREENON
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Toolbars

Clears the screen of toolbars and dockable windows, excluding the command
window.

Access Methods
Menu: View ➤ Clean Screen

Summary
The screen displays only the menu bar, the Model and layout tabs at the
bottom of the drawing, the status bars, and the command line. Use
CLEANSCREENOFF to restore display of interface items except menu bar,
status bar, and the command line. Press Ctrl+0 (zero) to switch between
CLEANSCREENON and CLEANSCREENOFF. A Clean Screen button is available
in the lower-right corner of the application status bar.

CLEANSCREENOFF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Toolbars

Restores display of toolbars and dockable windows, excluding the command
window.

Access Methods
Menu: View ➤ Clean Screen

CLEANSCREENON | 331

Summary
Restores the state of the display before CLEANSCREENON was used. Use
CLEANSCREENON to clear the screen of toolbars and dockable windows
(excluding the command line). Press Ctrl+0 (zero) to switch between
CLEANSCREENON and CLEANSCREENOFF. The Clean Screen button is
available in the lower-right corner of the application status bar.

CLIP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Clip Underlays

Crops a selected external reference, image, viewport, or underlay (DWF, DWFx,
PDF, or DGN) to a specified boundary.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Clip

Summary
The clipping boundary determines a portion of an image, underlay, viewport,
or external reference to hide. The visibility of the clipping boundary is
controlled by the FRAME on page 2323 system variable.

List of Prompts
The list of prompts varies depending on whether you are clipping an underlay,
image, external reference, or viewport.

Underlay and Image Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
On Turns on clipping and displays the underlay clipped to the previously
defined boundary.

332 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Off Turns off clipping and displays the entire PDF underlay and frame.
If you clip the underlay again while clipping is off, clipping automatically
turns on. You are prompted to delete the old boundary even when clipping
is off and the clipping boundary is not visible.
Delete Removes a predefined clipping boundary and redisplays the full original
underlay.
New Boundary Defines a rectangular or polygonal clipping boundary, or
generates a polygonal clipping boundary from a polyline.
NOTE You can only create a new clipping boundary for an underlay when the
old boundary is deleted.
Select Polyline Defines the boundary with the selected polyline. The polyline
can be open but must consist of straight line segments and cannot intersect
itself.
Polygonal Defines a polygonal clipping boundary with three or more points
that you specify for the vertices of a polygon.
Rectangular Defines a rectangular boundary with the points that you specify
for opposite corners.
Invert Clip Inverts the mode of the clipping boundary: objects are clipped
either outside the boundary or inside the boundary.

External Reference Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects: Use an object selection method and press Enter when you finish
selecting objects
Enter clipping option [ON on page 2113/OFF on page 2114/Clipdepth on page
2114/Delete on page 2114/generate Polyline on page 2114/New boundary on page
2114] : Select an option or press Enter
On Displays the clipped portion of the external reference or block in the
current drawing.
Off Displays all of the geometry of the external reference or block in the
current drawing, ignoring the clipping boundary.
Clipdepth Sets the front and back clipping planes on an xref or block. Objects
outside the volume defined by the boundary and the specified depth are not

CLIP | 333

displayed. Regardless of the current UCS, the clip depth is applied parallel to
the clipping boundary.
■

Front Clip Point. Creates a clipping plane passing through and
perpendicular to the clipping boundary.

■

Distance. Creates a clipping plane the specified distance from and parallel
to the clipping boundary.

■

Remove. Removes both the front and back clipping planes.

Delete Removes a clipping boundary for the selected xref or block. To
temporarily turn off a clipping boundary, use the Off option. Delete erases
the clipping boundary and the clipdepth. The ERASE on page 730 command
cannot be used to delete clipping boundaries.
Generate Polyline Automatically draws a polyline coincident with the clipping
boundary. The polyline assumes the current layer, linetype, lineweight, and
color settings. Use this option when you want to modify the current clipping
boundary using PEDIT on page 1435 and then redefine the clipping boundary
with the new polyline. To see the entire xref while redefining the boundary,
use the Off option.
New Boundary Defines a rectangular or polygonal clipping boundary, or
generates a polygonal clipping boundary from a polyline.
NOTE You can only create a new clipping boundary for a selected XREF underlay
when the old boundary is deleted.
■

Select Polyline. Defines the boundary with the selected polyline. The
polyline can be open but must consist of straight line segments and cannot
intersect itself.

■

Polygonal. Defines a polygonal clipping boundary with three or more
points that you specify for the vertices of a polygon.

■

Rectangular. Defines a rectangular boundary with the points that you
specify for opposite corners.

■

Invert Clip. Inverts the mode of the clipping boundary: objects are clipped
either outside the boundary or inside the boundary.

Viewport Prompts
NOTE You cannot clip a viewport in model space. You must be in paper space.
Clipping Object Select the viewport to clip.

334 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Polygonal Draws a clipping boundary. You can draw line segments or arc
segments by specifying points.
The descriptions of the Next Point, Arc, Close, Length, and Undo options
match the descriptions of the corresponding options in the PLINE command.
Delete Deletes the clipping boundary of a selected viewport. This option is
available only if the selected viewport has already been clipped. If you clip a
viewport that has been previously clipped, the original clipping boundary is
deleted, and the new clipping boundary is applied.

CLOSE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Open a Drawing

Closes the current drawing.

Access Methods
Menu: Application menu

➤ Close ➤ Current Drawing

Summary
The current drawing is closed. If you modified the drawing since it was last
saved, you are prompted to save or discard the changes.
You can close a file that has been opened in read-only mode if you have made
no changes or if you are willing to discard changes. To save changes to a
read-only file, you must use the SAVEAS command.

CLOSE | 335

CLOSEALL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Open a Drawing

Closes all currently open drawings.

Access Methods
Menu: Application menu

➤ Close ➤ All Drawings

Summary
All open drawings are closed. A message box is displayed for each unsaved
drawing, in which you can save any changes to the drawing before closing it.

COLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Current Color

Sets the color for new objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Properties panel ➤ Object Color
Menu: Format ➤ Color

336 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Summary
The Select Color dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -color at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Select Color Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Current Color

Defines the color of objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Properties panel ➤ Object Color
Menu: Format ➤ Color
Command entry: color (or 'color for transparent use)

Summary
You can select from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors,
and Color Book colors.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
■

Index Color

■

True Color

■

Color Books

Select Color Dialog Box | 337

Index Color Tab (Select Color Dialog Box)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Current Color

Specifies color settings using the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Properties panel ➤ Object Color
Menu: Format ➤ Color
Command entry: color (or 'color for transparent use)

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) Palettes Specifies a color from the AutoCAD
Color Index. If you hover over a color, the number of the color and its red,

338 | Chapter 4 C Commands

green, blue value are displayed below the palette. Click a color to select it, or
enter the color number or name in the Color box.
The large palette displays colors 10 through 249.
The second palette displays colors 1 through 9; these colors have names as
well as numbers.
The third palette displays colors 250 through 255; these colors are shades of
gray.
Index Color Indicates the ACI color number when you hover over a color.
Red, Green, Blue Indicates the RGB color value when you hover over a color.
Bylayer
Specifies that new objects assume the color assigned to the layer on which
you create them. When BYLAYER is selected, the color of the current layer is
displayed in the Old and New color swatches.
Byblock
Specifies that new objects use the default color (white or black, depending on
your background color) until you group the objects into a block and insert
the block. When you insert the block into a drawing, the objects in the block
inherit the current Color setting.
NOTE The BYLAYER and BYBLOCK options do not apply to the LIGHT command.
Color
Specifies a color name, BYLAYER or BYBLOCK color, or an AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) number of 1 through 255. The New color swatch shows the most
recently selected color.
Old Color Swatch
Displays the previously selected color.
New Color Swatch
Displays the currently selected color.

Select Color Dialog Box | 339

True Color Tab (Select Color Dialog Box)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Current Color

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Properties panel ➤ Object Color
Menu: Format ➤ Color
Command entry: color (or 'color for transparent use)

Summary
Specifies color settings using true colors (24-bit color) with either the Hue,
Saturation, and Luminance (HSL) color model or the Red, Green, and Blue
(RGB) color model. Over sixteen million colors are available when using true
color functionality. The options available on the True Color tab are dependent
on whether the HSL or RGB color model is specified.

340 | Chapter 4 C Commands

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

HSL Color Model
Specifies the HSL color model for selecting colors.
Hue, saturation, and luminance are properties of colors. By manipulating the
values of these properties, you can specify a wide range of colors.
Hue
Specifies the hue of a color. Hues represent a specific wavelength of light
within the visible spectrum. To specify a hue, use the color spectrum or specify
a value in the Hue box. Adjusting this value affects the RGB value. Valid hue
values are from 0 to 360 degrees.
Saturation
Specifies the purity of a color. High saturation causes a color to look more
pure while low saturation causes a color to look washed-out. To specify color
saturation, use the color spectrum or specify a value in the Saturation box.
Adjusting this value affects the RGB value. Valid saturation values are from 0
to 100%.
Luminance
Specifies the brightness of a color. To specify color luminance, use the color
slider or specify a value in the Luminance box. Valid luminance values are
from 0 to 100%. A value of 0% represents the color black, 100% represents
white, and 50% represents the optimal brightness for the color. Adjusting this
value also affects the RGB value.
Color Spectrum Specifies the hue and purity of a color. To specify a hue,
move the crosshairs from side to side over the color spectrum. To specify color
saturation, move the crosshairs from top to bottom over the color spectrum.
Color Slider Specifies the brightness of a color. To specify color luminance,
adjust the bar on the color slider or specify a value in the Luminance box.

RGB Color Model
Specifies the RGB color model for selecting colors. The options available on
the True Color tab are dependent on whether the HSL or RGB color model is
specified.
Colors can be broken down into components of red, green, and blue. The
values specified for each component represent the intensity of the red, green,
and blue components. The combination of these values can be manipulated
to create a wide range of colors.

Select Color Dialog Box | 341

Red
Specifies the red component of a color. Adjust the slider on the color bar or
specify a value from 1 to 255 in the Red box. If this value is adjusted, it will
be reflected in the HSL color mode values.
Green
Specifies the green component of a color. Adjust the slider on the color bar
or specify a value from 1 to 255 in the Green box. If this value is adjusted, it
will be reflected in the HSL color mode values.
Blue
Specifies the blue component of a color. Adjust the slider on the color bar or
specify a value from 1 to 255 in the Blue box. If this value is adjusted, it will
be reflected in the HSL color mode values.

Color
Specifies the RGB color value. This option is updated when changes are made
to HSL or RGB options. You can also edit the RGB value directly using the
following format: 000,000,000.

True Color Stored as RGB
Indicates the value for each RGB color component.

Old Color Swatch
Displays the previously selected color.

New Color Swatch
Displays the currently selected color.

Color Books Tab (Select Color Dialog Box)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Current Color

Specifies colors using third-party color books (such as PANTONE®) or
user-defined color books.

342 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Properties panel ➤ Object Color
Menu: Format ➤ Color
Command entry: color (or 'color for transparent use)

Summary
Once a color book is selected, the Color Books tab displays the name of the
selected color book.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Color Book
Specifies the color book to be used when selecting colors. The list consists of
all the color books that are found in the Color Book Locations specified in
the Options dialog box, Files tab.
Displays the pages of the selected color book and the colors and color names
on each page. Color books containing up to ten colors per page are supported.
If a color book is not paginated, the colors are organized into pages containing

Select Color Dialog Box | 343

seven colors per page. To view color book pages, select an area on the color
slider or use the up and down arrows to browse.
RGB Equivalent Indicates the value for each RGB color component.
Color
Indicates the currently selected color book color. You can search for a specific
color in a color book by entering the number of the color swatch and pressing
TAB. This action updates the New color swatch with the requested color
number. If the specified color is not found in the color book, the closest
number match is displayed.
Old Color Swatch
Displays the previously selected color.
New Color Swatch
Displays the currently selected color.

-COLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Current Color

If you enter -color at the Command prompt, the following prompts are
displayed.
Enter default object color [“Truecolor”/“COlorbook”] : Enter a color,
enter t, enter co, or press Enter
You can enter a color from the AutoCAD Color Index (a color name or
number), a true color, or a color from a color book.
You can enter the color number (1 through 255) or the color name (the names
for the first seven colors). For example, you can specify the color red by
entering the ACI number 1 or the ACI name red.
You can also enter bylayer or byblock. If you enter byblock, all new objects
are drawn in the default color (white or black, depending on your background
color) until they are grouped into a block. When you insert the block in a
drawing, the objects in the block inherit the current setting of COLOR.

344 | Chapter 4 C Commands

WARNING If you used a mixture of color methods to draw the objects that make
up a block, inserting that block or changing its color produces complex results.
If you enter bylayer, new objects assume the color assigned to the layer on
which you create them. See the LAYER command for information about
assigning a color to a layer.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
True Color Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object. Enter three
integer values from 0 to 255 separated by commas to specify a true color
Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to be used for the
selected object. Enter the name of a color book that has been installed, such
as Pantone.
If you enter a color book name, you are prompted to enter the color name in
the color book.

COMMANDLINE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Dock, Resize, and Hide the Command Window

Displays the Command Line window.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Command Line
Menu: Tools ➤ Command Line

Summary
Displays the Command Line window when it has been hidden.

COMMANDLINE | 345

You can display commands, system variables, options, messages, and prompts
in a dockable and resizable window called the Command Line window.

COMMANDLINEHIDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Dock, Resize, and Hide the Command Window

Hides the Command Line window.

Access Methods
Menu: Tools ➤ Command Line

Summary
Hides the Command Line window. When the Command Line window is
hidden, you can still enter commands with dynamic prompts turned on.

COMPILE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Shape Files

Compiles shape files and PostScript font files into SHX files.

Summary
The Select Shape or Font File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box)
is displayed. Enter the SHP or PFB file name in the dialog box. The compiled
file is assigned this name with the file extension .shx.

346 | Chapter 4 C Commands

CONE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid Cone

Creates a 3D solid cone.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modeling panel ➤ Cone
Menu: Home ➤ Modeling ➤ Solid Modeling drop-down ➤ Cone
Toolbar: Modeling

Summary
Creates a 3D solid with a circular or elliptical base that tapers symmetrically
to a point or to a circular or elliptical planar face. You can control the
smoothness of 3D curved solids, such as a cone, in a shaded or hidden visual
style with the FACETRES system variable.

Use the Top Radius option to create a cone frustum.
Initially, the default base radius is not set to any value. During a drawing
session, the default value for the base radius is always the previously entered
base radius value for any solid primitive.

CONE | 347

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify center point of base or [3P on page 349/2P on page 349/Ttr on page
349/Elliptical on page 349]: Specify a point (1) or enter an option
Specify base radius or [Diameter on page 348] : Specify a base radius,
enter d to specify a diameter, or press Enter to specify the default base radius value
Specify height or [2Point on page 348/Axis endpoint on page 348/Top radius
on page 348] : Specify a height, enter an option, or press Enter to specify
the default height value

Center Point of Base
2Point Specifies that the height of the cone is the distance between the two
specified points.
Axis Endpoint Specifies the endpoint location for the cone axis. The axis
endpoint is the top point of the cone or the center point of the top face of
the cone frustum (Top Radius option). The axis endpoint can be located
anywhere in 3D space. The axis endpoint defines the length and orientation
of the cone.
Top Radius Specifies the top radius of the cone, creating a cone frustum.
Initially, the default top radius is not set to any value. During a drawing session,
the default value for the top radius is always the previously entered top radius
value for any solid primitive.
Diameter Specifies the diameter for the base of the cone.
Initially, the default diameter is not set to any value. During a drawing session,
the default value for the diameter is always the previously entered diameter
value for any solid primitive.

348 | Chapter 4 C Commands

3P (Three Points)
Defines the base circumference and base plane of the cone by specifying three
points.
■

2Point on page 348

■

Axis Endpoint on page 348

■

Top Radius on page 348

2P (Two Points)
Defines the base diameter of the cone by specifying two points.
■

2Point on page 348

■

Axis Endpoint on page 348

■

Top Radius on page 348

TTR (Tangent, Tangent, Radius)
Defines the base of the cone with a specified radius tangent to two objects.
Sometimes, more than one base matches the specified criteria. The program
draws the base of the specified radius whose tangent points are closest to the
selected points.
■

2Point on page 348

■

Axis Endpoint on page 348

■

Top Radius on page 348

Elliptical
Specifies an elliptical base for the cone.

CONE | 349

Center Creates the base of the cone by using a specified center point.
■

2Point on page 348

■

Axis Endpoint on page 348

■

Top Radius on page 348

CONSTRAINTBAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Verify Geometric Constraints

Displays or hides the geometric constraints on an object.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Geometric panel ➤ Show/Hide
Menu: Parametric ➤ Constraints Bars ➤ Select Objects
Toolbar: Parametric

Summary
The selection preview behavior for constraint bars is as follows:
■

Placing the cursor over an icon on a constraint bar highlights related
geometry.

■

Placing the cursor over a constrained object (while constraint bars are
displayed) highlights the constraint icons associated with the selected
object.

The CONSTRAINTBARMODE system variable or the CONSTRAINTSETTINGS
command controls the display of geometric constraints on constraint bars,
when constraint bar are displayed.

350 | Chapter 4 C Commands

On the ribbon, you can also show or hide all constraint bars for all constrained
geometries.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects: Select objects with constraint bars
Enter an option [Show on page 351/Hide on page 351/Reset on page 351]
:Enter the appropriate value to show or hide constraint bars in the drawing.

Show
Displays constraint bars for the selected objects with geometric constraints
applied to them.

Hide
Hides constraint bars for the selected objects with geometric constraints applied
to them.

Reset
Displays constraint bars for all objects with geometric constraints applied to
them and resets them to their default locations relative to their associated
parameters.

CONSTRAINTSETTINGS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Constraints

Controls the display of geometric constraints on constraint bars.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Geometric panel ➤ Dialog Box Launcher
Menu: Parametric ➤ Constraint Settings

CONSTRAINTSETTINGS | 351

Toolbar: Parametric

Summary
The Constraint Settings Dialog Box is displayed.

Constraint Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Constraints

Allows you to control the geometric constraints, dimensional constraints, and
autoconstrain settings.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Geometric panel ➤ Dialog Box Launcher
Menu: Parametric ➤ Constraint Settings
Toolbar: Parametric

352 | Chapter 4 C Commands

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
The Constraint Settings dialog box includes the following:
■

Geometric Tab

■

Dimensional Tab

■

Autoconstrain Tab

Geometric Tab
Controls the display of constraint types on constraint bars.
Infer Geometric Constraints Infers geometric constraints when creating and
editing geometry.
Constraint Bar Filters Controls the display of constraint bars or constraint
point markers for objects in the drawing editor.
For example, you can hide the display of constraint bars for Horizontal and
Vertical constraints.
Select All Selects the geometric constraint types.
Clear All Clears the selected geometric constraint types.
Only Display Constraint Bars for Object in the Current Plane Displays
constraint bars for geometrically constrained objects only on the current plane.
Constraint Bar Transparency Sets the transparency level of constraint bars
in a drawing.
Show Constraint Bars After Applying Constraints to Selected
Objects Displays relevant constraint bars after you apply a constraint manually
or when you use the AUTOCONSTRAIN command.
Temporarily Display Constraint Bars When Objects Are
Selected Temporarily displays the constraint bars of the selected objects.

Dimensional Tab
Sets preferences in behavior when displaying dimensional constraints.
Dimensional Constraint Format Sets the display of the dimensional name
format and lock icon.
Dimension Name Format Specifies the format for the text displayed when
dimensional constraints are applied.

Constraint Settings Dialog Box | 353

Set the name format to display: Name, Value, or Name and Expression.
For example: Width=Length/2
Show Lock Icon for Annotational Constraints Displays a lock icon against
an object that has an annotational constraint applied (DIMCONSTRAINTICON
on page 2236 system variable).
Show Hidden Dynamic Constraints for Selected Objects Displays dynamic
constraints that have been set to hide when selected.

Autoconstrain Tab
Controls the constraints that are applied to a selection set, and the order in
which they are applied when using the AUTOCONSTRAIN command.
The following conditions are checked before multiple geometric constraints
are applied:
■

Are the objects perpendicular or tangential to each other within the
tolerances specified in the AutoConstrain tab?

■

Do they also intersect within the specified tolerances?

If the first condition is met, then tangent and perpendicular constraints are
always applied if the check boxes are cleared.
If you select the additional check boxes, then the distance tolerance is
considered for intersecting objects. If the objects do not intersect but the
nearest distance between them is within the distance tolerance specified, then
the constraint will be applied even if the check boxed are selected.
Autoconstrain Headings
■

Priority — Controls the order in which constraints are applied.

■

Constraint Type — Controls the type of constraint applied to objects.

■

Apply — Controls the constraints that are applied when applying
constraints to multiple objects.

Move Up Changes the order of the selected item by moving it up in the list.
Move Down Changes the order of the selected item by moving it down in
the list.
Select All Selects all geometric constraint types to autoconstrain.
Clear All Clears all geometric constraint types to autoconstrain.
Reset Resets AutoConstrain settings to default values.

354 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Tangent Objects Must Share an Intersection Point Specifies that two curves
must share a common point (as specified within the distance tolerance) for
the tangent constraint to be applied.
Perpendicular Objects Must Share an Intersection Point Specifies that lines
must intersect or the endpoint of one line must be coincident with the other
line or endpoint of the line as specified within the distance tolerance.
Tolerances Sets the acceptable tolerance values to determine whether a
constraint can be applied.
■

Distance — Distance tolerance are applied to coincident, concentric,
tangent, and collinear constraints.

■

Angle — Angular tolerance are applied to horizontal, vertical, parallel,
perpendicular, tangent, and collinear constraints.

+CONSTRAINTSETTINGS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Constraints

Controls the tab that is displayed by default when the Constraint Settings
dialog box is invoked.
Tab Index

Tab Displayed

0

Geometric tab

1

Dimensional tab

2

AutoConstrain tab

+CONSTRAINTSETTINGS | 355

CONVERT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Drawings from Different Versions and Applications

Optimizes 2D polylines and associative hatches created in AutoCAD Release
13 or earlier.

Sumary
Hatches are not updated automatically when a drawing from a previous release
is opened in Release 14 or later. Information about the rotation of a hatch
pattern may not be updated properly if you have changed the UCS since
creating the hatch. When updating hatches with CONVERT, it is recommended
that you use the Select option so that you can check your results.
In most cases, you do not need to update polylines with CONVERT. By default,
thePLINETYPE system variable specifies that polylines are updated
automatically when you open an older drawing. Polylines may be created in
the old format by third-party applications, and they may be contained in an
older drawing that was inserted as a block and then exploded.
NOTE Polylines containing curve-fit or splined segments always retain the old
format, as do polylines that store extended object data on their vertices. Editing
commands make no distinction between the two formats.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter type of objects to convert [Hatch/Polyline/All] : Enter h for hatches,
p for polylines, or a for both
Hatch Converts all hatches in the drawing.
Polyline Converts all polylines in the drawing.
All Converts all polylines and hatches in the drawing.

356 | Chapter 4 C Commands

CONVERTCTB
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch the Type of Plot Style Table

Converts a color-dependent plot style table (CTB) to a named plot style table
(STB).

Summary
Displays the Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), where
you can select the color-dependent plot style table file you want to convert.
The Save As dialog box is then displayed. If necessary, specify a new location
or name for the converted plot style table file.
CONVERTCTB saves a copy of a color-dependent plot style table as a named
plot style table, which you can then attach to drawings that use named plot
styles. The original color-dependent plot style table is not affected by
CONVERTCTB. The default location for the new named plot style table file is
in the Plot Styles folder. The default name for the new named plot style table
file is the same as the color-dependent plot style table name.
CONVERTCTB creates one named plot style for each color that has unique
plot properties, one named plot style for each group of colors that are assigned
the same plot properties, and a default named plot style called NORMAL.
For example, if all the colors in a color-dependent plot style table have the
same plot properties, CONVERTCTB creates only two named plot styles in the
named plot style table: NORMAL, the default plot style, and STYLE 1, which
assumes the plot properties that were assigned to all the colors in the
color-dependent plot style table. However, suppose that all the colors in a
color-dependent plot style table have the same plot properties except for two
colors, BLUE and GREEN. If these colors each have unique plot properties,
CONVERTCTB creates four named plot styles in the named plot style table:
NORMAL, the default plot style; STYLE 1, which assumes the plot properties
of GREEN; STYLE 2, which assumes the plot properties of BLUE; and STYLE
3, which assumes the plot properties that were assigned to all the other colors.
CONVERTCTB gives the plot styles in the new named plot style table generic
names such as STYLE 1, STYLE 2. You can modify these generic plot style
names in the Plot Style Table Editor. Click the Edit button on the Plot Device

CONVERTCTB | 357

tab in the Page Setup dialog box. If you want to rename the plot styles, you
must do so before applying them to drawing layouts.

CONVERTOLDLIGHTS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Lights in Drawings from Previous Versions of AutoCAD

Converts lights created in previous drawing file formats to the current format.

Summary
The lights in the drawing that were originally created in a previous drawing
file format are updated to the current drawing file format. Drawing file format
changes occur infrequently in AutoCAD-based products. For example, format
changes occurred in AutoCAD 2000, AutoCAD 2004, and AutoCAD 2007.
WARNING The conversion may not be correct in all cases. You may need to adjust
intensity, for example.

CONVERTOLDMATERIALS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Convert Materials

Converts materials created in previous drawing file formats to the current
format.

Summary
The materials in the drawing that were originally created in a previous drawing
file format are updated to the current drawing file format. Drawing file format
changes occur infrequently in AutoCAD-based products. For example, format

358 | Chapter 4 C Commands

changes occurred in AutoCAD 2000, AutoCAD 2004, AutoCAD LT 2007, and
AutoCAD 2010.
WARNING The conversion may not be correct in all cases. You may need to adjust
material mapping, for example.

CONVERTPSTYLES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch the Type of Plot Style Table

Converts the current drawing to either named or color-dependent plot styles.

Summary
A drawing can use either named or color-dependent plot styles, but not both.
CONVERTPSTYLES converts a currently open drawing from color-dependent
plot styles to named plot styles, or from named plot styles to color-dependent
plot styles, depending on which plot style method the drawing is currently
using.
■

Converting drawings from color-dependent plot styles to named plot styles

■

Converting drawings from named plot styles to color-dependent plot styles

When you convert a drawing, CONVERTPSTYLES sets the PSTYLEMODE
system variable to the appropriate setting (0 = named, 1= color-dependent).
For example, a drawing using color-dependent plot styles assigns plot properties
to objects and layers by color. In other words, all objects with the same color
have the same plot properties. CONVERTPSTYLES converts the drawing to
use named plot styles that can be applied to objects or layers independent of
color assignment. In other words, all objects with the same color can have
different plot properties.

CONVERTPSTYLES | 359

Converting Drawings from Color-Dependent to Named Plot
Styles
A dialog box advises you to convert the drawing's plot style tables before
converting the drawing. You can convert the color-dependent plot style tables
assigned to the drawing to named plot style tables using CONVERTCTB.
The Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed,
where you select the named plot style table file to attach to the converted
drawing.
CONVERTPSTYLES requires you to select a named plot style table that was
converted using CONVERTCTB or created from a PC2 or PCP file. Normally
you should select the named plot style table that was converted from the
color-dependent plot style table that was assigned to the same drawing.
CONVERTPSTYLES attaches the selected named plot style table to model space
and to all layouts. Drawing layers are each assigned a named plot style (from
the converted plot style table) that has the same plot properties that their
color-dependent plot style had.
■

Drawing objects that had the same color-dependent plot style as their layer
are assigned the named plot style BYLAYER.

■

Drawing objects that had a color-dependent plot style that was different
from their layer are assigned a named plot style that has the same properties
that their color-dependent plot style had.

After a drawing is converted to named plot styles, you can change the named
plot style table assignment or assign other named plot styles tables to model
space or layouts. You can also assign individual plot styles to drawing objects.

Converting Drawings from Named to Color-Dependent Plot
Styles
A dialog box advises you that the named plot styles attached to objects and
named plot style tables attached to model space and layouts will be detached.
After a drawing is converted to color-dependent plot styles, you can assign a
color-dependent plot style table. Plot styles will be applied by color.

360 | Chapter 4 C Commands

CONVTOMESH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

Converts 3D objects such as polygon meshes, surfaces, and solids to mesh
objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Mesh panel ➤ Smooth Objects
Menu: Draw ➤ Modeling ➤ Meshes ➤ Smooth Mesh
Toolbar: Smooth Mesh

Summary
Take advantage of the detailed modeling capabilities of 3D mesh by converting
objects such as 3D solids and surfaces to mesh.

Use this method to convert 3D faces (3DFACE) and legacy polygonal and
polyface meshes (from AutoCAD LT 2009 and earlier). You can also convert
2D objects such as regions and closed polylines.
The default mesh settings are defined in the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog
box. The level of smoothness upon conversion depends on the mesh type
setting in this dialog box. If the mesh type is not set to be optimized, the
converted object is not smoothed.
To convert mesh objects to 3D surfaces or solids, use CONVTOSOLID or
CONVTOSURFACE commands.
Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh
Object type
3D solids

CONVTOMESH | 361

Object type
3D surfaces
3D faces
Polyface and polygon meshes (legacy)
Regions
Closed polylines

CONVTONURBS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create NURBS Surfaces

Converts 3D solids and surfaces into NURBS surfaces.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Control Vertices panel ➤ Convert to NURBS
Menu: Modify ➤ Surface Editing ➤ Convert to NURBS
Toolbar: Surface Editing

Summary
Converts solids and procedural surfaces to NURBS surfaces.

362 | Chapter 4 C Commands

To convert meshes to NURBS surfaces, convert them to a solid or surface first
with CONVTOSOLID on page 363 or CONVTOSURFACE on page 366 and then
convert them to NURBS surfaces.

CONVTOSOLID
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create 3D Solids from Objects

Converts 3D meshes and polylines and circles with thickness to 3D solids.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Solid Editing panel ➤ Convert to Solid
Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ Convert to Solid

CONVTOSOLID | 363

Summary
Take advantage of the solid modeling capabilities available for 3D solids. When
you convert mesh, you can specify whether the converted objects are smoothed
or faceted, and whether the faces are merged.

The smoothness and number of faces of the resulting 3D solid are controlled
by the SMOOTHMESHCONVERT system variable. Whereas the previous
example shows a conversion to a smooth, optimized 3D solid, the following
example shows a conversion to a faceted 3D solid in which the faces are not
merged, or optimized.

The following tables list the objects that can be converted to solid objects and
some limitations on their conversion.
Objects that Can Be Converted to 3D Solids
Object

Required properties

Mesh

Encloses a volume with no gaps between edges (watertight)

Polyline

Closed, uniform-width, with thickness

Polyline

Closed, zero-width, with thickness

Surface

Encloses a volume with no gaps between edges (such as a revolved
surface that is capped at both ends or closed mesh objects that

364 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Object

Required properties
were converted to surfaces). If the surfaces enclose a watertight
area, you can also convert to a solid with the SURFSCULPT on page
1885 command.

Limitations on Conversion to Solid Objects
Object

Description

Polyline

Cannot contain zero-width vertices.

Polyline

Cannot contain segments of variable width.

Separate objects
that simulate a
closed surface

Cannot be a planar surface with contiguous edges or an exploded
3D solid box into six regions. However, you cannot convert those
separate objects back to a solid with CONVTOSOLID.

Planar surfaces
with contiguous
edges

Cannot convert separate objects unless they enclose a volume
without gaps. If the surfaces enclose a watertight area, you can
convert to a solid with the SURFSCULPT on page 1885 command.

Exploded 3D solid

Cannot convert separate objects (in this case, regions) with the
CONVTOSOLID command. You can, however, convert them to a
solid with the SURFSCULPT on page 1885 command.

You can select the objects to convert before you start the command.
The DELOBJ system variable controls whether the geometry used to create 3D
objects is automatically deleted when the new object is created or whether
you are prompted to delete the objects.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects Specifies one or more objects to convert to 3D solid objects.
You can select objects with thickness or mesh objects.
If one or more objects in the selection set are invalid for the command, you
will be prompted again to select objects.

CONVTOSOLID | 365

CONVTOSURFACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Convert Objects to Procedural Surfaces

Converts objects to 3D surfaces.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Solid Editing panel ➤ Convert to Surface
Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ Convert to Surface

Summary
As you convert objects to surfaces, you can specify whether the resulting object
is smooth or faceted.

366 | Chapter 4 C Commands

When you convert a mesh, the smoothness and number of faces of the
resulting surface are controlled by the SMOOTHMESHCONVERT system
variable. Whereas the previous example shows a conversion to a smooth,
optimized surface, the following example shows a conversion to a faceted
surface in which the faces are not merged, or optimized.

With the CONVTOSURFACE command, you can convert the following objects
into surfaces:
Objects That Can Be Converted to 3D Surfaces
Objects
2D solids
3D solids
Regions
Open, zero-width polylines with thickness
Lines with thickness
Arcs with thickness
Mesh objects

CONVTOSURFACE | 367

Objects
Planar 3D faces

objects converted to surfaces

You can select the objects to convert before you start the command.
NOTE You can create surfaces from 3D solids with curved faces, such as a cylinder,
with the EXPLODE command.
The DELOBJ system variable controls whether the geometry used to create 3D
objects is automatically deleted when the new object is created or whether
you are prompted to delete the objects.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects Specifies one or more objects to convert to surfaces.
If one or more objects in the selection set are invalid for the command, you
will be prompted again to select objects.

368 | Chapter 4 C Commands

COPY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Copy Objects

Copies objects a specified distance in a specified direction.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Copy
Menu: Modify ➤ Copy
Toolbar: Modify
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to copy, and right-click in the drawing
area. Click Copy Selection.

Summary
With the COPYMODE system variable, you can control whether multiple
copies are created automatically.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects: Use an object selection method and press Enter when you finish
Specify base point or [Displacement/mOde/Multiple] : Specify
a base point or enter an option

Displacement
Specifies a relative distance and direction using coordinates.

COPY | 369

The two points you specify define a vector that indicates how far the copied
objects are to be moved and in what direction.
If you press Enter at the Specify Second Point prompt, the first point is
interpreted as a relative X,Y,Z displacement. For example, if you specify 2,3
for the base point and press Enter at the next prompt, the objects are copied
2 units in the X direction and 3 units in the Y direction from their current
location.

Mode
Controls whether the command repeats automatically (COPYMODE system
variable).

Multiple
Overrides the Single mode setting. The COPY command is set to repeat
automatically for the duration of the command.

COPYBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Windows Cut, Copy, and Paste

Copies selected objects to the Clipboard along with a specified base point.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Edit ➤ Copy with Base Point
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Copy with Base Point from Clipboard.

Summary
The selected objects are copied to the Clipboard.
■

Use PASTECLIP to move the copied objects from the Clipboard to a location
in the same document or to another document.

370 | Chapter 4 C Commands

■

When you paste an object copied with COPYBASE, it is placed relative to
the specified base point.

COPYCLIP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Windows Cut, Copy, and Paste

Copies selected objects to the Clipboard.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Clipboard panel ➤ Copy Clip
Menu: Edit ➤ Copy
Toolbar: Standard
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Copy from Clipboard.

Summary
COPYCLIP copies all objects you select to the Clipboard. You can paste the
contents of the Clipboard into a document or drawing as an OLE object.
NOTE You can also use Ctrl+C to run COPYCLIP. If the cursor is in the drawing
area, the selected objects are copied to the Clipboard. If the cursor is on the
command line or in the text window, the selected text is copied to the Clipboard.
When you copy objects to the Clipboard, information is stored in all available
formats. When you paste the Clipboard contents into a drawing, the format
that retains the most information is used. You can also use Copy and Paste
to transfer objects between drawings.

COPYCLIP | 371

COPYHIST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Navigate and Edit Within the Command Window

Copies the text in the command line history to the Clipboard.

Summary
The text is copied to the Clipboard.

COPYLINK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Edit OLE Objects in Drawings

Copies the current view to the Clipboard for linking to other OLE applications.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Edit ➤ Copy Link

Summary
You can copy the current view to the Clipboard and then paste the contents
of the Clipboard into another document as a linked OLE object.

372 | Chapter 4 C Commands

COPYTOLAYER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Layers to Manage Complexity

Copies one or more objects to another layer.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Copy Objects to New Layer
Menu: Format ➤ Layers ➤ Copy Objects to New Layer
Toolbar: Layers II

Summary
Creates duplicates of selected objects on a layer that you specify. You can also
specify a different location for the duplicated objects.
If you enter -copytolayer at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects to copy:
Select object on destination layer or [Name] : Select an object or enter
n

Select Object on Destination Layer
Specifies the layer on which the selected objects are placed.
Specify Base Point Specifies the base point of the copied objects.
Displacement Enters coordinate values that specify a relative distance and
direction.

COPYTOLAYER | 373

Name
Displays the Copy to Layer dialog box.
■

Specify Base Point on page 373

■

Displacement on page 373

Copy To Layer Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Layers to Manage Complexity

Specifies the layer on which the selected objects are placed.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Copy Objects to New Layer
Menu: Format ➤ Layers ➤ Copy Objects to New Layer
Toolbar: Layers II
Command entry: copytolayer

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Destination Layer
Displays a list of layers that you can select as the destination layer. You can
also enter a name to create a new layer. The new layer inherits the properties
(on/off, freeze/thaw, locked/unlocked, etc.) of the current layer.

374 | Chapter 4 C Commands

-COPYTOLAYER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Layers to Manage Complexity

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects to copy:
Specify the destination layer name or [“?”/= (select object)] <0>: Select an object
on the destination layer, enter?, or enter=

Specify the Destination Layer Name
Displays a list of layers that you can select as the destination layer. You can
also enter a name to create a new layer. The new layer inherits the properties
(on/off, freeze/thaw, locked/unlocked, etc.) of the current layer

?—List Layers
Enter layer name(s) to list <*>: *

=—Layer By Object
Selects a destination layer by selecting an object on that layer.

CUI
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Manage Customization Files

Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.

Access Methods

Button

-COPYTOLAYER | 375

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ User Interface
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Interface

Summary
User interface elements such as workspaces, toolbars, menus, ribbon panels,
shortcut menus, and keyboard shortcuts are all managed from this dialog box.
The Customize User Interface Editor is displayed.
NOTE The XML-based CUIx file replaces the CUI file used in AutoCAD 2006
through AutoCAD LT 2009, and both the legacy menu (MNS) and legacy menu
template (MNU) files used in releases prior to AutoCAD 2006.
For information about customizing the different user interface elements found
in the Customize User Interface dialog box, see User Interface Customization
in the Customization Guide.

Customize User Interface Editor
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Manage Customization Files

Manages customized user interface elements such as workspaces, toolbars,
menus, shortcut menus, and keyboard shortcuts.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ User Interface
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Interface
Command entry: cui

List of Tabs
■

Customize

376 | Chapter 4 C Commands

■

Transfer

For more information, see User Interface Customization in the Customization
Guide.

Customize Tab (Customize User Interface Editor)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Basics of Customization Files

Manages customized user interface elements such as workspaces, toolbars,
menus, shortcut menus, and keyboard shortcuts.

Customize User Interface Editor | 377

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ User Interface
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Interface
Command entry: cui

Summary
Provides an interface for customizing workspaces, toolbars, menus, ribbon
panels, shortcut menus, and other user interface elements.

378 | Chapter 4 C Commands

NOTE When the Customize User Interface Editor is displayed using the Customize
Commands option from the Tool Palettes window or the Customize option from
the Quick Access toolbar or a toolbar, the Customizations In pane is collapsed and
the Command List pane is expanded.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Customizations In Pane
Displays a tree structure of user interface elements that can be customized,
such as workspaces, toolbars, menus, ribbon panels, partial CUIx files, and so
on.
List box Displays a list of CUIx files that are loaded and an Open option.
Available Customizations In toolbar Contains Load Partial Customization
File and Save All Current Customization Files buttons.
Load Partial Customization File Loads a CUIx file that you can add to the
acad.cuix file.
Save All Current Customization Files Saves changes to all loaded CUIx files.
Image Manager Displays the Image Manager on page 389, in which you can
import, export, and delete images stored in a loaded CUIx file.
Tree View Displays the current customization file in a structured view so you
can add and modify the user interface elements.

Dynamic Display Pane
Displays content specific to the user interface element you select in the tree
view in the left pane.
Information Describes selected user interface elements that do not have
properties (such as the Toolbars node, Menus node, and Shortcut Menus node).
Properties Displays the properties of user interface elements or items selected
in the tree view. Elements or items that display properties include specific
menus, menu commands, toolbars, and toolbar buttons.
Button Image Displays the images that can be assigned to a command. You
can create new and edit existing images with the Button Editor on page 387.
Shortcuts Displays a list of shortcut key names and temporary override names,
their corresponding shortcut key combinations, keyboard shortcut type
(shortcut key or temporary override), and the source CUIx file name.
Toolbar Preview Displays a preview of the selected toolbar.

Customize User Interface Editor | 379

Panel Preview Displays a preview of the selected ribbon panel.
Quick Properties Displays a list of object types and associated properties. You
can specify which object types and properties are enabled to use with the
Quick Properties panel and rollover tooltips.

Command List Pane
Displays a list of commands that are loaded in the program.
Categories Displays filters for the command list, including All Commands,
 Commands, User Defined, Toolbar Control Elements, or Ribbon
Control Elements. You can also filter the list to display commands within a
specific CUIx file.
Find Command or Text Searches the current CUIx for a selected command
or matching text string. Displays the Find and Replace dialog box.
Create a New Command Creates a new command. You can add or change
properties and create or edit a button.

Properties Pane
Displays user interface properties that you can view, edit, or delete.
General Displays the name and description of a command or user interface
element.
■

Name - Displays the name of the user interface element. The name you
enter is the label or tooltip name displayed in the program.

■

Description - Displays the description for the user interface element. The
description you enter is displayed in the status bar or in a tooltip.

Properties for Ribbon Tabs and Panels:
■

Display Text - Displays the name of the ribbon tab or panel.

Properties for Ribbon Tabs:
■

Contextual Display Type - Specifies whether the ribbon tab replaces all
ribbon tabs on the ribbon or is merged with the ribbon tabs already
displayed on the ribbon. (Full or Merged)

Display Determines which user interface elements are displayed after start up
or when a workspace is set current.
■

Start On - Specifies if the Model tab or last used layout is set current.
(Model, Layout, or Do Not Change)

380 | Chapter 4 C Commands

■

Menu Bar - Specifies the display of the menu bar. (Off or On)

■

Status Bar - Specifies the display of the application and drawing status
bars. (Application Only, All Off, All On, or Drawing Status Bar Only)

■

Model/Layout Tabs - Specifies the display of the Model and layout tabs
along the bottom of the drawing window. (Off, On, or Do Not Change)

■

Screen Menus - Specifies the display of the screen menu. (Off, On, or Do
Not Change)

■

Scroll Bars - Specifies the display of the scroll bars in the drawing window.
(Off, On, or Do Not Change)

Partial File Behavior Controls how ribbon tabs are displayed when in a CUIx
file that is being loaded as a partial customization file.
■

Default Display - Specifies whether the ribbon tab is displayed on the ribbon
when in a CUIx file that is loaded as a partial customization file. (Do Not
Add to Workspaces or Add to Workspaces)

■

Workspace Behavior - Specifies how the ribbon tab is merged or added to
the ribbon when this CUIx file is loaded as a partial customization file.
(Add Tab Only, Merge Tab Only, or Merge or Add Tab)

Appearance Controls the appearance of toolbars, ribbon panels, commands
on a ribbon panel, ribbon tabs, and screen menus.
Properties for Ribbon Panels:
■

Resize Style - Specifies the resize style for a ribbon panel when the ribbon
is reduced in size. (Collapse as Needed, Never Collapse, or Collapse Last)

Properties for Ribbon Panels on Fold Panels and Sub-Panel:
■

Top Justify - Specifies the vertical justification for contents within
sub-panels, or for fold panels of different heights.

■

Resize - Specifies whether the panel can be resized.

■

Resize Priority - Specifies the resizing priority of panels. When the ribbon
is compressed, panels with lower values resize first. When a ribbon is
expanded, panels with higher values resize first.

Customize User Interface Editor | 381

Properties for a Command on Ribbon Panels:
■

Button Style - Specifies the orientation, size, and label display of the
command. (Large With Text (Vertical), Large With Text (Horizontal),
SmallWithText, or SmallWithoutText)

■

Group Name - Specifies the group name for the command when grouping
is enabled for a drop-down.

Properties for Drop-downs on Quick Access Toolbars and Ribbon Panels:
■

Behavior - Specifies if the button executes a command or displays a list of
commands. (Drop Down Menu with Recent, Drop Down Menu, Split with
Recent, Split, or Split with Recent (Static))

■

SplitButtonListStyle - Specifies how the commands on the drop-down will
be displayed. (Icon, IconText, or Descriptive)

■

Button Style - Specifies the orientation, size, and label display of the button
for the drop-down. (Large With Text (Vertical), Large With Text
(Horizontal), SmallWithText, or SmallWithoutText)

■

Grouping - Specifies whether commands under a drop-down are grouped
together using their assigned group names. (Yes or No)

Properties for Toolbars:
■

Default Display - Specifies whether the toolbar is displayed when in a CUIx
file that is loaded as a partial customization file. (Do Not Add to Workspaces
or Add to Workspaces)

■

Orientation - Specifies the location of the toolbar. (Floating, Top, Bottom,
Left, or Right)

■

Default X Location - Specifies the X location of the toolbar when floating.

■

Default Y Location - Specifies the Y location of the toolbar when floating.

■

Rows - Specifies the number of rows the items on the toolbar are displayed
in when the toolbar is floating.

Properties for a Separator on Ribbon Panels:
■

Separator Style - Specifies the style for the separator. (Line or Spacer)

382 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Properties for Screen Menus:
■

Start Line - Specifies where the first line of a submenu should be displayed.

■

Number of Lines - Specifies the number of lines that make up the screen
menu.

Access Controls the key combination assigned to a shortcut key.
■

Key(s) - Specifies the key combination assigned to a shortcut key.

■

KeyTip - Specifies the keytip character to access a command or control
from the ribbon.

Properties for Drop-downs on Quick Access Toolbars Ribbon Panels:
■

ToolTip Title - Specifies the alternate title for the tooltip of a drop-down
when its Behavior property is set to Drop Down Menu.

Resize Style
■

Hide Text - Specifies that the text is never removed.

■

Wrap - Specifies that the content does not wrap inside the panel.

■

Shrink - Specifies the width of Row Panel never decreases below the default
size.

Properties for Ribbon Fold Panels:
■

Default Size - Specifies the size of the panel contents in a floating panel.

■

Minimum Size - Specifies the smallest size each control in the panel
collapses.

■

Maximum Size - Specifies the largest size each control in the panel expands.

IMPORTANT Maximum Size must be greater than or equal to the Default Size,
and Default Size must be greater than or equal to Minimum Size.
Size Controls the size of a tablet menu.
■

Rows - Specifies the number of rows for a tablet menu.

■

Columns - Specifies the number of columns for a tablet menu.

Customize User Interface Editor | 383

Slide Specifies the slide library and slide to use for a command in an image
menu.
■

Slide library - Specifies the slide library for the slide used for the command
in an image menu.

■

Slide label - Specifies the slide to use for the command in an image menu.

Shortcut Controls the key combination and macros assigned to a temporary
override key.
■

Key(s) - Specifies the key combination for the temporary override.
Click the [..] button to display the Shortcut Keys dialog box. Click in the
Press New Shortcut Key text box and assign the desired key combination.

■

Macro 1 (Key Down) - Displays the macro to execute when the key
combination is pressed.

■

Macro 2 (Key Up) - Displays the macro to execute when the key
combination is released.

Command Displays the properties assigned to a command.
■

Name - Displays the name of the command. The name you enter is the
label or tooltip name displayed in the program.

■

Description - Displays the description for the command. The description
you enter is displayed in the status bar or in a tooltip.

■

Extended Help File - Displays the file name and ID from the extended help
file that should be displayed when the cursor continues to hover over a
toolbar, panel button, or menu item for a specified period of time.
Click the [..] button to display the Select Extended Help File dialog box.
Select a XAML file that contains tooltip definitions and then select the
tooltip content to display from the Select Help ID dialog box.

■

Command Display Name - Displays the command line text string that is
shown in the command tooltip.

■

Macro - Displays the macro assigned to a selected command. You can
create a macro or edit an existing macro.
Click the [..] button to display the Long String Editor dialog box and the
full contents of the macro.

■

Tags - Displays the user-defined keywords that are associated with a
command. Tags can be used to search for commands in the menu browser.
Click the [..] button to display the Tag Editor dialog box. Click the Tags
text box to add, modify or remove tags. Each tag must be separated by a

384 | Chapter 4 C Commands

comma and the total number of characters for all the tags and separators
cannot be more than 256 characters.
Advanced Displays the aliases and element IDs that you can define for each
user interface element.
■

Aliases - Specifies a unique value for a user interface element that is used
to programmatically reference the user interface element.
Click the [..] button to display the Aliases dialog box. Click in the text box
and edit the list of assigned aliases.

■

Object Name - Specifies the object type associated with a double click
action.

■

Element ID - Displays the tag that uniquely identifies a command or user
interface element.

Images Determines which images are assigned to a command when displayed
on a user interface element.
■

Small Image - Specifies the small image file to use when a command is
added to a toolbar, menu, or ribbon panel.

■

Large Image - Specifies the large image file to use when a command is
added to a toolbar or ribbon panel.

Quick Properties Pane
Displays a list of object types and the properties associated to the selected
object type.
Edit Object Type List Controls which object types are used with the Quick
Properties panel or rollover tooltips. Displays the Edit Object Type List dialog
box.
Object Type List Displays a list of the object types you can use with Quick
Properties panel or rollover tooltips.
General Displays the general properties that are available for all object types
in the Properties list.
Properties List Displays the properties for the selected object type or the
general properties available for all object types.
Reset Overrides Overrides the selected general properties for all object types.

Customize User Interface Editor | 385

Transfer Tab (Customize User Interface Editor)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Transfer and Migrate Customization

Transfers user interface elements to or from a main or partial customization
(CUIx) file, where your interface element data is stored.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ User Interface
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Interface

386 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Command entry: cui

Summary
You open a CUIx, CUI, MNS, or MNU file to import or export user interface
data. When you open CUI, MNU, or MNS files, they are not converted
automatically to a CUIx file format until you save the new file that is created.
The original CUI, MNU, or MNS file is not modified.

List of Options
Customizations In panes When you enter cuiimport at the Command prompt,
the main CUIx file is displayed (acad.cuix by default) in the right pane. You
open a CUIx or legacy customization file in the left pane to transfer data.
When you enter cuiexport at the Command prompt, the main CUIx file is
displayed in the left pane. You open another CUIx or legacy customization
file in the right pane to transfer data.

Button Editor Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Edit Custom Images for Commands

Modifies or creates custom images used for commands.

Button Editor Dialog Box | 387

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ User Interface
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Interface
Shortcut menu: Right-click any toolbar and click Customize
Command entry: cui

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Color Palette
Sets the current color used by the editing tools.
Standard Color Swatches Color swatches used to set of the standard 16 colors
current.
More Opens the Select Color dialog box.

Editing Tools
Provides tools for editing a custom image.
Pencil Edits one pixel at a time using the current color.
Line Creates lines using the current color. Click and drag to set the start point
and draw the line. Release to complete the line.
Circle Creates circles using the current color. Click to set the center and drag
to set the radius. Release to complete the circle.
Erase Sets pixels to white. Click and drag over colored pixels to change them
to white.

Editing Area
Provides a close-up view of the image for editing.

Preview
Displays a preview of the image currently being edited. The preview displayed
shows the actual size of the image.

Clear
Clears the editing area.

388 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Undo
Undoes the last editing action.

Grid
Displays a grid in the editing area. Each grid square represents a single pixel.

Save
Displays the Save Image dialog box, which allows you to save the customized
image to the working customization file.

Import
Imports an externally stored image for editing. Images are stored in the working
customization file as bitmap (BMP) files.

Export
Exports the customized image to an external local or network storage location.
NOTE When exporting an image, the Create File dialog box defaults to the folder
defined under Custom Icon Location of the Files tab in the Options dialog box.
Images that are located in this folder can be migrated with the Migrate Custom
Settings dialog box.

Image Manager Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Manage, Import, and Export Custom Images

Manages the images that are in the selected customization file.

Image Manager Dialog Box | 389

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ User Interface
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Interface
Shortcut menu: Right-click any toolbar and click Customize
Command entry: cui

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Loaded Customization Files List Lists the customization files that are
currently loaded.
Custom Images List Lists the images that are stored in the customization file
selected from the Loaded Customization Files list.
Import Imports an externally stored image into the selected customization
file from the Loaded Customization Files list.
Export Exports the selected custom images from the Custom Images list to
an external local or network storage location.

390 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Delete Permanently deletes the selected image from the Custom Images list
and the customization file.
Preview Displays a preview of the selected image in the Custom Images list.

Find and Replace Dialog Box - CUI
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Find and Replace Commands and Text in a CUIx File

Finds a search string in a command or command property in either the
Command List pane or the Available Customizations in  pane, or
replaces a search string with a new search string

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ User Interface
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Interface
Command entry: cui

Find and Replace Dialog Box - CUI | 391

Summary
Locates and replaces commands or command properties (command names,
descriptions, or macros). Use the Find tab to locate a specified text string, and
the Replace tab to locate and replace a specified text string.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Common
Find What Displays the search string you want to locate. If you select a
command in the Command List pane, this box displays that string. You can
also enter a string. Any previous strings entered in this box are stored in the
drop-down list.
Ignore Case Locates all commands or command properties regardless of their
case (for example, the program would search for both LINE and line).
Restrict Search To Limits the search to the CUIx file you select from the
drop-down list. By default, the main CUIx file (acad.cuix by default) is searched.
Find Next Locates the next instance of the search string in the Name,
Description, or Macros box in the Properties pane. If you search in the
Command List pane, only commands in the list are located. If you search in
the tree view in the Customizations In pane, the search starts in the tree view
and continues to the commands in the Command List pane.

Find Tab
Find Selected Command When a command is selected in the Command List
pane, locates the next interface element in the tree view that references the
selected command.

Replace Tab
Replace With Displays the string that will replace the string you searched for.
Replace Replaces a single instance of the search string. In the Customize User
Interface dialog box, the location of the search string is displayed in the
Command List pane, tree view, and Properties pane.
Replace All Replaces all instances where the search string is found. You cannot
undo this operation.

392 | Chapter 4 C Commands

CUIEXPORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Transfer and Migrate Customization

Exports customized settings from the main CUIx file to an enterprise or partial
CUIx file.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Export
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Export Customizations

Summary
Customization information can be transferred between the main and partial
CUIx files.
Opens with the Transfer Tab (Customize User Interface Editor) opened by
default. The main CUIx file (acad.cuix) is open in the left pane. You can drag
items from one CUIx file to the other. Click Apply to save the changes and
view the updated CUIx file.

CUIIMPORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Transfer and Migrate Customization

Imports customized settings from an enterprise or partial CUIx file to the main
CUIx file.

CUIEXPORT | 393

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Import
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Import Customizations

Summary
Customization information can be transferred between the main and partial
CUIx files.
Opens with the Transfer Tab (Customize User Interface Editor) opened by
default. You can drag items from one CUIx file to the other. Click Apply to
save the changes and view the updated CUIx file.

CUILOAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Manage Customization Files

Loads a CUIx file.

Summary
Opens the Load/Unload Customizations dialog box, where you can locate and
load a CUIx file to customize or transfer user interface settings.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (off), CUILOAD displays the following Command
prompt.
Enter name of customization file to load: Enter a file name
NOTE The Legacy Menu (MNS), Legacy Menu Template (MNU), and
Customization (CUI) files used in past releases have been replaced with just one
file type, the XML-based CUIx file.

394 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Load/Unload Customizations Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Manage Customization Files

Controls the display of customization groups and interface elements.

Access Methods
Command entry: cuiload

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Loaded Customization Groups
Lists the currently loaded customization files.
File Name
Specifies the file to load when you choose Load. You can either enter the file
name or choose Browse to display the Select Customization File dialog box (a
standard file selection dialog box).

Load/Unload Customizations Dialog Box | 395

Unload
Unloads the customization group selected in the Customization Groups list.
Load
Loads the file specified under File Name.
Browse
Displays the Select Menu File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box),
in which you can select a menu file to load.

CUIUNLOAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Manage Customization Files

Unloads a CUIx file.

Summary
Opens the Load/Unload Customizations dialog box, which has the same
options as CUILOAD. The only difference between the two commands is in
the Command prompts.
WhenFILEDIA is set to 0 (off), CUIUNLOAD displays the following Command
prompt.
NOTE The Legacy Menu (MNS), Legacy Menu Template (MNU), and
Customization (CUI) files used in past releases have been replaced with just one
file type, the XML-based CUIx file.

396 | Chapter 4 C Commands

CUSTOMIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Organize Tool Palettes

Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Tool Palettes
Shortcut menu: Right-click any tool palette and choose Customize Palettes.

Summary
The Customize dialog box is displayed.

Customize Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Organize Tool Palettes

Creates, modifies, and organizes tool palettes, tool palette groups, and block
authoring palettes. Imports and exports tool palette files.

CUSTOMIZE | 397

Access Methods
Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes
Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Tool Palettes
Shortcut menu: Right-click any tool palette and choose Customize Palettes.
Command entry: customize

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Palettes Lists all available tool palettes.
When you export a palette, it is saved to a file with an .xtp extension.
Right-click in the Palettes area to import a palette or to create a new, blank
one.
The shortcut menus also provide options to
■

Rename an existing palette

■

Create a new palette

■

Delete a tool palette

■

Export a tool palette (as an XTP file)

■

Import a tool palette

Palette Groups Displays the organization of your palettes in a tree view.

398 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Right-click a palette group, and then click Set Current on the shortcut menu
to display the palette group.
The shortcut menus also provide options to
■

Create a new palette group

■

Delete an existing palette group

■

Rename an existing palette group

■

Remove a tool palette from a group

■

Export a palette group (as an XPG file)

■

Export all palette groups (as an XPG file)

■

Import a palette group

NOTE You might need to collapse all palette groups to expose a blank area within
the Palette Groups area. Then, right-click in the blank area to display shortcut
menu options that are not specific to any existing palette groups.
Current Palette Group
Displays the name of the palette group currently shown. Displays All Palettes
when all available palettes are shown.

CUTCLIP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Windows Cut, Copy, and Paste

Copies selected objects to the Clipboard and removes them from the drawing.

Access Methods

Button

CUTCLIP | 399

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Clipboard panel ➤ Cut
Menu: Edit ➤ Cut
Toolbar: Standard
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Cut from Clipboard.

Summary
CUTCLIP copies selected objects to the Clipboard, removing them from the
drawing. You can paste the contents of the Clipboard into a document or
drawing as an embedded OLE object (see PASTECLIP and PASTESPEC).
CUTCLIP does not create OLE link information.
When you want to use objects from a drawing file in another application, you
can cut these objects to the Clipboard and then paste them into another
application. You can also use Cut and Paste to transfer objects between
drawings.

CVADD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Edit NURBS Surfaces

Adds control vertices to NURBS surfaces and splines.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Control Vertices panel ➤ Add
Menu: Modify ➤ NURBS Surface Editing ➤ Add CV
Toolbar: Surface Editing

Summary
Adds control vertices in the U or V direction, or adds points directly on a
surface or spline. This illustration shows a row of control vertices added in
the V direction.

400 | Chapter 4 C Commands

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select a NURBS surface or curve to add control vertices. Select a valid

NURBS surface or curve and press Enter.
Point Select a valid NURBS surface or curve and press Enter.
Insert Knots Turns off the display of control vertices and allows you to place

a point directly on a surface. This option only displays if you select a surface;
it does not display for splines.
Insert Edit Point Turns off the display of control vertices and allows you

to place a point directly on a spline. This option only displays if you select a
spline; it does not display for surfaces.
Direction Specifies whether to add control vertices in the U or V direction.

This option only displays if you select a surface; it does not display for splines.

CVHIDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Edit NURBS Surfaces

Turns off the display of control vertices for all NURBS surfaces and curves.

CVHIDE | 401

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Control Vertices panel ➤ Hide CV
Menu: Modify ➤ NURBS Surface Editing ➤ Hide CV
Toolbar: Surface Editing

Summary
Turns off the CV display for all NURBS objects.

CVREBUILD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Edit NURBS Surfaces

Rebuilds the shape of NURBS surfaces and curves.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Control Vertices panel ➤ Rebuild Surface
Menu: Modify ➤ Surface Editing ➤ NURBS Surface Editing ➤ Rebuild CV
Toolbar: Surface Editing

402 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Summary
If you have difficulties editing the control vertices or there are too many
control vertices, you can rebuild a surface or curve with less control vertices
in the U or V direction. CVREBUILD also allows you to change the degree of
the surface or curve.

If you select a surface, the Rebuild Surface dialog box on page 403 is displayed.
If you select a spline, the Rebuild Curve dialog box on page 405 is displayed.

Rebuild Surface Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves

■

CVREBUILD on page 402

Rebuilds the CV hull of a NURBS surface.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Control Vertices panel ➤ Rebuild Surface
Menu: Modify ➤ Surface Editing ➤ NURBS Surface Editing ➤ Rebuild CV

Rebuild Surface Dialog Box | 403

Toolbar: Surface Editing
Command entry: cvrebuild

Summary
Reshapes a NURBS surface by rebuilding the CV hull.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Control Vertices Count
Specifies the number of control vertices in the U and V directions.
In U Direction
Specifies the number of control vertices in the U direction. (REBUILDU on
page 2486 system variable)
In V Direction
Specifies the number of control vertices in the V direction. (REBUILDV on
page 2487 system variable)

Degree
Specifies the number of control vertices available per span. The higher the
number, the more complex the surface.
In U Direction
Specifies the degree of the NURBS surface in the U direction.
(REBUILDDEGREEU on page 2485 system variable)
In V Direction
Specifies the degree of the NURBS surface in the V direction.
(REBUILDDEGREEV on page 2485 system variable)

Options
Specifies the build options. (REBUILDOPTIONS on page 2486 system variable)
Delete Input Geometry
Specifies whether the original surface is retained along with the rebuilt surface.
(REBUILDOPTIONS on page 2486 system variable)
Retrim Previously Trimmed Surface
Specifies whether trimmed areas from the original surface are applied to the
rebuilt surface. (REBUILDOPTIONS on page 2486 system variable)

404 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Maximum Deviation
Displays the maximum deviation between the original surface and the new
one.

Rebuild Curve Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves

■

CVREBUILD on page 402

Rebuilds the shape of a NURBS curve.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Control Vertices panel ➤ Rebuild Surface
Menu: Modify ➤ Surface Editing ➤ NURBS Surface Editing ➤ Rebuild CV
Toolbar: Surface Editing
Command entry: cvrebuild

Summary
Changes the number of control vertices and the degree of a NURBS curve.
Rebuilding the curve changes its shape.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Curve Geometry Details
Control Vertices Count
Specifies the number of control vertices. (REBUILD2DCV on page 2483system
variable)
Degree
Specifies the degree of the NURBS curve. (REBUILD2DDEGREE on page 2483
system variable)

Options
Specifies the build options. (REBUILDOPTIONS on page 2486 system variable)

Rebuild Curve Dialog Box | 405

Delete input geometry
Specifies whether the original curve is retained along with the rebuilt curve.
(REBUILD2DOPTION on page 2484 system variable)

Maximum Deviation
Displays the maximum deviation between the original curve and the new
one.

CVREMOVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Edit NURBS Surfaces

Removes control vertices from NURBS surfaces and curves.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Control Vertices panel ➤ Remove
Menu: Modify ➤ NURBS Surface Editing ➤ Remove CV
Toolbar: Surface Editing

Summary
Removes control vertices in the U or V direction. This illustration shows a row
of control vertices deleted in the V direction.
NOTE The minimum number of control vertices that you can have on a surface
or curve is two in any direction. If you try to remove more, an error displays.

406 | Chapter 4 C Commands

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select a NURBS surface or curve to remove control vertices Select a

valid NURBS surface or curve and press Enter.
Point Specifies a valid NURBS surface or curve and press Enter.
Remove Knots Turns off the display of control vertices and allows you to

remove a point directly from the surface. This option only displays if you
select a surface; it does not display for splines.
Remove Edit Point Turns off the display of control vertices and allows you

to remove a point directly from the spline. This option only displays if you
select a spline, it does not display for surfaces.
Direction Specifies whether to remove control vertices in the U direction.

This option only displays if you have selected a surface; it does not display
for splines.

CVSHOW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Edit NURBS Surfaces

Displays the control vertices for specified NURBS surfaces or curves.

CVSHOW | 407

Access Methods
Ribbon: Surface tab ➤ Control Vertices panel ➤ Show CV
Menu: Modify ➤ NURBS Surface Editing ➤ Show CV
Toolbar: Surface Editing

Summary
Prompts you to select the NURBS surfaces and curves whose control vertices
you want to display. Non-NURBS surfaces do not have control vertices. You
can convert objects to NURBS surfaces with the CONVTONURBS command.

CYLINDER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid Cylinder

Creates a 3D solid cylinder.

Access Methods

Button

408 | Chapter 4 C Commands

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modeling panel ➤ Solid Primitives drop-down ➤
Cylinder
Menu: Draw ➤ Modeling ➤ Cylinder
Toolbar: Modeling

Summary
In the illustration, the cylinder was created using a center point (1), a point
on the radius (2), and a point for the height (3). The base of the cylinder is
always on a plane parallel with the workplane. You can control the smoothness
of curved 3D solids, such as a cylinder, in a shaded or hidden visual style with
the FACETRES system variable.

During a drawing session, the default value for the base radius is always the
previously entered base radius value.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify center point of base or [“3P”/“2P”/“Ttr”/“Elliptical”]: Specify a center
point or enter an option
Specify base radius or [Diameter] : Specify a base radius, or enter d to
specify a diameter, or press Enter to specify the default base radius value
Specify height or [“2Point”/“Axis endpoint”] : Specify a height, enter
an option, or press Enter to specify the default height value

3P (Three Points)
Defines the base circumference and base plane of the cylinder by specifying
three points.
2Point Specifies that the height of the cylinder is the distance between the
two specified points.
Axis Endpoint Specifies the endpoint location for the cylinder axis. This
endpoint is the center point of the top face of the cylinder. The axis endpoint
can be located anywhere in 3D space. The axis endpoint defines the length
and orientation of the cylinder.

CYLINDER | 409

2P (Two Points)
Defines the base diameter of the cylinder by specifying two points.
■

2Point on page 409

■

Axis Endpoint on page 409

TTR (Tangent, Tangent, Radius)
Defines the base of the cylinder with a specified radius tangent to two objects.
Sometimes more than one base matches the specified criteria. The program
draws the base of the specified radius whose tangent points are closest to the
selected points.
■

2Point on page 409

■

Axis Endpoint on page 409

Elliptical
Specifies an elliptical base for the cylinder.

Center Creates the base of the cylinder by using a specified center point.
■

2Point on page 409

■

Axis Endpoint on page 409

Diameter
Specifies the diameter for the base of the cylinder.

410 | Chapter 4 C Commands

■

2Point on page 409

■

Axis Endpoint on page 409

CYLINDER | 411

412

D Commands

5

DATAEXTRACTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Extract Data Using the Data Extraction Wizard

Extracts drawing data and merges data from an external source to a data
extraction table or external file.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

Summary
Exports object property, block attribute, and drawing information to a data
extraction table or to an external file, and specifies a data link to an Excel
spreadsheet

413

The Data Extraction wizard on page 414 is displayed.
If you enter -dataextraction at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
on page 444

Data Extraction Wizard
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Extract Data Using the Data Extraction Wizard

Provides step-by-step instructions for extracting information from objects,
blocks, and attributes, including drawing information in the current drawing
or a set of drawings.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

Summary
The information is used to create a data extraction table in the current drawing,
or is saved to an external file, or both.

List of Options
The Data Extraction wizard includes the following pages:
■

Begin on page 415

■

Define Data Source on page 416

■

Select Objects on page 417

414 | Chapter 5 D Commands

■

Select Properties on page 419

■

Refine Data on page 420

■

Choose Output on page 422

■

Table Style on page 423

■

Finish on page 425

Begin
Starts the data extraction process. Options include creating a new data
extraction, using a template, or editing an existing data extraction.

Create a New Data Extraction Creates a new data extraction and save it to
a DXE file. Also makes the Use a Previous Extraction as a Template button
available so you can select a data extraction template (DXE) file or attribute
extraction (BLK) file.
Use a Previous Extraction as a Template Uses settings previously saved in
a data extraction (DXE) file or an attribute extraction template (BLK) file. As
you move through the wizard, each page is already filled in with the settings
in the template file. You can change these settings. Click the [...] button to
select the file in a standard file selection dialog box.

Data Extraction Wizard | 415

Edit an Existing Data Extraction Allows you to modify an existing data
extraction (DXE) file. Click the [...] button to select the data extraction file in
a standard file selection dialog box.

Define Data Source
Specifies the drawing files, including folders from which to extract data. Allows
selection of objects in the current drawing from which to extract information.

Data Source
Drawings/Sheet Set Makes the Add Folder and Add Drawings buttons available
for specifying drawings and folders for the extraction. The drawings and folders
for the extraction are listed in the Drawing Files view.
Include Current Drawing Includes the current drawing in the data extraction.
The current drawing can be empty (not contain objects) if additional drawings
are selected for extraction.
Select Objects in the Current Drawing Makes the Select Objects in the
Current Drawing button available so you can select objects for data extraction.
Select Objects button Closes the wizard temporarily so that you select objects
and blocks in the current drawing.
Drawing Files and Folders Lists the selected drawing files or folders. Checked
folders are included in the extraction.

416 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Add Folder Displays the Add Folder Options dialog box on page 426, where
you can specify folders to include in the data extraction.
Add Drawings Displays the standard file selection dialog box, where you can
specify drawings to include in the data extraction.
Remove Removes the checked drawings or folders listed in the Drawing Files
and Folders list from the data extraction.
Settings Displays the Data Extraction - Additional Settings dialog box on page
427, where you can specify data extraction settings.

Folders Shortcut Menu
You can see the shortcut menu for Folders (and the drawings listed within the
selected folder) only after you explicitly add a folder using the Add Folder
button.
Edit Folder Settings Displays the Add Folder Options dialog box where you
can specify the folders to be used for data extraction. Drawings in the selected
folders are monitored for data changes.
Remove Removes the selected folder.
Check All Selects all the drawings listed below the selected folder.
Uncheck All Clears all the drawings listed below the selected folder.
Invert Selection Inverts the current selected items below the selected folder.

Select Objects
Specifies the types of objects (blocks and non-blocks) and drawing information
to be extracted.
Valid objects are checked by default. Objects that do not exist in the selected
drawing are not checked. Click the column head to reverse the sort order.
Columns can be resized. Property data from checked objects is displayed on
the Select Properties page.

Data Extraction Wizard | 417

Objects
Object Displays each object by its name. Blocks are listed by block name.
Non-blocks are listed by their object name.
Display Name Provides a place to enter an optional alternative name for an
object as it will appear in the extracted information. Select a display name,
right-click in the list, and click Edit Display Name.
Type Displays whether the object is a block or non-block.
Preview Displays a preview image of the checked block in the Object list view.

Display Options
Display All Object Types Displays a list of all object types (blocks and
non-blocks) in the Object list view. This option is selected by default.
Display Blocks Only Displays only blocks in the Object list view.
Display Non-Blocks Only Displays only those objects that are not blocks in
the Object list view.
Display Blocks with Attributes Only Displays only those blocks in the Object
list view that contain attributes. Dynamic blocks are listed if they have special
properties assigned to them (for example, actions and parameters).
Display Objects Currently In-Use Only Displays objects in the Object list
view that exist in the selected drawings.

418 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Select Properties
Controls the object, block, and drawing properties to extract.
Each row displays a property name, its display name, and category.
Right-click a column head and use options on the shortcut menu to check all
or clear all items, invert the selection set, or edit the display name. Click the
column head to reverse the sort order. Columns can be resized.

Properties
Property Displays object properties from objects selected on the page. The
property list is filtered according to the filter categories that are selected.
Properties are the same as those listed in the Properties palette.
Display Name Provides a place to enter an optional alternative name for a
property as it will appear in the extracted information. Select the property
display name, right-click in the list, and click Edit Display Name.
Category Displays a category for each property. For example, General designates
ordinary object properties, such as color or layer. Attribute designates
user-defined attributes. Dynamic designates user-defined property data for
dynamic blocks. Categories are the same as those listed in the Properties
palette.

Data Extraction Wizard | 419

Category Filter
Property Category List Displays a list of categories that are extracted from
the property list. Unchecked categories filter the Properties list. Categories
include 3D Visualization, Attribute, Drawing, Dynamic Block, General,
Geometry, Misc, Pattern, Table, and Text.

Property Grid Shortcut Menu
Check All Selects all the properties in the property grid.
Uncheck All Clears all the properties in the property grid.
Invert Selection Inverts the current checked items in the property grid.
Edit Display Name Allows in-place editing of the property display name for
the selected row.

Refine Data
Modifies the structure of the data extraction table. You can reorder and sort
columns, filter results, add formula columns and footer rows, and create a
link to data in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

Data Grid View
Columns Displays properties in a columnar format as they were specified in
the Select Properties page. Right-click any column header to display a shortcut
menu of options. The Count column and Name column display by default.

420 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Icons display in the column header for inserted formula columns and columns
extracted from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Combine Identical Rows Groups identical records by row in the table. Updates
the Count column with the sum of all aggregated objects.
Show Count Column Displays the Count column in the grid.
Show Name Column Displays the Name column in the grid.

Link External Data
Displays the Link External Data dialog box on page 430, where you can create
a link between the extracted drawing data and data in an Excel spreadsheet.

Sort Columns Options
Displays the Sort Columns dialog box on page 433, where you can sort data
across multiple columns.

Full Preview
Displays a full preview of the final output, including linked external data, in
the text window. The preview is for viewing only.

Column Shortcut Menu
Sort Descending Sorts column data in a descending order.
Sort Ascending Sorts column data in an ascending order.
Sort Column Options Displays the Sort Columns dialog box on page 433,
where you can sort data across multiple columns.
Rename Column Allows in-place editing of the selected column name.
Hide Column Hides the selected column.
Show Hidden Columns Displays the hidden column. The flyout option
includes Display All Hidden Columns.
Set Column Data Format Displays the Set Cell Format dialog box on page
436, where you can set a data type for cells in the selected column.
Insert Formula Column Displays the Insert Formula Column dialog box on
page 434, where you can specify the formula that is inserted into the table.
Inserts the formula column to the right of the selected column. An existing
formula column cannot be used as a value for another formula column.
Edit Formula Column Displays the Edit Formula Column dialog box on page
439. This option is only available when a formula column is selected.
Remove Formula Column Removes the selected formula column. This option
is only available when a formula column is selected.

Data Extraction Wizard | 421

Combine Record Mode Displays numeric data in the selected column as
separate values or collapses identical property rows into one row and displays
the sum of all the numeric data in the selected column. This option is available
when the Combine Identical Rows is checked and the selected column contains
numerical data.
Show Count Column Displays a Count column that lists the quantity of each
property.
Show Name Column Displays a Name column that displays the name of
each property.
Insert Totals Footer Displays a flyout menu with options for Sum, Max, Min,
and Average. Creates a footer row for the selected column that is placed below
all the data rows and displays values based on the selected arithmetic function.
This option is available only for columns that have a numeric data type.
Sum Displays a sum of all the values in the selected column in a footer row.
Max Displays the maximum value in the selected column in a footer row.
Min Displays the minimum value in the selected column in a footer row.
Average Displays the average value in the selected column in a footer row.
Remove Totals Footer Removes the Totals footer. This option is available
when a footer row exists.
Filter Options Displays the Filter Column dialog box on page 441, where you
can specify filter conditions for the selected column.
Reset Filter Restores the default filter for the selected column.
Reset All Filters Restores default filters for all columns that have filters.
Copy to Clipboard Copies all the data cells, including column names, to the
Clipboard.

Choose Output
Specifies the type of output to which the data is extracted.

422 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Output Options
Insert Data Extraction Table into Drawing Creates a table that is populated
with extracted data. You are prompted to insert the table into the current
drawing when you click Finish on the Finish on page 425 page.
Output Data to External File Creates a data extraction file. Click the [...]
button to select the file format in a standard file selection dialog box. Available
file formats are Microsoft Excel (XLS), comma-separated file format (CSV),
Microsoft Access (MDB), and tab-separated file format (TXT). The external file
is created when you click Finish on the Finish page.
The maximum number of columns that can be exported to an XLS and MDB
file is 255.

Table Style
Controls the appearance of the data extraction table. This page is displayed
only if AutoCAD Table is selected on the Choose Output page.

Data Extraction Wizard | 423

Table Style
Select the Table Style to Use for the Inserted Table Specifies the table style.
Click the Table Style button to display the Table Style Dialog Box on page 1908,
or select a table style from the drop-down list that is defined in the drawing.

Formatting and Structure
Use Table in Table Style for Label Rows Creates the data extraction table
with a set of top rows that contain label cells and a bottom set of label rows
that contain header and footer cells. Extracted data is inserted between the
top and bottom label rows. This option is only available when the selected
table style contains a template table.
Manually Setup Table Provides for manually entering a title and specification
of the title, header, and data cells style.
Enter a Title for Your Table Specifies a title for the table. This row is not
overwritten when the table is updated. The default table style, STANDARD,
includes a title row. If the selected table style does not include a title row, this
option is not available.
Title Cell Style Specifies the style for the title cell. Click the drop-down list
to select a title cell style defined in the selected table style.
Header Cell Style Specifies the style for the header row. Click the drop-down
list to select a cell style defined in the selected table style.

424 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Data Cell Style Specifies the style for data cells. Click the drop-down list to
select a cell style defined in the selected table style.
Use Property Names as Additional Column Headers Includes column headers
and uses the Display Name as the header row.

Display Preview
Displays a preview of the table layout. If the table style does not include a title
row or header row, none is displayed.

Finish
Completes the process of extracting object property data that was specified
in the wizard and creates the output type that was specified on the Choose
Output page. If data linking and column matching to an Excel spreadsheet
was defined in the Link External Data dialog box on page 430, the selected data
in the spreadsheet is also extracted.
If the Insert Data Extraction Table into Drawing option was selected on the
Choose Output page, you are prompted to insert the table into the drawing
when you click Finish.
If the Output Data to External File option was selected, the extracted data is
saved to the specified file type.

Data Extraction Wizard | 425

Add Folder Options Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Extract Data Using the Data Extraction Wizard

Specifies the folders to be used for data extraction.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II
Command entry: dataextraction

Summary
Drawings in the selected folders are monitored for data changes.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

426 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Folder
Displays the path to the specified folder.
Folder Button
Click the [...] button to select the folder in a standard file selection dialog box.

Options
Automatically Include New Drawings Added in this Folder to the Data
Extraction
Includes new drawings to the data extraction when they are added to the
folder. The New Drawings Found dialog box on page 429 displays when new
drawings are added. When this option is selected, the specified folders are
“live.” When this option is not selected, the folders are “static.”
Include Subfolders
Includes drawings in subfolders of selected folders in the data extraction
process.
Utilize a Wild-card Character to Select Drawings
Activates a text entry field where you can enter search criteria using wild-card
characters to select specific drawings.
Wild-Card field
Enter wild-card characters. Valid characters are * ? .

Data Extraction - Additional Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Extract Data Using the Data Extraction Wizard

Provides options for extracting objects in nested and xref blocks, options for
counting blocks, and whether all objects are extracted or only those in model
space.

Data Extraction - Additional Settings Dialog Box | 427

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II
Command entry: dataextraction

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Extraction Settings
Extract Objects from Blocks
Includes objects nested in blocks.
Extract Objects from Xrefs
Includes objects and blocks in externally referenced (xref) files.
Include Xrefs in Block Counts
Includes xrefs when counting blocks.

Extract From
Objects in Model Space
Includes only those objects in model space and ignores objects in paper space.

428 | Chapter 5 D Commands

All Objects in Drawing
Includes all objects in model space and paper space in the drawing, including
drawing information. On by default.

New Drawings Found Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Extract Data Using the Data Extraction Wizard

Displays a list of new drawings added to the folder selected for the data
extraction after the extraction was performed.

Access Methods

Button

New Drawings Found Dialog Box | 429

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Drawing Name Displays the name of the drawing that was added to the data
extraction folder.
Folder Displays the path and folder name for each new drawing.

Link External Data Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Link an Excel Spreadsheet to Access Data

Matches the extracted drawing data to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet through
a data link and data matching.

430 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Data Link
Choose the Source of the External Data
Displays a list of established links to an Excel spreadsheet.

Link External Data Dialog Box | 431

Data Link Manager Button
Displays the Data Link Manager on page 445, where you can specify a link to
a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

Data Matching
Drawing Data Column
Displays a list of extracted property columns.
External Data Column
Displays a list of column names from the linked data in the Excel spreadsheet.
Check Match
Compares the data in the specified drawing data key column and the external
data key column. If the data is unique across all rows in the external data key
columns, and there is at least one data match between the drawing data and
in data in the spreadsheet, a message displays the check key is successful. If
the check key is unsuccessful, a warning message is displayed.
Matching Options Provides two options for the Check Match function: Case
Sensitive and Ignore Prefix and Suffix White Space.
Case Sensitive
When Case Sensitive is selected, the case of the data is checked.
Ignore Prefix and Suffix White Space
Removes blank spaces in front of and after each data source before the check
matching process proceeds. When this option is clear, white spaces are
evaluated.
Learn About Data Matching Displays Understand Data Linking and Matching
topic in the User’s Guide.

Additional Columns for Data Table
Select External Data Columns to Include
Displays the column names in the order in which they appear in the
spreadsheet. Selected columns are linked to the drawing data through data
matching.
Use Top Row of External Data as Column Names
Uses the top row of data in the data link as the column name for the linked
data. Otherwise, column names are labeled “Column 1, Column 2” and so
on.

432 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Learn About Using External Data Displays the New Features Workshop.

Sort Columns Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Organize and Refine the Extracted Data

Specifies a sort order for columns.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Define Sort Order

Sort Columns Dialog Box | 433

Specifies the sort order of columns. The Column section contains column
names from the Refine Data page.
Add
Adds a new item of sorting criteria to the Column list.
Remove
Removes the currently selected sort criteria.
Move Up
Moves the selected item up in the list view.
Move Down
Moves the selected item down in the list view.

Insert Formula Column Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Organize and Refine the Extracted Data

Specifies the formula for the column that is inserted into the extracted data.

434 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Column Name
Specifies a name for the column that can be edited. Duplicate column names
cannot be used.
Formula
Displays the selected formula or functions that are available for QUICKCALC
on page 1588 and CAL on page 289.
Addition (+) Button
Adds the numerical data from one column to another.
Minus (-) Button
Subtracts the numerical data from one column to another.
Multiply (*) Button
Multiplies the numerical data from one column to another.
Division (/) Button
Divides the numerical data from one column to another.
Validate
Checks the validity of the specified equation. A formula column can only be
inserted when the formula is validated.
Columns

Insert Formula Column Dialog Box | 435

Displays the column names from the extracted drawing data and external
data (if data linking was established). Column names can be double-clicked
to be added to the Formula field or dragged from the Column list to the
Formula field. Existing formula columns are not listed and cannot be used as
values for creating additional formula columns.

Set Cell Format Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Organize and Refine the Extracted Data

Defines the formatting for cells in the table.

Access Methods

Button

436 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Data Type
Displays a list of data types (Angle, Date, Decimal Number, and so on) that
you can format for table rows.
Preview Displays a preview of the option you selected in the Format list.
Format Depending on the data type you select, displays a list of relevant
format types. For example, if you select Angle as the data type, Format includes
options such as Decimal Degrees, Grads, Radians, and so on.
Precision For Angle, Decimal Number, and Points data types only, sets the
precision for applicable formats. For example, if you select Angle as the data
type and Radians as the format type, Precision includes options such as Current
Precision, 0.0r, 0.00r, 0.000r, and so on.
List Separator For a Point data type only, displays a list of options (comma,
semicolon, or colon) that you can use to separate list items.
Symbol For Currency data types only, displays a list of currency symbols that
you can use.
Append Symbol For Currency data types, places the currency symbol after
the number. For Percentage data types, the percent symbol is placed after the
number.
Negative Numbers For Currency data types only, lists options for displaying
negative numbers.
X, Y, and Z Coordinates For Point data types only, filters X, Y, or Z
coordinates.
Additional Format For Angle, Decimal Number, Point, and Whole Number
data types only, opens the Additional Format dialog box on page 438, where
you set additional formatting options for table cells.
Examples For the Date data types only, displays a list of date display options
in the Format field. Click a date in the Format field to see an example.

Set Cell Format Dialog Box | 437

Additional Format Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Organize and Refine the Extracted Data

Provides additional formatting options for fields and table cells.

Access Methods
Menu: Format ➤ Data Extraction

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Current Value Displays the value in base drawing units.
Preview Displays updates to the format as you change the conversion factor
and other settings.
Conversion Factor Specifies the conversion factor to use on the current value.
The default is 1 for no conversion.

438 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Additional Text Specifies a prefix or a suffix for the value.
Number Separators Specifies a decimal separator and the formatting for
numbers over 1000.
■

Decimal
Specifies the separator for decimal values. Select a period, a comma, or a
space.

■

Thousands
Inserts a comma to group thousands in a field value.

Zero Suppression Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros, and
of feet and inches that have a value of zero.
■

Leading
Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal values. For example, 0.5000 becomes
.5000.

■

Trailing
Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal values. For example, 12.5000
becomes 12.5, and 30.0000 becomes 30.

■

0 Feet
Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches value when the distance
is less than one foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".

■

0 Inches
Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-inches value when the distance
is an integral number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.

Edit Formula Column Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Organize and Refine the Extracted Data

Displays the equation for the selected formula column.

Edit Formula Column Dialog Box | 439

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Column Name
Specifies a name for the column that can be edited.
Formula
Displays the existing formula or function.
Plus (+)
Adds the numerical data from one column to another.
Minus (-)
Subtracts the numerical data from one column to another.
Multiply (*)
Multiplies the numerical data from one column to another.

440 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Division (/)
Divides the numerical data from one column to another.
Validate
Checks the validity of the specified equation. A formula column can only be
inserted when the formula is validated.
Columns
Displays the column names from the extracted drawing data and external
data (if data linking was established). Column names can be double-clicked
to be added to the Formula field or dragged from the Column list to the
Formula field. Existing formula columns are not listed and cannot be used as
values for creating additional formula columns.

Filter Column Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Organize and Refine the Extracted Data

Filters column data by specifying filters.

Filter Column Dialog Box | 441

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Filter Based on the Following Conditions
Displays conditions based on the type of data in the selected column.
First Column
Specifies the first condition.
Second Column
Available when the specified filter uses two conditions.

442 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Filter Across These Values
Displays a list of values depending on the type of data being filtered. Filters
for numeric data include Greater than >, Equal To, Between, and so on. Filters
for textual data include Equal To, Not Equal To, Contains, and Begins With.

Data Extraction - Outdated Table Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Update Data Extraction Table Automatically

Offers options to update the data extraction table, update all tables, skip the
update, or skip all updates.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Extract Data
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

List of Definitions
The following options are displayed.
Update
Updates the data extraction table in the current drawing.
Update All
Updates all the data extraction tables.
Skip Update
Does not update the table.

Data Extraction - Outdated Table Dialog Box | 443

Skip All Updates
Does not update any tables.

-DATAEXTRACTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Extract Data Using the Data Extraction Wizard

Extracts data as specified in an existing attribute extraction template (BLK)
file created with the Attribute Extraction wizard in AutoCAD 2006 or data
extraction (DXE) file created in AutoCAD 2007.

Summary
If you enter -dataextraction at the Command prompt, prompts are displayed.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter the template file path for the extraction: type: Specify the path and file
name for the attribute extraction template (BLK) or data extraction (DXE) file that
describes how to extract the information
Subsequent prompts depend on the information set up in the template file.
If the template specifies extracting data to an external file, the following
prompts are displayed:
Enter the output filetype [Csv/Txt/Xls/Mdb] : Enter c for comma-separated
(CSV), t for tab-separated (TXT), x for Microsoft Excel (XLS), or m for Microsoft Access
(MDB)
Enter output filepath: Specify the names of the path and file where the data will be
extracted
NOTE The maximum number of columns that can be exported to an XLS and
MDB file is 255.
If the template specifies a table, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify insertion point:

444 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DATALINK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Link a Table to External Data

Displays the Data Link dialog box.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Linking & Extraction panel ➤ Data Link
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Links ➤ Data Link Manager

Summary
A table can be linked to data in a Microsoft Excel (XLS, XLSX, or CSV) file.
You can link to an entire spreadsheet, individual row, column, cell, or cell
range in Excel.
The Data Link Manager on page 445 is displayed.

Data Link Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Link a Table to External Data

Creates, edits, and manages data links.

DATALINK | 445

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Linking & Extraction panel ➤ Data Link
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Links ➤ Data Link Manager
Command entry: datalink

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Data Link Tree View
Displays links contained within the drawing. Also gives options for creating
new data links.
Excel Links
Lists the Microsoft Excel data links within the drawing. If the icon displays a
linked chain, then the data link is valid. If the icon displays a broken chain,
then the data link is broken.

446 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Create a New Excel Data Link Launches a dialog box where you enter the
name for a new data link. Once a name has been created, the New Excel Data
Link dialog box on page 447 is displayed.

Details
Lists information for the data link selected in the tree view above.

Preview
Displays a preview of the linked data as it would appear in the drawing table.
When a data link is not currently selected then no preview is displayed.

New Excel Data Link Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Link a Table to External Data

Links data from a spreadsheet created in Microsoft Excel to a table within your
drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Linking & Extraction panel ➤ Data Link
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Links ➤ Data Link Manager
Command entry: datalink

New Excel Data Link Dialog Box | 447

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

File
Specifies the file and file path from which to create a data link.
Choose an Excel File
Allows you to choose an established Microsoft XLS, XLSX, or CSV file to link
to your drawing. At the bottom of this drop-down list, you can select a new
XLS, XLSX, or CSV file from which to create a data link.
Click the [...] button to browse for another Microsoft Excel file on your
computer.
Path Type Determines the path that will be used to find the file specified
above. There are three path options: full path, relative path, and no path.
■

Full Path. Uses the full path of the file specified above, including the root
directory and all subdirectories that contain the linked Microsoft Excel
file.

■

Relative Path. Uses the file path relative to the current drawing file to
reference the linked Microsoft Excel file. To use a relative path, the linked
file must be saved.

■

No Path. Uses only the filename of the linked Microsoft Excel file for
referencing.

Link Options
Specifies the data in your Excel file to link to your drawing.

448 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Select the Excel Sheet to Link to
Displays the names of all sheets within the specified XLS, XLSX, or CSV file.
The link options specified below are applied to the sheet you choose here.
Link Entire Sheet
Links the entire specified sheet within your Excel file to a table in your drawing.
Link to a Named Range
Links a named range of cells already contained within your Excel file to a table
in your drawing.
Clicking the arrow displays the available named ranges found in the linked
spreadsheet.
Link to Range
Specifies a range of cells in your Excel file to link to a table in your drawing.
In the text box, enter the range of cells you want linked to your drawing. Valid
ranges include
■

Rectangular regions (for example, A1:D10)

■

Entire columns (for example, A:A)

■

Sets of columns (for example, A:D)

Click the button to the right of the text box to preview the linked range.

Preview Window
Displays a preview of your table using the options you have applied.

More Options
Displays more options. This button becomes available when you use an existing
Excel file or browse for a new one.

Cell Contents
Options in this box will determine how data is imported into your drawing
from your external source.
Keep Data Formats and Formulas
Imports data with formulas and supported data formats attached.
Keep Data Formats, Solve Formulas in Excel

New Excel Data Link Dialog Box | 449

Imports data formats. Data is calculated from formulas in Excel.
Convert Data Formats to Text, Solve Formulas in Excel
Imports Microsoft Excel data as text with data calculated from formulas in
Excel (supported data formats not attached).
Allow Writing to Source File
Specifies that the DATALINKUPDATE on page 450 command can be used to
upload any changes made to linked data in your drawing to the original
external spreadsheet.

Cell Formatting
Use Excel Formatting
Specifies that any formatting specified in the original XLS, XLSX, or CSV file
will be brought into your drawing. When this option is not selected, the table
style on page 1897 formatting specified in the Insert Table dialog box on page
1896 is applied.
Keep Table Updated to Excel Formatting
If the option above is selected, updates any changed formatting when the
DATALINKUPDATE on page 450 command is used.
Start With Excel Formatting, Do Not Update
Imports the formatting specified in the original XLS, XLSX, or CSV file into
your drawing, but any changes made to the formatting are not included when
the DATALINKUPDATE on page 450 command is used.

DATALINKUPDATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Link a Table to External Data

Updates data to or from an established external data link.

450 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Download from Source
Menu: Tools ➤ Data Links ➤ Update Data Links

Summary
Updates changes to linked data between a table in a drawing and an external
data file.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select an option [Update data link/Write data link] :

Update Data Link
Updates the linked data in a table in your drawing with data that has been
changed in the external source file.
Select Objects Updates selected tables containing data links with data that
has been changed in the external source file.
Data Link Specifies the name of a data link to update with data that has been
changed in the external source file.
Entering [?] lists the data links in the current drawing.
All Data Links Updates all data links in all tables in the drawing with data
that has been changed in the external source file.

Write Data Link
Annotate tab ➤ Tables panel ➤ Upload to Source
Updates the linked data in an external file with data that has been changed
in a table in your drawing.
A table that contains data links displays indicators around linked cells. If you
hover your cursor over the data link, information about the data link is
displayed.
Select Objects Uploads data that has been changed from the original linked
content to the source file.

DATALINKUPDATE | 451

DBCONNECT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Provides an interface to external database tables.

Access Methods
Menu: Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ dbConnect.

Summary
The dbConnect Manager is displayed and the dbConnect menu is added to
the menu bar.
The four primary interfaces (the dbConnect Manager, the Data View window,
the Query Editor, and the Link Select dialog box) are described first, followed
by descriptions of each additional dialog box presented in alphabetical order.
The Column Values dialog box, a sub-dialog box of the Query Editor, is
described in the Query Editor section. The section describing each dialog box
contains a list of methods that you can use to access it.
■

dbConnect Manager on page 453

■

Data View window on page 458

■

Query Editor on page 466

■

Column Values dialog box on page 474

■

Link Select dialog box on page 494

■

Configure a Data Source dialog box on page 474

■

Data View and Query Options dialog box on page 475

■

Export Links dialog box on page 478

■

Export Query Set dialog box on page 479

■

Export Template Set dialog box on page 479

■

Find dialog box on page 480

452 | Chapter 5 D Commands

■

Format dialog box on page 481

■

Import Query Set dialog box on page 482

■

Import Template Set dialog box on page 483

■

Label Template dialog box on page 484

■

Label Template Properties dialog box on page 489

■

Link Conversion dialog box on page 490

■

Link Manager on page 493

■

Link Template dialog box on page 498

■

Link Template Properties dialog box on page 499

■

New Label Template dialog box on page 500

■

New Link Template dialog box on page 501

■

New Query dialog box on page 502

■

Replace dialog box on page 503

■

Select a Database Object dialog box on page 504

■

Select Data Object dialog box on page 505

■

Sort dialog box on page 506

■

Synchronize dialog box on page 507

dbConnect Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Provides the primary interface for the connectivity feature.

dbConnect Manager | 453

Access Methods
Menu: Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ dbConnect.

Summary
You can view and edit database tables, execute structured query language
(SQL) queries, and link table records to graphical objects. By default, the
dbConnect Manager opens as a docked window on the left side of the drawing
area.
When you open the dbConnect Manager, a small red X is displayed in the
lower right corner of each database and data object. The X indicates that these
objects are currently unconnected. To connect to a database or data object,
double-click it in the dbConnect Manager.

List of Options
dbConnect Manager Buttons
Display and manipulate database objects.

View Table Opens an external database table in Read-only mode. This button
is not available unless a single table, link template, or label template is selected
in the tree view.
Edit Table Opens an external database table in Edit mode. This button is not
available unless a single table, link template, or label template is selected in
the tree view.

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Execute Query Executes a query. This button is not available unless a query
is selected in the tree view.
New Query Displays the New Query dialog box. This button is not available
unless a single table, link template, or query is selected. If a query is selected,
you can use this button to display the Query Editor, in which you can edit
the query.
New Link Template Displays the New Link Template dialog box. This button
is not available unless a single table or link template is selected. If a link
template is selected, you can use this button to display the Link Template
dialog box, in which you can edit the link template. Not available for link
templates with links already defined in a drawing.
New Label Template Displays the New Label Template dialog box. This
button is not available unless a single table, link template, or label template
is selected. If a label template is selected, you can use this button to display
the Label Template dialog box, in which you can edit the label template.

dbConnect Manager Tree View
Contains nodes for each drawing that's currently open and a Data Sources
node that contains all available data sources configured on your system.

Drawing Nodes Shortcut Menu
Provides options available for an open drawing. Right-click the node of an
open drawing.

Export Template Set Opens the Export Template Set dialog box, in which
you can save all link and label templates stored in the drawing to an external
file.
Import Template Set Opens the Import Template Set dialog box, in which
you can import a set of link and label templates that are stored in an external
file.
Export Query Set Opens the Export Query Set dialog box, in which you can
save all queries stored in the drawing to an external file. The exported query
set is saved with the file extension .dbq.
Import Query Set Opens the Import Query Set dialog box, in which you can
import a set of queries stored in an external file with the file extension .dbq.
Show Labels Turns on visibility of all labels in the selected drawing.

dbConnect Manager | 455

Hide Labels Turns off visibility of all labels in the selected drawing.
Reload Labels Refreshes the field values of the labels in the selected drawing,
updating them to reflect any changes made in the source database table.

Database Objects Shortcut Menu
Provides options available for database objects (such as link templates, label
templates, and queries) attached to the drawing nodes. Different database
objects have different subsets of menu options available to them. For example,
the shortcut menu options that are displayed when you right-click a query
differ from the options that are available when you right-click a link template.
The following shortcut menu options are available for various database objects.
View Table Opens an external database table in Read-only mode. Available
only for link templates.
Edit Table Opens an external database table in Edit mode. Available only for
link templates.
Edit Opens a dialog box in which you can edit the properties of the selected
database object. Available for link templates, label templates, and queries. Not
available for link templates with links already defined in the drawing.
Delete Deletes the selected database object. Available for link templates, label
templates, and queries.
Duplicate Makes a copy of the selected database object and inserts it in the
current drawing. Available for link templates, label templates, and queries.
Rename Opens a dialog box in which you can rename the selected database
object. Available for link templates, label templates, and queries. Not available
for link templates with links already defined in the drawing.
New Query Opens the New Query dialog box. Available only for link templates.
Link Select Opens the Link Select dialog box on page 494. Available only for
link templates.
New Label Template Opens the New Label Template dialog box. Available
only for link templates.
Show Labels Displays all labels that are associated with the selected database
object. Available for link templates and label templates.
Hide Labels Hides all labels that are associated with the selected database
object. Available for link templates and label templates.
Delete Links Deletes all links in the current drawing that use the selected link
template. Available only for link templates.

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Delete Labels Deletes all labels in the current drawing that use the selected
label template. Available only for label templates.
Synchronize Verifies that all links in the current drawing based on the selected
link template contain valid values. Any detected problems are reported in the
Synchronize dialog box. Available only for link templates.
Reload Refreshes the field values of all labels associated with the selected label
template in the current drawing, updating them to reflect any changes made
in the source database table. Available only for label templates.
Execute Executes the selected query. Available only for queries.
Delete Links Deletes all links in the current drawing that use the selected link
template. Available only for link templates.

Data Sources Node Shortcut Menu
Provides options available for data sources. Right-click the data sources node.

Configure Data Source Opens the Configure a Data Source dialog box where
you can configure a new data source or edit an existing one.

Data Objects Shortcut Menu
Provides options available for data objects. Right-click a data object (such as
a catalog or table) in the data sources node.
Connect Establishes a connection to the selected data object. Available for
data sources, catalogs, and schemas.
Disconnect Closes the connection to the selected data object. Available for
data sources, catalogs, and schemas.
Synchronize Opens the Synchronize dialog box. Available only for connected
data sources.
Configure Opens the Configure a Data Source dialog box where you can
configure a new data source or edit an existing one. Available only for
disconnected data sources.
View Table Opens the selected database table in Read-only mode. Available
only for tables.
Edit Table Opens the selected database table in Edit mode. Available only for
tables.

dbConnect Manager | 457

New Link Template Opens the New Link Template dialog box. Available only
for database tables.
New Label Template Opens the New Label Template dialog box. Available
only for database tables.
New Query Opens the New Query dialog box. Available only for database
tables.

Data View Window
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Provides the primary interface for viewing and editing external database tables
from within the program. You can open this dialog box using the following
methods:

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ View Data ➤ View External Table, Edit External
Table, View Linked Table, or Edit Linked Table. (Displays a dialog box in which
you can select a database table to open.)

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Toolbar: dbConnect Manager buttons ➤ Select a link template, a label
template, or a table from the dbConnect Manager and choose View Table or
Edit Table.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template or a database table in the
dbConnect Manager and choose View Table or Edit Table.
Pointing device: Double-click a database table or a link template in the
dbConnect Manager. Double-clicking a link template that has no links created
in the drawing it's associated with opens the Link Template dialog box. The
database table is opened in either Edit mode or Read-only mode, depending
on the dbConnect Settings specified on the System tab of the Options dialog
box. See OPTIONS on page 1314.

Summary
The Data View window displays records from the selected database table. The
Data View contains a set of buttons, a grid window for viewing and editing
records, and a set of navigation controls for navigating through the record
set. After you open the Data View window, the Data View menu is added to
the menu bar. You can specify whether the Data View window can be docked
or anchored by right-clicking the title bar and choosing an option from the
shortcut menu.
The appearance of the Data View window is governed by your computer's
system settings, and it can be changed in the Windows Control Panel. Text
in the cells is displayed using the system window text color. If the database
table is opened in Read-only mode, the cell background is shown using the
system 3D objects button shade color (light gray by default). If it is opened
in Edit mode, the cell background is shown using the system window color
(white by default). When a cell is selected, it is shown using the systemselected items background and text colors.

List of Options
Data View Buttons
Create links and display linked records and graphical objects.

Link
Links the currently selected database table row or rows to one or more graphical
objects. The link and, if desired, the label from the currently selected link and
label templates are created in the Data View window. To change the current
link creation setting, choose the Link and Label Settings button. Three distinct
link methods are available:
Link Creates a link to one or more graphical objects without creating a
corresponding label. If the current drawing has a selection set already
established, a link is created for each object in the selection set. If the current

Data View Window | 459

drawing does not have a current selection set, you are prompted to select
objects to link to.
Create Freestanding Label Creates a freestanding label that isn't associated
with a graphical object. You are prompted to specify an insertion point for
the label.
Create Attached Label Creates a link to one or more graphical objects and
creates a corresponding label. If the current drawing has a selection set already
established, a link is created for all objects in the selection set. If the current
drawing does not have a current selection set, you are prompted to select
objects to link to.

View Linked Objects in Drawing
Selects graphical objects in the current drawing that are linked to the currently
selected Data View row or rows.

View Linked Records in Table
Selects records in the Data View window that are linked to the current selection
set of graphical objects.

AutoView Linked Objects in Drawing
Displays linked objects automatically in the current drawing as you select
rows from the database table.

AutoView Linked Records in Table
Displays linked records automatically in the Data View window as you select
graphical objects in the current drawing.

Print Data View
Prints the contents of the Data View window to the current Microsoft
®
Windows system printer.

®

Data View and Query Options
Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box, in which you can specify
a number of settings that affect the interaction and display of linked objects
in the Data View window and the current drawing.

Query, Return to Query, and Return to Link Select
Opens either the New Query dialog box, the Query Editor, or the Link Select
dialog box, depending on the method used to open the Data View window.
If the Data View window was opened to view or edit a database table, this
button's tooltip is Query, and choosing it opens the New Query dialog box.
If the Data View window was opened to return the results of a query, this
button's tooltip is Return to Query, and choosing it returns you to the Query
Editor. If the Data View window was opened to return the results of a Link

460 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Select operation, this button's tooltip is Return to Link Select, and choosing
it returns you to the Link Select dialog box.

Link Template List
Creates a new link template, or specifies a link template from those that are
defined for the open table. The selected link template is applied when you
create new links in the current drawing. To create a new link template, select
the New Link Template option from the Link Template list, and then choose
the Link button flyout.

Label Template List
Creates a new label template, or specifies a label template from those that are
defined for the currently selected table. The selected label template is applied
when you create new labels in the current drawing. To create a new label
template, select the New Label Template option from the Label Template list
and choose either the Create Freestanding Label or the Create Attached Label
button flyout. If there is no link template defined for the selected database
table in the current drawing, the New Link Template dialog box is displayed.

Data View Grid Window
Displays a subset of the records from a database table. You can select records
by clicking the following elements:
■

Column header: Selects all records in that column. Double-clicking a column
header sorts its records in ascending order. Double-clicking a column
header a second time sorts its records in descending order.

■

Record header: Selects an individual record. Double-clicking a record header
selects any graphical objects that the record is linked to in the drawing
area.

■

Grid cell: Selects one field of a given record. Double-clicking a cell selects
it for editing.

■

Grid header: Selects the entire table. Double-clicking the grid header commits
any changes made during an editing session and closes the Data View
window.

Data View Window | 461

Column Shortcut Menu
Displays the following options when you right-click one or more selected
column headers.
Sort Opens the Sort dialog box, in which you can select a combination of up
to five columns to use in specifying a sort order for the Data View.
A small triangle in the column header indicates that the data is sorted by that
column.
Hide Removes all selected columns from the Data View display.
Unhide All Restores all hidden columns to the Data View display. Available
only if you have hidden one or more columns.
Freeze Freezes all selected columns so that they do not scroll when you use
the horizontal scroll bar. Available only if the selected columns are contiguous.
Unfreeze All Unfreezes all frozen columns so that they scroll when you use
the horizontal scroll bar. Available only if you have frozen one or more
columns.
Align Aligns the current column. Standard right-aligns numeric fields and
left-aligns all others, Left left-aligns the column cells, Center center-aligns the
cells, and Right right-aligns the cells.
Find Opens the Find dialog box, which you can use to search for a specific
value. Find is limited to the values stored in the currently selected column.
Replace Opens the Replace dialog box, which you can use to search for a
specific value to overwrite with a replacement value that you specify. Replace
is limited to the values stored in the currently selected column. Available only
for database tables that are opened in Edit mode.

Cell Shortcut Menu
Displays the following options when you right-click the selected cell.
View Linked Objects Indicates graphical objects in the current drawing that
are linked to the selected database record.
Link Links the current row to a graphical object. The link and, if desired, the
label from the currently selected link and label templates are created in the
Data View. You can specify whether a link, a freestanding label, or an attached
label is created by changing the settings from the Link and Label Settings cell
shortcut menu option.
Link and Label Settings Lists the currently selected link creation mode. You
can specify whether a link, a freestanding label, or an attached label is created
when the Link shortcut menu option is chosen.

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Find Opens the Find dialog box, which you can use to search for a specific
value. The Find shortcut menu option limits its search to records contained
in the same column as the currently selected cell.
Replace Opens the Replace dialog box, which you can use to search for a
specific value to overwrite with a replacement value that you specify. Replace
limits its search to records contained in the same column as the currently
selected cell. Available only for database tables that are opened in Edit mode.
Edit Enables you to change the value of the currently selected cell. Available
only for database tables that are opened in Edit mode.
Cut Clears the current cell and copies its value to the Clipboard. Available
only for database tables that are opened in Edit mode.
Copy Copies the value from the current cell to the Clipboard.
Paste Inserts the value currently stored on the Clipboard into the selected
cell. Available only for database tables that are opened in Edit mode.
Clear Deletes the value in the current cell. Available only for database tables
that are opened in Edit mode.

Record Shortcut Menu
Displays the following options when you right-click one or more selected
record headers.
View Linked Objects Indicates graphical objects in the current drawing that
are linked to the selected database records.
Link Links the selected row or rows to one or more graphical objects. The link
and, if desired, the label from the currently selected link and label templates
are created in the Data View window. You can specify whether a link, a
freestanding label, or an attached label is created by choosing the Link and
Label Settings shortcut menu option.
Link and Label Settings Lists the currently selected link creation mode. You
can specify whether a link, a freestanding label, or an attached label is created
when the Link shortcut menu option is chosen.
Copy Copies the selected records to the Clipboard.
Delete Record Deletes the selected records. Available only for database tables
that are opened in Edit mode.
Add New Record Adds a new record with blank field values to the end of the
record set. Available only for database tables that are opened in Edit mode.

Data View Window | 463

Clear All Marks Clears record selection marks from the selected records in
the Data View window.

Grid Header Shortcut Menu
Displays the following options when you right-click the grid header.
Commit Saves all changes made in the Data View window to the source
database table and closes the Data View window. Available only when a
database table is open in Edit mode and you have edited its values.
Restore Undoes any changes made to a database table during an editing session
and closes the Data View window. Available only when a database table is
open in Edit mode and you have edited its values.
Unhide All Columns Restores any hidden columns to the Data View window
display.
Unfreeze All Columns Unfreezes any frozen columns so that they scroll when
you use the horizontal scroll bar.
Clear All Marks Clears all record selection marks from the Data View window.
Print Preview Opens the Print Preview window in the Data View window, in
which you can preview your printed report.
Print Prints the contents of the Data View window to the current Windows
system printer.
Format Opens the Format dialog box, in which you can control how data is
displayed in the Data View window.

Navigation Controls
Cycle quickly through the records in the Data View window. The following
controls are available:
First Button Selects the first record.
Previous Button Selects the previous record.
Next Button Selects the next record.
Last Button Selects the last record.

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Data View Print Preview Window
Loads into the Data View window a preview image of how the current table
appears when you print it. When the Data View window is in Preview mode,
none of the primary Data View buttons is available and the navigation buttons
are removed from the bottom of the window. You can open this dialog box
using the following methods:
Data View ➤ Print Preview
Right-click the grid header in the Data View window and choose Print Preview.

Print Opens the default system Print dialog box.
Next Page Presents a preview image of the next page of the database table.
Prev Page Restores the preview image of the previous page of the database
table.
Two Page Toggles the display between one and two preview pages. If you
choose Two Page, the name of the button changes to One Page and vice versa.
Zoom In Magnifies the preview page so that you can view the details more
closely.
Zoom Out Shrinks the preview page to display a larger region of the database
table.
Close Closes the Data View Print Preview window and restores the default
Data View window display.

Data View Window | 465

Query Editor
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Consists of a series of tabs that you can use to build and execute queries.

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Queries ➤ New Query on an External Table, New
Query on a Link Template, or Edit Query. (Displays a dialog box in which you
can select a database object to query.)
Toolbar: dbConnect buttons ➤ Select a database table or a link template
in the dbConnect Manager and choose the New Query button.
Toolbar: Data View buttons ➤ Choose the Query or Return to Query
button in the Data View window.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a database table or link template in the
dbConnect Manager and choose New Query, or right-click a query and choose
Edit.

Summary
If you are creating a new query, the New Query dialog box is displayed first.
■

Quick Query on page 467

■

Range Query on page 468

■

Query Builder on page 469

■

SQL Queries on page 472

466 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Quick Query Tab (Query Editor)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Develops simple queries based on a single database field, single operator, and
single value.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Field
Lists the fields from the current database table, from which you can select one
to apply to the query.
Operator
Displays a list of available operators that can be applied to the query. For
information about operators, see “Construct Simple Queries” in the User's
Guide.
Value
Specifies a value for the field that you are using to construct your query.
Look Up Values

Query Editor | 467

Returns a list of all values for the specified field from the database table in the
Column Values dialog box, from which you can select the value you want.
Indicate Records in Data View
Indicates records that match your search criterion in the Data View window.
Indicate Objects in Drawing
Indicates linked objects that match your search criterion in the current
drawing.
Execute
Issues the finished query and closes the dialog box.
Close Closes the dialog box without issuing the query.
Store
Saves the query with the current drawing.
Options
Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box.

Range Query Tab (Query Editor)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Constructs a query that returns all records or objects that fall within a given
range of values.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Field Lists the fields from the current database table, from which you can
select one to apply to the query.
From
Specifies the first value of the range. The query returns all records or graphical
objects that are greater than or equal to this value.

468 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Look Up Values (From, Through)
Returns a list of all values for the specified field from the database table in the
Column Values dialog box, from which you can select the value you want.
Through
Specifies the second value of the range. The query returns all records or
graphical objects that are less than or equal to this value.
Indicate Records in Data View Indicates records that match your search
criterion in the Data View window.
Indicate Objects in Drawing Indicates linked objects that match your search
criterion in the current drawing.
Execute Issues the finished query and closes the dialog box.
Close Closes the dialog box without issuing the query.
Store Saves the query with the current drawing.
Options Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box.

Query Builder Tab (Query Editor)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Constructs queries based on multiple search criteria. You can also group criteria
parenthetically, select which fields to display in the returned query, and specify
a sort order for the fields.

Query Editor | 469

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Query Builder Grid
Provides a space for you to construct queries based on multiple search
parameters.
Parenthetical Grouping Groups a series of search criteria by bracketing them
within parentheses. You can nest up to four sets of parentheses within a single
statement. To insert a beginning parenthesis, click in the cell to the left of the
first Field cell that you want to group. To insert an end parenthesis, click in
the cell to the right of the last Value cell that you want to group.
Field Provides a space where you can select the field or fields to include in
your query. Double-click in the Field cell of the current row to display a list
of available fields from the current database table that you can use in
constructing your query. To add an additional parameter, specify an operator
and a value for the current row and then select the Logical cell.
Operator Provides a space where you can select an operator to apply to the
query condition of the current row. Double-click in the Operator cell to display
a list of operators that you can use in constructing your query.
Value Provides a space where you can specify a value for the query condition
of the current row. Click in the Value cell and enter a value, or choose the [...]
button to retrieve a list of available values for the selected field in the Column
Values dialog box.
Logical Provides either an And or an Or operator to the query statement.
Click in the Logical cell to add an And value. To change the value to Or, click
in the Logical cell again.

470 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Fields in Table
Displays a list of available fields from the current database table, from which
you can specify the fields to display in the Data View window when the query
is executed. If you don't specify any fields to display, the query displays all
fields from the database table. Double-clicking in a field in this list or selecting
a field and choosing Add (Show Fields) adds the field to the list of those that
are displayed in the Data View window by the returned query. You can also
drag fields to add them to the Show Fields and Sort By areas.

Show Fields
Specifies the fields that are displayed in the Data View window when the query
is executed. To remove a field from this list, drag it from the list to any area
on the Query Builder tab.

Add (Show Fields)
Adds a field to include in the Data View window display of the returned query.
To add a field, select it in the Fields in Table list window and then choose
Add.

Sort By
Specifies a sort order for the returned query. The first field added to the Sort
By list is the primary sort. To change the sort order for a field, drag the field
to a new location in the Sort By list. By default, fields are added to the Sort
By list in an ascending sort order. To apply a descending sort, select a field and
choose the Ascending/Descending Sort button, or double-click in the field.
To remove a field, drag it from the list to any area on the Query Builder tab
or select the field and press DELETE.

Add (Sort By)
Adds a field to the Sort By list. To add a sort field, select it in the Fields in
Table list window and then choose Add. Repeat for additional fields that you
want to apply to the sort.

Ascending/Descending Sort
Reverses the sort order for the currently selected field. If an ascending sort
order is currently applied, choosing this button reverses the sort to descending
order, and vice versa.

Indicate Records in Data View
Indicates records that match your search criteria in the Data View window.

Indicate Objects in Drawing
Indicates linked objects that match your search criteria in the current drawing.

Execute
Issues the finished query and closes the dialog box.

Query Editor | 471

Close
Closes the dialog box without issuing the query.

Store
Saves the query with the current drawing.

Options
Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box.

SQL Query Tab (Query Editor)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Constructs any query statement that conforms with the SQL 92 protocol. The
SQL Query tab provides both a query editor text box where you can type a
free-form SQL statement and a set of tools to assist you in constructing your
query. As not all database management systems are fully compliant with the
SQL 92 standard, you should review your system's documentation to see what
SQL commands are valid for your particular database.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
SQL Text Editor

472 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Provides a space for you to type a free-form SQL query or add elements that
you select using the various SQL Query tools.
Table
Lists all database tables that are available in the current data source. You can
add database tables to the SQL text editor by double-clicking them, by selecting
them and choosing Add in the Table area, by dragging them from the Table
list to the SQL text editor, or by entering their names directly in the SQL text
editor.
Add (Table)
Adds the currently selected database table to the SQL text editor.
Fields Displays a list of the fields in the selected database table. You can add
fields to the SQL text editor by double-clicking them, by selecting them and
choosing Add in the Fields area, or by dragging them from the Fields list to
the SQL text editor.
Add (Fields)
Adds the selected field to the SQL text editor.
Operator Displays a list of operators that you can apply to your query.
Add (Operator)
Adds the selected operator to the SQL text editor.
Values Specifies a value for the selected field.
Add (Values)
Adds the value specified in the Values area to the SQL text editor.
[...] Button Returns a list of available values for the specified field from the
selected database table in the Column Values dialog box, from which you can
select a value to apply to the query.
Indicate Records in Data View Indicates records that match your search
criteria in the Data View window.
Indicate Objects in Drawing Indicates linked objects that match your search
criteria in the current drawing.
Execute Issues the finished query and closes the dialog box.
Close Closes the dialog box without issuing the query.
Store Saves the query with the current drawing.

Query Editor | 473

Check
Checks your SQL query for proper syntax without actually executing it. This
function helps you isolate syntax errors before you issue your query.
Options Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box.

Column Values Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Lists values for the selected database column; you can select a value to apply
to the current operation.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Column Values
Lists all values for the selected database column. Select a value from the list
and choose OK to apply it to the current operation. If you are constructing a
query using the In operator, you can add additional values to the query by
pressing the Ctrl or Shift key as you select values.

Configure a Data Source Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Configures an external database so it can be accessed from the program.

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Data Sources ➤ Configure

474 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Shortcut menu: Right-click the Data Sources node and choose Configure
Data Source.

Summary
For detailed information about configuring a particular database system, refer
to “Configure External Databases” in the Driver and Peripheral Guide.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Data Source Name
Specifies a name for the OLE DB data source that you are configuring.
Data Sources
Lists all OLE DB data sources configured for use with the program that are
present on your system.
OK Opens the Microsoft Data Links Properties dialog box, in which you can
continue configuring your data source.

Data View and Query Options Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Controls a number of settings related to the display of linked records and
objects and the processing of SQL queries.

Data View and Query Options Dialog Box | 475

Access Methods
Toolbar: Data View buttons
Menu: Data View ➤ Options. (The Data View menu is available only if
you currently have a database table open in the Data View window.)

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

AutoPan and Zoom
Control how linked objects are displayed in the current drawing when you
select their corresponding records in the Data View window.
Automatically Pan Drawing
Pans the drawing automatically to display objects that are associated with the
current selection set of Data View records.
Automatically Zoom Drawing
Zooms the drawing automatically so that all objects associated with the current
record set are displayed.
Zoom Factor
Specifies a zoom factor that limits the size of the extents of the indicated object
set to a defined percentage of the drawing area. The available range is 20 to
90 percent with a default value of 50 percent. A value of 50 percent means
that either the height of the extents is 50 percent of the height of the window,
or the width of the extents is 50 percent of the window, whichever value is
less.

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Record Indication Settings
Control the appearance of linked records in the Data View window when their
corresponding objects are selected in the current drawing.
Show Only Indicated Records
Displays in the Data View window only the record set that is associated with
the current selection set. Any records not linked to the current drawing
selection set are not displayed.
Show All Records, Select Indicated Records
Displays all records in the current database table. All records that are linked
to the current selection set are selected in the Data View window.
Mark Indicated Records
Applies a marking color to linked Data View records to clearly differentiate
them from records without links.
Marking Color
Specifies the marking color to apply to linked Data View records. The default
color is yellow.

Query Options
Specify options for SQL query processing.
Send as Native SQL
Issues queries to database tables in the format of the source table rather than
SQL 92 format. You can use this option to issue proprietary commands in
native database format.
Automatically Store
Automatically stores queries when they are executed with the current drawing.

Accumulate Options
Control the accumulation of selection and record sets.
Accumulate Selection Set in Drawing
Adds additional objects to the selection set as you select additional Data View
records. If this option is cleared, the current drawing indicates a new set of
objects each time you select a new set of Data View records.
Accumulate Record Set in Data View

Data View and Query Options Dialog Box | 477

Adds additional records to the record set as you select additional graphical
objects. If this option is cleared, the Data View window indicates a new set of
records each time you select a new set of graphical objects.

Export Links Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Exports a set of links that are associated with a selection set of graphical objects.

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Links ➤ Export Links

Summary
If more than one link template exists for the set of graphical objects that you
select, the Select a Database Object dialog box is displayed, in which you can
select a link template whose links you want to export.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Include Fields
Specifies the database table fields to export. The key fields for the selected link
template are included automatically. The handle of the object that each link
is associated with is also exported.

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File Name Specifies a name for the exported link file.
Save as Type Specifies the file format for the exported links. You can save the
file in the native database format of the current database table or as a
comma-delimited or space-delimited text file.
Link Template Name
Displays the name of the link template whose links you're exporting.

Export Query Set Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Exports a set of queries that are associated with the current drawing.

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Queries ➤ Export Query Set
Shortcut menu: In the dbConnect Manager, right-click the drawing node
of a drawing that contains one or more queries and choose Export Query Set.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
File Name Specifies a name for the query set.
Save as Type Specifies the file format for the query set. Query sets are always
saved with the .dbq file extension.

Export Template Set Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Export Query Set Dialog Box | 479

Exports a set of link templates and label templates that are associated with
the current drawing.

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Templates ➤ Export Template Set
Shortcut menu: In the dbConnect Manager, right-click the drawing node
of a drawing that has one or more templates defined and choose Export
Template Set.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
File Name Specifies a name for the template set.
Save as Type Specifies the file format for the template set. Template sets are
always saved with the .dbt extension.

Find Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Searches for specified text or a numeric value in the currently loaded Data
View table.

Access Methods
Menu: Data View ➤ Find. (The Data View menu is available only if you
currently have a database table open in the Data View window.)
Shortcut menu: Right-click a record header or a single cell in the Data View
window and choose Find.

Summary
The search is limited to a single table column. It is not possible to conduct a
global search that scans all columns in the table.

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List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Find What Specifies the value to search for.
Match Case Searches for the exact value, including case, of what you enter
in Find What. If this option is cleared, the program searches for the value
regardless of case.
Find Next Finds the next occurrence of the value that you're searching for.
Direction Toggles the direction that the program searches for the specified
value in the Data View window.

Format Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Controls how database table records are displayed in the Data View window.

Access Methods
Menu: Data View ➤ Format. (The Data View menu is available only if
you currently have a database table open in the Data View window.)
Shortcut menu: Right-click the grid header in the Data View window and
choose Format.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Font
Specifies the font style that is applied to the current Data View table.
Font Style
Specifies a style to apply to the current font. The available options are Normal,
Italic, Bold, Bold Italic, Not Bold, and Not Italic.
Size

Format Dialog Box | 481

Specifies the size in points that is applied to the current font.
Effects
Applies additional formatting to the Data View window on page 458 display.
Strikeout draws a line through the center of all column data. Underline applies
an underline to all column data. Color applies a color to all column data.
Sample
Displays how the current Format option values look when applied to the Data
View window.
Script
Specifies the script that is applied to the current font.

Import Query Set Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Imports a set of queries into the current drawing.

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Queries ➤ Import Query Set
Shortcut menu: Right-click a drawing node in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Import Query Set.

Summary
If the query set contains a name that matches a query in the current drawing,
an alert box is displayed, and you can enter a different name for the query.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Look In Specifies the directory where the query set is located.
File Name Specifies the name of the query set to import.

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Files of Type Specifies the file extension of the query set that you're importing.
Query sets always have the .dbq extension.

Import Template Set Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Imports a set of link templates and label templates into the current drawing.

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Templates ➤ Import Template Set
Shortcut menu: Right-click a drawing node in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Import Template Set.

Summary
If the template set contains a link or label template with a name that matches
a template in the current drawing, an alert box is displayed where you can
enter a different name for the template.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Look In Specifies the directory where the template set is located.
File Name Specifies the name of the template set to import.
Files of Type Specifies the file extension of the template set that you're
importing. Template sets always have the .dbt extension.

Import Template Set Dialog Box | 483

Label Template Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Applies formatting to labels.

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Templates ➤ New Label Template. Select a link
template in the Select a Database Object dialog box and choose Continue.
Toolbar: dbConnect Manager buttons ➤ Select a database table, link
template, or label template and choose the New Label Template button. If a
label template is selected, the program opens the Label Template dialog box
without first displaying the New Label Template dialog box.
Toolbar: Data View buttons ➤ Choose New Label Template from the
Label Template list, and then choose either the Create Freestanding Label or
the Create Attached Label button flyout. If there is no link template defined
for the selected database table in the current drawing, the program displays
the New Link Template dialog box.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template or a database table in the
dbConnect Manager and choose New Label Template.
Pointing device: Double-click a label template in the dbConnect Manager.
This method opens the Label Template dialog box directly without first
displaying the New Label Template dialog box.

Summary
Before the Label Template dialog box opens, the New Label Template dialog
box is displayed, in which you can name the label template.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Character Tab
Controls character formatting for text that is entered at the keyboard or
imported.

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Font Specifies a font for new text or changes the font of selected text.
Height Sets the character height in drawing units for new text or changes the
height of selected text. The default value is based on the current text style. If
the current text style has no fixed height, the text height is the value stored
in the TEXTSIZE on page 2552 system variable.
Bold Turns bold formatting on and off for new or selected text. This option
is available only for characters using TrueType fonts.
Italic Turns italic formatting on and off for new or selected text. This option
is available only for characters using TrueType fonts.
Underline Turns underlining on and off for new or selected text.
Undo Undoes actions, including changes to either text content or text
formatting. You can also use Ctrl+Z.
Redo Redoes actions, including changes to either text content or text
formatting. You can also use Ctrl+Y.
Stack, Unstack Creates stacked text, for example, fractions, if the selected
text contains stack characters. Also, unstacks text if stacked text is selected.
When the stack characters, carat (^), forward slash (/), and pound sign (#), are
used, the text to the left of the stack character is stacked on top of the text to
the right.
By default, text that contains a carat converts to left-justified tolerance values.
Text that contains the forward slash converts to center-justified fractional
numbers; the slash is converted to a horizontal bar the length of the longer
text string. Text that contains the pound sign converts to a fraction separated
by a diagonal bar the height of the two text strings. The characters above the
diagonal fraction bar are bottom-right aligned; the characters beneath the
diagonal bar are top-left aligned.
Text Color Specifies a color for new text or changes the color of selected text.
You can assign text the color associated with the layer it is on (ByLayer) or the
color of the block it is contained in (ByBlock). You can also select one of the

Label Template Dialog Box | 485

colors in the color list or click Other to open the Select Color dialog box. on
page 337
Symbol Inserts a symbol or a nonbreaking space at the cursor position.
Symbols can also be inserted manually. See Symbols and Special Characters
on page 1244.
Commonly used symbols are listed on the submenu. Click Other to display
the Character Map dialog box, which contains the entire character set for each
font available on your system. Select a character and click Select to place it in
the Characters to Copy box. When you have selected all the characters that
you want to use, click Copy and close the dialog box. In the Label Template
dialog box, right-click and click Paste.
You can use the euro symbol with SHX fonts and their TrueType equivalent
fonts shipped with AutoCAD 2000 and later releases. If your keyboard does
not contain a euro symbol, hold down the Alt key and enter 0128 on the
numeric keypad.
Symbols are not supported in vertical text.
NOTE In the dialog box, the diameter symbol is displayed as %%c, but it is
displayed correctly in the label. The nonbreaking space is unavailable in double-byte
operating systems.

Properties Tab
Controls properties that apply to the whole label template.

Style Applies a text style to the label. The current style is saved in the
TEXTSTYLE on page 2552 system variable. Character formatting for font, height,
and bold or italic attributes is overridden if you apply a new style to an existing
label template. Stacking, underlining, and color attributes are retained in
characters to which a new style is applied.Styles that have backward or
upside-down effects are not applied. If a style defined with a vertical effect is
applied to an SHX font, the text is displayed horizontally in the Label Template
dialog box.
Justification Sets justification and alignment for the label. Top Left is the
default setting. Spaces entered at the end of a line are included as part of the

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text and affect the justification of the line. Text is center-, left-, or right-justified
with respect to the left and right text boundaries. Text is middle-, top-, or
bottom-aligned with respect to the top and bottom text boundaries. See
-MTEXT on page 1240 for an illustration of the nine justification options.
Width Sets a paragraph width for new or selected text. The No Wrap option
produces a single line. The width of individual characters is not affected by
this option.
Rotation Sets the rotation angle for the label in the current unit of angle
measurement (degrees, radians, or grads).

Find/Replace Tab
Searches for specified text strings in the label template and replaces them with
new text.

Find Defines the text string to search for.
Find Button Starts a search for the text string in Find. To continue the search,
click the Find button again.
Replace With Defines the text string to replace the text in Find What.
Replace Button Replaces the highlighted text with the text in Replace With.
Match Case Finds text only if the case of all characters in the text string is
identical to the case of the text in Find. When this option is cleared, a match
is found for specified text strings regardless of case.
Whole Word Matches the text in the Find box only if it is a single word. Text
that is part of another word is ignored. When this option is cleared, a match
is found for text strings, whether they are single words or parts of other words.

Label Fields Tab
Specifies which database table fields are displayed when you create labels based
on this template.

Label Template Dialog Box | 487

Field
Displays a list of available fields from the current database table that you can
include in your label. You may include any number of fields from the source
table.
Add
Adds the selected field in the Field list to the label.
Table
Displays the name of the current database table.

Label Offset Tab
Defines X and Y coordinate offsets for the insertion point of both your label
and, if it is an attached label, its associated leader object.

Start
Specifies the start point for the leader object. The point is defined with respect
to the extents of the graphical object that the label is attached to. The Start
option has no effect on freestanding labels, as they have no associated leader
object.
Leader Offset
Specifies an X and Y offset for the multiline text object with respect to the
associated leader object. By default, the X and Y Leader Offset options are set
to 1, indicating that the label text is offset 1 unit in the X and Y planes from

488 | Chapter 5 D Commands

the tip of the leader object. The Leader Offset settings apply only to attached
labels.
Tip Offset
Specifies the leader tip or label text offset values for attached and freestanding
labels. For attached labels, the Tip Offset specifies the X and Y offset from the
value specified in Start for the tip of the leader object. For freestanding labels,
the Tip Offset specifies the X and Y offset from the insertion point you specified
for the label.

Label Template Properties Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Templates ➤ Label Template Properties

Summary
Displays the full data source path to a label template's database table. You can
use this dialog box to update a label template with new data source
information.
Before the Label Template Properties dialog box opens, the Select a Database
Object dialog box is displayed, from which you can select a label template.
You can open this dialog box using the following method:

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Template Name
Displays the name of the selected label template.
Data Source
Displays the name of the data source specified for the selected label template.
You can select a new data source from this list to apply to the label template.

Label Template Properties Dialog Box | 489

Catalog
Displays the name of the catalog specified for the selected label template. You
can select a new catalog from this list to apply to the label template.
Schema
Displays the name of the schema specified for the selected label template. You
can select a new schema from this list to apply to the label template.
Table
Displays the name of the database table specified for the selected label template.
You can select a new database table from this list to apply to the label template.
Fields
Displays the fields specified for the selected label template.

Link Conversion Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Converts links created in AutoCAD Release 12, Release 13, and Release 14 to
AutoCAD 2000 (and later) format. You can open this dialog box using the
following method:

490 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Link Conversion
Because legacy links are stored in formats that differ significantly from
AutoCAD 2000 and later, the link conversion process requires that you specify
™
a mapping of the old AutoCAD SQL Extension (ASE) link values to the new
ones used by AutoCAD 2000 and later. For example, you must identify the
environment used by a particular link in Release 14 and specify the
corresponding data source that you want substituted for this environment in
AutoCAD 2000 and later. Similar mappings must be established between all
old ASE link values and the new values that you want substituted for them.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Link Format
Specifies the format of the link that you are converting. Different fields are
displayed depending on whether you select R12 or R13/R14.
R12
Specifies settings for converting R12 links.
R13/R14
Specifies settings for converting R13 and R14 links.

Link Conversion Dialog Box | 491

Old Link Format (R12)
Specifies the path to the database table used by the link that you're converting.
DBMS
Specifies the database management system used by the link that you're
converting.
Database
Specifies the database used by the link that you're converting.
Table
Specifies the database table used by the link that you're converting.

Old Link Format (R13/R14)
Specifies the path to the database table used by the link that you're converting.
Environment
Specifies the environment used by the link that you're converting.
Catalog
Specifies the catalog used by the link that you're converting.
Schema
Specifies the schema used by the link that you're converting.
Table
Specifies the database table used by the link that you're converting.
Link Path Name
Specifies the link path name used by the link that you're converting.

New Link Format
Specifies the path to the database table used by the converted link.
Data Source
Lists available data sources that you can select for the converted link.
Catalog
Lists available catalogs that you can select for the converted link.
Schema
Lists available schemas that you can select for the converted link.

492 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Table
Lists available database tables that you can select for the converted link.
Link Template
Lists available link templates that you can select for the converted link.

OK
Writes conversion mapping information to the asi.ini file and closes the dialog
box.

Apply
Writes conversion mapping information to the asi.ini file but keeps the dialog
box open so that you can specify conversions for additional links.

Cancel
Closes the dialog box without converting any links.

Link Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Edits the values of the key fields for a selected linked object. You can open
the Link Manager using the following methods:

Link Manager | 493

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Links ➤ Link Manager. Select a linked graphical
object.
Shortcut menu: Select and then right-click a linked graphical object, and
then choose Link ➤ Link Manager.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Link Templates
Lists all link templates that are associated with the selected graphical object.
Select the link template whose link values you want to view or edit.
Key Displays the key fields of the currently selected link template.
Value
Displays all key values that are defined for the selected link. To display a list
of values for a specific field, click a Value cell and choose [...].
Delete
Deletes the currently selected link from the graphical object it's associated
with.

Link Select Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Constructs iterative selection sets of graphical objects and database records.

494 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Links ➤ Link Select
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Link Select.

Summary
The Link Select dialog box, known as ASE Select in previous releases, is an
advanced implementation of the Query Editor. You begin a Link Select
operation by creating an initial query or selection set of graphical objects (set
A), which can be operated on by an additional query or selection set (set B).
The results of the returned operation become the new running selection set
(set A), and you can apply additional queries or selection sets to further refine
your running query.
In order to work with the Link Select dialog box, you must have a drawing
open that has a number of links already created. You can open this dialog box
using the following methods:
The Link Select dialog box contains the Quick Query, Range Query, and Query
Builder tabs from the Query Editor, and the following additional controls.

Link Select Dialog Box | 495

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Do
Applies a Link Select operator to the current query or selection set. The
following operators are available: Select, Union, Intersect, Subtract A-B, Subtract
A-B.
Select Creates an initial query or selection set. This selection set can be refined
through subsequent Link Select operations.

Union Adds the results of the new query or selection set to the running
selection set. This operation returns all records or objects that are members
of set A or set B.

Intersect Returns the intersection of the existing running selection and the
results of the new query or drawing selection. This operation returns all records
or objects that are members of set A and set B.

Subtract A-B Subtracts the results of the new query or drawing selection from
the existing running selection.

Subtract B-A Subtracts the existing running selection from the results of the
new query or drawing selection.

Using
Lists available link templates that you can apply to the current selection set.

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Use Query
Uses any of the available Query Editor tabs to construct a query that returns
a selection set to the Link Select operation.

Select in Drawing
Closes the Link Select dialog box when you choose the Select button so that
you can construct a selection set of graphical objects to return to the Link
Select operation.

Execute/Select
Executes the current Link Select query or temporarily dismisses the Link Select
dialog box so you can select graphical objects from the drawing. If the Use
Query option is selected, the Execute button is displayed. If the Select in
Drawing option is selected, the Select button is displayed. After choosing the
Execute or Select button, you can apply more queries or select additional
graphical objects to further refine your selection set.

Venn Diagram
Displays a diagram of the currently selected Do operation.

Reset
Clears the Link Select dialog box and discards all previous actions so that you
can begin a new Link Select operation.

Cancel
Closes the dialog box and discards all actions.

Finish
Completes the Link Select operation and closes the dialog box. Returns either
a selection set of graphical objects, a subset of Data View records, or both,
depending on the parameters specified in the Link Select operation.

Status Bar
Displays the current status information based on the running Link Select
operation. The current drawing and table are displayed, as well as the number
of linked objects and records that currently meet the specified Link Select
parameters.

Link Select Dialog Box | 497

Link Template Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Specifies the key fields that are used by a link template.

Summary
Before the Link Template dialog box opens, the New Link Template dialog
box is displayed, in which you can name the link template. You can open this
dialog box using the following methods:

Access Methods
Toolbar: dbConnect Manager buttons ➤ Select a database table and
choose the New Link Template button.
Toolbar: Data View buttons ➤ Choose New Link Template from the Link
Template list, and then choose the Link button flyout.
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Templates ➤ New Link Template. Navigate to and
select a database table from the Select a Database Object dialog box and choose
Continue.

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Shortcut menu: Right-click a database table in the dbConnect Manager and
choose New Link Template.
Pointing device: Double-click a link template in the dbConnect Manager.
This method opens the Link Template dialog box directly, without first
displaying the New Link Template dialog box.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Template Name
Displays the name of the link template.
Table
Displays the current database table. The first line lists the name of the table,
and the second line lists the full data source path to the table in the following
syntax: environment.catalog.schema.table
Key Fields
Displays all fields that are available for the current database table, as well as
the field type and, in the case of character fields, the field length. You specify
the link template's key fields by selecting the check box to the left of the field
name.

Link Template Properties Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Displays the full data source path to a link template's table. You can use this
dialog box to update a link template with new data source information.

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Templates ➤ Link Template Properties

Link Template Properties Dialog Box | 499

Summary
Before the Link Template Properties dialog box opens, the Select a Database
Object dialog box is displayed, from which you can select a link template.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Template Name Displays the name of the selected link template.
Data Source
Displays the name of the data source specified for the selected link template.
You can select a new data source from this list to apply to the link template.
Catalog
Displays the name of the catalog specified for the selected link template. You
can select a new catalog from this list to apply to the link template.
Schema
Displays the name of the schema specified for the selected link template. You
can select a new schema from this list to apply to the link template.
Table
Displays the name of the database table specified for the selected link template.
You can select a new table from this list to apply to the link template.
Keys
Displays the key fields specified for the selected link template.

New Label Template Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Creates a new label template. You can open this dialog box using the following
methods:

500 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Templates ➤ New Label Template. Select a link
template from the Select a Database Object dialog box and choose Continue.
Toolbar: dbConnect Manager buttons ➤ Select a database table and
choose the New Label Template button.
Toolbar: Data View buttons ➤ Choose New Label Template from the
Label Template list, and then choose either the Create Freestanding Label or
the Create Attached Label button flyout. If there is no link template defined
for the selected database table in the current drawing, the program displays
the New Link Template dialog box.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a database table in the dbConnect Manager and
choose New Label Template.

Summary
After you enter a name for the label template and choose Continue, the Label
Template dialog box opens, in which you specify the fields to display in your
label and how to format them.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
New Label Template Name
Specifies a name for the label template.
Start with Template
Lists available label templates in the current drawing, from which you can
select one to use as a start point for your new label template.

New Link Template Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Creates a new link template. You can open this dialog box using the following
methods:

New Link Template Dialog Box | 501

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Templates ➤ New Link Template. Navigate to and
then select a database table in the Select a Data Object dialog box and choose
Continue.
Toolbar: dbConnect Manager buttons ➤ Select a database table and
choose the New Link Template button.
Toolbar: Data View buttons ➤ Choose New Link Template from the Link
Template list, and then choose the Link button flyout.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a table in the dbConnect Manager and choose
New Link Template.

Summary
After you enter a name for the link template and choose Continue, the Link
Template dialog box opens, in which you specify the key fields that the link
uses.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
New Link Template Name
Specifies a name for the link template.
Start with Template
Lists all available link templates from the current drawing, from which you
can select one to use as a starting point for the new link template.

New Query Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Creates a new query and opens the Query Editor.

502 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Queries ➤ New Query on an External Table or New
Query on a Link Template. (A dialog box is displayed in which you can select
a database object to query.)
Toolbar: dbConnect Manager buttons ➤ Select a link template, database
table, or existing query and choose the New Query button.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template, database table, or existing query
in the dbConnect Manager and choose New Query.

Summary
After you enter a name for the query and choose Continue, the Query Editor
is displayed, in which you can construct a new query.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Query for Records in Table
Read-only field that indicates the table to query.
New Query Name
Specifies a name for the query.
Existing Query Names
Lists all available queries from the current drawing.

Replace Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Searches for specified text or numeric value in the currently loaded Data View
table.

Access Methods
Menu: Data View ➤ Replace. (This menu is available only if you have a
database table open in the Data View window.)

Replace Dialog Box | 503

Shortcut menu: Right-click a single cell or column header in the Data View
window and choose Replace.

Summary
You can specify a replacement value that overwrites the value that you're
searching for. The search is limited to a single database table column. It is not
possible to conduct a global search that scans all columns in the database
table. You can open this dialog box using the following methods:

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Find What Specifies the value to search for.
Replace With Specifies a replacement value for the value that you're searching
for.
Match Case Searches for the exact value, including case, of what you enter
in Find What. If this option is cleared, the program searches for the value
regardless of case.
Find Next Finds the next occurrence of the value that you're searching for.
Replace Replaces the next occurrence of the value that you're searching for
with the value specified in Replace With.
Replace All Replaces all occurrences of the value that you're searching for
with the value specified in Replace With.

Select a Database Object Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Displays a list of the database objects, such as link templates, label templates,
or queries, that are associated with the current drawing.

504 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Templates ➤ New Label Template, Edit Link
Template, Edit Label Template, Delete Link Template, or Delete Label Template;
Queries ➤ Execute Query, New Query on a Link Template, Edit Query, or
Delete Query; Links ➤ Delete Links; Labels ➤ Reload Labels, Show Labels,
Hide Labels, or Delete Labels; View Data ➤ View Linked Table, Edit Linked
Table

Summary
You can select a database object from this list to apply to the current operation.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Database Object List
Lists the available database objects that are associated with the current drawing,
from which you must select one to apply to the current operation.
OK/Continue Either completes the current operation or opens a secondary
dialog box in which you can continue the current operation.
If, for example, you are creating a new label template, the New Label Template
dialog box is displayed.

Select Data Object Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Displays the Data Sources node of the dbConnect Manager, from which you
can navigate to and select a database table that the current operation is applied
to.

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Data Sources ➤ Connect; Templates ➤ New Link
Template; Queries ➤ New Query on an External Table; View Data ➤ View
External Table or Edit External Table

Select Data Object Dialog Box | 505

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Tree View Window
Lists the available data sources, from which you can select a database table to
apply to the current operation.
OK/Continue
Either completes the current operation or opens a secondary dialog box or
window, in which you can continue the current operation.
If, for example, you are creating a new link template, the New Link Template
dialog box is displayed.

Sort Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Specifies a sort order that is applied to the database table records displayed in
the Data View window.

Access Methods
Shortcut menu: Right-click a column header in the Data View window and
choose Sort.

Summary
You can select a combination of up to five columns to apply to the sort order.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Sort By
Specifies the primary column to apply to the sort operation. The data from
this column is sorted first, and then the data from any additional Then By
columns that are specified is sorted.

506 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Ascending
Applies an ascending sort order to the selected column. The column data is
ordered with the smallest value at the beginning of the Data View record set
and the largest value at the end of the record set.
Descending
Applies a descending sort order to the selected column. The column data is
ordered with the largest value at the beginning of the Data View record set
and the smallest value at the end of the record set.
Then By
Specifies an additional column to apply to the sort operation.
Reset
Clears all columns that are specified for the current sort order so that you can
specify a new sort order.

Synchronize Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Updates links that the program is unable to resolve.

Synchronize Dialog Box | 507

Access Methods
Menu: dbConnect ➤ Synchronize
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Synchronize.

Summary
Links can become invalid if you change the underlying structure of their
source database table, or if you move the source table to a new location. In
these cases, the structure specified by the link template used to create the links
is no longer valid, and link templates and any associated links must be updated.
The Synchronize dialog box provides a list of detected errors. Certain errors
(such as a resized column in the source database table) can be fixed directly
from the Synchronize dialog box. Other errors (such as links that point to
nonexistent records) must be fixed in the source database table.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Errors
Displays a list of errors detected. You can select an error to fix.
Description
Provides a brief description of the error selected in the Errors list.
Fix
Fixes the currently selected error.
Delete
Deletes the invalid link template and any associated links from the current
drawing.
Close
Closes the dialog box.
Indicate Drawing Objects
Indicates all objects in the current drawing that are associated with the invalid
link template.

508 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DBLIST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

Lists database information for each object in the drawing.

Summary
The text window displays information about each object in the current
drawing. The program pauses when the window fills with information. Press
Enter to resume output, or press Esc to cancel.

DCALIGNED
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Constrains the distance between two points on different objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Aligned

Summary
This command is equivalent to the Aligned option in DIMCONSTRAINT on
page 584.

DBLIST | 509

The following table outlines the valid constraint objects and points:
Valid Objects or Points

Characteristics

Line
Polyline segment
Arc
Two constraint points on objects
Line and constraint point
Two lines

■

When a line or an arc is selected, the
distance between the endpoints of the
object is constrained.

■

When a line and a constraint point are
selected, the distance between the
point and the closest point on the line
is constrained.

■

When two lines are selected, the lines
are made parallel and the distance
between them is constrained.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first contraint point on page 510 or [Object on page 510/Point & line
on page 510/2Lines on page 511] : Pick a constraint point or select an object,
a point and a line, or two lines to be constrained

Constraint Point
Specifies a constraint point for the object.
First Constraint Point Specifies the first point of the object to be constrained.
Second Constraint Point Specifies the second point of the object to be
constrained.
Dimension Line Location Determines where the dimension line is located
on the constrained object.

Object
Selects an object instead of a constraint point.
Dimension Line Location Dimension Line Location on page 510

Point & Line
Selects a point and a line object. The aligned constraint controls the distance
between a point and the closest point on a line.
Constraint Point Constraint Point on page 510
Line Selects a line object.
Dimension Line Location Dimension Line Location on page 510

510 | Chapter 5 D Commands

2Lines
Selects two line objects. The lines are made parallel and the aligned constraint
controls the distance between the two lines.
First Line Select the first line to be constrained.
Second Line to Make Parallel Select the second line to constrain the distance
between the two selected lines.
Dimension Line Location Dimension Line Location on page 510

DCANGULAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Constrains the angle between line or polyline segments, the angle swept out
by an arc or a polyline arc segment, or the angle between three points on
objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Angular

Summary
This command is equivalent to the Angular option in DIMCONSTRAINT on
page 584.
When you enter or edit an angle value that is either negative or is greater than
360 degrees, the number entered is stored for the expression (for example,
390), but the value displayed is based on the formatting of the units (for
example, 30 if decimal degrees).
When an expression with variables evaluates to greater than 360 or less than
-360, the constraint value is displayed in the Parameters Manager based on
the units of the drawing.

DCANGULAR | 511

The following table outlines the valid constraint objects and points:
Valid Objects or Points

Characteristics

Pair of lines
Pair of polyline segment
Three constraint points
Arc

■

When two lines are selected, the angle
between the lines is constrained. The
initial value always defaults to a value
less than 180 degrees.

■

When three constraint points are specified, the following applies:

■

■

First point — angle vertex

■

Second and third points — endpoints of the angle

When an arc is selected, a three-point
angular constraint is created. The angle
vertex is at the center of the arc and
the angle endpoints of the arc are at
the endpoints of the arc.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select first line on page 512 or arc on page 512 or [3Point on page 512] <3Point>:
Pick a line, or an arc, or three points to be constrained

Line
Selects a line object.
First Line Specifies the first line to be constrained.
Second Line Specifies the second line to be constrained.
Dimension Line Location Determines where the dimension line is located
on the constrained object.

Arc
Selects an arc and constrains the angle.
Dimension Line Location Dimension Line Location on page 512

3Point
Selects three valid constraint points on the object.
Angle Vertex Specifies the angle vertex, which is at the centerpoint of the
constraint.

512 | Chapter 5 D Commands

First Angle Constraint Point Specifies the first angle endpoint of the arc.
Second Angle Constraint Point Specifies the second angle endpoint of the
arc.
Dimension Line Location Dimension Line Location on page 512

DCCONVERT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Converts associative dimensions to dimensional constraints.

Access Methods

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Convert

Summary
This command is equivalent to the Convert option in DIMCONSTRAINT on
page 584.
Objects other than associative dimensions are ignored and filtered from the
selection set.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select associative dimensions to convert: Select the associative dimensions to be
converted to dimensional constraints

DCCONVERT | 513

DCDIAMETER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Constrains the diameter of a circle or an arc.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Diameter

Summary
This command is equivalent to the Diameter option in DIMCONSTRAINT on
page 584.
The following table outlines the valid contraint objects and points:
Valid Objects or Points

Characteristics

Circle
Arc

■

Constrains the diameter of the circle
or arc.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select arc or circle: Select an arc or a circle to be constrained

Dimension Line Location
Determines where the dimension line is located on the constrained object.

514 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DCDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimensional Constraints

Displays or hides the dynamic constraints associated with a selection set of
objects.

Access Methods

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Show/Hide
Menu: Parametric ➤ Dynamic Dimensions ➤ Select Objects
Toolbar: Parametric

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects: Select objects to display or hide the dimensional constraints
Enter an option [Show on page 515/Hide on page 515] : Enter the
appropriate value to show or hide dynamic constraints for the selection set of objects

Show
Displays the dynamic dimensional constraints for any selection set of objects.

Hide
Hides the dynamic dimensional constraints for any selection set of objects.

DCFORM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

DCDISPLAY | 515

Specifies whether the dimensional constraint being created is dynamic or
annotational.

Summary
This command is equivalent to the Form option in DIMCONSTRAINT on page
584.
Setting the value for this command defines the Constraint Form property of
the object.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter constraint form [Annotational on page 516/Dynamic on page 516]
: Select a constraint form

Annotational
Applies annotational dimensional constraints to objects.

Dynamic
Applies dynamic dimensional constraints to objects.

DCHORIZONTAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Constrains the X distance between points on an object, or between two points
on different objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Horizontal

516 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Summary
This command is equivalent to the Horizontal option in DIMCONSTRAINT
on page 584.
The following table outlines the valid contraint objects and points:
Valid Objects or Points

Characteristics

Line
Polyline segment
Arc
Two constraint points on objects

■

When a line or an arc is selected, the
horizontal distance between the endpoints of the object is constrained.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first constraint point on page 517 or [Object on page 517] : Pick
a constraint point or select an object

Constraint Point
Specifies a constraint point for the object.
First Constraint Point Specifies the first point of the object to be constrained.
Second Constraint Point Specifies the second point of the object to be
constrained.
Dimension Line Location Determines where the dimension line is located
on the constrained object.

Object
Selects an object instead of a constraint point.

DCLINEAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Creates a horizontal, vertical, or rotated constraint based on the locations of
the extension line origins and the dimension line.

DCLINEAR | 517

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Linear

Summary
This command is equivalent to the Linear option in DIMCONSTRAINT on
page 584.
The following table outlines the valid contraint objects and points:
Valid Objects or Points

Characteristics

Line
Polyline segment
Arc
Two constraint points on objects

■

When a line or an arc is selected, the
horizontal or vertical distance between
the endpoints of the object is constrained.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first constraint point on page 518 or [Object on page 518] : Pick
a constraint point or select an object

Constraint Point
Specifies a constraint point for the object.
First Constraint Point Specifies the first point of the object to be constrained.
Second Constraint Point Specifies the second point of the object to be
constrained.
Dimension Line Location Determines where the dimension line is located
on the constrained object.

Object
Selects an object instead of a constraint point.

518 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DCRADIUS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Constrains the radius of a circle or an arc.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Radius

Summary
This command is equivalent to the Radius option in DIMCONSTRAINT on
page 584.
The following table outlines the valid contraint objects and points:
Valid Objects or Points

Characteristics

Circle
Arc

■

Constrains the radius of the circle or
arc.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select arc or circle: Select an arc or a circle to be constrained

Dimension Line Location
Determines where the dimension line is located on the constrained object.

DCRADIUS | 519

DCVERTICAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Constrains the Y distance between points on an object, or between two points
on different objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Vertical

Summary
This command is equivalent to the Vertical option in DIMCONSTRAINT on
page 584.
The following table outlines the valid contraint objects and points:
Valid Objects or Points

Characteristics

Line
Polyline segment
Arc
Two constraint points on objects

■

When a line or an arc is selected, the
vertical distance between the endpoints of the object is constrained.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first constraint point on page 520 or [Object on page 521] : Pick
a constraint point or select an object

Constraint Point
Specifies a constraint point for the object.
First Constraint Point Specifies the first point of the object to be constrained.

520 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Second Constraint Point Specifies the second point of the object to be
constrained.
Dimension Line Location Determines where the dimension line is located
on the constrained object.

Object
Selects an object instead of a constraint point.

DDEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Text

Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control
frames.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Text ➤ Edit
Toolbar: Text
Shortcut menu: Select a text object, right-click in the drawing area, and
click Edit.
Pointing device: Double-click a text object.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select an annotation object or [Undo]:
Object Selection Displays the appropriate editing method for the type of text
you select:
■

When the TEXTED system variable is set to 0 or 2, text created using TEXT
on page 1932 displays the In-Place Text Editor without the Text Formatting
toolbar and the ruler. Right-click to display options on page 1936.

DDEDIT | 521

■

Text created using MTEXT on page 1214 displays the In-Place Text Editor.

■

Attribute definitions (not part of a block definition) display the Edit
Attribute Definition dialog box.

■

Feature control frames display the Geometric Tolerance dialog box.

DDEDIT repeats the prompt until you press Enter to end the command.
Undo Returns the text or attribute definition to its previous value. You can
use this option immediately after editing.

Edit Text Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Text

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: Text
Shortcut menu: Select a text object, right-click in the drawing area, and
click Edit.
Command entry: ddedit

Summary
When the TEXTED on page 2549 system variable is set to 1, modifies text created
with TEXT on page 1932. Enter the new text and click OK.
To add a field to the text, right-click the text where you want to insert the
field and click Insert Field on the shortcut menu to display the Field dialog
box.

522 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Edit Attribute Definition Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Text

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: Text
Shortcut menu: Select a text object, right-click in the drawing area, and
click Edit.
Command entry: ddedit
Modifies an attribute definition's tag, prompt, and default value.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Tag
Specifies the attribute tag, which identifies the attribute in the drawing. The
tag can contain exclamation marks (!). The case change is not immediately
displayed in the tag field.
Prompt
Specifies the attribute prompt that is displayed when you insert a block
containing this attribute definition.
Default
Specifies the default attribute value.
To use a field as the value, right-click and click Insert Field on the shortcut
menu to display the Field dialog box.

Edit Attribute Definition Dialog Box | 523

DDPTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Reference Points

Specifies the display style and size of point objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ Point Style
Menu: Format ➤ Point Style
Command entry: 'ddptype for transparent use

Summary
The Point Style dialog box is displayed.

Point Style Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Reference Points

Shows the current point style and size. Change the point style by selecting an
icon.

524 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ Point Style
Menu: Format ➤ Point Style
Command entry: ddptype (or 'ddptype for transparent use)

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Point Display Images
Specifies the image used to display point objects. The point style is stored in
the PDMODE on page 2446 system variable.

Point Size
Sets the point display size. The value you enter can be relative to the screen
or in absolute units. The point display size is stored in the PDSIZE system
variable. Subsequent point objects that you draw use the new value.
Set Size Relative to Screen Sets the point display size as a percentage of the
screen size. The point display does not change when you zoom in or out.
Set Size in Absolute Units Sets the point display size as the actual units you
specify under Point Size. Points are displayed larger or smaller when you zoom
in or out.

Point Style Dialog Box | 525

DDVPOINT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the 3D Projection Style

Sets the 3D viewing direction.

Access Methods
Menu: View ➤ 3D Views ➤ Viewpoint Presets

Summary
The Viewpoint Presets dialog box is displayed.

Viewpoint Presets Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the 3D Projection Style

Defines 3D view settings.

526 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods
Menu: View ➤ 3D Views ➤ Viewpoint Presets
Command entry: ddvpoint

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Set Viewing Angles
Sets the direction of the view relative to either the world coordinate system
(WCS) or a user coordinate system (UCS).

Absolute to WCS Sets the view direction relative to the WCS.
Relative to UCS Sets the view direction relative to the current UCS.

From
Specifies viewing angles.
X Axis Specifies the angle from the X axis.
XY Plane Specifies the angle from the XY plane.

Viewpoint Presets Dialog Box | 527

You can also use the sample image to specify viewing angles. The black arm
indicates the new angle. The gray arm indicates the current angle. Specify an
angle by selecting the inner region of the circle or half-circle. Selecting the
bounded outer regions rounds off the angle to the value displayed in that
region. If you select the inner arc or an area inside it, the angle is not rounded
off, and the result may be a fractional number.

Set to Plan View
Sets the viewing angles to display the plan view (XY plane) relative to the
selected coordinate system.

DELAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Run Slide Shows from Scripts

Provides a timed pause within a script.

Access Methods
Command entry: 'delay for transparent use

Summary
Specifies the duration of a pause. Entering delay 1000 in your script delays
the start of execution of the next command for about one second. The longest
delay available is 32767, which is slightly less than 33 seconds.

DELCONSTRAINT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Objects with Dimensional Constraints Applied

Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from a selection set of
objects.

528 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Manage panel ➤ Delete Constraints
Menu: Parametric ➤ Delete Constraints
Toolbar: Parametric

Summary
The number of constraints removed are displayed on the command line.
Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from the selected objects.

DETACHURL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Hyperlinks to a Drawing

Removes hyperlinks in a drawing.

Summary
Hyperlinks are removed from the selected objects. If an area is selected, the
polyline is deleted. You can use PURGE to remove the URLLAYER layer.

DGNADJUST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Underlay Contrast, Fade, Monochrome, and Colors for the
Background

DETACHURL | 529

Adjust the fade, contrast, and monochrome settings of a DGN underlay.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Adjust

Summary
You can change the default values for Fade, Contrast, and Monochrome for
a single or multiple DGN underlays. To confirm the settings on a selected
DGN underlay, use the Properties palette.
NOTE You can also use the ADJUST on page 105 command to change the fade,
contrast, and monochrome settings for DGN underlays as well as DWF, DWFx and
PDF underlays or the fade, contrast and brightness for images.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select DGN underlay: Select one or more DGN underlays
Enter DGN underlay option [Fade/Contrast/Monochrome] :
Enter fade value (0-100): Enter a value
Enter contrast value (0-100): Enter a value
Monochrome? [Yes/No]: Enter yes or no and then press Enter

Fade
Controls the fade effect of the underlay. Values range from 0 through 100.
The greater the value, the more transparent the underlay appears against the
background. The lesser the value, the less transparent and closer to opaque
the underlay appears. A value of 0 makes the underlay appear fully opaque.

Contrast
Controls the contrast, and indirectly, the fading effect of the underlay. Values
range from 0 through 100. The greater the value, the more each pixel is forced
to its primary or secondary color.

Monochrome
Controls the color saturation of all linework while maintaining the luminance.
When turned on, the linework appears in varying shades of gray starting at
black if the background color luminance is 50 percent or more. If the
background color luminance is less than 50 percent, then the colors are

530 | Chapter 5 D Commands

inverted, with the darkest linework displaying in white, and the lightest
linework displaying in black.

DGNATTACH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Files as Underlays

Insert a DGN file as an underlay into the current drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Attach
Menu: Insert ➤ DGN Underlay
Toolbar: Insert

Summary
When you attach a DGN file as an underlay, you link that referenced file to
the current drawing. Any changes to the referenced file are displayed in the
current drawing when it is opened or reloaded.
The Select Reference File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Once you select a DGN file, the Attach DGN Underlay dialog box
is displayed. After the file is attached, you can adjust and clip the underlay
through the DGN Underlay Ribbon Contextual tab on page 534.
NOTE DGNATTACH is not limited to files with .dgn extensions. It supports all
DGN files, even those that do not have a .dgn extension.
If you enter -dgnattach at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

DGNATTACH | 531

NOTE When a DGN file is attached as an underlay, its levels structure (layers) are
combined into a single layer. The DGN underlay is placed on the current layer.
To hide the DGN attachment, freeze the layer on which it was attached.

Attach DGN Underlay Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Files as Underlays

Names, locates, and defines the insertion point, scale, and rotation when
attaching DGN underlays.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Attach
Menu: Insert ➤ DGN Underlay
Toolbar: Insert

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Name
Identifies the DGN file you have selected to attach.

Browse
Opens the Select Reference File dialog (a standard file selection dialog box on
page 1295).

Select a design model from the DGN file
Displays all of the design models that are found in the DGN file. If the DGN
file only contains a single design model, that model is listed.
If the DGN file contains multiple design models, only a single model can be
selected for attachment. The first model in the list is selected by default.

532 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Conversion Units
Matches the DWF files’s drawing units to the master units and sub-units
specified in the DGN file. For example, if the DGN file has master units set to
meters, and sub-units set to millimeters, and you want the DWG to be set to
millimeters, select sub-units in the Attach DGN Underlay dialog box.
Master Units Matches the DWG drawing units to the master units set in the
DGN file.
Sub Units Matches the DWG drawing units to the sub- units set in the DGN
file.

Path Type
Selects the full (absolute) path, the relative path to the DGN file, or No Path,
the name of the DGN file (the DGN file must be located in the same folder as
the current drawing file).
NOTE The Path Type group is disabled when you’re attaching a DGN file that is
stored on the Vault client server. This information is automatically entered by the
Vault.

Insertion Point
Specifies the insertion point for the selected DGN file. Specify On-Screen is
the default. The default insertion point is 0,0,0.
Specify On-Screen Directs input at the Command prompt or the pointing
device. If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter the insertion point in X, Y, and
Z.
X Sets the X coordinate value.
Y Sets the Y coordinate value.
Z Sets the Z coordinate value.

Scale
Specifies the scale factor of the selected DGN underlay.
If INSUNITS is set to “unitless” or if the underlay does not contain resolution
information, the scale factor becomes the underlay width in AutoCAD units.
If INSUNITS has a value such as millimeters, centimeters, inches, or feet, and
the underlay has resolution information, the scale factor is applied after the
true width of the underlay in AutoCAD units is determined.
Specify On-screen Allows you to input at the Command prompt or the
pointing device. If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter a value for the scale
factor. The default scale factor is 1.

Attach DGN Underlay Dialog Box | 533

Scale Factor Field Enters a value for the scale factor. The default scale factor
is 1.

Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the selected DGN underlay.
Specify on-screen If Specify On-Screen is selected, you may wait until you
exit the dialog box to rotate the object with your pointing device or enter a
rotation angle value at the Command prompt.
Angle If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter the rotation angle value in the
dialog box. The default rotation angle is 0.

Show Details
Displays the DGN file path.
Found In Displays the path where the DGN file is located.
Saved Path Displays the path that is saved with the drawing when the DGN
file is attached. The path is dependent upon the Path Type setting.

DGN Underlay Ribbon Contextual tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Underlays

Change DGN underlay display, clip, layer, and osnap options.

Summary
When you select a DGN underlay in a drawing, the DGN Underlay Contextual
tab is displayed on the ribbon.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

534 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Adjust Panel
Contrast Controls the contrast and the fading effect of the underlay. The
greater the value, the more each pixel is forced to its primary secondary color.
Fade Controls the appearance of the linework. The greater the value, the
lighter the linework in the underlay appears.
Display in Monochrome Displays the underlay in black and white.

Clipping Panel
Create Clipping Boundary (DGNCLIP on page 537) Crops the display of a
selected DGN underlay to a specified boundary.
Create Clipping Boundary (DGNCLIP on page 537) Deletes the clipping
boundary.

Options Panel
Show Underlay Hides or displays the underlay.
Enable Snap Determines whether object snapping is active for geometry in
the DGN underlay.
External References (EXTERNALREFERENCES on page 771) Opens the
External References palette.

DGN Layers Panel
Edit Layers (ULAYERS on page 1992) Controls the display of layers in a DWF,
DWFx, PDF, or DGN underlay.

-DGNATTACH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Files as Underlays

Attach a DGN underlay from the command line.

Summary
When you attach a DGN file as an underlay, you link that referenced file to
the current drawing. Any changes to the referenced file are displayed in the
current drawing when it is opened or reloaded.

-DGNATTACH | 535

NOTE DGNATTACH is not limited to files with *.dgn extensions. It supports all
DGN files, even those that do not have a .dgn extension.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
TIP You can drag a DGN file onto the drawing window to start the DGNATTACH
command.
Path to DGN File to Attach Enters the full path name to the DGN underlay
file. The file name can include up to 255 characters and contain letters, digits,
spaces, and any special characters not used by Microsoft Windows or this
program.
Entering a tilde (~) displays the Select DGN File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box).
To avoid errors when entering a file name, it is recommended that you specify
both the DGN file and path as follows:
path name\filename.dgn
or
“path name\filename.dgn”
If you enter a valid DGN file name without a file extension, the program adds
the extension and searches for the file.
Enter Name of Model or ? Enter a model name. For a list of models, enter?.
Enter Model(s) to list <*> Lists the design models available in the DGN file
in a separate text window.
Conversion Units Matches the DWF file’s drawing units to the master units
and sub-units specified in the DGN file. For example, if the DGN file has
master units set to meters, and sub-units set to millimeters, and you want the
DWG to be set to millimeters, select sub-units in the Attach DGN Underlay
dialog box.
■

Master Units - Matches the DWG drawing units to the master units set in
the DGN file.

■

Sub Units - Matches the DWG drawing units to the sub- units set in the
DGN file.

Insertion Point Specifies the insertion point for the selected DGN file. Enter
the X, Y, and Z coordinates at the command prompt, or click onscreen.

536 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Scale Factor Specifies the scale factor of the selected DGN underlay and the
scale factor units. You can enter a scale factor at the command prompt or click
onscreen with the mouse.
If INSUNITS is set to “unitless” or if the underlay does not contain resolution
information, the scale factor becomes the underlay width in AutoCAD units.
If INSUNITS has a value such as millimeters, centimeters, inches, or feet, and
the underlay has resolution information, the scale factor is applied after the
true width of the underlay in AutoCAD units is determined.
Rotation Specifies the rotation angle of the selected DGN underlay by entering
an angle value at the command prompt or by clicking onscreen.

DGNCLIP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Clip External References and Blocks

Crops the display of a selected DGN underlay to a specified boundary.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Clip
Shortcut menu: Select a DGN underlay to clip, right-click in the drawing
area, and click DGN Clip.

Summary
The clipping boundary determines the portion of a DGN underlay outside the
boundary that is hidden. The visibility of the clipping boundary is controlled
by the DGNFRAME on page 2218 system variable.
The boundary you specify must be in a plane parallel to the DGN underlay.
TIP Use the generic CLIP on page 332 command to clip images, external references,
viewports, and underlays.

DGNCLIP | 537

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.

On
Turns on clipping and displays the DGN underlay clipped to the previously
defined boundary.

Off
Turns off clipping and displays the entire DGN underlay.
If you reclip the DGN underlay while clipping is turned off, clipping is
automatically turned back on. You are prompted to delete the old boundary
even when clipping is turned off and the clipping boundary is not visible.

Delete
Removes a predefined clipping boundary and displays the entire DGN underlay.

New Boundary
Defines a rectangular or polygonal clipping boundary, or generates a polygonal
clipping boundary from a polyline.
Specify clipping boundary or select invert option: [Select
polyline/Polygonal/Rectangular/Invert clip] :
Select Polyline Defines the boundary with the selected polyline. The polyline
can be open but must consist of straight line segments and cannot intersect
itself.
Polygonal Defines a polygonal clipping boundary with three or more points
that you specify for the vertices of a polygon.
Rectangular Defines a rectangular boundary with the points that you specify
for opposite corners.
Invert Clip Inverts the mode of the clipping boundary: objects are clipped
either outside the boundary or inside the boundary.
NOTE You can only create a new clipping boundary for a selected DGN underlay
when the old boundary is deleted.

538 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DGNEXPORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export MicroStation DGN Files

Creates one or more DGN files from the current drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu

➤ Export ➤ DGN File

Summary
The Export DGN File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Once you specify a DGN file name, the Export DGN Settings dialog
box is displayed. You can export a V8 or V7 file using DGNEXPORT.
If you enter -dgnexport at the Command prompt, options are displayed on
page 547.
See the DGNEXPORT Conversion Table on page 544 specific details about the
scope of exporting DWG objects and other data to DGN files.
WARNING Some programs that work with DGN files do not support extended
characters that the Windows operating system considers valid for file names. Thus,
it is recommended that you do not use accented or Asian characters in file names
when using DGNEXPORT.

DGNEXPORT | 539

Export DGN Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export MicroStation DGN Files

Controls how objects are processed when exporting them to a DGN file.

Access Methods
Menu: Application menu

➤ Export ➤ DGN File

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

External DWG References
Controls how xrefs are processed.
Translate All DWG References to DGN Files

540 | Chapter 5 D Commands

All referenced DWG files, including nested DWG references, are converted
into DGN files. The resulting DGN files use the same file name as the DWG
files, but use a .dgn file extension.
With the following set of options, you can choose whether or not to overwrite
DGN reference files
■

Prompt to Overwrite

■

Overwrite without Prompting

■

Do Not Overwrite

Bind All DWG References into One DGN file
The parent DWG file and all referenced DWG files are combined into a single
DGN file. The referenced DWG files are converted to cells as part of the primary
DGN file.
Ignore DWG References
Referenced DWG files are not included in the resulting DGN file.

External DGN References
Controls whether DGN underlays in the DWG file are exported as DGN
references of the resulting DGN file.
Export DGN Underlays as DGN References
When checked, any DGN underlays are exported as DGN references along
with the base drawing. When cleared, DGN underlays are not exported.
NOTE Do not export drawings that include V8 DGN underlays to a V7 DGN format
file. The V8 DGN references cannot display in a V7 DGN file because the V8 DGN
file format is not a valid design file for the resulting V7 DGN file.

Specify Seed File
A seed file for a DGN file is similar to a drawing template (DWT) file that
contains default settings and attributes, such as working units. Selecting the
appropriate DGN seed file (imperial, metric, or user-defined), and conversion
units is critical to the translation from DWG to DGN. In addition, the seed
file contains settings that are not present in a DWG file, and therefore inherited
in the exported DGN.
These settings include working units and resolution as well as whether the
file is 2D or 3D.

Export DGN Settings Dialog Box | 541

Conversion Units
Select the appropriate conversion units for the translation. The DGN seed file
contains working units (imperial or metric) called master units and sub-units.
One DWG unit is converted to either one master unit or one sub-unit.
Master Units
Specifies that one DWG drawing unit will convert to one master unit of the
specified DGN seed file.
Sub Units
Specifies that one DWG drawing unit will convert to one sub-unit of the
specified DGN seed file.
NOTE The master units and the sub-units of the selected DGN seed file are
displayed next to the buttons for reference.
Filename drop-down list
Specify the name of the DGN seed file. Several sample seed files are provided
upon installation.
Browse button Displays the Select Seed File dialog box (a Standard File
Selection Dialog Boxes on page 1295), in which you can select the DGN seed
file.
See the DGNEXPORT Conversion Table on page 544 specific details about the
scope of exporting DWG objects and other data to DGN files.

Sample DGN Seed Files
The following table lists the default DGN seed files and their settings. You
may need to edit these settings or obtain the appropriate seed file to suit your
conversion requirements.
DGN Seed File Name

Master Unit
(label)

Sub Unit (label)

Resolution

V7-Imperial-Arch01Seed2D.dgn

Feet (‘)

Inches (“)

12”/1’ and 8000
POS

V7-Imperial-Arch01Seed3D.dgn

Feet (‘)

Inches (“)

12”/1’ and 8000
POS

V7-Imperial-Arch02Seed2D.dgn

Feet (‘)

Inches (“)

12”/1’ and 1000
POS

542 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DGN Seed File Name

Master Unit
(label)

Sub Unit (label)

Resolution

V7-Imperial-Arch02Seed3D.dgn

Feet (‘)

Inches (“)

12”/1’ and 1000
POS

V7-Imperial-Civil01Seed2D.dgn

Feet (‘)

Tenths (tn)

10tn/1’ and 100
POS

V7-Imperial-Civil01Seed3D.dgn

Feet (‘)

Tenths (tn)

10tn/1’ and 100
POS

V7-Imperial-Civil02Seed2D.dgn

Feet (‘)

Tenths (tn)

10tn/1’ and 1000
POS

V7-Imperial-Civil02Seed3D.dgn

Feet (‘)

Tenths (tn)

10tn/1’ and 1000
POS

V7-Metric-Seed2D.dgn

Meters (m)

Millimeters (mm)

1000mm/1m and 1
POS

V7-Metric-Seed3D.dgn

Meters (m)

Millimeters (mm)

1000mm/1m and 1
POS

V8-Imperial-Seed2D.dgn

Feet (‘)

Inches (“)

304800 per foot

V8-Imperial-Seed3D.dgn

Feet (‘)

Inches (“)

304800 per foot

V8-Metric-Seed2D.dgn

Meters (m)

Millimeters (mm)

1000mm per millimeter

V8-Metric-Seed3D.dgn

Meters (m)

Millimeters (mm)

1000mm per millimeter

Translate DWG Properties to DGN Properties
Selects and manages the mapping setup used on the current DGN export.
Select Mapping Setup
Displays the currently defined mapping setups.
Standard is the default mapping setup which extracts data from the drawing
being exported and applies an automatic mapping to DGN layers, linetypes,
lineweights, and colors, as shown in the mapping preview.

Export DGN Settings Dialog Box | 543

Setup Description
Displays the description of the selected mapping setup.
Mapping Setups
Opens the DGN Mapping Setups dialog box on page 560 where new mapping
setups can be created and existing mapping setups can be renamed, modified,
or deleted (see DGNMAPPING on page 559).
Mapping Preview for Setup
Lists all properties of both the exported DWG file in the DWG column and
the selected mapping setup in the DGN column.
NOTE The reference properties are not listed in the preview, but any properties
that apply to those references that are shown in the mapping preview are applied
to the references as well.

DGNEXPORT Conversion Table
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export MicroStation DGN Files

The following table lists the DGN objects and features that are supported for
export, and notes on the scope of the translation.
DWG to DGN Conversion Table
AutoCAD LT

MicroStation

Notes

Geometric Objects

Geometric Elements

The following DWG objects are translated into
DGN elements: line, xline, ray, polyline, arc,
circle, spline (NURBS), ellipse, elliptical arc,
point, donut, mline, hatch (including gradient
fills), and wipeout. Variable width polylines
maintain only their starting width when
translated into SmartLines.

Layers

Levels

Invalid DWG characters in layer names are
converted to spaces.

544 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DWG to DGN Conversion Table
AutoCAD LT

MicroStation

Notes

Colors

Colors

Colors are matched as closely as possible.
Colors set with the ACI (AutoCAD Color Index) are translated directly to the DGN color
index. If TrueColor is used and a direct match
of RGB values is available in the DGN color
index, the colors are also mapped directly. If
a TrueColor match is not available, an RGB
value is added to the DGN color index.

Linetypes

Line Styles

Custom linetypes are unsupported and could
produce unexpected results.

Blocks

Cells

Blocks are exported as shared cells. Dynamic
blocks are also exported as cells and lose their
dynamic behavior. Invisible, Constant, Verify,
and Preset attributes are all converted into
tags.

Single-line Text
Objects, Multiline
Text Objects,
Text Styles

Text, Text Nodes,
Text Styles

The visual integrity of multiline text is maintained. However, if exported multiline text
objects are edited in MicroStation, the
formatting is lost.
TrueType and SHX fonts in AutoCAD are exported to MicroStation V7 as Engineering.
This can result in many visual differences.

Tables

Tables

Table objects are exported as cell elements
composed of lines and text.

Fields

Fields

In general, fields are translated as static text.
The exceptions are fields that behave
identically in both products. This includes the
Date fields CreateDate, SaveDate, and PlotDate, and the Document property fields Author, Filename, and Filesize.
NOTE Use the MicroStation Key-in utility to
update text containing fields (field update
all).

DGNEXPORT Conversion Table | 545

DWG to DGN Conversion Table
AutoCAD LT

MicroStation

Notes

Dimensions, Dimension Styles

Dimensions, Dimension Styles

The size, spacing, style, and shape of dimensions may vary slightly. Dimension associativity is maintained whenever possible, and the
correct dimension values are always maintained.

Raster Images

Raster Images

These image file types are supported: .bmp,
.cal, .tif, .png, .tga, .jpg, .gif, .rlc, .bil, and .pcx.
All other image file types are discarded.

DWG References

DGN References

Depending on the export option specified,
all referenced DWG files, including nested
DWG references, are either converted into
DGN files, combined into a single DGN file
as cells, or discarded.
NOTE MicroStation V7 does not support
nested references to references that are
merged into the host file.

DWG Model

DGN Design Model

The model in a DWG file is converted into a
DGN file.

DWG Layout

DGN Sheet Model

When exporting to V8, any initialized layouts
are converted into sheet models in the DGN
file.
V7 only supports one model. For V7, several
DGN files can be exported: one for the model
and the other DGN files for any initialized
layouts in the DWG file. The layout names get
appended to the exported DGN file  - Layout1.dgn.

AEC Objects

546 | Chapter 5 D Commands

AEC objects are not supported. Use the EXPORTTOAUTOCAD on page 766 command to
convert AEC objects to base ACAD objects
before exporting to DGN.

-DGNEXPORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export MicroStation DGN Files

If you enter -dgnexport at the Command prompt, the following prompts are
displayed.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter DGN file format [V7/V8] : Specify whether the file is DGN V7 or V8
Enter filename for DGN export : Specify path and
filename of DGN file
Specify conversion units [Master/Sub] : Specify m or s, or press Enter
Specify mapping setup or [?] : Specify mapping setup or ? to specify
filter of mapping setup
Specify seed file or [?] : Specify path and filename of seed
file
TIP Create a script using -DGNEXPORT to batch process exporting drawings to
DGN files.
File Format Specifies the file format of the DGN file being exported.
Filename The file name can include up to 255 characters and contain letters,
digits, spaces, and any special characters not used by Microsoft Windows or
this program.
To avoid errors when entering a file name, it is recommended that you specify
both the DGN file and path as follows:
path\filename
or
“path\filename”
Specify the path and file name of DGN file.
Units Specifies a drawing-units value for scaling the DGN file.
Mapping Setups Specifies the mapping setup of the selected design model.

-DGNEXPORT | 547

? After specifying a filter, a list of available export mapping setups that match
the filter is displayed and will re-prompt.
Seed File Specify a seed file that matches the existing behavior of other
commands with filters.
■

? on page 548

DGNIMPORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import MicroStation DGN Files

Imports the data from a DGN file into a new DWG file.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu

➤ Open ➤ DGN File

Summary
The Import DGN File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Once you select a DGN file, the Import DGN Settings dialog box is
displayed.
If you enter -dgnimport at the Command prompt, options are displayed on
page 557.
See the DGNIMPORT Conversion Table on page 552 for specific details about
the scope of importing MicroStation objects and other data.
See the DGNIMPORT Unit Mapping Table on page 555 for specific details about
unit conversions when importing MicroStation objects.
NOTE The type of plot style drawing (Color-dependent or Named) is based on
the value of PSTYLEPOLICY on page 2473.

548 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Import DGN Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import MicroStation DGN Files

Specifies the import settings for a DGN file.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu

➤ Open ➤ DGN File

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Import DGN Settings Dialog Box | 549

Select a Design Model from the DGN file
The DGN design model that you select is imported into the model space of
your current DWG file.
V8 DGN files might contain multiple design and sheet models. A DGN design
model is equivalent to model space, and a DGN sheet model is equivalent to
paper space. Because a DWG file can have only one model space, you need
to select the design model in the DGN file that you want to import.
If a design model is selected and is referenced into a sheet model, then the
sheet model is also converted as one or more layouts in the DWG file. Only
the sheet models that reference the primary design model are imported. These
sheet models are translated to paper space layouts, and will include layout
viewports that display each reference to the primary design model.

External DGN References
Controls how DGN references are handled in a DWG environment.
Any DGN files are supported as references. These file types include, but not
limited to, these extensions: .dgn, .dwg,.cel,.s,.h, .cgm,.rdl,.d files. However, DXF
files are not supported and are ignored.
Translate References to DWG Xrefs
All referenced DGN design models, including nested references, are converted
into individual DWG files and attached as xrefs in model space.
The nesting relationships of these references are maintained. DGN design
model references that reference the primary DGN design model, also called
circular references or self references, are handled by creating a separate DWG
copy of the DGN design model and attaching it to the primary DWG as an
xref. Design model references to sheet models, and sheet model references to
other sheet models are not supported and are ignored. Unique names for the
referenced DWG files are generated by appending the model name to the
design file name separated with a dash (-). If necessary, the resulting DWG
file names is truncated and one or more of the last characters might be replaced
with numerals to make the file name unique.
With the following set of options, you can choose whether or not to overwrite
external reference files:
■

Prompt to Overwrite

■

Overwrite without Prompting

■

Do Not Overwrite

550 | Chapter 5 D Commands

NOTE If a host folder is read-only, any DWG xrefs will be created in the My
Documents (Windows XP) or Documents (Windows Vista) folder.
Ignore All External References
Referenced DGN and DWG files that are external to the specified DGN file are
not included in the resulting DWG file.
If the DGN file has self references or references to other design models
contained within the DGN file, these references are included.
Attach as DGN Underlay
All DGN external references in the DGN file are imported as DGN underlays
in the resulting DWG file. Referenced DWG files remain xrefs when imported.
NOTE New DWG files are created in this process. These new DWGs are not
automatically deleted.

Conversion Units
Select the appropriate conversion units for the translation. The imported DGN
file contains working units (imperial or metric) called master units and sub-units.
The selected working units (master units or sub-units) are converted
one-for-one into DWG units.
Master Units
Specifies that one master unit of the imported DGN file converts to one DWG
drawing unit.
Sub Units
Specifies that one sub-unit of the imported DGN file converts to one DWG
drawing unit.
NOTE The master units and the sub-units of the selected DGN file are displayed
next to the buttons for reference.

Explode Text Node to Text Elements
Text node elements in a DGN file are multiple lines of text stored as one element,
and are similar to MTEXT objects. Check this option to maintain text which
follows a path.
When cleared, multiple lines of text are maintained as a single multiline text
object.
When checked, multiple lines of text are separated into individual text objects.
Select this option to maintain visual fidelity when you import a DGN file that

Import DGN Settings Dialog Box | 551

includes text created along a curved path. The first character determines the
location and rotation of the text object.

Translate DGN Properties to DWG Properties
Selects and manages the mapping setup used on the current DGN import.
Select Mapping Setup
Displays the currently defined mapping setups.
Standard is the default mapping setup which extracts data from the drawing
being exported and applies an automatic mapping to DGN layers, linetypes,
lineweights, and colors, as shown in the mapping preview.
Setup Description
Displays the description of the selected mapping setup.
Mapping Setups
Opens the DGN Mapping Setups dialog box on page 560 where new mapping
setups can be created and existing mapping setups can be renamed, modified,
or deleted (see DGNMAPPING on page 559).
Mapping Preview for Setup: Standard
Lists all properties of both the imported DGN file in the DGN column and
the selected mapping setup in the DWG column.
NOTE External reference files properties are not listed in a mapping preview.
See the DGNIMPORT Conversion Table on page 552 for specific details about
the scope of importing MicroStation objects and other data.
See the DGNIMPORT Unit Mapping Table on page 555 for specific details about
unit conversions when importing MicroStation objects.

DGNIMPORT Conversion Table
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import MicroStation DGN Files

552 | Chapter 5 D Commands

The following table lists the DGN objects and features that are supported for
import, and notes on the scope of the translation.
DGN to DWG Conversion Table
MicroStation

AutoCAD LT

Notes

Geometric Elements

Geometric Objects

The following DGN elements are translated
into DWG objects: line, SmartLine, LineString,
multiline, shape, complex chain, complex
shape, arc, ellipse, curve, B-spline curve, and
pattern. Pattern elements are limited to simple
pattern styles. Bitonal gradient properties are
also supported.

Levels

Layers

DGN levels are mapped automatically into
the equivalent DWG layers. Invalid DGN
characters in level names are converted to
spaces.

Colors

Colors

All colors are translated using RGB values
either to the ACI (AutoCAD Color Index) or
TrueColor index as appropriate.

Line Styles

Linetypes

Only simple line styles using solid lines,
dashes, and dots are supported. Unsupported
custom line styles are converted into continuous linetypes.
Dynamically scaled line styles are converted
into fixed-scale linetypes. The resulting linetypes use a scale near the middle of the scaling range of the dynamic line style.
NOTE To import standard V7 line styles correctly, you must “Fit View” and “Save Settings” in MicroStation first.

Cells

Blocks

Cells are converted into blocks. Tags that are
associated with cells are converted into constant-mode block attributes.

Text Elements,
Text Styles

Single-line Text
Objects, Multiline

Missing SHX text fonts are converted into the
AutoCAD LT text font specified in the FONTALT system variable. The acad.fmp file can be

DGNIMPORT Conversion Table | 553

DGN to DWG Conversion Table
MicroStation

AutoCAD LT

Notes

Text Objects,
Text Styles

used to map SHX text fonts to DGN text
fonts.
TrueType fonts and SHX fonts in AutoCAD
are exported to MicroStation V7 as Engineering. This can result in many visual differences.

Tables

Tables

Cells that represent tables in DGN are imported as blocks.

Dimensions, Dimension Styles

Dimensions, Dimension Styles

The size, spacing, style, and shape of dimensions may vary slightly. Dimension associativity is maintained whenever possible, and the
correct dimension values are always maintained.

Fields

Fields

In general, fields are translated as static text.
The exceptions are fields that behave
identically in both products. This includes the
Date fields CreateDate, SaveDate, and PlotDate, and the Document property fields Author, Filename, and Filesize.
Fields are converted to text when “Explode
Text Nodes to Text Elements” is checked in
the Import DGN Settings dialog box.

Raster Images

Raster Images

These image file types: .bmp, .cal, .tif, .png,
.tga, .jpg, .pcx, .gif, .rlc, .bil, and .pct are supported. All other image file types are not.

DGN References

DWG References

.dwg and .dgn file types are supported. Other
non-DGN file types such as .cel, .h, .s, .d, .rdl,
and .cgm are also supported.

DGN Design Model

DWG Model

The selected design model in a DGN file is
converted into a DWG file.

DGN Sheet Model

DWG Layout

Only the sheet models that reference the
primary design model are imported. DGN
sheet models are translated as layouts in a
DWG file.

554 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DGNIMPORT Unit Mapping Table
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import MicroStation DGN Files

The following table lists the linear units used in the resulting DWG file as
determined by the master units, sub-units, and unit precision of the DGN file
being imported.
DGN to DWG Unit Mapping Table
DGN Master
Units

DGN Sub
Units

DGN Precision

DWG Units Notes

Feet

Inches

Decimal

Engineering

Feet

Inches

Fractional

Architectural

Inches

Inches

Decimal

Engineering

Inches

Inches

Fractional

Architectural

Inches

Any Other
Unit

Decimal

Engineering

Master Units selected in the Import DGN Settings dialog
box.

Inches

Any Other
Unit

Decimal

Decimal

Sub Units selected in the Import DGN Settings dialog
box.

Inches

Any Other
Unit

Fractional

Architectural

Master Units selected in the Im-

DGNIMPORT Unit Mapping Table | 555

DGN to DWG Unit Mapping Table
DGN Master
Units

DGN Sub
Units

DGN Precision

DWG Units Notes
port DGN Settings dialog box

Inches

Any Other
Unit

Fractional

Fractional

Inches

Any Other
Unit

Decimal

Decimal

Any Other Unit

Any Other
Unit

Fractional

Fractional

Sub Units selected in the Import DGN Settings dialog box

For import of a V7 file, Master unit label will be read and will use the following
table to set the Master units based on the unit translation table. The Resolution
value will be used to set the Sub units.
NOTE Unknown labels will be treated as “meters” and “decimeters.”
V7 DGN Unit Translation Table
DGN Label

Name

DGN Label

Name

km

kilometers

mi

miles

m

meters

yd

yard

dc

decimeters

ft

feet

cm

centimeters

in

inches

mm

millimeters

tn

1/10 feet

um

microns

ti

1/10 inches

ui

micro inches

‘

feet

556 | Chapter 5 D Commands

V7 DGN Unit Translation Table
DGN Label

Name

DGN Label

Name

“

inches

‘

feet

-DGNIMPORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import MicroStation DGN Files

If you enter -dgnimport at the Command prompt, the following prompts are
displayed.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter filename on page 557 for DGN Import: Specify path and filename of DGN
file
Enter name of model or [? on page 558] : Enter the name of the design
model in the DGN file, enter ? to list all design models, or press Enter
Specify conversion units on page 558 [Master/Sub] : Specify m or s, or
press Enter
Specify mapping setup on page 558 or [?] : Specify mapping setup or
? to specify filter command
TIP Create a script using -DGNIMPORT to batch process importing of DGN files.

Filename
The file name can include up to 255 characters and contain letters, digits,
spaces, and any special characters not used by Microsoft Windows or this
program.
To avoid errors when entering a file name, it is recommended that you specify
both the DGN file and path as follows:
path\filename.dgn

-DGNIMPORT | 557

or
“path\filename.dgn”
If you enter a valid DGN file name without a file extension, the program adds
the extension and search for the file.

? - List of Design Models
Lists all design models contained in the DGN file.

Units
Specifies a drawing-units value for scaling the DGN file.

Mapping Setups
Specifies the mapping setup of the selected design model.
? After specifying a filter, a list of available import mapping setups that match
the filter is displayed and will re-prompt.

DGNLAYERS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Layers in an Underlay

Controls the display of layers in a DGN underlay.

Access Methods

Shortcut menu: Select a DGN underlay, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose DGN Layers.

Summary
After selecting the DGN underlay, the Underlay Layers dialog box on page
1992 is displayed.
NOTE The ULAYERS on page 1992 command allows you to manage the layers of
all underlays in the current document: DWF, DWFx, PDF, and DGN.

558 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DGNMAPPING
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Manage Translation Mapping Setups

Allows users to create and edit user-defined DGN mapping setups.

Summary
The DGN Mapping Setups dialog box on page 560 is displayed. It can also be
accessed from the Import DGN Settings and Export DGN Settings dialog boxes.
The import/export process translates basic DGN/DWG data into the
corresponding DWG/DGN data. The Standard (default) mapping translation
is used to map DGN levels, linestyles, lineweights, and colors to equivalent
DWG layers, linetypes, lineweights, and colors.
The DGNMAPPING on page 559 command allows you to create, modify,
rename, or delete mapping translations based on your company’s CAD
standards such as:
■

Change DGN level names to appropriate DWG layer names

■

Remap unsupported DGN linestyles to DWG linetypes

■

Remap lineweights and adjust color mapping

Therefore, you can streamline the import/export process while minimizing
the need for more extensive editing.
The list of translation mapping setups is sorted by mapping type, based on
where it was accessed from. The Standard mapping setup is always on the top
of the list. This mapping setup is the default translation based on the file being
imported or exported. It is not editable.

DGNMAPPING | 559

DGN Mapping Setups Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Manage Translation Mapping Setups

Creates new mapping setups, renames mapping setups, modifies mapping
setups, and deletes mapping setups.

Access Methods
Command entry: dgnmapping

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Current User
Displays the user’s login name.
Name
Lists all mapping setups. If the setup name is too long to be completely
displayed, an ellipsis (...) is shown at the end.
Type Specifies the mapping setup type: import or export.
Description Displays the description of the selected mapping setup.

560 | Chapter 5 D Commands

New
Displays the New Mapping Setup dialog box on page 561, in which you can
define a new mapping setup.
Rename
Starts in-place editing of the currently selected mapping setup (direct editing
in the list).
NOTE The Rename button is disabled when the Standard mapping setup is
selected.
Modify
Displays the Modify DGN Mapping Setup dialog box on page 563, in which
you can modify the currently selected mapping setup.
NOTE The Modify button is disabled when the Standard mapping setup is selected.
Delete
Deletes the currently selected mapping setup. After deletion, the mapping
setup directly below the one deleted is selected. If there is none below, the
one directly above it is selected.
NOTE The Delete button is disabled when the Standard mapping setup is selected.

New Mapping Setup Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Manage Translation Mapping Setups

Names the new mapping setup, sets the mapping setup on which to start the
new one, and indicates the mapping types to which you want the new style
to apply.

New Mapping Setup Dialog Box | 561

Access Methods
Command entry: dgnmapping

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Current User
Displays the user’s login name.

New DGN Mapping Setup Name
Specifies the new mapping setup name.

Based On
Sets a mapping setup to use as a basis for the new one. For the new mapping
setup, you change only the properties that differ from the properties you start
with.

Mapping Type
Specifies what type of mapping setup to create.
Import
Specifies an import mapping type.
Export
Specifies an export mapping type.

562 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Continue button
Opens the Modify DGN Mapping Setup dialog box on page 563. Depending
on the mapping type selected (Import or Export), the appropriate import/export
dialog box is displayed.

Modify DGN Mapping Setup Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Manage Translation Mapping Setups

Sets the properties for the selected mapping setup.

Access Methods
Command entry: dgnmapping

Modify DGN Mapping Setup Dialog Box | 563

Summary
When you choose Continue in the New Mapping Setup dialog box, the Modify
DGN Mapping Setup dialog box is displayed. You define the properties for
the new mapping setup in this dialog box. The dialog box initially displays
the properties of the mapping setup that you selected.

List of Options
The Modify DGN Mapping Setup dialog box includes the following tabs:
■

Layer on page 564

■

Linetype on page 564

■

Lineweight on page 565

■

Color on page 566

Layer
The corresponding cells are automatically filled with the default mapping.
The properties are added depending on which of the following mapping setups
you are currently working on. Whenever the target cell is blank (right-hand
column), the default system mapping is used. You can only make changes to
the right-hand column of the Layer tab. The left-hand column is not editable.
Use the Add Properties buttons to add layers/levels to the current mapping
setup.
New mapping setup: If you have accessed the Modify DGN Mapping Setup
dialog box by creating a new mapping setup from the Import/Export DGN
Settings dialog boxes, the rows are populated with all defined levels in the
imported DGN file or all defined layers in the current drawing file.
Existing mapping setup: If you are editing an existing mapping setup (even
if you are editing a setup other than Standard from the Import (or Export)
DGN Settings dialog box), the properties listed in the mapping table are not
derived from the imported DGN file or the exported drawing file.

Linetype
You can map linetypes and linestyles by editing the right-hand column of the
Linetype tab. Select a cell in the right-hand column, and click the drop-down
list to select a linetype or linestyle that the property in the left-hand column
should be mapped to. Linetypes can be loaded for use in the mapping setup
by selecting Other from the drop-down list. The left-hand column is not
editable. Use the Add Properties buttons to add linetypes/linestyles to the
current mapping setup.

564 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Export mapping setup: If you have accessed the Modify DGN Mapping Setups
dialog box by creating a new setup from the Export DGN Settings dialog box,
the DWG column includes all defined linetypes in the current drawing file.
Whenever the target cell is blank (right-hand column), we will use the default
system mapping.

You can directly type DGN linestyle names in the cells in the right column.
If unknown linestyle names are added to the right column of the mapping
table, they are ignored and default to Continuous.
Import mapping setup: If you are in the Modify DGN Mapping Setup dialog
box by creating a new setup from the Import DGN Settings dialog box, the
DGN column includes all defined DGN linestyles in the imported DGN file,
as well as the DGN seed file used when the DGN file was created.
When remapping linetypes in the DWG column, only linetypes from the
acad.lin and acadiso.lin files are supported (depending on Units or
Measurement type of file). Linetypes stored in custom LIN files are not
supported.

Lineweight
A predefined set of lineweights is displayed which provides the best match
between lineweights used in DGN and DWG files. You can copy and paste
single or multiple lineweights using the right-click menu in the right-hand

Modify DGN Mapping Setup Dialog Box | 565

column. You can only make changes on the right-hand column of the
Lineweight tab. The left-hand column is not editable.

Color
You can map color values between DGN to DWG files. By default the Color
tab is blank and the default color mapping is used. Color translations between
DGN color values is done to the closest AutoCAD color values and AutoCAD
color values are mapped to the closest DGN color values. The Color tab is the
only tab that allows editing in both columns. Values in the left-hand column
must be unique. To remap colors, right-click either column and select Add
Color from the right-click menu.

566 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DGN column: Selecting Add Color… from the right-click menu allows you to
add a valid DGN color value to the cell. Valid colors include 0-255, ByLevel
and ByCell. The DWG column is automatically populated with the equivalent
RGB value. You can modify a DGN color by double-clicking the cell and typing
a different value.
DWG column: Selecting Add Color… from the right-click menu brings up the
Select Color dialog box on page 568. You can add ACI colors, true colors or
color from a Color Book. The DGN column is automatically populated with
the DGN equivalent color value. You can modify a DWG color by clicking
the cell and selecting an option from the drop-down list. The drop-down list
displays the standard color list as well as a list of colors previously added to
the DWG column and the Select Color option.

Add Properties from DGN File
Opens the Add Properties from DGN File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box). The level and linestyle properties from the chosen DGN file are
added to the DGN columns in the Modify DGN Mapping Setups dialog box
table.
In Files of Type, the drop-down list includes MicroStation DGN (*.dgn) and
All DGN Files (*.*) to recognize DGN files that have other extensions.

Modify DGN Mapping Setup Dialog Box | 567

NOTE Only unique properties are added to the list in the Layer and Linetype tabs
when adding properties from files.

Add Properties from Drawing File
Opens the Add Properties from Drawing File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). The layer and linetype properties from the chosen
DWT/DWG/DWS files are added to the DWG columns in the Modify DGN
Mapping Setups dialog box table.
In Files of Type, the drop-down list includes the following:
■

Drawing template (*.dwt)

■

Drawing (*.dwg)

■

Standards (*.dws)

Setup Description
Specifies a mapping setup description. You can also edit the description for
an existing mapping setup.
NOTE Only unique properties are added to the list in the Layer and Linetype tabs
when adding properties from files.

Select Color Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Manage Translation Mapping Setups

The Select Color dialog box is displayed when you click Select Color from the
color drop-down list.

Access Methods
Command entry: dgnmapping

Summary
■

Index Color on page 338

568 | Chapter 5 D Commands

■

True Color on page 340

■

Color Books on page 342

DIM and DIM1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Dimensioning

Accesses Dimensioning mode commands.

Summary
The Dim prompt indicates that you're in Dimensioning mode, in which you
can use a special set of dimensioning commands on page 569. (DIM and DIM1
are provided only for compatibility with previous releases.)
Use DIM to remain in Dimensioning mode after you have used a dimensioning
command. Use DIM1 to execute a dimensioning command and immediately
return to the Command prompt. To exit Dimensioning mode, enter e or exit,
or press Esc.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Dim: Enter a Dimensioning mode command

Dimensioning Mode Commands
The following commands are available at the DIM prompt.
Dimensioning mode commands
Command

Description

EXIT

Exits Dimensioning mode and returns to the Command prompt.
You can also press Esc to exit Dimensioning mode.

REDRAW

Redraws the current viewport.

STYLE

Changes the current text style.

DIM and DIM1 | 569

Dimensioning mode commands
Command

Description

UNDO or U

Erases the most recently created dimension objects and cancels any
new dimension system variable setting. When you exit Dimensioning
mode, UNDO reverses the effects of the entire dimensioning session.

The following table shows which AutoCAD LT commands are equivalent to
the rest of the Dimensioning mode commands. For information about these
Dimensioning mode commands, see the equivalent AutoCAD LT command.
Dimensioning mode command equivalents
Dimensioning mode
command

Equivalent
command

ALIGNED

DIMALIGNED

ANGULAR

DIMANGULAR

BASELINE

DIMBASELINE

CENTER

DIMCENTER

CONTINUE

DIMCONTINUE

DIAMETER

DIMDIAMETER

HOMETEXT

DIMEDIT Home

HORIZONTAL

DIMLINEAR Horizontal

LEADER

LEADER

JOG

DIMJOGGED

NEWTEXT

DIMEDIT New

OBLIQUE

DIMEDIT Oblique

ORDINATE

DIMORDINATE

OVERRIDE

DIMOVERRIDE

570 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Dimensioning mode command equivalents
Dimensioning mode
command

Equivalent
command

RADIUS

DIMRADIUS

RESTORE

-DIMSTYLE Restore

ROTATED

DIMLINEAR Rotated

SAVE

-DIMSTYLE Save

STATUS

-DIMSTYLE Status

TEDIT

DIMTEDIT

TROTATE

DIMEDIT Rotate

UPDATE

-DIMSTYLE Apply

VARIABLES

-DIMSTYLE Variables

VERTICAL

DIMLINEAR Vertical

DIMALIGNED
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Aligned Dimensions

Creates an aligned linear dimension.

Access Methods

Button

DIMALIGNED | 571

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Aligned
Menu: Dimension ➤ Aligned
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
Creates a linear dimension that is aligned with the origin points of the
extension lines.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first “extension line origin” or <“select object”>: Specify a point for
manual extension lines, or press Enter for automatic extension lines
After you specify either manual or automatic extension lines, the following
prompt is displayed:
Specify dimension line location or [“Mtext”/“Text”/“Angle”]: Specify a point
or enter an option
Extension Line Origin Specifies the first extension line origin (1). You are
prompted to specify the second one.
Object Selection Automatically determines the origin points of the first and
second extension lines after you select an object.
For polylines and other explodable objects, only the individual line and arc
segments are dimensioned. You cannot select objects in a nonuniformly scaled
block reference.
If you select a line or an arc, its endpoints are used as the origins of the
extension lines. The extension lines are offset from the endpoints by the
distance specified in Offset from Origin on the Lines and Arrows tab of the
New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes (see DIMSTYLE).
This value is stored in the DIMEXO system variable.

572 | Chapter 5 D Commands

If you select a circle, the endpoints of its diameter are used as the origins of
the extension line. The point used to select the circle defines the origin of the
first extension line.
Dimension Line Location Specifies the placement of the dimension line and
determines the direction to draw the extension lines. After you specify the
location, the DIMALIGNED command ends.
Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the
dimension text. The generated measurement is represented with angle brackets
(< >). To add a prefix or a suffix to the generated measurement, enter the prefix
or suffix before or after the angle brackets. Use control codes and Unicode
character strings to enter special characters or symbols. See Control Codes
and Special Characters on page 1938.
To edit or replace the generated measurement, delete the angle brackets, enter
the new dimension text, and then click OK. If alternate units are not turned
on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square brackets
([ ]). For more information, see “Change Existing Objects”.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.
Text Customizes the dimension text at the command prompt. The generated
dimension measurement is displayed within angle brackets.
Enter the dimension text, or press Enter to accept the generated measurement.
To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to represent
the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in the
dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square brackets
([ ]).
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.
Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.

DIMALIGNED | 573

DIMANGULAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Angular Dimensions

Creates an angular dimension.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Angular
Menu: Dimension ➤ Angular
Toolbar: Dimension

574 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Summary
Measures the angle between selected objects or 3 points. Objects that can be
selected include arcs, circles, and lines, among others.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select “arc”, “circle”, “line”, or <“specify vertex”>: Select an arc, circle, or line,
or press Enter to create the angular dimension by specifying three points
After you define the angle to dimension, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify “dimension arc line location” or [“Mtext”/“Text”/“Angle”/“Quadrant”]:
Arc Selection Uses points on the selected arc as the defining points for a
three-point angular dimension. The center of the arc is the angle vertex. The
arc endpoints become the origin points of the extension lines.

The dimension line is drawn as an arc between the extension lines. The
extension lines are drawn from the angle endpoints to the intersection of the
dimension line.
Circle Selection Uses the selection point (1) as the origin of the first extension
line. The center of the circle is the angle vertex.
The second angle endpoint is the origin of the second extension line and does
not have to lie on the circle.

DIMANGULAR | 575

Line Selection Defines the angle using two lines.
The program determines the angle by using each line as a vector for the angle
and the intersection of the lines for the angle vertex. The dimension line spans
the angle between the two lines. If the dimension line does not intersect the
lines being dimensioned, extension lines are added as needed to extend one
or both lines. The arc is always less than 180 degrees.

Three-Point Specification Creates a dimension based on three points you
specify.
The angle vertex can be the same as one of the angle endpoints. If you need
extension lines, the endpoints are used as origin points.

The dimension line is drawn as an arc between the extension lines. The
extension lines are drawn from the angle endpoints to the intersection of the
dimension line.
Dimension Arc Line Location Specifies the placement of the dimension line
and determines the direction to draw the extension lines.
Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the
dimension text. To add a prefix or a suffix, enter the prefix or suffix text before
or after the generated measurement. Use control codes and Unicode character
strings to enter special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special
Characters on page 1938.
For more information, see “Change Existing Objects”.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.
Text Customizes the dimension text at the Command prompt. The generated
dimension measurement is displayed within angle brackets.
To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to represent
the generated measurement.

576 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.
Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.

Quadrant Specifies the quadrant that the dimension should be locked to.
When quadrant behavior is on, the dimension line is extended past the
extension line when the dimension text is positioned outside of the angular
dimension.

DIMARC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Arc Length Dimensions

Creates an arc length dimension.

DIMARC | 577

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Arc Length
Menu: Dimension ➤ Arc Length
Toolbar: Dimension

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select arc or polyline arc segment: Use an object selection method
Specify “arc length dimension location” or
[“Mtext”/“Text”/“Angle”/“Partial”/“Leader”]: Specify a point or enter an option
Arc length dimensions measure the distance along an arc or polyline arc
segment. The extension lines of an arc length dimension can be orthogonal
or radial. An arc symbol is displayed either above or preceding the dimension
text.

Arc Length Dimension Location Specifies the placement of the dimension
line and determines the direction of the extension lines.
Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the
dimension text. Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter
special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on
page 1938.
If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display
them by entering square brackets ([]). For more information, see “Change
Existing Objects”.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.
Text Customizes the dimension text at the Command prompt. The generated
dimension measurement is displayed within angle brackets.
To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to represent
the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in the
dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square brackets
([ ]).

578 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.
Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.
Partial Reduces the length of the arc length dimension.
Leader Adds a leader object. This option is displayed only if the arc (or arc
segment) is greater than 90 degrees. The leader is drawn radially, pointing
towards the center of the arc being dimensioned.
No Leader Cancels the Leader option before the leader is created.
To remove a leader, delete the arc length dimension and recreate it without
the leader option.

DIMBASELINE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Baseline and Continued Dimensions

Creates a linear, angular, or ordinate dimension from the baseline of the
previous or selected dimension.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Baseline
Menu: Dimension ➤ Baseline
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
The default spacing between baseline dimensions can be set from the
Dimension Style Manager, Lines tab, Baseline Spacing (DIMDLI system
variable).

DIMBASELINE | 579

If no dimension was created in the current session, you are prompted to select
a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the base for the baseline
dimension.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select base dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension
Otherwise, the program skips this prompt and uses the dimension object that
was last created in the current session. If the base dimension is linear or
angular, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify a second extension line origin or [“Undo”/“Select”] :
To end the command, press Enter twice, or press Esc. The current dimension
style determines the appearance of the text.
Second Extension Line Origin By default, the first extension line of the base
dimension is used as the extension line origin for the baseline dimension. To
override this default behavior, explicitly select the base dimension; the
extension line origin becomes the extension line of the base dimension closest
to the pick point of the selection. When you select a second point, the baseline
dimension is drawn and the Specify a Second Extension Line Origin prompt
is redisplayed. To end the command, press Esc. To select another linear,
ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the basis for the baseline dimension,
press Enter.

580 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Feature Location Uses the endpoint of the base dimension as the endpoint
for the baseline dimension; you are prompted for the next feature location.
When you select a feature location, the baseline dimension is drawn and the
Specify Feature Location prompt is redisplayed. To select another linear,
ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the basis for the baseline dimension,
press Enter.
Undo Undoes the last baseline dimension entered during this command
session.
Select Prompts you to select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use
as the base for the baseline dimension.

DIMBREAK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Dimension Breaks

Breaks or restores dimension and extension lines where they cross other objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Break.
Menu: Dimension ➤ Dimension Break

DIMBREAK | 581

Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
Dimension breaks can be added to linear, angular, and ordinate dimensions,
among others.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select a dimension to add/remove break or [Multiple]: Select a dimension, or
enter m and press Enter
After you select a dimension, the following prompt is displayed:
Select object to break dimension or [“Auto”/“Manual”/“Remove”] :
Select an object that intersects the dimension or extension lines of the selected
dimension, enter an option, or press Enter
After you select an object to break the dimension with, the following prompt
is displayed:
Select object to break dimension: Select an object that passes through the dimension
or press Enter to end the command
NOTE Dimension breaks can be added to dimensions for objects that do not
intersect the dimension or extension lines using the by Manual option.
Multiple Specifies multiple dimensions to add breaks to or remove breaks
from.
Auto Places dimension breaks automatically at all the intersection points of
the objects that intersect the selected dimension. Any dimension break created
using this option is updated automatically when the dimension or an
intersecting object is modified.
When a new object is drawn over the top of a dimension that has any
dimension breaks, no new dimension breaks are automatically applied at the
intersecting points along the dimension object. To add the new dimension
breaks, must be run the command again.
Remove Removes all dimension breaks from the selected dimensions.
Manual Places a dimension break manually. You specify two points on the
dimension or extension lines for the location of the break. Any dimension
break that is created using this option is not updated if the dimension or

582 | Chapter 5 D Commands

intersecting objects are modified. You can only place a single manual
dimension break at a time with this option.

DIMCENTER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Radial Dimensions

Creates the center mark or the centerlines of circles and arcs.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Center Mark
Menu: Dimension ➤ Center Mark
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
The default sizes of the center mark components can be set from the Dimension
Style Manager, Symbols and Arrows tab, Center Marks (DIMCEN system
variable).

You can choose between center marks and centerlines and specify their size
when you set up the dimension style. See DIMSTYLE. You can also change
center mark settings using the DIMCEN system variable.

DIMCENTER | 583

DIMCONSTRAINT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Applies dimensional constraints to selected objects or points on objects, or
converts associative dimensions to dimensional constraints.

Access Methods

Panel

Ribbon: Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel
Menu: Parametric ➤ Dimensional Constraints ➤ Horizontal
Toolbar: Dimensional Constraints

Summary
Applies a dimensional constraint to a selected object or converts an associative
dimension to a dimensional constraint.
NOTE The L option (last object drawn) is not allowed in the DIMCONSTRAINT
command as the constraint behavior is dependent on where you pick the object.
The following table outlines the valid constraint points for an object.
Objects

Valid Constraint Points

Line

Endpoints, Midpoint

Arc

Center, Endpoints, Midpoint

Spline

Endpoints

Ellipse, Circle

Center

584 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Objects

Valid Constraint Points

Polyline

Endpoints, midpoints of line and arc subobjects, center of arc subobjects

Block, Xref, Text, Mtext, Attribute, Table

Insertion point

After you specify the dimensional constraint type, you can either enter an
expression value or accept the default (constraintname=value).
The DIMCONSTRAINT command gives the same options as the following
commands:
Linear (DCLINEAR on page 517) Creates a horizontal, vertical, or rotated
constraint based on the locations of the extension line origins and the
dimension line.
Horizontal (DCHORIZONTAL on page 516) Constrains the X distance between
points on an object, or between two points on different objects.
Vertical (DCVERTICAL on page 520) Constrains the Y distance between points
on an object, or between two points on different objects.
Aligned (DCALIGNED on page 509) Constrains the distance between two
points on different objects.
Angular (DCANGULAR on page 511) Constrains the angle between line or
polyline segments, the angle swept out by an arc or a polyline arc segment,
or the angle between three points on objects.
Radius (DCRADIUS on page 519) Constrains the radius of a circle or an arc.
Diameter (DCDIAMETER on page 514) Constrains the diameter of a circle or
an arc.
Form (DCFORM on page 515) Specifies whether the dimensional constraint
being created is dynamic or annotational.
Convert (DCCONVERT on page 513) Converts associative dimensions to
dimensional constraints.

DIMCONSTRAINT | 585

DIMCONTINUE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Baseline and Continued Dimensions

Creates a dimension that starts from an extension line of a previously created
dimension.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Continue
Menu: Dimension ➤ Continue
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
Automatically continues creating additional dimensions from the last linear,
angular, or ordinate dimension created, or from a selected extension line. The
dimension lines are lined up automatically.

If no dimension was created in the current session, you are prompted to select
a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the base for the continued
dimension.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select continued dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension
Otherwise, the program skips this prompt and uses the dimension object that
was last created in the current session. If the base dimension is linear or
angular, the following prompt is displayed:

586 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Specify a “second extension line origin” or [“Undo”/“Select”] :
To end the command, press Enter twice, or press Esc. The current dimension
style determines the appearance of the text.

Second Extension Line Origin Uses the second extension line origin of the
continued dimension for the first extension line origin of the next dimension.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the text.
After you select a continued dimension, the Specify a Second Extension Line
Origin prompt is redisplayed. To end the command, press Esc. To select another
linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the basis for the continued
dimension, press Enter.
Select continued dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension
Select a base dimension, or press Esc to end the command.

Feature Location Uses the endpoint of the base dimension as the endpoint
for the continued dimension; you are prompted for the next feature location.
When you select a feature location, the continued dimension is drawn and
the Specify Feature Location prompt is redisplayed. To end the command,
press Esc. To select another linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as
the basis for the continued dimension, press Enter.
Select continued dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension
Select a base dimension, or press Esc to end the command.
Undo Undoes the last continued dimension entered during the command
session.

DIMCONTINUE | 587

Select Prompts you to select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use
as the continued dimension. After you select a continued dimension, the
Specify a Second Extension Line Origin prompt or the Specify Feature Location
prompt is redisplayed. To end the command, press Esc.

DIMDIAMETER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Radial Dimensions

Creates a diameter dimension for a circle or an arc.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Diameter
Menu: Dimension ➤ Diameter
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
Measures the diameter of a selected circle or arc, and displays the dimension
text with a diameter symbol in front of it. You can use grips to easily reposition
the resulting diameter dimension.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select arc or circle:

588 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Specify dimension line location or [“Mtext”/“Text”/“Angle”]: Specify a point
or enter an option
Dimension Line Location Determines the angle of the dimension line and
the location of the dimension text. If the dimension is placed off of an arc
resulting in the dimension pointing outside the arc, AutoCAD LT automatically
draws an arc extension line.
Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the
dimension text. Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter
special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on
page 1938.
If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display
them by entering square brackets ([]). For more information, see “Change
Existing Objects”.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the dimension text.
Text Customizes the dimension text at the Command prompt. The generated
dimension measurement is displayed within angle brackets.
To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to represent
the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in the
dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square brackets
([ ]).
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.
Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.

DIMDISASSOCIATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Dimension Associativity

Removes associativity from selected dimensions.

Summary
DIMDISASSOCIATE filters the selection set to include only associative
dimensions that are not on locked layers, and that are not in a different space
than the current space (for example, if model space is active, associative

DIMDISASSOCIATE | 589

dimensions in paper space are excluded). DIMDISASSOCIATE then disassociates
these dimensions and reports the number of dimensions that are filtered out
and the number that are disassociated.

DIMEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Dimension Text

Edits dimension text and extension lines.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Oblique
Menu: Dimension ➤ Oblique
Toolbar: Dimension , Oblique

Summary
Rotates, modifies, or restores dimension text. Changes the oblique angle of
extension lines. The companion command that moves text and the dimension
line is DIMTEDIT.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter type of dimension editing [Home/New/Rotate/Oblique] : Enter
an option or press Enter
Home Moves rotated dimension text back to its default position.

590 | Chapter 5 D Commands

The selected dimension text is returned to its default position and rotation as
specified in its dimension style.
New Changes dimension text using the In-Place Text Editor.

The generated measurement is represented with angle brackets (< >). Use
control codes and Unicode character strings to enter special characters or
symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1938.
To edit or replace the generated measurement, delete the angle brackets, enter
the new dimension text, and then choose OK. If alternate units are not turned
on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square brackets
([ ]). For more information, see “Change Existing Objects”.
Rotate Rotates dimension text. This option is similar to the Angle option of
DIMTEDIT.
Entering 0 places the text in its default orientation, which is determined by
the vertical and horizontal text settings on the Text tab of the New, Modify,
and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes. See DIMSTYLE. The DIMTIH and
DIMTOH system variables control this orientation.

Oblique
The Oblique option is useful when extension lines conflict with other features
of the drawing. The oblique angle is measured from the X axis of the UCS.

DIMEDIT | 591

DIMINSPECT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Inspection Dimension

Adds or removes inspection information for a selected dimension.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Inspect
Menu: Dimension ➤ Inspection
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
Inspection dimensions specify how frequently manufactured parts should be
checked to ensure that the dimension value and tolerances of the parts are
within the specified range.

592 | Chapter 5 D Commands

The Inspection Dimension Dialog Box is displayed and allows you to add or
remove inspection dimensions from an existing dimension. Inspection
dimensions allow you to effectively communicate how frequently
manufactured parts should be checked to ensure that the dimension value
and tolerances of the parts are within the specified range.
If you enter -diminspect at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Inspection Dimension Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Inspection Dimension

Allows you to add or remove an inspection dimension from selected
dimensions.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Inspect
Menu: Dimension ➤ Inspection

Inspection Dimension Dialog Box | 593

Toolbar: Dimension
Command entry: diminspect

Summary
Use the Shape and Inspection Label/Rate settings to the appearance of the
frame of the inspection dimension and the inspection rate value.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Select Dimensions
Specifies the dimensions that an inspection dimension should be added to or
removed from.

Remove Inspection
Removes the inspection dimension from the selected dimension.

Shape
Controls the shape of the frame that is drawn around the label, dimension
value, and inspection rate of the inspection dimension.
Round
Creates a frame with semi-circles on the two ends; the fields within the frame
are separated by vertical lines.
Angular
Creates a frame with lines that form a 90-degree angle on the two ends; the
fields within the frame are separated by vertical lines.
None
Specifies that no frame is drawn around the values; the fields are not separated
by vertical lines.

Label/Inspection Rate
Specifies the label text and inspection rate for an inspection dimension.
Label
Turns the display of the label field on and off.
Label Value
Specifies the label text.

594 | Chapter 5 D Commands

The label is displayed in the leftmost section of the inspection dimension
when the Label check box is selected.
Inspection Rate
Turns the display of the rate field on and off.
Inspection Rate Value
Specifies how frequently a part should be inspected.
The value is expressed as a percentage, and the valid range is 0 to 100. The
inspection rate is displayed in the rightmost section of the inspection
dimension when the Inspection Rate check box is selected.

-DIMINSPECT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Inspection Dimension

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Add inspection data or [Remove] : Enter an option or press Enter

Add
Adds an inspection dimension to the selected dimensions.
Round Creates a frame with semi-circles on the two ends; the fields within
the frame are separated by vertical lines.
Angular Creates a frame with lines that form a 90-degree angle on the two
ends; the fields within the frame are separated by vertical lines.
None Specifies that no frame is drawn around the values; the fields are not
separated by vertical lines.
None No label is displayed with the inspection dimension.

Remove
Removes the inspection dimension from the selected dimensions.

-DIMINSPECT | 595

DIMJOGGED
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Radial Dimensions

Creates jogged dimensions for circles and arcs.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Jogged
Menu: Dimension ➤ Jogged
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
DIMJOGGED measures the radius of the selected object and displays the
dimension text with a radius symbol in front of it. The origin point of the
dimension line can be specified at any convenient location.
NOTE Jogged radius dimensions are also called foreshortened radius dimensions.
Creates jogged radius dimensions when the center of an arc or circle is located
off the layout and cannot be displayed in its true location. The origin point
of the dimension can be specified at a more convenient location called the
center location override.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select arc or circle: Select an arc, circle, or polyline arc segment
Specify center location override: Specify a point

596 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Accepts a new center point for a jogged radius dimension that takes the place
of the true center point of the arc or circle.
Specify dimension line location on page 597 or [Mtext/“Text”/“Angle”]: Specify
a point or enter an option
Dimension Line Location Determines the angle of the dimension line and
the location of the dimension text. If the dimension is placed off of an arc
resulting in the dimension pointing outside the arc, AutoCAD LT automatically
draws an arc extension line.
Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the
dimension text. Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter
special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on
page 1938.
If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display
them by entering square brackets ([ ]). For more information, see “Change
Existing Objects”.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.
Text Customizes the dimension text at the Command prompt. The generated
dimension measurement is displayed within angle brackets.
To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to represent
the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in the
dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square brackets
([ ]).
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.
Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.
Also determines the angle of the dimension line and the location of the
dimension text.
Specify Jog Location Locates the middle point of the jog. The transverse
angle of the jog is determined by the Dimension Style Manager.

DIMJOGGED | 597

DIMJOGLINE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Dimension Jog

Adds or removes a jog line on a linear or aligned dimension.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension, Dimjogline
Menu: Dimension ➤ Jogged Linear
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
Jog lines in a dimension indicate a break in the objects being dimensioned.
The dimension value represents the actual distance, rather than the measured
distance in the drawing.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select dimension to add jog or [Remove]: Select a linear or aligned dimension
Add Jog Specifies the linear or aligned dimension to which to add a jog. You
are prompted for the location of the jog.
Press Enter to place the jog at the midpoint between the dimension text and
the first extension line or the midpoint of the dimension line based on the
location of the dimension text
Remove Specifies the linear or aligned dimension from which to remove the
jog.

598 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DIMLINEAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Linear Dimensions

Creates a linear dimension.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Linear
Menu: Dimension ➤ Linear
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
Creates a linear dimension with a horizontal, vertical, or rotated dimension
line.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first “extension line origin” or <“select object”>: Specify a point or press
Enter to select an object to dimension
After you specify the extension line origin points or the object to dimension,
the following prompt is displayed:
Specify “dimension line location” or
[“Mtext”/“Text”/“Angle”/“Horizontal”/“Vertical”/“Rotated”]: Specify a point
or enter an option

First Extension Line Origin
Prompts for the origin point of the second extension line after you specify
the origin point of the first.

DIMLINEAR | 599

Dimension Line Location
Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension line and determines the
direction to draw the extension lines. After you specify the location, the
dimension is drawn.

Mtext
Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the dimension
text. Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter special characters
or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1938.
If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display
them by entering square brackets ([ ]). For more information about formatting
dimension text, see “Change Existing Objects” in the User's Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.

Text
Customizes the dimension text at the Command prompt. The generated
dimension measurement is displayed within angle brackets.
To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to represent
the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in the
dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square brackets
([ ]).

600 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.

Angle
Changes the angle of the dimension text.

Horizontal
Creates horizontal linear dimensions.

Dimension Line Location Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension
line.
■

Mtext on page 600

■

Text on page 600

■

Angle on page 601

Vertical
Creates vertical linear dimensions.

Dimension Line Location Dimension Line Location on page 600
■

Mtext on page 600

■

Text on page 600

■

Angle on page 601

DIMLINEAR | 601

Rotated
Creates rotated linear dimensions.

Object Selection
Automatically determines the origin points of the first and second extension
lines after you select an object.
For polylines and other explodable objects, only the individual line and arc
segments are dimensioned. You cannot select objects in a non-uniformly
scaled block reference.
If you select a line or an arc, the line or arc endpoints are used as the origins
of the extension lines. The extension lines are offset from the endpoints by
the distance you specify in Offset from Origin in the Lines and Arrows tab of
the New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes. See DIMSTYLE.
This value is stored in the DIMEXO system variable.

If you select a circle, the diameter endpoints are used as the origins of the
extension line. When the point used to select the circle is close to the north
or south quadrant point, a horizontal dimension is drawn. When the point
used to select the circle is close to the east or west quadrant point, a vertical
dimension is drawn.

602 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DIMORDINATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Ordinate Dimensions

Creates ordinate dimensions.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Ordinate
Menu: Dimension ➤ Ordinate
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
Ordinate dimensions measure the horizontal or vertical distance from an
origin point called the datum to a feature, such as a hole in a part. These
dimensions prevent escalating errors by maintaining accurate offsets of the
features from the datum.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify feature location: Specify a point or snap to an object
Specify leader endpoint or [Xdatum/Ydatum/Mtext/Text/Angle]: Specify a point
or enter an option
Leader Endpoint Specification Uses the difference between the feature
location and the leader endpoint to determine whether it is an X or a Y ordinate
dimension. If the difference in the Y ordinate is greater, the dimension
measures the X ordinate. Otherwise, it measures the Y ordinate.

DIMORDINATE | 603

Xdatum Measures the X ordinate and determines the orientation of the leader
line and dimension text. The Leader Endpoint prompt is displayed, where you
can specify the endpoint.

Ydatum Measures the Y ordinate and determines the orientation of the leader
line and dimension text. The Leader Endpoint prompts are displayed, where
you can specify the endpoint.

Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the
dimension text. Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter
special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on
page 1938.
If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display
them by entering square brackets ([ ]). For more information about formatting
dimension text, see “Change Existing Objects” in the User's Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.
Text Customizes the dimension text at the Command prompt. The generated
dimension measurement is displayed within angle brackets.
To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to represent
the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in the
dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square brackets
([ ]).
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.
Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.

604 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DIMOVERRIDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Override a Dimension Style

Controls overrides of system variables used in selected dimensions.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Override
Menu: Dimension ➤ Override

Summary
Overrides a specified dimensioning system variable for selected dimensions,
or clears the overrides of selected dimension objects, returning them to the
settings defined by their dimension style.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter dimension variable name to override or [Clear overrides]: Enter the name
of a dimension variable, or enter c
Dimension Variable Name to Override Overrides the value of the
dimensioning system variable you specify.
Clear Overrides Clears any overrides on selected dimensions.
The dimension objects return to the settings defined by their dimension style.

DIMOVERRIDE | 605

DIMRADIUS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Radial Dimensions

Creates a radius dimension for a circle or an arc.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Radius
Menu: Dimension ➤ Radius
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
Measures the radius of a selected circle or arc and displays the dimension text
with a radius symbol in front of it. You can use grips to reposition the resulting
radius dimension easily.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select arc or circle:
Specify “dimension line location” or [“Mtext”/“Text”/“Angle”]: Specify a point
or enter an option
Dimension Line Location Determines the angle of the dimension line and
the location of the dimension text. If the dimension is placed off of an arc
resulting in the dimension pointing outside the arc, AutoCAD LT automatically
draws an arc extension line.

606 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the
dimension text. Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter
special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on
page 1938.
If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display
them by entering square brackets ([ ]). For more information about formatting
dimension text, see “Change Existing Objects” in the User's Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.
Text Customizes the dimension text at the Command prompt. The generated
dimension measurement is displayed within angle brackets.
To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to represent
the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in the
dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square brackets
([ ]).
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.
Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.

DIMREASSOCIATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Dimension Associativity

Associates or reassociates selected dimensions to objects or points on objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Reassociate
Menu: Dimension ➤ Reassociate Dimensions

DIMREASSOCIATE | 607

Summary
Each selected dimension is highlighted in turn, and prompts for association
points appropriate for the selected dimension are displayed.
A marker is displayed for each association point prompt.
■

If the definition point of the current dimension is not associated to a
geometric object, the marker appears as an X

■

if the definition point is associated, the marker appears as an X inside a
box.

NOTE The marker disappears if you pan or zoom with a wheel mouse.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select dimensions to reassociate: Select dimension objects
Press Esc to terminate the command without losing the changes that were
already specified. Use UNDO to restore the previous state of the changed
dimensions.
The prompts for the different types of dimensions are:
Linear Specify first extension line origin or [Select object] : Specify an
object snap location, enter s and select a geometric object, or press Enter to skip to
the next prompt
Specify second extension line origin : Specify an object snap location, or
press Enter to skip to the next dimension object, if any
Aligned Specify first extension line origin or [Select object] : Specify an
object snap location, enter s and select a geometric object, or press Enter to skip to
the next prompt
Specify second extension line origin : Specify an object snap location, or
press Enter to skip to the next dimension object, if any
Angular (Three Point) Specify angle vertex or [Select arc or circle] :
Specify an object snap location, enter s and select an arc or a circle, or press Enter to
skip to the next prompt
Specify first angle endpoint : Specify an object snap location or press Enter
to skip to the next prompt
Specify second angle endpoint : Specify an object snap location or press
Enter to skip to the next dimension object, if any

608 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Angular (Two Line) Select first line : Select a line, or press Enter to skip
to the next prompt
Select second line : Select another line, or press Enter to skip to the next
dimension object, if any
Diameter Select arc or circle : Select an arc or a circle, or press Enter to
skip to the next dimension object, if any
Leader Specify leader association point : Specify an object snap location,
or press Enter to skip to the next dimension object, if any
Ordinate Specify feature location : Specify an object snap location, or press
Enter to skip to the next dimension object, if any
Radius Select arc or circle : Select an arc or a circle, or press Enter to skip
to the next dimension object, if any
NOTE DIMREASSOCIATE does not change the setting of DIMLFAC in a dimension.
Use DIMOVERRIDE to clear dimension linear factors in legacy drawings.

DIMREGEN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Associative Dimensions

Updates the locations of all associative dimensions.

Summary
The locations of all associative dimensions in the current drawing are updated.
Associative dimensions need to be updated manually with DIMREGEN in the
following cases:
■

After panning or zooming with a wheel mouse in a layout with model
space active; update associative dimensions created in paper space.

■

After opening a drawing containing external references that are
dimensioned in the current drawing; update associative dimensions if the
associated external reference geometry has been modified.

DIMREGEN | 609

NOTE After opening a drawing that has been modified with a previous version,
the association between dimensions and objects or points may need to be updated.
You can use the DIMREASSOCIATE on page 607 command to reassociate modified
dimensions with the objects or points that they dimension.

DIMSPACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Dimension Spacing

Adjusts the spacing between linear dimensions or angular dimensions.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Adjust Space
Menu: Dimension ➤ Adjust Space
Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
The spacing between parallel dimension lines is made equal. You can also
make the dimension lines of a series of linear or angular dimensions line up
by using a spacing value of 0.

Spacing is applied only to parallel linear dimensions or to angular dimensions
that share a common vertex.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select base dimension: Select a parallel linear or angular dimension

610 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Select dimensions to space: Select a parallel linear or angular dimension to equally
space from the base dimension and press Enter
Enter value or [Auto] : Specify a spacing distance or press Enter
Enter Spacing Value Applies a spacing value to the selected dimensions from
the base dimension. For example, if you enter a value of 0.5000, all selected
dimensions will be separated by a distance of 0.5000.
You can use a spacing value of 0 (zero) to align the dimension lines of selected
linear and angular dimensions end to end.
Auto Calculates the spacing distance automatically based on the text height
specified in the dimension style of the selected base dimension. The resulting
spacing value is twice the height of the dimension text.

DIMSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Creates and modifies dimension styles.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤
Menu: Format ➤ Dimension Style
Toolbar: Styles

➤ Dimension Style

Summary
The Dimension Style Manager is displayed.
A dimension style is a named collection of dimension settings that control
the appearance of dimensions. You create dimension styles to specify the
format of dimensions quickly, and to ensure that dimensions conform to
standards.

DIMSTYLE | 611

If you enter -dimstyle at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Dimension Style Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Creates new styles, sets the current style, modifies styles, sets overrides on the
current style, and compares styles.

Access Methods

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤
Menu: Format ➤ Dimension Style
Toolbar: Styles
Command entry: dimstyle

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

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➤ Dimension Style

Current Dimension Style
Displays the name of the dimension style that is current. The default dimension
style is STANDARD. The current style is applied to dimensions you create.
Styles
Lists dimension styles in the drawing. The current style is highlighted.
Right-click in the list to display a shortcut menu with options to set the current
style, rename styles, and delete styles. You cannot delete a style that is current

or in use in the current drawing. A
that the style is .

icon before the style name indicates

Unless you select Don't List Styles in Xrefs, dimension styles are displayed in
externally referenced drawings using the syntax for externally referenced
named objects. (See “Overview of Referenced Drawings (Xrefs)” in the User's
Guide.) Although you cannot change, rename, or make current externally
referenced dimension styles, you can create new styles based on them.
The item selected in List controls the dimension styles displayed. To make a
style current, select it and click Set Current.
List
Controls the display of styles in the Styles list. Select All Styles if you want to
see all dimension styles in a drawing. Select Styles in Use if you want to see
only the dimension styles currently used by dimensions in the drawing.
Don’t List Styles in Xrefs
When selected, suppresses display of dimension styles in externally referenced
drawings in the Styles list.
Preview
Shows a graphic representation of the style selected in the Styles list.
Description
Describes the style selected in the Styles list relative to the current style. If the
description is longer than the space provided, you can click in the pane and
use arrow keys to scroll down.
Set Current
Sets the style selected under Styles to current. The current style is applied to
dimensions you create.
New

Dimension Style Manager | 613

Displays the Create New Dimension Style dialog box on page 614, in which
you can define a new dimension style.
Modify
Displays the Modify Dimension Styles dialog box on page 616, in which you
can modify dimension styles. Dialog box options are identical to those in the
New Dimension Style dialog box.
Override
Displays the Override Current Style dialog box on page 616, in which you can
set temporary overrides to dimension styles. Dialog box options are identical
to those in the New Dimension Style dialog box. Overrides are displayed as
unsaved changes under the dimension style in the Styles list.
Compare
Displays the Compare Dimension Styles dialog box, in which you can compare
two dimension styles or list all the properties of one dimension style.

Create New Dimension Style Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Names the new dimension style, sets the style on which to start the new one,
and indicates the dimension types to which you want the new style to apply.

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Access Methods

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤
Menu: Format ➤ Dimension Style
Toolbar: Styles
Command entry: dimstyle

➤ Dimension Style

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
New Style Name
Specifies the new dimension style name.
Start With
Sets a style to use as a basis for the new one. For the new style, you change
only the properties that differ from the properties you start with.
Annotative
Specifies that the dimension style is . Click the information icon to learn more
about annotative objects.
Use For
Creates a dimension substyle that applies only to specific dimension types.
For example, you could create a version of the STANDARD dimension style
to be used only for diameter dimensions.
Continue
Displays the New Dimension Style dialog box, in which you define the new
dimension style properties.

Create New Dimension Style Dialog Box | 615

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Set properties for dimension styles.

Access Methods

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤
Menu: Format ➤ Dimension Style
Toolbar: Styles
Command entry: dimstyle

➤ Dimension Style

Summary
When you choose Continue in the Create New Dimension Style dialog box,
the New Dimension Style dialog box is displayed. You define the properties
for the new style in this dialog box. The dialog box initially displays the
properties of the dimension style that you selected to start the new style in
the Create New Dimension Style dialog box.
Choosing either Modify or Override in the Dimension Style Manager displays
the Modify Dimension Style or the Override Dimension Style dialog box. The
content of these dialog boxes is identical to the New Dimension Style dialog
box, although you are modifying or overriding an existing dimension style
rather than creating a new one.
The sample image on each tab displays the effects of each option.

List of Tabs
■

Lines on page 617

■

Symbols and Arrows on page 621

■

Text on page 624

616 | Chapter 5 D Commands

■

Fit on page 629

■

Primary Units on page 633

■

Alternate Units on page 637

■

Tolerances on page 640

Lines Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Sets the format and properties for dimension lines, extension lines, arrowheads,
and center marks.

Summary
Sets the dimension line properties.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 617

Dimension Lines
Color
Displays and sets the color for the dimension line. If you click Select Color
(at the bottom of the Color list), the Select Color dialog box is displayed. You
can also enter a color name or number. (DIMCLRD system variable)
You can select colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true
colors, and Color Book colors.
Linetype
Sets the linetype of the dimension line. (DIMLTYPE system variable)
Lineweight
Sets the lineweight of the dimension line. (DIMLWD system variable)
Extend Beyond Ticks
Specifies a distance to extend the dimension line past the extension line when
you use oblique, architectural, tick, integral, and no marks for arrowheads.
(DIMDLE system variable)

Baseline Spacing
Sets the spacing between the dimension lines of a baseline dimension. Enter
a distance. For information about baseline dimensions, see DIMBASELINE.
(DIMDLI system variable.)

Suppress

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Suppresses display of dimension lines. Dim Line 1 suppresses the first
dimension line; Dim Line 2 suppresses the second dimension line. (DIMSD1
and DIMSD2 system variables)

Extension Lines
Controls the appearance of the extension lines.
Color
Sets the color for the extension line. If you click Select Color (at the bottom
of the Color list), the Select Color dialog box is displayed. You can also enter
a color name or number. (DIMCLRE system variable.)
You can select colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true
colors, and Color Book colors.
Linetype Ext 1
Sets the linetype of the first extension line. (DIMLTEX1 system variable)
Linetype Ext 2
Sets the linetype of the second extension line. (DIMLTEX2 system variable)
Lineweight
Sets the lineweight of the extension line. (DIMLWE system variable)
Suppress
Suppresses the display of extension lines. Ext Line 1 suppresses the first
extension line; Ext Line 2 suppresses the second extension line. (DIMSE1 and
DIMSE2 system variables)

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 619

Extend Beyond Dim Lines
Specifies a distance to extend the extension lines above the dimension line.
(DIMEXE system variable)

Offset From Origin
Sets the distance to offset the extension lines from the points on the drawing
that define the dimension. (DIMEXO system variable)

Fixed Length Extension Lines
Enables fixed length extension lines. (DIMFXLON system variable)
Length
Sets the total length of the extension lines starting from the dimension line
toward the dimension origin. (DIMFXL system variable)

Preview
Displays sample dimension images that show the effects of changes you make
to dimension style settings.

620 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Symbols and Arrows Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Sets the format and placement for arrowheads, center marks, arc length
symbols, and jogged radius dimensions.

Summary
Controls the appearance of the dimension arrowheads.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Arrowheads
First
Sets the arrowhead for the first dimension line. When you change the first
arrowhead type, the second arrowhead automatically changes to match it.
(DIMBLK1 system variable)

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 621

To specify a user-defined arrowhead block, select User Arrow. The Select
Custom Arrow Block dialog box is displayed. Select the name of a user-defined
arrowhead block. (The block must be in the drawing.)
Second
Sets the arrowhead for the second dimension line. (DIMBLK2 system variable)
To specify a user-defined arrowhead block, select User Arrow. The Select
Custom Arrow Block dialog box is displayed. Select the name of a user-defined
arrowhead block. (The block must be in the drawing.)
Leader
Sets the arrowhead for the leader line. (DIMLDRBLK system variable)
To specify a user-defined arrowhead block, select User Arrow. The Select
Custom Arrow Block dialog box is displayed. Select the name of a user-defined
arrowhead block. (The block must be in the drawing.)
Arrow Size
Displays and sets the size of arrowheads. (DIMASZ system variable)
NOTE blocks cannot be used as custom arrowheads for dimensions or leaders.

Center Marks
Controls the appearance of center marks and centerlines for diameter and
radial dimensions. The DIMCENTER, DIMDIAMETER, and DIMRADIUS
commands use center marks and centerlines. For DIMDIAMETER and
DIMRADIUS, the center mark is drawn only if you place the dimension line
outside the circle or arc.
None
Creates no center mark or centerline. The value is stored as 0 in the DIMCEN
system variable.
Mark
Creates a center mark. The size of the center mark is stored as a positive value
in the DIMCEN system variable.
Line
Creates a centerline. The size of the centerline is stored as a negative value in
the DIMCEN system variable.
Size

622 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Displays and sets the size of the center mark or centerline. (DIMCEN system
variable)

Dimension Break
Controls the gap width of dimension breaks.
Break Size
Displays and sets the size of the gap used for dimension breaks.

Arc Length Symbol
Controls the display of the arc symbol in an arc length dimension.
(DIMARCSYM system variable)
Preceding Dimension Text
Places arc length symbols before the dimension text. (DIMARCSYM system
variable)
Above Dimension Text
Places arc length symbols above the dimension text. (DIMARCSYM system
variable)
None
Suppresses the display of arc length symbols. (DIMARCSYM system variable)

Radius Jog Dimensions
Controls the display of jogged (zigzag) radius dimensions.
Jogged radius dimensions are often created when the center point of a circle
or arc is located off the page.

Jog Angle

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 623

Determines the angle of the transverse segment of the dimension line in a
jogged radius dimension. (DIMJOGANG system variable)

Linear Jog Dimensions
Controls the display of the jog for linear dimensions.
Jog lines are often added to linear dimensions when the actual measurement
is not accurately represent by the dimension. Typically the actual measurement
is smaller than the desired value.

Jog Height Factor
Determines the height of the of the jog, which is determined by the distance
between the two vertices of the angles that make up the jog.

Preview
Displays sample dimension images that show the effects of changes you make
to dimension style settings.

Text Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Sets the format, placement, and alignment of dimension text.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

624 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Text Appearance
Controls the dimension text format and size.
Text Style
Lists the available text styles.
Text Style Button
Displays the Text Style Dialog Box on page 1854 where you can create or modify
text styles. (DIMTXSTY system variable)
Text Color
Sets the color for the dimension text. If you click Select Color (at the bottom
of the Color list), the Select Color dialog box is displayed. You can also enter
color name or number. (DIMCLRT system variable)
You can select colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true
colors, and Color Book colors.
Fill Color
Sets the color for the text background in dimensions. If you click Select Color
(at the bottom of the Color list), the Select Color dialog box is displayed. You
can also enter color name or number. (DIMTFILL and DIMTFILLCLR system
variables)
You can select colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true
colors, and Color Book colors.
Text Height
Sets the height of the current dimension text style. Enter a value in the text
box. If a fixed text height is set in the Text Style (that is, the text style height
is greater than 0), that height overrides the text height set here. If you want
to use the height set on the Text tab, make sure the text height in the Text
Style is set to 0. (DIMTXT system variable)
Fraction Height Scale
Sets the scale of fractions relative to dimension text. This option is available
only when Fractional is selected as the Unit Format on the Primary Units tab.
The value entered here is multiplied by the text height to determine the height
of dimension fractions relative to dimension text. (DIMTFAC system variable)
Draw Frame Around Text
When selected, draws a frame around dimension text. Selecting this option
changes the value stored in the DIMGAP system variable to a negative value.

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 625

Text Placement
Controls the placement of dimension text.
Vertical
Controls the vertical placement of dimension text in relation to the dimension
line. (DIMTAD system variable)
Vertical position options include the following:
■

Centered: Centers the dimension text between the two parts of the
dimension line.

■

Above: Places the dimension text above the dimension line. The distance
from the dimension line to the baseline of the lowest line of text is the
current text gap. See the Offset from Dim Line option.

■

Outside: Places the dimension text on the side of the dimension line farthest
away from the first defining point.

■

JIS: Places the dimension text to conform to a Japanese Industrial Standards
(JIS) representation.

■

Below: Places the dimension text under the dimension line. The distance
from the dimension line to the baseline of the lowest line of text is the
current text gap. See the Offset from Dim Line option.

Horizontal
Controls the horizontal placement of dimension text along the dimension
line, in relation to the extension lines. (DIMJUST system variable)
Horizontal position options include the following:
■

Centered: Centers the dimension text along the dimension line between
the extension lines.

■

At Ext Line 1: Left-justifies the text with the first extension line along the
dimension line. The distance between the extension line and the text is
twice the arrowhead size plus the text gap value. See Arrowheads and Offset
from Dim Line.

626 | Chapter 5 D Commands

■

At Ext Line 2: Right-justifies the text with the second extension line along
the dimension line. The distance between the extension line and the text
is twice the arrowhead size plus the text gap value. See Arrowheads and
Offset from Dim Line.

■

Over Ext Line 1: Positions the text over or along the first extension line.

■

Over Ext Line 2: Positions the text over or along the second extension line.

View Direction
Controls the dimension text viewing direction. (DIMTXTDIRECTION system
variable)
View Direction includes the following options:
■

Left-to-Right: Places the text to enable reading from left to right.

■

Right-to-Left: Places the text to enable reading from right to left.

Offset from Dim Line
Sets the current text gap, which is the distance around the dimension text
when the dimension line is broken to accommodate the dimension text.
This value is also used as the minimum length required for dimension line
segments.
Text is positioned inside the extension lines only if the resulting segments are
at least as long as the text gap. Text above or below the dimension line is

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 627

placed inside only if the arrowheads, dimension text, and a margin leave
enough room for the text gap. (DIMGAP system variable)

Text Alignment
Controls the orientation (horizontal or aligned) of dimension text whether it
is inside or outside the extension lines. (DIMTIH and DIMTOH system
variables)
Horizontal
Places text in a horizontal position.

Aligned with Dimension Line
Aligns text with the dimension line.
ISO Standard
Aligns text with the dimension line when text is inside the extension lines,
but aligns it horizontally when text is outside the extension lines.

Preview
Displays sample dimension images that show the effects of changes you make
to dimension style settings.

628 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Fit Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Controls the placement of dimension text, arrowheads, leader lines, and the
dimension line.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Fit Options
Controls the placement of text and arrowheads based on the space available
between the extension lines.

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 629

When space is available, text and arrowheads are placed between the extension
lines. Otherwise, text and arrowheads are placed according to the Fit options.
(DIMATFIT, DIMTIX, and DIMSOXD system variables)
Either Text or Arrows (Best Fit)
Moves either the text or the arrowheads outside the extension lines based on
the best fit (DIMATFIT system variable).
■

When enough space is available for text and arrowheads, places both
between the extension lines. Otherwise, either the text or the arrowheads
are moved based on the best fit.

■

When enough space is available for text only, places text between the
extension lines and places arrowheads outside the extension lines.

■

When enough space is available for arrowheads only, places them between
the extension lines and places text outside the extension lines.

■

When space is available for neither text nor arrowheads, places them both
outside the extension lines.

Arrows
Moves arrowheads outside the extension lines first, then text (DIMATFIT
system variable).
■

When enough space is available for text and arrowheads, places both
between the extension lines.

■

When space is available for arrowheads only, places them between the
extension lines and places text outside them.

■

When not enough space is available for arrowheads, places both text and
arrowheads outside the extension lines.

Text
Moves text outside the extension lines first, then arrowheads (DIMATFIT
system variable).
■

When space is available for text and arrowheads, places both between the
extension lines.

■

When space is available for text only, places the text between the extension
lines and places arrowheads outside them.

630 | Chapter 5 D Commands

■

When not enough space is available for text, places both text and
arrowheads outside the extension lines.

Both Text and Arrows
When not enough space is available for text and arrowheads, moves both
outside the extension lines (DIMATFIT system variable).

Always Keep Text Between Ext Lines
Always places text between extension lines. (DIMTIX system variable)

Suppress Arrows If They Don't Fit Inside Extension Lines
Suppresses arrowheads if not enough space is available inside the extension
lines. (DIMSOXD system variable)

Text Placement
Sets the placement of dimension text when it is moved from the default
position, that is, the position defined by the dimension style. (DIMTMOVE
system variable)

Beside the Dimension Line
If selected, moves the dimension line whenever dimension text is moved.
(DIMTMOVE system variable)

Over the Dimension Line, with Leader
If selected, dimension lines are not moved when text is moved. If text is moved
away from the dimension line, a leader line is created connecting the text to
the dimension line. The leader line is omitted when text is too close to the
dimension line. (DIMTMOVE system variable)

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 631

Over the Dimension Line, Without Leader
If selected, dimension lines are not moved when text is moved. Text that is
moved away from the dimension line is not connected to the dimension line
with a leader. (DIMTMOVE system variable)

Preview
Displays sample dimension images that show the effects of changes you make
to dimension style settings.

Scale for Dimension Features
Sets the overall dimension scale value or the paper space scaling.
Annotative
Specifies that the dimension is . Click the information icon to learn more
about annotative objects.
Scale Dimensions To Layout
Determines a scale factor based on the scaling between the current model
space viewport and paper space. (DIMSCALE system variable)
When you work in paper space, but not in a model space viewport, or when
TILEMODE is set to 1, the default scale factor of 1.0 is used or the DIMSCALE
system variable.
Use Overall Scale Of
Sets a scale for all dimension style settings that specify size, distance, or spacing,
including text and arrowhead sizes. This scale does not change dimension
measurement values. (DIMSCALE system variable)

Fine Tuning
Provides additional options for placing dimension text.
Place Text Manually
Ignores any horizontal justification settings and places the text at the position
you specify at the Dimension Line Location prompt. (DIMUPT system variable)

632 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Draw Dim Line Between Ext Lines
Draws dimension lines between the measured points even when the
arrowheads are placed outside the measured points. (DIMTOFL system variable)

Primary Units Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Sets the format and precision of primary dimension units and sets prefixes
and suffixes for dimension text.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Linear Dimensions
Sets the format and precision for linear dimensions.

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 633

Unit Format
Sets the current units format for all dimension types except Angular.
(DIMLUNIT system variable)
The relative sizes of numbers in stacked fractions are based on the DIMTFAC
system variable (in the same way that tolerance values use this system variable).
Precision
Displays and sets the number of decimal places in the dimension text.
(DIMDEC system variable)
Fraction Format
Sets the format for fractions. (DIMFRAC system variable)
Decimal Separator
Sets the separator for decimal formats. (DIMDSEP system variable)
Round Off
Sets rounding rules for dimension measurements for all dimension types
except Angular. If you enter a value of 0.25, all distances are rounded to the
nearest 0.25 unit. If you enter a value of 1.0, all dimension distances are
rounded to the nearest integer. The number of digits displayed after the decimal
point depends on the Precision setting. (DIMRND system variable)
Prefix
Includes a prefix in the dimension text. You can enter text or use control
codes to display special symbols. For example, entering the control code %%c
displays the diameter symbol. When you enter a prefix, it overrides any default
prefixes such as those used in diameter and radius dimensioning. (DIMPOST
system variable)

If you specify tolerances, the prefix is added to the tolerances as well as to the
main dimension.
For more information, see Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1938.
Suffix
Includes a suffix in the dimension text. You can enter text or use control codes
to display special symbols. For example, entering the text mm results in

634 | Chapter 5 D Commands

dimension text similar to that shown in the illustration. When you enter a
suffix, it overrides any default suffixes. (DIMPOST system variable)

If you specify tolerances, the suffix is added to the tolerances as well as to the
main dimension.
For more information, see Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1938.
Measurement Scale
Defines linear scale options. Applies primarily to legacy drawings.
Scale Factor: Sets a scale factor for linear dimension measurements. It is
recommended that you do not change this value from the default value of
1.00. For example, if you enter 2, the dimension for a 1-inch line is displayed
as two inches. The value does not apply to angular dimensions and is not
applied to rounding values or to plus or minus tolerance values. (DIMLFAC
system variable)
Apply to Layout Dimensions Only: Applies the measurement scale factor only to
dimensions created in layout viewports. Except when using nonassociative
dimensions, this setting should remain unchecked. (DIMLFAC system variable)
Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros and of feet and inches
that have a value of zero. (DIMZIN system variable)
Zero suppression settings also affect real-to-string conversions performed by
®
the AutoLISP rtos and angtos functions.
Leading: Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example,
0.5000 becomes .5000. Select leading to enable display of dimension distances
less than one unit in sub units.
Sub-units factor: Sets the number of sub units to a unit. It is used to calculate
the dimension distance in a sub unit when the distance is less than one unit.
For example, enter 100 if the suffix is m and the sub-unit suffix is to display
in cm.
Sub-unit suffix: Includes a suffix to the dimension value sub unit. You can enter
text or use control codes to display special symbols. For example, enter cm
for .96m to display as 96cm.
Trailing: Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example,
12.5000 becomes 12.5, and 30.0000 becomes 30.

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 635

0 Feet: Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the
distance is less than one foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
0 Inches: Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when
the distance is an integral number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.

Angular Dimensions
Displays and sets the current angle format for angular dimensions.
Units Format
Sets the angular units format. (DIMAUNIT system variable)
Precision
Sets the number of decimal places for angular dimensions. DIMADEC system
variable)

Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros. (DIMAZIN system
variable)
Leading
Suppresses leading zeros in angular decimal dimensions. For example, 0.5000
becomes .5000.
You can also display dimension distances less than one unit in sub units.
Sub-units factor Sets the number of sub units to a unit. It is used to calculate
the dimension distance in a sub unit when the distance is less than one unit.
For example, enter 100 if the suffix is m and the sub-unit suffix is to display
in cm.
Sub-unit suffix Includes a suffix to the dimension text sub unit. You can
enter text or use control codes to display special symbols. For example, enter
cm to for .96m to display as 96cm.
Trailing
Suppresses trailing zeros in angular decimal dimensions. For example, 12.5000
becomes 12.5, and 30.0000 becomes 30.
0 Feet
Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the distance
is less than 1 foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
0 Inches

636 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the
distance is an integral number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.

Preview
Displays sample dimension images that show the effects of changes you make
to dimension style settings.

Alternate Units Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Specifies display of alternate units in dimension measurements and sets their
format and precision.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 637

Display Alternate Units
Adds alternate measurement units to dimension text. Sets the DIMALT system
variable to 1.

Alternate Units
Displays and sets the current alternate units format for all dimension types
except Angular.
Unit Format
Sets the unit format for alternate units. (DIMALTU system variable)
The relative sizes of numbers in stacked fractions are based on DIMTFAC (in
the same way that tolerance values use this system variable).
Precision
Sets the number of decimal places for alternate units. (DIMALTD system
variable)
Multiplier for Alternate Units
Specifies the multiplier used as the conversion factor between primary and
alternate units. For example, to convert inches to millimeters, enter 25.4. The
value has no effect on angular dimensions, and it is not applied to the rounding
value or the plus or minus tolerance values. (DIMALTF system variable)
Round Distances To
Sets rounding rules for alternate units for all dimension types except Angular.
If you enter a value of 0.25, all alternate measurements are rounded to the
nearest 0.25 unit. If you enter a value of 1.0, all dimension measurements are
rounded to the nearest integer. The number of digits displayed after the decimal
point depends on the Precision setting. (DIMALTRND system variable)
Prefix
Includes a prefix in the alternate dimension text. You can enter text or use
control codes to display special symbols. For example, entering the control
code %%c displays the diameter symbol. (DIMAPOST system variable)
For more information, see Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1938.

Suffix

638 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Includes a suffix in the alternate dimension text. You can enter text or use
control codes to display special symbols. For example, entering the text cm
results in dimension text similar to that shown in the illustration. When you
enter a suffix, it overrides any default suffixes. (DIMAPOST system variable)
For more information, see Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1938.

Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros and of feet and inches
that have a value of zero. (DIMALTZ system variable)
Leading
Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example, 0.5000
becomes .5000.
Sub-units factor
Sets the number of sub units to a unit. It is used to calculate the dimension
distance in a sub unit when the distance is less than one unit. For example,
enter 100 if the suffix is m and the sub-unit suffix is to display in cm.
Sub-unit suffix
Includes a suffix to the dimension value sub unit. You can enter text or use
control codes to display special symbols. For example, enter cm for .96m to
display as 96cm.
Trailing
Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example, 12.5000
becomes 12.5, and 30.0000 becomes 30.
0 Feet
Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the distance
is less than 1 foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
0 Inches
Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the
distance is an integral number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.

Placement
Controls the placement of alternate units in dimension text.

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 639

After Primary Value
Places alternate units after the primary units in dimension text.
Below Primary Value
Places alternate units below the primary units in dimension text.

Preview
Displays sample dimension images that show the effects of changes you make
to dimension style settings.

Tolerances Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Specifies the display and format of dimension text tolerances.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

640 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Tolerance Format
Controls the tolerance format.
Method
Sets the method for calculating the tolerance. (DIMTOL system variable)
■

None: Does not add a tolerance. The DIMTOL system variable is set to 0.

■

Symmetrical: Adds a plus/minus expression of tolerance in which a single
value of variation is applied to the dimension measurement. A
plus-or-minus sign appears after the dimension. Enter the tolerance value
in Upper Value. The DIMTOL system variable is set to 1. The DIMLIM
system variable is set to 0.

■

Deviation: Adds a plus/minus tolerance expression. Different plus and minus
values of variation are applied to the dimension measurement. A plus sign
(+) precedes the tolerance value entered in Upper Value, and a minus sign
(-) precedes the tolerance value entered in Lower Value. The DIMTOL
system variable is set to 1. The DIMLIM system variable is set to 0.

■

Limits: Creates a limit dimension. A maximum and a minimum value are
displayed, one over the other. The maximum value is the dimension value
plus the value entered in Upper Value. The minimum value is the
dimension value minus the value entered in Lower Value. The DIMTOL
system variable is set to 0. The DIMLIM system variable is set to 1.

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 641

■

Basic: Creates a basic dimension, which displays a box around the full
extents of the dimension. The distance between the text and the box is
stored as a negative value in the DIMGAP system variable.

Precision
Sets the number of decimal places. (DIMTDEC system variable)
Upper Value
Sets the maximum or upper tolerance value. When you select Symmetrical in
Method, this value is used for the tolerance. (DIMTP system variable)
Lower Value
Sets the minimum or lower tolerance value. (DIMTM system variable)
Scaling for Height
Sets the current height for the tolerance text. The ratio of the tolerance height
to the main dimension text height is calculated and stored in the DIMTFAC
system variable.
Vertical Position
Controls text justification for symmetrical and deviation tolerances.
■

Top: Aligns the tolerance text with the top of the main dimension text.
When you select this option, the DIMTOLJ system variable is set to 2.

642 | Chapter 5 D Commands

■

Middle: Aligns the tolerance text with the middle of the main dimension
text. When you select this option, the DIMTOLJ system variable is set to
1.

■

Bottom: Aligns the tolerance text with the bottom of the main dimension
text. When you select this option, the DIMTOLJ system variable is set to
0.

Tolerance Alignment
Controls the alignment of upper and lower tolerance values when stacked
Align Decimal Separators
Values are stacked by their decimal separators.
Align Operational Symbols
Values are stacked by their operational symbols.

Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros and of feet and inches
that have a value of zero. (DIMTZIN system variable)
Zero suppression settings also affect real-to-string conversions performed by
®
the AutoLISP rtos and angtos functions.
Leading
Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example, 0.5000
becomes .5000.
Trailing
Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example, 12.5000
becomes 12.5, and 30.0000 becomes 30.

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes | 643

0 Feet
Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the distance
is less than 1 foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
0 Inches
Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the
distance is an integral number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.

Alternate Unit Tolerance
Formats alternate tolerance units.
Precision
Displays and sets the number of decimal places. (DIMALTTD system variable)

Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros and of feet and inches
that have a value of zero. (DIMALTTZ system variable)
Leading
Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example, 0.5000
becomes .5000.
Trailing
Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example, 12.5000
becomes 12.5, and 30.0000 becomes 30.
0 Feet
Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the distance
is less than 1 foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
0 Inches
Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the
distance is an integral number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.

Preview
Displays sample dimension images that show the effects of changes you make
to dimension style settings.

644 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Compare Dimension Styles Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Compares the properties of two dimension styles or displays all properties of
one style.

Access Methods

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤
Menu: Format ➤ Dimension Style
Toolbar: Styles
Command entry: dimstyle

➤ Dimension Style

Summary
You can print the results of the comparison to the Clipboard, and then paste
to other MicrosoftWindows applications.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Compare Dimension Styles Dialog Box | 645

Compare
Specifies the first dimension style for the comparison.
With
Specifies the second dimension style for the comparison. If you set the second
style to  or to the same style as the first, all the properties of the
dimension style are displayed.
Comparison results are displayed automatically under the following headings:
■

Description of the dimension style property

■

System variable that controls the property

■

System variable values of style properties that differ for each dimension
style

Results
Displays the results of the dimension style comparison. If you compare two
different styles, the properties that differ are displayed. If you set the second
style to  or to the same style as the first, all the properties of the
dimension style are displayed.
Print to Clipboard button
Copies the results of the comparison to the Clipboard. You can then paste the
results to other Windows applications, such as word processors and
spreadsheets.

-DIMSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dimension Styles

Summary
You can save or restore dimensioning system variables to a selected dimension
style.

646 | Chapter 5 D Commands

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Current dimension style:  Annotative: 
Enter a dimension style option
[ANnotative on page 647/Save on page 647/Restore on page 647/STatus on page
648/Variables on page 648/Apply on page 648/?] : Enter an option or press
Enter

Annotative
Creates an dimension style.

Save
Saves the current settings of dimensioning system variables to a dimension
style.
Name Saves the current settings of dimensioning system variables to a new
dimension style using the name you enter. The new dimension style becomes
the current one.
If you enter the name of an existing dimension style, the following prompts
are displayed:
That name is already in use, redefine it? : Enter y or press Enter
If you enter y, associative dimensions that use the redefined dimension style
are regenerated.
To display the differences between the dimension style name you want to
save and the current style, enter a tilde (~) followed by the style name at the
Enter Name for New Dimension Style prompt. Only settings that differ are
displayed, with the current setting in the first column, and the setting of the
compared style in the second column.
?—List Dimension Styles Lists the named dimension styles in the current
drawing.

Restore
Restores dimensioning system variable settings to those of a selected dimension
style.
Name Makes the dimension style you enter the current dimension style.
To display the differences between the dimension style name you want to
restore and the current style, enter a tilde (~) followed by the style name at
the Enter Dimension Style Name prompt. Only settings that differ are
displayed, with the current setting in the first column, and the setting of the
compared style in the second column. After the differences are displayed, the
previous prompt returns.

-DIMSTYLE | 647

?—List Dimension Styles Lists the named dimension styles in the current
drawing.
Select Dimension Makes the dimension style of the selected object the current
dimension style.

Status
Displays the current values of all dimension system variables.

Variables
Lists the dimension system variable settings of a dimension style or selected
dimensions without modifying the current settings.
Name Lists the settings of dimension system variables for the dimension style
name you enter.
To display the differences between a particular dimension style and the current
style, enter a tilde (~) followed by the style name at the Enter Dimension Style
Name prompt. Only settings that differ are displayed, with the current setting
in the first column, and the setting of the compared style in the second
column.
?—List Dimension Styles Lists the named dimension styles in the current
drawing.
Select Dimension Lists the dimension style and any dimension overrides for
the dimension object you select.

Apply
Applies the current dimensioning system variable settings to selected
dimension objects, permanently overriding any existing dimension styles
applied to these objects.
The dimension line spacing between existing baseline dimensions is not
updated (see the DIMDLI system variable); dimension text variable settings
do not update existing leader text.

DIMTEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Dimension Text

648 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Moves and rotates dimension text and relocates the dimension line.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Text Angle
Menu: Dimension ➤ Align Text ➤ Angle

Toolbar: Dimension

Summary
The companion command that edits the dimension text and changes the
extension line angle is DIMEDIT.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select dimension: Select a dimension object
You are prompted for the new location of the dimension text.
Specify new location for dimension text or [Left/Right/Center/Home/Angle]:
Specify a point or enter an option
Location for Dimension Text Updates the location of the dimension text
dynamically as you drag it. To determine whether text appears above, below,
or in the middle of the dimension line, use the Text tab in the New, Modify,
and Override Dimension Style dialog box.
Left Left-justifies the dimension text along the dimension line.
This option works only with linear, radius, and diameter dimensions.

DIMTEDIT | 649

Right Right-justifies the dimension text along the dimension line.
This option works only with linear, radius, and diameter dimensions.

Center Centers the dimension text on the dimension line.
This option works only with linear, radius, and diameter dimensions.

Home Moves the dimension text back to its default position.
For example:

Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.
The center point of the text does not change. If the text moves or the
dimension is regenerated, the orientation set by the text angle is retained.
Entering an angle of 0 degrees puts the text in its default orientation.
The text angle is measured from the X axis of the UCS.

650 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DIST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Obtain Distances, Angles, and Point Locations

Measures the distance and angle between two points.

Access Method
Command entry: 'dist for transparent use

Summary
In general, the DIST command reports 3D distances in model space and 2D
distances on a layout in paper space.
In model space, changes in X, Y, and Z component distances and angles are
measured in 3D relative to the current UCS.
In paper space, distances are normally reported in 2D paper space units.
However, when using object snaps on model space objects that are displayed
in a single viewport, distances are reported as 2D model space distances
projected onto a plane parallel to your screen.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first point: Specify a point
Specify second point or : Specify a second point
The distance is displayed in the current units format.

DIST | 651

DIST assumes the current elevation for the first or second point if you omit
the Z coordinate value.
NOTE When using the DIST command for 3D distances, it is recommended that
you switch to model space.
Multiple Points If you specify multiple points, a running total of the distance
based on the existing line segments and the current rubberband line is
displayed in the tooltip. A dynamic dimension is also displayed. The distance
is updated as you move the cursor.

DISTANTLIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Distant Lights

Creates a distant light.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Render tab ➤ Lights panel ➤ Distant
Menu: View ➤ Render ➤ Light ➤ New Distant Light
Toolbar: Lights

652 | Chapter 5 D Commands

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify light direction FROM <0,0,0> or [Vector]: Specify a point or enterv
Specify light direction TO <1,1,1> Specify a point
If you enter the Vector option, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify vector direction <0.0000,-0.0100,1.0000>: Enter a vector
After you specify the light direction and if the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable
is set to 0, the following prompt is displayed:
Enter an option to change
[“Name”/“Intensity”/“Status”/“shadoW”/“Color”/“eXit”] :
If the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 or 2, the following prompt
is displayed:
Enter an option to change [“Name”/“Intensity
factor”/“Status”/“Photometry”/“shadoW”/“filterColor”/“eXit”] :
NOTE When the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 or 2, the Attenuation
option has no affect on the creation of the light. It is only maintained for scripting
compatibility.

Name
Specifies the name of the light. You can use uppercase and lowercase letters,
numbers, spaces, hyphens (-), and underscores (_) in the name. The maximum
length is 256 characters.

Intensity/Intensity Factor
Sets the intensity or brightness of the light. The range is 0.00 to the maximum
value that is supported by your system.

Status
Turns the light on and off. If lighting is not enabled in the drawing, this setting
has no effect.

Photometry
Photometry is available when the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to
1 or 2. Photometry is the measurement of the luminous intensities of visible
light sources.
In photometry, luminous intensity is a measure of the perceived power emitted
by a light source in a particular direction. Luminous flux is the perceived
power per unit of solid angle. The total luminous flux is the perceived power

DISTANTLIGHT | 653

emitted in all directions. Luminance is the total luminous flux incident on a
surface, per unit area.
Intensity Enter an intensity value in candelas, the perceived power in a
luminous flux value, or illuminance value for the total luminous flux incident
on a surface.
■

Candela (symbol: cd) is the SI unit of luminous intensity (perceived power
emitted by a light source in a particular direction). Cd/Sr

■

Lux (symbol: lx) is the SI unit of illuminance. Lm/m^2

■

Foot-candle (symbol: fc) is the American unit of illuminance. Lm/ft^2

Enter f to specify the perceived power in a luminous flux value.
If you enter i, you can specify the intensity of the light based on an illuminance
value.
The illuminance value can be specified in either lux or foot-candles. Enter d
to specify a distance to use to calculate illuminance.
Color Specify the color of the light based on a color name or a Kelvin
temperature. Enter ? to display a list of color names.
Enter a text string using wild card characters to display a partial listing of color
names, or an asterick (*) to display all the possible choices.
If you enter k, you can specify the color of the light based on a Kelvin
temperature value.

Shadow
Makes the light cast shadows.
Off Turns off display and calculation of shadows for the light. Turning shadows
off increases performance.
Sharp Displays shadows with sharp edges. Use this option to increase
performance.
Soft Mapped Displays realistic shadows with soft edges.
Specifies the amount of memory that should be used to calculate the shadow
map.
Specifies the softness to use to calculate the shadow map.

Color/Filter Color
Controls the color of the light.
True Color Specifies a True Color. Enter in the format R,G,B (red, green, blue).
Index Specifies an ACI (AutoCAD Color Index) color.

654 | Chapter 5 D Commands

HSL Specifies an HSL (hue, saturation, luminance) color.
Color Book Specifies a color from a color book.

DIVIDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Divide an Object into Equal Segments

Creates evenly spaced point objects or blocks along the length or perimeter
of an object.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Divide
Menu: Draw ➤ Point ➤ Divide

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select object to divide: Use an object selection method
Enter number of segments on page 655 or [Block]: Enter a value from 2 through
32,767, or enter b

Number of Segments
Places point objects at equal intervals along the selected objects.

DIVIDE | 655

Use DDPTYPE on page 524 to set the style and size of all point objects in a
drawing.

Block
Places blocks at equal intervals along the selected object. If the block has
variable attributes, these attributes are not included.
Yes Specifies that the X axes of the inserted blocks be tangent to, or collinear
with, the divided object at the dividing points.
No Aligns the blocks according to their normal orientation.
The illustration shows an arc divided into five equal parts using a block
consisting of a vertically oriented ellipse.

DONUT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Donuts

Creates a filled circle or a wide ring.

656 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Donut
Menu: Draw ➤ Donut

Summary
A donut consists of two arc polylines that are joined end-to-end to create a
circular shape. The width of the polylines is determined by the specified inside
and outside diameters. To create solid-filled circles, specify an inside diameter
of zero.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify inside diameter of donut : Specify a distance or press Enter
If you specify an inside diameter of 0, the donut is a filled circle.
Specify outside diameter of donut : Specify a distance or press Enter
Specify center of donut or : Specify a point (1) or press Enter to end the
command

The location of the donut is set based on the center point. After you specify
the diameters, you are prompted for the locations at which to draw donuts.
A donut is drawn at each point specified (2). How the interior of a donut is
filled depends on the current setting of the FILL command.

DONUT | 657

DRAGMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Controls the way dragged objects are displayed.

Access Method
Command entry: 'dragmode for transparent use

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter new value [ON/OFF/Auto] : Enter an option or press Enter
On Permits dragging, but you must enter drag where appropriate in a drawing
or editing command to initiate dragging.

Off Ignores all dragging requests, including those embedded in menu items.

Auto Turns on dragging for every command that supports it. Dragging is
performed whenever it is possible. Entering drag each time is not necessary.

658 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DRAWINGRECOVERY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Recover from a System Failure

Displays a list of drawing files that can be recovered after a program or system
failure.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu
➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Open the Drawing
Recovery Manager
Menu: File ➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Drawing Recovery

Summary
Opens the Drawing Recovery Manager.

Drawing Recovery Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Recover from a System Failure

Displays a list of all drawing files that were open at the time of a program or
system failure.

DRAWINGRECOVERY | 659

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu
➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Open the Drawing
Recovery Manager
Menu: File ➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Drawing Recovery
Command entry: drawingrecovery

Summary
You can preview and open each drawing or backup file to choose which one
should be saved as the primary DWG file.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Backup Files
Displays the drawings that may need to be recovered after a program or system
failure. A top-level drawing node contains a set of files associated with each
drawing. If available, up to four files are displayed including
■

The recovered drawing file saved at the time of a program failure (DWG,
DWS)

■

The automatic save file, also called the “autosave” file (SV$)

■

The drawing backup file (BAK)

■

The original drawing file (DWG, DWS)

Once a drawing or backup file is opened and saved, the corresponding top-level
drawing node is removed from the Backup Files area.

Details
Provides the following information about the currently selected node in the
Backup Files area:
■

When a top-level drawing node is selected, information about each
available drawing or backup file associated with the original drawing is
displayed.

660 | Chapter 5 D Commands

■

When an individual drawing or backup file is selected, additional
information about that file is displayed.

Preview
Displays a thumbnail preview of the currently selected drawing or backup file.

Shortcut Menu Options
Right-click a drawing node, drawing or backup file, or a blank area in the
Backup Files area to display a shortcut menu with relevant options.
Open All Opens all the drawing and backup files associated with the selected,
top-level drawing node.
Remove Removes the selected, top-level drawing node.
Open Opens the selected drawing or backup file for drawing recovery. You
can select multiple files using Shift and Ctrl.
Properties Displays the File Properties dialog box from Windows Explorer for
the selected drawing or backup file.
Expand All Expands all top-level drawing nodes. Access this option by
right-clicking a blank area in the Backup Files area.
Collapse All Collapses all top-level drawing nodes. Access this option by
right-clicking a blank area in the Backup Files area.

DRAWINGRECOVERYHIDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Recover from a System Failure

Closes the Drawing Recovery Manager.

Summary
Closes the Drawing Recovery Manager.

DRAWINGRECOVERYHIDE | 661

DRAWORDER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed

Changes the draw order of images and other objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Bring to Front
Menu: Tools ➤ Draw Order
Toolbar: Draw Order
Shortcut menu: Select an object, right-click, and then click Draw Order.

Summary
Use the DRAWORDERCTL system variable to control the default display
behavior of overlapping objects. The TEXTTOFRONT command brings all text
and dimensions in a drawing in front of other objects.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects: Use an object selection method
Enter object ordering option [Above objects/Under objects/Front/Back] :
Enter an option or press Enter
Above Objects Moves the selected object above the specified reference objects.
Under Objects Moves the selected objects below the specified reference objects.
Front Moves the selected objects to the top of the order of objects in the
drawing.

662 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Back Moves the selected objects to the bottom of the order of objects in the
drawing.
When you change the draw order (display and plotting order) of multiple
objects, the relative draw order of the selected objects is maintained.
By default, when you create new objects from existing ones (for example,
FILLET or PEDIT), the new objects are assigned the draw order of the original
object you selected first. By default, while you edit an object (for example,
MOVE or STRETCH), the object is displayed on top of all objects in the drawing.
When you are finished editing, your drawing is partially regenerated so that
the object is displayed according to its correct draw order. This can result in
some edit operations taking slightly longer. You can use DRAWORDERCTL
to change the default draw order settings. TEXTTOFRONT changes the draw
order of all text and dimensions in the drawing.

DSETTINGS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Precision Tools

Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, Dynamic
Input, and Quick Properties.

Access Methods
Menu: Tools ➤ Drafting Settings
Shortcut menu: Right-click Snap, Grid, Polar, Osnap, Otrack, Dyn or Quick
Properties on the status bar. Click Settings.

Summary
The Drafting Settings dialog box is displayed.

DSETTINGS | 663

Drafting Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Precision Tools

Specifies drafting settings organized for drawing aids.

Access Methods
Menu: Tools ➤ Drafting Settings
Shortcut menu: Right-click Snap, Grid, Polar, Osnap, Otrack, Dyn or Quick
Properties on the status bar and click Settings.

Summary
Displays the Drafting tab in the Options dialog box. You cannot access the
Options dialog box from the Drafting Settings dialog box if you are running
DSETTINGS transparently.
The following categories are available.
■

Snap and Grid on page 664

■

Polar Tracking on page 668

■

Object Snap on page 669

■

3D Object Snap

■

Dynamic Input on page 674

■

Quick Properties on page 675

■

Selection Cycling on page 677

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Snap and Grid Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box)
Specifies Snap and Grid settings.

664 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Snap On
Turns Snap mode on or off. You can also turn Snap mode on or off by clicking
Snap on the status bar, by pressing F9, or by using the SNAPMODE system
variable.

Snap Spacing
Controls an invisible, rectangular grid of snap locations that restricts cursor
movement to specified X and Y intervals.
Snap X Spacing
Specifies the snap spacing in the X direction. The value must be a positive real
number. (SNAPUNIT system variable)
Snap Y Spacing
Specifies the snap spacing in the Y direction. The value must be a positive real
number. (SNAPUNIT system variable)
Equal X and Y Spacing
Forces the X and Y spacing to the same values for snap spacing and for grid
spacing. The snap spacing intervals can be different from the grid spacing
intervals.

Polar Spacing
Controls the PolarSnap™ increment distance.

Drafting Settings Dialog Box | 665

Polar Distance
Sets the snap increment distance when PolarSnap is selected under Snap Type
& Style. If this value is 0, the PolarSnap distance assumes the value for Snap
X Spacing. The Polar Distance setting is used in conjunction with polar tracking
and/or object snap tracking. If neither tracking feature is enabled, the Polar
Distance setting has no effect. (POLARDIST system variable)

Snap Type
Sets the snap style and snap type.
Grid Snap
Sets the snap type to Grid. When you specify points, the cursor snaps along
vertical or horizontal grid points. (SNAPTYPE system variable)
Rectangular Snap:
Sets the snap style to standard Rectangular snap mode. When the snap type
is set to Grid snap and Snap mode is on, the cursor snaps to a rectangular snap
grid. (SNAPSTYL system variable)
Isometric Snap
Sets the snap style to Isometric snap mode. When the snap type is set to Grid
snap and Snap mode is on, the cursor snaps to an isometric snap grid.
(SNAPSTYL system variable)
PolarSnap
Sets the snap type to Polar. When Snap mode is on and you specify points
with polar tracking turned on, the cursor snaps along polar alignment angles
set on the Polar Tracking tab relative to the starting polar tracking point.
(SNAPTYPE system variable)

Grid On
Turns the grid on or off. You can also turn grid mode on or off by clicking
Grid on the status bar, by pressing F7, or by using the GRIDMODE on page
2334 system variable.

Grid Style
Sets the grid style in 2D contexts. You can also set grid style by using the
GRIDSTYLE on page 2334 system variable.
2D Model Space
Sets the grid style to dotted grid for 2D model space. (GRIDSTYLE on page 2334
system variable)

666 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Block Editor
Sets the grid style to dotted grid for the Block Editor. (GRIDSTYLE on page
2334 system variable)
Sheet/Layout
Sets the grid style to dotted grid for sheet and layout. (GRIDSTYLE on page
2334 system variable)

Grid Spacing
Controls the display of a grid that helps you visualize distances.
NOTE The limits of the grid are controlled by the LIMITS command and the
GRIDDISPLAY system variable.
Grid X Spacing
Specifies the grid spacing in the X direction. If this value is 0, the grid assumes
the value set for Snap X Spacing. (GRIDUNIT system variable)
Grid Y Spacing
Specifies the grid spacing in the Y direction. If this value is 0, the grid assumes
the value set for Snap Y Spacing. (GRIDUNIT system variable)
Major Line Every
Specifies the frequency of major grid lines compared to minor grid lines. Grid
lines rather than grid dots are displayed when GRIDSTYLE on page 2334 is set
to 0. (GRIDMAJOR system variable)

Grid Behavior
Controls the appearance of the grid lines that are displayed when GRIDSTYLE
on page 2334 is set to 0.
Adaptive Grid
Limits the density of the grid when zoomed out. (GRIDDISPLAY system
variable)
Allow Subdivision Below Grid Spacing:
Generates additional, more closely spaced grid lines when zoomed in. The
frequency of these grid lines is determined by the frequency of the major grid
lines. (GRIDDISPLAY and GRIDMAJOR system variables)
Display Grid Beyond Limits

Drafting Settings Dialog Box | 667

Displays the grid beyond the area specified by the LIMITS command.
(GRIDDISPLAY system variable)
Follow Dynamic UCS
Changes the grid plane to follow the XY plane of the dynamic UCS.
(GRIDDISPLAY system variable)

Polar Tracking Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box)
Controls the AutoTrack settings.

Polar Tracking On
Turns polar tracking on and off. You can also turn polar tracking on or off by
pressing F10 or by using the AUTOSNAP system variable.

Polar Angle Settings
Sets the alignment angles for polar tracking. (POLARANG system variable)
Increment Angle
Sets the polar increment angle used to display polar tracking alignment paths.
You can enter any angle, or select a common angle of 90, 45, 30, 22.5, 18, 15,
10, or 5 degrees from the list. (POLARANG system variable)
Additional Angles
Makes any additional angles in the list available for polar tracking. The
Additional Angles check box is also controlled by the POLARMODE system
variable, and the list of additional angles is also controlled by the
POLARADDANG system variable.
NOTE Additional angles are absolute, not incremental.
List of Angles
If Additional Angles is selected, lists the additional angles that are available.
To add new angles, click New. To remove existing angles, click Delete.
(POLARADDANG system variable)
New
Adds up to 10 additional polar tracking alignment angles.
NOTE Before adding fractional angles, you must set the AUPREC system variable
to the appropriate decimal precision to avoid undesired rounding. For example,
if the value of AUPREC is 0 (the default value), all fractional angles you enter are
rounded to the nearest whole number.
Delete

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Deletes selected additional angles.

Object Snap Tracking Settings
Sets options for object snap tracking.
Track Orthogonally Only
Displays only orthogonal (horizontal/vertical) object snap tracking paths for
acquired object snap points when object snap tracking is on. (POLARMODE
system variable)
Track Using All Polar Angle Settings
Applies polar tracking settings to object snap tracking. When you use object
snap tracking, the cursor tracks along polar alignment angles from acquired
object snap points. (POLARMODE system variable)
NOTE Clicking Polar and Otrack on the status bar also turns polar tracking and
object snap tracking on and off.

Polar Angle Measurement
Sets the basis by which polar tracking alignment angles are measured.
Absolute
Bases polar tracking angles on the current user coordinate system (UCS).
Relative to Last Segment
Bases polar tracking angles on the last segment drawn.

Object Snap Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box)
Controls running object snap settings. With running object snap settings, also
called Osnap, you can specify a snap point at an exact location on an object.
When more than one option is selected, the selected snap modes are applied
to return a point closest to the center of the aperture box. Press TAB to cycle
through the options.

Drafting Settings Dialog Box | 669

Object Snap On
Turns running object snaps on and off. The object snaps selected under Object
Snap Modes are active while object snap is on. (OSMODE system variable)

Object Snap Tracking On
Turns object snap tracking on and off. With object snap tracking, the cursor
can track along alignment paths based on other object snap points when
specifying points in a command. To use object snap tracking, you must turn
on one or more object snaps. (AUTOSNAP system variable)

Object Snap Modes
Lists object snaps that you can turn on as running object snaps.
Endpoint
Snaps to the closest endpoint of an arc, elliptical arc, line, multiline, polyline
segment, spline, region, or ray, or to the closest corner of a trace, solid, or 3D
face.

Midpoint

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Snaps to the midpoint of an arc, ellipse, elliptical arc, line, multiline, polyline
segment, region, solid, spline, or xline.

Center
Snaps to the center of an arc, circle, ellipse, or elliptical arc.

Node
Snaps to a point object, dimension definition point, or dimension text origin.

Quadrant
Snaps to a quadrant point of an arc, circle, ellipse, or elliptical arc.

Intersection

Drafting Settings Dialog Box | 671

Snaps to the intersection of an arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical arc, line, multiline,
polyline, ray, region, spline, or xline. Extended Intersection is not available
as a running object snap.

NOTE You might get varying results if you have both the Intersection and Apparent
Intersection running object snaps turned on at the same time.
Intersection and Extended Intersection do not work with edges or corners of
3D solids.
Extension
Causes a temporary extension line or arc to be displayed when you pass the
cursor over the endpoint of objects, so you can specify points on the extension.
NOTE When working in perspective view, you cannot track along the extension
line of an arc or elliptical arc.
Insertion
Snaps to the insertion point of an attribute, a block, a shape, or text.
Perpendicular
Snaps to a point perpendicular to an arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical arc, line,
multiline, polyline, ray, region, solid, spline, or xline.
Deferred Perpendicular snap mode is automatically turned on when the object
you are drawing requires that you complete more than one perpendicular
snap. You can use a line, arc, circle, polyline, ray, xline, multiline, or 3D solid
edge as an object from which to draw a perpendicular line. You can use
Deferred Perpendicular to draw perpendicular lines between such objects.
When the aperture box passes over a Deferred Perpendicular snap point, an
AutoSnap tooltip and marker are displayed.

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Tangent
Snaps to the tangent of an arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical arc, or spline. Deferred
Tangent snap mode is automatically turned on when the object you are
drawing requires that you complete more than one tangent snap. You can use
Deferred Tangent to draw a line or xline that is tangent to arcs, polyline arcs,
or circles. When the aperture box passes over a Deferred Tangent snap point,
a marker and an AutoSnap tooltip are displayed.

NOTE When you use the From option in conjunction with the Tangent snap mode
to draw objects other than lines from arcs or circles, the first point drawn is tangent
to the arc or circle in relation to the last point selected in the drawing area.
Nearest
Snaps to the nearest point on an arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical arc, line, multiline,
point, polyline, ray, spline, or xline.
Apparent Intersection
Snaps to the visual intersection of two objects that are not in the same plane
but may appear to intersect in the current view.
Extended Apparent Intersection is not available as a running object snap.
Apparent and Extended Apparent Intersection do not work with edges or
corners of 3D solids.
NOTE You might get varying results if you have both the Intersection and Apparent
Intersection running object snaps turned on at the same time.
Parallel
Constrains a line segment, polyline segment, ray or xline to be parallel to
another linear object. After you specify the first point of a linear object, specify
the parallel object snap. Unlike other object snap modes, you move the cursor
and hover over another linear object until the angle is acquired. Then, move
the cursor back toward the object that you are creating. When the path of the
object is parallel to the previous linear object, an alignment path is displayed,
which you can use to create the parallel object.

Drafting Settings Dialog Box | 673

NOTE Turn off ORTHO mode before using the parallel object snap. Object snap
tracking and polar snap are turned off automatically during a parallel object snap
operation. You must specify the first point of a linear object before using the parallel
object snap.
Select All
Turns on all object snap modes.
Clear All
Turns off all object snap modes.

Dynamic Input Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box)
Controls pointer input, dimension input, dynamic prompting, and the
appearance of drafting tooltips.

Enable Pointer Input
Turns on pointer input. When pointer input and dimensional input are both
turned on, dimensional input supersedes pointer input when it is available.
(DYNMODE system variable)

Pointer Input
Displays the location of the crosshairs as coordinate values in a tooltip near
the cursor. When a command prompts you for a point, you can enter
coordinate values in the tooltip instead of in the Command window.

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Preview Area
Shows an example of pointer input.
Settings
Displays the Pointer Input Settings dialog box.

Enable Dimension Input
Turns on dimensional input. Dimensional input is not available for some
commands that prompt for a second point. (DYNMODE system variable)

Dimension Input
Displays a dimension with tooltips for distance value and angle value when
a command prompts you for a second point or a distance. The values in the
dimension tooltips change as you move the cursor. You can enter values in
the tooltip instead of on the command line.
Preview Area
Shows an example of dimensional input.
Settings
Displays the Dimension Input Settings dialog box.

Dynamic Prompts
Displays prompts in a tooltip near the cursor when necessary in order to
complete the command. You can enter values in the tooltip instead of on the
command line.
Preview Area
Shows an example of dynamic prompts.
Show Command Prompting and Command Input near the Crosshairs
Displays prompts in Dynamic Input tooltips. (DYNPROMPT system variable)

Drafting Tooltip Appearance
Displays the Tooltip Appearance dialog box.

Quick Properties Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box)
Specifies the settings for displaying the Quick Properties palette.

Drafting Settings Dialog Box | 675

Enable Quick Properties Palette
Depending on the object type, you can enable or disable Quick Properties
palette. Quick Properties palette can also be turned on or off by clicking Quick
Properties on the status bar or by using the QPMODE on page 2478 system
variable.

Palette Display
Sets the display settings of the Quick Properties palette. See Quick Properties
for more information.
All Objects
Sets the Quick Properties palette to display for any selection of objects.
Only Objects with Specified Properties
Sets the Quick Properties palette to display only for objects that are defined
in the Customize User Interface (CUI) editor to display properties.

Palette Location
Sets the display position of the Quick Properties palette.
Cursor-Dependent

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Sets the Palette Location mode to Cursor-dependent. In cursor-dependent
mode, the Quick Properties palette displays in a location relative to where you
selected the object. (QPLOCATION on page 2477 system variable)
Quadrant:
Specifies the relative location to display the Quick Properties palette. You can
select one of the four quadrants top-right, top-left, bottom-right, or bottom-left.
Distance in Pixels:
Sets the distance in pixels when Cursor is selected under the Palette Location
modes. You can specify values in the range of 0 to 400 (only integer values).
Static
Sets the location mode to Static. (QPLOCATION on page 2477 system variable)

Palette Behavior
Sets the behavior of Quick Properties palette.
Collapse Palette Automatically
Enables the Quick Properties palette to display only a specified number of
properties in the idle state.
Minimum Number of Rows:
Sets the minimum number of rows for the Quick Properties palette to display
in the collapsed idle state. You can specify values in the range of 1 to 30 (only
integer values).

Selection Cycling Tab (Draft Settings Dialog Box)
Selection cycling allows you to select objects that are overlapping. You can
configure the display settings of the selection cycling list box. To filter the
type of subobjects displayed (vertices, edges, or faces) use the
SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE on page 2532system variable.

Drafting Settings Dialog Box | 677

Allow Selection Cycling
You can also set this option with the SELECTIONCYCLING on page 2505 system
variable.

Display Selection Cycling List Box
Displays the Selection Cycling List box.
Cursor Dependent
Moves the list box relative to the cursor.
Quadrant
Specifies in which quadrant of the cursor to position the list box.
Distance in Pixels
Specifies the distance between the cursor and the list box.
Static
The list box does not move with the cursor and remains in the same position.
To change the position of the list box, click and drag.

Show Title Bar
To save screen space, turn the title bar off.

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Pointer Input Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Controls the settings of pointer input tooltips.

Access Methods
Menu: Tools ➤ Drafting Settings
Shortcut menu: Right-click Snap, Grid, Polar, Osnap, Otrack, or Dyn on
the status bar and click Settings.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Format
Controls coordinate format in the tooltips that are displayed when pointer
input is turned on.
Polar Format
Displays the tooltip for the second or next point in polar coordinate format.
Enter a comma (,) to change to Cartesian format. (DYNPIFORMAT system
variable)
Cartesian Format
Displays the tooltip for the second or next point in Cartesian coordinate
format. Enter an angle symbol (<) to change to polar format. (DYNPIFORMAT
system variable)
Relative Coordinates
Displays the tooltip for the second or next point in relative coordinate format.
Enter a pound sign (#) to change to absolute format. (DYNPICOORDS system
variable)
Absolute Coordinates
Displays the tooltip for the second or next point in absolute coordinate format.
Enter an at sign ( ) to change to relative format. Note that you cannot use the

Pointer Input Settings Dialog Box | 679

direct distance method when this option is selected. (DYNPICOORDS system
variable)

Visibility
Controls when pointer input is displayed. (DYNPIVIS system variable)
As Soon As I Type Coordinate Data
When pointer input is turned on, displays tooltips only when you start to
enter coordinate data. (DYNPIVIS system variable)
When a Command Asks for a Point
When pointer input is turned on, displays tooltips whenever a command
prompts you for a point. (DYNPIVIS system variable)
Always—Even When Not in a Command
Always displays tooltips when pointer input is turned on. (DYNPIVIS system
variable)

Dimension Input Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Controls the settings of dimension input tooltips.

Access Methods
Menu: Tools ➤ Drafting Settings
Shortcut menu: Right-click Snap, Grid, Polar, Osnap, Otrack, or Dyn on
the status bar and click Settings.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Visibility
Controls which tooltips are displayed during grip stretching when dimensional
input is turned on. (DYNDIVIS system variable)
Show Only 1 Dimension Input Field at a Time

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Displays only the length change dimensional input tooltip when you are using
grip editing to stretch an object. (DYNDIVIS system variable)
Show 2 Dimension Input Fields at a Time
Displays the length change and resulting dimensional input tooltips when
you are using grip editing to stretch an object. (DYNDIVIS system variable)
Show the Following Dimension Input Fields Simultaneously
When you are using grip editing to stretch an object, displays the dimensional
input tooltips that are selected below. (DYNDIVIS and DYNDIGRIP system
variables)
Resulting Dimension
Displays a length dimensional tooltip that is updated as you move the grip.
Length Change
Displays the change in length as you move the grip.
Absolute Angle
Displays an angle dimensional tooltip that is updated as you move the grip.
Angle Change
Displays the change in the angle as you move the grip.
Arc Radius
Displays the radius of an arc, which is updated as you move the grip.

Tooltip Appearance Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Controls the appearance of tooltips.

Access Methods
Menu: Tools ➤ Drafting Settings

Tooltip Appearance Dialog Box | 681

Shortcut menu: Right-click Snap, Grid, Polar, Osnap, Otrack, or Dyn on
the status bar and click Settings.

Summary
Use the TOOLTIPMERGE system variable to combine drafting tooltips into a
single tooltip.
For more information about tooltips, see Set Interface Options.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Previews
Displays an example of the current tooltip appearance settings.
Colors
Displays the Drawing Window Colors dialog box, where you can specify a
color for drafting tooltips and their backgrounds in a specified context.

Size
Specifies a size for tooltips. The default size is 0. Use the slider to make tooltips
larger or smaller.

Transparency
Controls the transparency of tooltips. The lower the setting, the less transparent
the tooltip. A value of 0 sets the tooltip to opaque.

Apply To
Specifies whether the settings apply to all drafting tooltips or only to Dynamic
Input tooltips. (DYNTOOLTIPS system variable)
Override OS Settings for All Drafting Tooltips
Applies the settings to all tooltips, overriding the settings in the operating
system.
Use Settings Only for Dynamic Input Tooltips
Applies the settings only to the drafting tooltips used in Dynamic Input.

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DSVIEWER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pan and Zoom with the Aerial View Window

Opens the Aerial View window.

Access Methods
Menu: View ➤ Aerial View

Summary
The Aerial View window is displayed.

Aerial View Window
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pan and Zoom with the Aerial View Window

Displays the entire drawing; the current view is marked with a wide outline
box.

Access Methods
Menu: View ➤ Aerial View
Command entry: dsviewer

Summary
When the entire drawing is displayed in the Aerial View window, the Zoom
Out menu option and button are unavailable. When the current view nearly
fills the Aerial View window, the Zoom In menu option and button are
unavailable. If both of these conditions exist at the same time, such as after
using ZOOM Extents, both options are unavailable. All of the menu options

DSVIEWER | 683

are also available from a shortcut menu you can access by right-clicking in
the Aerial View window.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

View Menu (Aerial View Window)
Changes the magnification of the Aerial View by zooming in and out of the
drawing or by displaying the entire drawing in the Aerial View window.
Zoom In Increases the magnification of the drawing in the Aerial View window
by zooming in by a factor of 2, centered on the current view box.

Zoom Out Decreases the magnification of the drawing in the Aerial View
window by zooming out by a factor of 2, centered on the current view box.

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Global Displays the entire drawing and the current view in the Aerial View
window.

Options Menu (Aerial View Window)
Provides toggles for automatic viewport display and dynamic updating of the
drawing. All of the menu options are also available from a shortcut menu you
can access by right-clicking in the Aerial View window.
Auto Viewport Displays the model space view of the current viewport
automatically when multiple viewports are displayed. When Auto Viewport
is off, the Aerial View window is not updated to match the current viewport.
Dynamic Update Updates the Aerial View window while you edit the drawing.
When Dynamic Update is off, the Aerial View window is not updated until
you click in the Aerial View window.
Realtime Zoom Updates the drawing area in real time when you zoom using
the Aerial View window.

Aerial View Window | 685

DVIEW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify 3D Views

Defines parallel projection or perspective views by using a camera and target.

Access Methods
Summary
NOTE Transparent ZOOM, DSVIEWER, PAN, and scroll bars are not available in
DVIEW. When you define a perspective view, ZOOM, PAN, transparent ZOOM
and PAN, DSVIEWER, and scroll bars are not available while that view is current.

List of PromptsObject Selection on page 686
The following prompts are displayed.
Select objects on page 686 or .DVIEWBLOCK on page 687
Enter option
[CAmera on page 687/TArget on page 688/Distance on page 689/POints on page
690/PAn on page 691/Zoom on page 691/TWist on page 692/CLip on page 692/Hide
on page 693/Off on page 693/Undo on page 693]: Specify a point on page 687 with
your pointing device, or enter an option

Object Selection
Specifies objects to use in the preview image as you change views. Selecting
too many objects slows image dragging and updating.

686 | Chapter 5 D Commands

DVIEWBLOCK
If you press Enter at the Select Objects prompt, DVIEWBLOCK displays a
preview image. You can create your own DVIEWBLOCK block in a 1 unit by
1 unit by 1 unit area, with its origin at the lower-left corner. The following
illustration shows an example of using the default DVIEWBLOCK to set the
view (moving the graphics cursor adjusts the view).

Point Specification
Rolls the view under the camera. The point you select with your pointing
device is a start point for the dragging operation. Your viewing direction
changes about the target point as you move the pointing device.
The angles must be positive. The direction angle indicates the front of the
view, and the magnitude angle determines how far the view rolls.

Camera
Specifies a new camera position by rotating the camera about the target point.
Two angles determine the amount of rotation.
Camera Location Sets the camera's position based on the specified point.
Enter Angle from the XY Plane Sets the camera's position at an angle above
or below the XY plane. An angle of 90 degrees looks down from above, and
an angle of -90 looks up from below. A camera angle of 0 degrees places the
camera parallel to the XY plane of the user coordinate system (UCS).
Toggle (Angle In) Switches between two angle input modes. Entering an
angle at the Command prompt locks the cursor movement so you see only

DVIEW | 687

the positions available for that angle. Toggle unlocks the cursor movement
for the angle, and you can use the cursor to rotate the camera.
Enter Angle in XY Plane from X Axis Sets the position at an angle in the XY
plane relative to the X axis of the current UCS. This angle measures from -180
to 180 degrees. A rotation angle of 0 degrees looks down the X axis of the UCS
toward the origin.

The illustration shows the camera rotating to the left from its initial position,
leaving its angle from the XY plane unchanged.
Toggle (Angle From) Switches between two angle input modes. Entering an
angle at the Command prompt locks the cursor movement so you see only
the positions available for that angle. Toggle unlocks the cursor movement
for the angle, and you can use the cursor to rotate the camera.

Target
Specifies a new position for the target by rotating it around the camera. The
effect is like turning your head to see different parts of the drawing from one
vantage point. Two angles determine the amount of rotation.
Enter Angle from the XY Plane Enter Angle from the XY Plane on page 687
Toggle (Angle In) Toggle (Angle In) on page 687
Enter Angle in XY Plane from X Axis Enter Angle in XY Plane from X Axis
on page 688The illustration shows the effect of moving the target point from
left to right, leaving its angle from the XY plane unchanged.

688 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Toggle (Angle From) Toggle (Angle From) on page 688

Distance
Moves the camera in or out along the line of sight relative to the target. This
option turns on perspective viewing, which causes objects farther from the
camera to appear smaller than those closer to the camera. A special perspective
icon replaces the coordinate system icon. You are prompted for the new
camera-to-target distance.
A slider bar along the top of the drawing area is labeled from 0x to 16x, with
1x representing the current distance. Moving the slider bar to the right
increases the distance between camera and target. Moving it to the left
decreases that distance. To turn off perspective viewing, click the Off option
from the main DVIEW prompt.
If the target and camera points are close together, or if you specify a
long-focal-length lens, you might see very little of your drawing when you
specify a new distance. If you see little or none of your drawing, try the
maximum scale value (16x) or enter a large distance. To magnify the drawing
without turning perspective viewing on, use the Zoom option of DVIEW.

DVIEW | 689

The illustration shows the effect of moving the camera along the line of sight
relative to the target, where the field of view remains constant.

Points
Locates the camera and target points using X,Y,Z coordinates. You can use XYZ
point filters.
To help you define a new line of sight, a rubber-band line is drawn from the
current camera position to the crosshairs. You are prompted for a new camera
location.
A rubber-band line connects the target point to the crosshairs to help you
place the camera relative to the target. The illustration shows the change in
view as you swap the camera and target points. Lens and distance settings are
the same in each case.

690 | Chapter 5 D Commands

For information about entering direction and magnitude angles, see Point
Specification.

Pan
Shifts the image without changing the level of magnification.

Zoom
If perspective viewing is off, dynamically increases or decreases the apparent
size of objects in the current viewport.
A slider bar along the top of the drawing area is labeled from 0x to 16x, with
1x representing the current scale. Moving the slider bar to the right increases
the scale. Moving it to the left decreases the scale.
If perspective viewing is on, Zoom adjusts the camera lens length, which
changes the field of view and causes more or less of the drawing to be visible
at a given camera and target distance. The default lens length is 50mm,
simulating what you'd see with a 35mm camera and a 50mm lens. Increasing
the lens length is similar to switching to a telephoto lens. Decreasing the lens
length widens the field of view, as with a wide-angle lens.
A slider bar along the top of the drawing area is labeled from 0x to 16x, with
1x representing the current lens length. Moving the slider bar to the right
increases the lens length. Moving it to the left decreases the lens length.

DVIEW | 691

Twist
Twists or tilts the view around the line of sight. The twist angle is measured
counterclockwise, with 0 degrees to the right.

Clip
Clips the view, obscuring portions of the drawing that are behind or in front
of the front clipping plane. The front and back clipping planes are invisible
walls that you can position perpendicular to the line of sight between the
camera and target.
Back Obscures objects located behind the back clipping plane.
■

Distance from Target. Positions the back clipping plane and turns on back
clipping. A positive distance places the clipping plane between the target
and the camera. A negative distance places it beyond the target. You can
use the slider bar to drag the clipping plane.

■

On. Turns on back clipping at the current clipping distance.

■

Off. Turns off back clipping.

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Front Obscures objects located between the camera and the front clipping
plane.
■

Distance from Target.Positions the front clipping plane and turns on front
clipping. A positive distance places the clipping plane between the target
and the camera. A negative distance places it beyond the target. You can
use the slider bar to drag the clipping plane.

■

Eye. Positions the front clipping plane at the camera.

■

On. Turns on front clipping. This option is available only when perspective
viewing is off.

■

Off. Turns off front clipping. This option is available only when perspective
viewing is off.

Off Turns off front and back clipping. If perspective viewing is on, front
clipping remains on at the camera position.

Hide
Suppresses hidden lines on the selected objects to aid in visualization. Circles,
solids, traces, regions, wide polyline segments, 3D faces, polygon meshes, and
the extruded edges of objects with nonzero thickness are considered to be
opaque surfaces that hide objects.This hidden line suppression is quicker than
that performed by HIDE, but it can't be plotted.

Off
Turns off perspective viewing. The Distance option turns on perspective
viewing.

Undo
Reverses the effects of the last DVIEW action. You can undo multiple DVIEW
operations.

DVIEW | 693

DWFADJUST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Underlay Contrast, Fade, Monochrome, and Colors for the
Background

Adjust the fade, contrast, and monochrome settings of a DWF or DWFx
underlay.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Adjust

Summary
You can change the default values for Fade, Contrast, and Monochrome for
a single or multiple DWF and DWFx underlays. To confirm the settings on a
selected DWF or DWFx underlay, use the Properties palette.
NOTE You can also use the ADJUST on page 105 command to change the fade,
contrast, and monochrome settings for DWF underlays as well as DWF, DWFx and
PDF underlays or the fade, contrast and brightness for images.
To adjust colors in the DWF or DWFx underlay, open the Properties palette
for the DWF or DWFx underlay. For more information, see Adjust Underlay
Contrast, Fade, Monochrome, and Colors for the Background.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.

Fade
Controls the fade effect of the underlay. Values range from 0 through 100.
The greater the value, the lighter the linework in the underlay appears. Works
indirectly with the contrast effect; a higher contrast value blends the underlay
into the background when fade is set to a higher value.

694 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Contrast
Controls the contrast, and indirectly, the fading effect, of the underlay. Values
range from 0 through 100. The greater the value, the more each pixel is forced
to its primary or secondary color.

Monochrome
Controls the color saturation of all linework while maintaining the luminance.
When turned on, the linework appears in varying shades of gray starting at
black if the background color luminance is 50 percent or more. If the
background color luminance is less than 50 percent, then the colors are
inverted, with the darkest linework displaying in white, and the lightest
linework displaying in black.

DWFATTACH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Files as Underlays

Insert a DWF or DWFx file as an underlay into the current drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Attach
Toolbar: Insert
Menu: Insert ➤ DWF Underlay

Summary
The Select DWF File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Once you select a DWF or DWFx file, the Attach DWF Underlay
dialog box is displayed. After the file is attached, you can adjust and clip the
underlay through the DWF Underlay Ribbon Contextual Tab on page 699.

DWFATTACH | 695

When you attach a DWF or DWFx file as an underlay, you link that referenced
file to the current drawing. Any changes to the referenced file are displayed
in the current drawing when it is opened or reloaded.
NOTE If you plan to access DWF or DWFx files from the Vault client server, the
Vault file open dialog box supersedes the Select DWF File dialog box. Access to
the Vault client server is only available to Autodesk Subscription customers.

Attach DWF Underlay Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Files as Underlays

Sets options such as rotation and scale when you attach a DWF underlay.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Attach
Menu: Insert ➤ DWF Underlay
Toolbar: Insert
Command entry: dwfattach

Summary
Names, locates, and defines the insertion point, scale, and rotation of attached
DWF or DWFx underlays.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Name
Identifies the DWF or DWFx file you have selected to attach.

696 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Browse
Opens the Select Reference File dialog (a standard file selection dialog box on
page 1295).

Select one of more sheets from the DWF file
Displays all of the sheets that are found in the DWF file. If the DWF file only
contains a single sheet, that sheet is listed. You can select multiple sheets by
holding the Shift key or the Ctrl key while selecting the sheets to attach. If
you hover over the preview, the file name displays.

Path Type
Select the full (absolute) path, the relative path to the DWF file, or No Path,
the name of the DWF file (the DWF file must be located in the same folder as
the current drawing file).
NOTE The Path Type group is disabled when you’re attaching a DWF or DWFx
file that is stored on the Vault client server. This information is automatically entered
by the Vault.

Insertion Point
Specifies the insertion point for the selected DWF file. Specify On-Screen is
the default. The default insertion point is 0,0,0.
Specify On-Screen Directs input at the Command prompt or the pointing
device. If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter the insertion point in X, Y, and
Z.

Scale
Specifies the scale factor of the selected DWF underlay.
If INSUNITS is set to “unitless” or if the underlay does not contain resolution
information, the scale factor becomes the underlay width in AutoCAD units.
If INSUNITS has a value such as millimeters, centimeters, inches, or feet, and
the underlay has resolution information, the scale factor is applied after the
true width of the underlay in AutoCAD units is determined.
Specify On-screen Allows you to input at the Command prompt or the
pointing device. If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter a value for the scale
factor. The default scale factor is 1.
Scale Factor Field Enter a value for the scale factor. The default scale factor
is 1.

Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the selected DWF underlay.

Attach DWF Underlay Dialog Box | 697

Specify on-screen If Specify On-Screen is selected, you may wait until you
exit the dialog box to rotate the object with your pointing device or enter a
rotation angle value at the Command prompt.
Angle If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter the rotation angle value in the
dialog box. The default rotation angle is 0.

Show Details
Displays the DWF file path.
Found In Displays the path where the DWF file is located.
Saved Path Displays the path that is saved with the drawing when the DWF
file is attached. The path is dependent upon the Path Type setting.

Substitute DWF Name Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Files as Underlays

Allows you to rename a DWF underlay if the name is not unique.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Attach

698 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Menu: Insert ➤ DWF Underlay

Toolbar: Insert
Command entry: dwfattach

Summary
The names of DWF or DWFx references you attach must be unique. Attempts
to attach two DWF or DWFx references that have the same name displays the
Substitute DWF Name dialog box.

New DWF Name
Enter a unique name for the DWF or DWFx underlay you are attempting to
attach.
Once a new name is supplied, you can continue with the attachment process.
NOTE This only changes the name of the DWF or DWFx reference when it is
attached. It does not affect the name of the DWF or DWFx file.

DWF Underlay Ribbon Contextual Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Underlays

Change DWF underlay display, clip, layer, and osnap options.

Access Points
Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Attach
Command entry: dwfattach

Summary
When you select a DWF underlay in a drawing, the DWF Underlay Contextual
tab is displayed on the ribbon.

DWF Underlay Ribbon Contextual Tab | 699

List of Panels
Adjust Panel
Contrast Controls the contrast and the fading effect of the underlay. The
greater the value, the more each pixel is forced to its primary or secondary
color.
Fade Controls the appearance of linework. The greater the value, the lighter
the linework in the underlay appears.
Display in Monochrome Displays the underlay in black and white.

Clipping Panel
Create Clipping Boundary Deletes the old clipping boundary (if one exists)
and creates a new one.
Remove Clipping Deletes the clipping boundary.

Options Panel
Show Underlay Hides or displays the underlay.
Enable Snap Determines whether object snapping is active for geometry in
the DWF underlay.
External References Displays the External References palette.

DWF Layers Panel
Edit Layers Controls the display of layers in a DWF Underlay.

-DWFATTACH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Files as Underlays

Attach a DWF underlay from the command line.

700 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Summary
When you attach a DWF or DWFx file as an underlay, you link that referenced
file to the current drawing. Any changes to the referenced file are displayed
in the current drawing when it is opened or reloaded.
NOTE If you plan to access DWF or DWFx files from the Vault client server, the
Vault file open dialog box supersedes the Select DWF File dialog box. Access to
the Vault client server is only available to Autodesk Subscription customers.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
TIP You can drag a DWF file onto the drawing window to start the DWFATTACH
command.
Path to DWF File to Attach Enters the full path name to the DWF underlay
file. The file name can include up to 255 characters and contain letters, digits,
spaces, and any special characters not used by Microsoft Windows or this
program.
Entering a tilde (~) displays the Select DWF File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box).
To avoid errors when entering a file name, it is recommended that you specify
both the DWF file and path as follows:
path name\filename.dgn
or
“path name\filename.dgn”
If you enter a valid DWF file name without a file extension, the program adds
the extension and searches for the file.
Enter Name of Sheet or ? Enter a sheet name. For a list of sheets, enter ?.
Enter Sheet(s) to list <*> Lists the sheets available in the DWF file in a separate
text window.
Insertion Point Specifies the insertion point for the selected DWF file.
Scale Factor Specifies the scale factor of the selected DWF underlay and the
scale factor units.
If INSUNITS is set to “unitless” or if the underlay does not contain resolution
information, the scale factor becomes the underlay width in AutoCAD units.
If INSUNITS has a value such as millimeters, centimeters, inches, or feet, and

-DWFATTACH | 701

the underlay has resolution information, the scale factor is applied after the
true width of the underlay in AutoCAD units is determined.
Rotation Specifies the rotation angle of the selected DWF underlay by entering
an angle value at the Command prompt or by clicking onscreen.

DWFCLIP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Clip External References and Blocks

Crops the display of a selected DWF or DWFx underlay to a specified boundary.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Clip
Shortcut menu: Select a DWF or DWFx underlay to clip, right-click in the
drawing area, and click DWF Clip.

Summary
The clipping boundary determines the portion of an image outside the
boundary that is hidden. The visibility of the clipping boundary is controlled
by the DWFFRAME on page 2289 system variable.
The boundary you specify must be in a plane parallel to the DWF or DWFx
underlay.
TIP Use the generic CLIP on page 332 command to clip images, external references,
viewports, and underlays.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.

702 | Chapter 5 D Commands

On
Turns on clipping and displays the DWF underlay clipped to the previously
defined boundary.

Off
Turns off clipping and displays the entire DWF or DWFx underlay and frame.
If you reclip the DWF or DWFx underlay while clipping is turned off, clipping
is automatically turned back on. You are prompted to delete the old boundary
even when clipping is turned off and the clipping boundary is not visible.

Delete
Removes a predefined clipping boundary and displays the full original
underlay.

New Boundary
Defines a rectangular or polygonal clipping boundary, or generates a polygonal
clipping boundary from a polyline.
Select Polyline Defines the boundary with the selected polyline. The polyline
can be open but must consist of straight line segments and cannot intersect
itself.
Polygonal Defines a polygonal clipping boundary with three or more points
that you specify for the vertices of a polygon.
Rectangular Defines a rectangular boundary with the points that you specify
for opposite corners.
Invert Clip Inverts the mode of the clipping boundary: objects are clipped
either outside the boundary or inside the boundary.
NOTE You can only create a new clipping boundary for a selected DWF underlay
when the old boundary is deleted.

DWFFORMAT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish Drawings

Sets the default format to DFW or DWFx for the PUBLISH, 3DDWF, EXPORT,
EXPORTDWF, AND EXPORTDWFX commands.

DWFFORMAT | 703

Summary
The default DWF Format is DWFx.

DWFLAYERS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Layers in an Underlay

Controls the display of layers in a DWF or DWFx underlay.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Underlay Layers
Shortcut menu: Select a DWF or DWFx underlay, right-click in the drawing
area, and choose DWF Layers.

Summary
After selecting the DWF underlay, the Underlay Layers dialog box on page 1992
is displayed.
The ULAYERS on page 1992 command allows you to manage the layers of all
underlays in the current document: DWF, DWFx, PDF, and DGN.

DWGPROPS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Identifying Information to Drawings

Sets and displays the file properties of the current drawing.

704 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu
➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Drawing Properties
Menu: File ➤ Drawing Properties

Summary
The Drawing Properties dialog box is displayed.
General information, keywords, and custom properties can be created and
stored with a drawing file. These file properties are accessible from Windows
and can help identify drawing files.

Drawing Properties Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Identifying Information to Drawings

Displays read-only statistics or general information about your drawing, assigns
summary properties, and assigns names and values to custom properties. These
custom properties can help you identify your drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu
➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Drawing Properties
Menu: File ➤ Drawing Properties
Command entry: dwgprops

Drawing Properties Dialog Box | 705

Summary
Document properties are displayed in the list of field names in the Field dialog
box on page 796.
■

General on page 706

■

Summary on page 708

■

Statistics on page 709

■

Custom on page 711

General Tab (Drawing Properties Dialog Box)
Quick Reference
Displays read-only information about the drawing file. This data is derived
from the operating system.

Access Methods

Button

706 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Menu: Application menu
➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Drawing Properties
Menu: File ➤ Drawing Properties
Command entry: dwgprops

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

File Name
Shows the file icon and the file name.

File Type, Location, Size
Shows the file type, the file location, and the size of the file.

MS-DOS Name, Created, Modified, Accessed
Shows MS-DOS name, when the file was created, and the date and time it was
last modified and last accessed.

Attributes
Shows system-level file attributes. These values can be modified in Windows
Explorer.
Read-Only
Indicates that the file is read-only; it cannot be changed or deleted accidentally.
Archive
Indicates that this file should be archived. This setting is used to determine
which files should be backed up.
Hidden
Indicates that the file is hidden; you cannot see or use it unless you know its
name.
System
Indicates that the file is a system file. A drawing cannot have the System
attribute set.

Drawing Properties Dialog Box | 707

Summary Tab (Drawing Properties Dialog Box)
Quick Reference
Displays properties such as author, title, and subject that are predefined. For
example, you can add keywords to all your drawing files and then use
™
DesignCenter to search for all drawing files with a particular keyword.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu
➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Drawing Properties
Menu: File ➤ Drawing Properties
Command entry: dwgprops

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Title

708 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Specifies the title you want to use when searching for this drawing. The title
can be different from the drawing file name.
Subject
Specifies the subject of the drawing. You can use the subject name to group
drawings that have the same subject.
Author
Specifies the author of the drawing. The author name can only be entered or
changed by the user. To change the author, delete the existing name and enter
a new one.
Keywords
Specifies the keywords you want to use to locate the drawing.
Comments
Provides a space to add comments to the drawing.
Hyperlink Base
Specifies the base address that is used for all relative links inserted within the
drawing. You can specify an Internet location, for example,
http://www.autodesk.com, or a path to a folder on a network drive.

Statistics Tab (Drawing Properties Dialog Box)
Quick Reference
Displays data such as the dates the drawing was created and last modified.
These file properties are automatically maintained for you and can help you
search for drawings created or modified during a specific period.
®

NOTE If the drawing was last saved using an application other than Autodesk
software, a warning message is displayed. Display of the warning message is
controlled by the DWGCHECK system variable.

Drawing Properties Dialog Box | 709

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu
➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Drawing Properties
Menu: File ➤ Drawing Properties
Command entry: dwgprops

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Created
Displays the date and time the drawing was created. This value is stored in
the TDCREATE system variable.
Modified
Displays the date and time the drawing was last modified. This value is stored
in the TDUPDATE system variable.
Last Saved By
Displays the name of the last person who modified the file. The Last Saved
By name is stored in the LOGINNAME system variable.

710 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Revision Number
Displays the revision number. This value is not accessible. To track revisions,
create a custom property on the Custom tab.
Total Editing Time
Displays the total amount of editing time in the drawing. This value is stored
in the TDINDWG system variable.

Custom Tab (Drawing Properties Dialog Box)
Quick Reference
Assigns custom properties to the drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu
➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Drawing Properties
Menu: File ➤ Drawing Properties

Drawing Properties Dialog Box | 711

Command entry: dwgprops

Summary
For example, you could create a custom property called Project and assign the
actual project name as the value. To assign the same custom properties to a
group of drawings, create the custom properties in a drawing template file.
Custom properties are displayed in the list of field names in the Field dialog
box. You also have access to the properties data using programming interfaces,
®
such as AutoLISP .

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Custom Properties
Lists names and values of custom properties for the current drawing.
Add
Displays the Add Custom Property dialog box, where you can enter a name
and a value for the new custom property. The name must be unique. The
value can be left blank.
Delete
Deletes the custom property that is selected in the list.
NOTE If you delete a custom property that is used in a field, the field displays
#### the next time it is updated.

Add Custom Property Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Identifying Information to Drawings

Adds a custom property to the drawing file.

712 | Chapter 5 D Commands

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu
➤ Drawing Utilities ➤ Drawing Properties
Menu: File ➤ Drawing Properties
Command entry: dwgprops

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Custom Property Name
Specifies a unique name for the custom property. The name can contain up
to 255 characters. The following characters are not permitted: asterisk (*),
equal sign (=), less-than and greater-than signs (< >), slash (/), backslash (\),
quotation marks ("), reverse quote (`), pipe sign (|), colon (:), and semicolon
(;).
Value
Specifies a value for the property. The value can be left blank.

DXBIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Convert DXF and DXB Files to DWG Format

Imports an AutoCAD DXB (drawing interchange binary) file.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Blocks & References tab ➤ Import panel ➤ DXB File.

DXBIN | 713

Menu: Insert ➤ Drawing Exchange Binary

Summary
AutoCAD DXB files contain only 2D vectors in binary format with 16-bit
integer precision. These vectors are imported as line objects, and they assume
the current layer and object properties.
The Select DXB File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Enter the name of the file to import.

714 | Chapter 5 D Commands

E Commands

6

EATTEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify a Block Attribute Definition

Edits attributes in a block reference.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Edit Single Attribute
Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Attribute ➤ Single
Toolbar: Modify II

Summary
Edits the values, text options, and properties of each attribute in a block.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Select a block:

715

After you select a block with attributes, the Enhanced Attribute Editor is
displayed.

Enhanced Attribute Editor
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify a Block Attribute Definition

Lists the attributes in a selected block instance and displays the properties of
each attribute.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Edit Single Attribute
Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Attribute ➤ Single
Toolbar: Modify II
Command entry: eattedit

Summary
The Enhanced Attribute Editor contains the following tabs:
■

Attribute

■

Text Options

■

Properties

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Block
Name of the block whose attributes you are editing.

716 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Tag
Tag identifying the attribute.
Select Block
Temporarily closes the dialog box while you select a block with your pointing
device.
Apply
Updates the drawing with the attribute changes you have made, and leaves
the Enhanced Attribute Editor open.

Attribute Tab (Enhanced Attribute Editor)
Displays the tag, prompt, and value assigned to each attribute. You can change
only the attribute value.

List
Lists the attributes in the selected block instance and displays the tag, prompt,
and value for each attribute.
Value
Assigns a new value to the selected attribute.
Multiple-line attributes include a button with an ellipsis. Click to open the
In-Place Text Editor with the Text Formatting toolbar and the ruler. Depending
on the setting of the ATTIPE system variable, the Text Formatting toolbar
displayed is either the abbreviated version, or the full version
To use a field as the value, right-click and click Insert Field on the shortcut
menu to display the Field dialog box.

Enhanced Attribute Editor | 717

Text Options Tab (Enhanced Attribute Editor)
Sets the properties that define the way an attribute's text is displayed in the
drawing. Change the color of attribute text on the Properties tab.

Text Style
Specifies the text style for the attribute text. Default values for this text style
are assigned to the text properties displayed in this dialog box.
Justification
Specifies how the attribute text is justified (left-, center-, or right-justified).
Height
Specifies the height of the attribute text.
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the attribute text.
Annotative
Specifies that the attribute is . Click the information icon to learn more about
annotative objects.
Backwards
Specifies whether or not the attribute text is displayed backwards. Not available
for multiple-line attributes.
Upside down
Specifies whether or not the attribute text is displayed upside down. Not
available for multiple-line attributes.
Width Factor

718 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Sets the character spacing for the attribute text. Entering a value less than 1.0
condenses the text. Entering a value greater than 1.0 expands it.
Oblique Angle
Specifies the angle that the attribute text is slanted away from its vertical axis.
Not available for multiple-line attributes.
Boundary Width
Specifies the maximum length of the lines of text in a multiple-line attribute
before wrapping to the next line. A value of 0.000 means that there is no
restriction on the length of a line of text. Not available for single-line attributes.

Properties Tab (Enhanced Attribute Editor)
Defines the layer that the attribute is on and the lineweight, linetype, and
color for the attribute text. If the drawing uses plot styles, you can assign a
plot style to the attribute using the Properties tab.

Layer
Specifies the layer that the attribute is on.
Linetype
Specifies the linetype of the attribute.
Color
Specifies the color of the attribute.
Plot Style
Specifies the plot style of the attribute.

Enhanced Attribute Editor | 719

If the current drawing uses color-dependent plot styles, the Plot Style list is
not available.
Lineweight
Specifies the lineweight of the attribute.
Changes you make to this option are not displayed if the LWDISPLAY system
variable is off.

EATTEXT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Extract Data Using the Data Extraction Wizard

Exports block attribute information to a table or to an external file.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Tools ➤ Data Extraction
Toolbar: Modify II

Summary
This command no longer displays the Attribute Extraction wizard and has
been replaced by the Data Extraction wizard.
If you enter -eattext at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

720 | Chapter 6 E Commands

-EATTEXT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Extract Data Using the Data Extraction Wizard

Extracts data as specified in an existing attribute extraction template (BLK)
file created with the Attribute Extraction wizard in AutoCAD 2006 or data
extraction (DXE) file created in AutoCAD 2007.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter the template file path for the extraction: type: Specify the path and file
name for the attribute extraction template (BLK) or data extraction (DXE) file that
describes how to extract the information
Subsequent prompts depend on the information set up in the template file.
If the template specifies extracting data to an external file, the following
prompts are displayed:
Enter the output filetype [Csv/Txt/Xls/Mdb] : Enter c for comma-separated
(CSV), t for tab-separated (TXT), x for Microsoft Excel (XLS), or m for Microsoft Access
(MDB)
Enter output filepath: Specify the names of the path and file where the data will be
extracted
NOTE The maximum number of columns that can be exported to an XLS and
MDB file is 255.
If the template specifies a table, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify insertion point:

-EATTEXT | 721

EDGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify 3D Subobjects

Changes the visibility of 3D face edges.

Summary
This command only affects objects created using the 3DFACE command.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify edge of 3D face to toggle visibility or [Display]:

Edge of 3D face to toggle visibility
Controls the visibility of the edges you select.

If the edges of one or more 3D faces are collinear, the program alters the
visibility of each collinear edge.

Display
Selects invisible edges of 3D faces so that you can redisplay them.

All Selects the hidden edges of all 3D faces in the drawing and displays them.
If you want to make the edges of the 3D faces visible once again, use the Edge
option. You must select each edge with your pointing device to display it.
AutoSnap™ markers and Snaptips are automatically displayed, indicating the
apparent snap locations on each invisible edge.

722 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Select Selects hidden edges of a partially visible 3D face and displays them.

If you want to make the edges of the 3D faces visible once again, use the Edge
option. You must select each edge with your pointing device to display it.
AutoSnap markers and Snaptips are automatically displayed, indicating the
apparent snap locations on each invisible edge.

EDGESURF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Construct Meshes from Other Objects

Creates a mesh between four contiguous edges or curves.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Mesh Modeling tab ➤ Primitives panel ➤ Modeling, Meshes, Edge
Surface
Menu: Draw ➤ Modeling ➤ Meshes ➤ Edge Mesh

Summary
Select four adjoining edges that define the mesh. The edges can be lines, arcs,
splines, or open polylines. The edges must touch at their endpoints to form
a single, closed loop.

EDGESURF | 723

You can select the four edges in any order. The first edge (SURFTAB1)
determines the M direction of the generated mesh, which extends from the
endpoint closest to the selection point to the other end. The two edges that
touch the first edge form the N edges (SURFTAB2) of the mesh.

The MESHTYPE system variable sets which type of mesh is created. Mesh
objects are created by default. Set the variable to 0 to create legacy polyface
or polygon mesh.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Object 1 for surface edge Specifies the first edge to be used as a boundary.
Object 2 for surface edge Specifies the second edge to be used as a boundary.
Object 3 for surface edge Specifies the third edge to be used as a boundary.
Object 4 for surface edge Specifies the final edge to be used as a boundary.

Edit PGP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Enter Commands on the Command Line

724 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Opens the Program Parameters (PGP) text file that defines command
abbreviations

Access Methods
Ribbon: Tools tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Edit PGP.

Summary
Commands can have abbreviated names called command aliases that you can
enter at the Command prompt. Command aliases are defined in the PGP file.
If you edit the PGP file while the program is running, enter REINIT to use the
revised file. You can also restart program to reload the file automatically.

EDITSHOT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Shots and Shot Sequences

Edits a saved named view with or without motion.

Summary
Displays the New View / Shot Properties Dialog Box on page 2028 with the Shot
Properties tab on page 2033 active.

ELEV
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the User Coordinate System in 3D

See also:
Sets elevation and extrusion thickness of new objects.

EDITSHOT | 725

Access Methods
Command entry: 'elev for transparent use

Summary
ELEV controls only new objects; it does not affect existing objects. The
elevation is reset to 0.0 whenever you change the coordinate system to the
world coordinate system (WCS).

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify New Default Elevation The current elevation is the default Z value
for new objects when you specify only X and Y values for a 3D point.
The elevation setting is the same for all viewports regardless of their user
coordinate systems (UCSs). New objects are created at the specified Z value
relative to the current UCS in the viewport.
Specify New Default Thickness The thickness sets the distance to which a
2D object is extruded above or below its elevation. A positive value is extruded
along the positive Z axis; a negative value is extruded along the negative Z
axis.

726 | Chapter 6 E Commands

ELLIPSE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Ellipses

Creates an ellipse or an elliptical arc.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Center
Menu: Draw ➤ Ellipse ➤ Center
Toolbar: Draw

Summary
The first two points of the ellipse determine the location and length of the
first axis. The third point determines the distance between the center of the
ellipse and the end point of the second axis.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify “axis endpoint” of ellipse or [“Arc”/“Center”/“Isocircle”]: Specify a point
or enter an option

Axis Endpoint
Defines the first axis by its two endpoints. The angle of the first axis determines
the angle of the ellipse. The first axis can define either the major or the minor
axis of the ellipse.

ELLIPSE | 727

Distance to Other Axis Defines the second axis using the distance from the
midpoint of the first axis to the endpoint of the second axis (3).

Rotation Creates the ellipse by appearing to rotate a circle about the first axis.
Move the crosshairs around the center of the ellipse and click. If you enter a
value, the higher the value, the greater the eccentricity of the ellipse. Entering
0 defines a circular ellipse.

Arc
Creates an elliptical arc.
The angle of the first axis determines the angle of the elliptical arc. The first
axis can define either the major or the minor axis depending on its size.
The first two points of the elliptical arc determine the location and length of
the first axis. The third point determines the distance between the center of
the elliptical arc and the endpoint of the second axis. The fourth and fifth
points are the start and end angles.

Axis Endpoint Defines the start point of the first axis.
Rotation Defines the major to minor axis ratio of the ellipse by rotating a
circle about the first axis. The higher the value from 0 through 89.4 degrees,
the greater the ratio of minor to major axis. Values between 89.4 degrees and

728 | Chapter 6 E Commands

90.6 degrees are invalid because the ellipse would otherwise appear as a straight
line. Multiples of these angle values result in a mirrored effect every 90 degrees.
Start Angle Defines the first endpoint of the elliptical arc. The Start Angle
option toggles from Parameter mode to Angle mode. The mode controls how
the ellipse is calculated.

Parameter Requires the same input as Start Angle, but creates the elliptical
arc using the following parametric vector equation:
p(u) = c + a * cos(u) + b * sin(u)
where c is the center of the ellipse and a and b are its major and minor axes,
respectively.
■

End Parameter: Defines the end angle of the elliptical arc by using a
parametric vector equation. The Start Parameter option toggles from Angle
mode to Parameter mode. The mode controls how the ellipse is calculated.

■

Angle: Defines the end angle of the elliptical arc. The Angle option toggles
from Parameter mode to Angle mode. The mode controls how the ellipse
is calculated.

■

Included Angle: Defines an included angle beginning at the start angle.

Center
Creates an ellipse using a center point, the endpoint of the first axis, and the
length of the second axis. You can specify the distances by clicking a location
at the desired distance or by entering a value for the length.

ELLIPSE | 729

Distance to Other Axis Defines the second axis as the distance from the center
of the ellipse, or midpoint of the first axis, to the point you specify.
Rotation Creates the ellipse by appearing to rotate a circle about the first axis.
Move the crosshairs around the center of the ellipse and click. If you enter a
value, the higher the value, the greater the eccentricity of the ellipse. Entering
0 defines a circle.

Isocircle
Creates an isometric circle in the current isometric drawing plane.
NOTE The Isocircle option is available only when you set the Style option of SNAP
to Isometric.

Radius Creates a circle using a radius you specify.
Diameter Creates a circle using a diameter you specify.
Specify diameter of isocircle: Specify a distance

ERASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Erase Objects

Removes objects from a drawing.

Access Methods

Button

730 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Erase
Menu: Modify ➤ Erase
Toolbar: Modify
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to erase, right-click in the drawing area,
and click Erase.

Summary
You can erase selected objects from the drawing. This method does not move
objects to the Clipboard, where they can then be pasted to another location.
If you are working with 3D objects, you can also erase subobjects such as faces,
meshes, and vertices.
Instead of selecting objects to erase, you can enter an option, such as L to erase
the last object drawn, p to erase the previous selection set, or ALL to erase all
objects. You can also enter ? to get a list of all options.

ETRANSMIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Package a Set of Files for Internet Transmission

Packages a set of files for Internet transmission.

Access Methods

Button

ETRANSMIT | 731

Menu: Application Menu

➤ Send ➤ eTransmit

Summary
The Create Transmittal dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -etransmit at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
When you select a set of drawing files in a transmittal package, it automatically
includes all related dependent files such as xrefs and font files.

Create Transmittal Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Package a Set of Files for Internet Transmission

Packages a set of files for Internet transmission.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: File ➤ eTransmit
Command entry: etransmit

Summary
All files to be included in the transmittal package are indicated by a check
mark next to the file name. Right-click in the file display area to display a
shortcut menu with several options.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

732 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Sheets Tab
Lists the sheets to be included in the transmittal package in a hierarchy based
on sheet subsets. On this tab, you can create a transmittal package from a
sheet set, sheet subset, or sheet. A sheet set must be open in the Sheet Set
Manager, and eTransmit must be selected from the shortcut menu that is
displayed when a sheet set, sheet subset, or sheet node is right-clicked.

NOTE If a sheet in the list is unavailable, the sheet is referenced (as an xref) by
another sheet in the transmittal package, and the unavailable sheet is automatically
included in the transmittal package.

Files Tree Tab
Lists the files to be included in the transmittal package in a hierarchical tree
format. By default, all files associated with the current drawing (such as related
xrefs, plot styles, and fonts) are listed. You can add files to the transmittal
package or remove existing files. Related files that are referenced by URLs are
not included in the transmittal package.
The drawings to be transmitted are listed under the following categories:
■

Sheet Drawings. Lists the drawing files associated with the sheet set.

■

Sheet Set Files. Lists the support files associated with the sheet set.

■

Current Drawing. Lists the files associated with the current drawing.

■

User Added Files. Lists the files that have been added manually with the
Add File option.

Create Transmittal Dialog Box | 733

Files Table Tab
Displays the files to be included in the transmittal package in a table format.
By default, all files associated with the current drawing (such as related xrefs,
plot styles, and fonts) are listed. You can add files to the transmittal package
or remove existing files. Related files that are referenced by URLs are not
included in the transmittal package.

Add File
Opens a standard file selection dialog box, in which you can select an
additional file to include in the transmittal package. This button is available
on both the Files Tree tab and the Files Table tab.

734 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Enter Notes to Be Included with This Transmittal Package
Provides a space where you can enter notes related to a transmittal package.
The notes are included in the transmittal report. You can specify a template
of default notes to be included with all your transmittal packages by creating
an ASCII text file called etransmit.txt. This file must be saved to a location
specified by the Support File Search Path option on the Files tab in the Options
dialog box.

Select a Transmittal Setup
Lists previously saved transmittal setups. The default transmittal setup is
named STANDARD. To create a new transmittal setup or to modify an existing
one in the list, click Transmittal Setups.

Transmittal Setups
Displays the Transmittal Setups dialog box, in which you can create, modify,
and delete transmittal setups.

View Report
Displays report information that is included with the transmittal package.
Includes any transmittal notes that you entered and distribution notes
automatically generated that detail what steps must be taken for the transmittal
package to work properly. For example, if SHX fonts are detected in one of
the transmittal drawings, you are instructed where to copy these files so that
they can be detected on the system where the transmittal package is being
installed. If you have created a text file of default notes, the notes are also
included in the report.
Save As Opens a File Save dialog box, in which you can specify a location in
which to save a report file. Note that a report file is automatically included
with all transmittal packages that you generate; by choosing Save As, you can
save an additional copy of a report file for archival purposes.

Transmittal Setups Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Package a Set of Files for Internet Transmission

Creates, modifies, and deletes transmittal setups.

Transmittal Setups Dialog Box | 735

Access Methods

Button

Menu: File ➤ eTransmit
Command entry: etransmit

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Transmittal Setups
Lists transmittal setups.
New
Creates a new transmittal setup.
New Transmittal Setup Name
Enter the name of the new transmittal setup.
Based On
Select an existing transmittal setup from which the new one will be created.
Rename
Renames the currently highlighted transmittal setup.
Modify

736 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Displays the Modify Transmittal Setup dialog box, in which you can specify
options for the transmittal package.
Delete
Removes the currently highlighted transmittal setup.
Import
In a sheet set context, opens standard file selection dialog box, in which you
can navigate to a sheet set data (DST) file. Then displays the Import Transmittal
Setups dialog box, in which you can specify the transmittal setups that you
want to import.

Import Transmittal Setups Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Package a Set of Files for Internet Transmission

Imports selected transmittal setups from a specified sheet set data file.

Import Transmittal Setups Dialog Box | 737

Access Methods

Button

Menu: File ➤ eTransmit
Command entry: etransmit

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
List of Transmittal Setups
Displays a list of transmittal setups. Check the ones that you want to import
into the current sheet set.
Description
Displays the optional description that is stored with the selected transmittal
setup.
Current Sheet Set Storage Location
Displays the storage location for the current sheet set.
Overwrite with Current Storage Location
When checked, replaces the imported sheet set storage locations with the
storage location of the current sheet set.
Import Checked Imports the transmittal setups on the list that display check
marks.

Modify Transmittal Setup Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Package a Set of Files for Internet Transmission

738 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Access Methods

Button

Menu: File ➤ eTransmit
Command entry: etransmit

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Transmittal Type and Location
Specifies the type and path to the transmittal package created.
Transmittal Package Type

Modify Transmittal Setup Dialog Box | 739

Specifies the type of transmittal package created.
Transmittal Package Type

Description

Folder

Creates a transmittal package of uncompressed files in a new or existing folder.

Self-Extracting Executable

Creates a transmittal package of files as a
compressed, self-extracting executable file.
Double-clicking the resulting EXE file decompresses the transmittal package and
restores the files to the folder location that
you specify.

Zip

Creates a transmittal package of files as a
compressed ZIP file. To restore the files to
the folder location that you specify, you
need a decompression utility such as the
shareware application PKZIP or WinZip.

File Format
Specifies the file format to which all drawings included in a transmittal package
will be converted. You can select a drawing file format from the dropdown
list.
Maintain Visual Fidelity for Annotative Objects
Specifies whether or not drawings are saved with visual fidelity for objects.
Click the information icon to learn more about saving drawings with visual
fidelity.
Annotative objects may have multiple . Annotative objects are decomposed
and scale representations are saved to separate layers, which are named based
on their original layer and appended with a number.
Transmittal File Folder
Specifies the location in which the transmittal package is created. Lists the
last nine locations in which transmittal packages were created. To specify a
new location, click Browse and navigate to the location you want.
If this field is left unchanged, the transmittal file is created in the folder
containing the first specified drawing file. In a sheet set context, the transmittal
file is created in the folder containing the sheet set data (DST) file.

740 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Transmittal File Name
Specifies the method for naming the transmittal package. Displays the default
file name for the transmittal package. This option is not available if the
transmittal package type is set to Folder.
Transmittal File Type Property

Description

Prompt for a File Name

Displays a standard file selection dialog box
where you can enter the name of the
transmittal package.

Overwrite if Necessary

Uses a logical default file name. If the file
name already exists, the existing file is
automatically overwritten.

Increment File Name if Necessary

Uses a logical default file name. If the file
name already exists, a number is added to
the end. This number is incremented each
time a new transmittal package is saved.

Path Options
Provides options for organizing the files and folders that are included in the
transmittal package.
Use Organized Folder Structure
Duplicates the folder structure for the files being transmitted. The root folder
is the top-level folder within a hierarchical folder tree.
The following considerations apply:
■

Relative paths remain unchanged. Relative paths outside the source root
folder retain up to one level of the folder path above them, and are placed
in the root folder.

■

Full (absolute) paths within the root folder tree are converted to relative
paths. Full paths outside the source root folder retain up to one level of
the folder path above them, and are placed in the root folder.

■

Full paths outside the root folder tree are converted to No Path and are
moved to the root folder or to a folder within the root folder tree.

■

A Fonts folder is created, if necessary.

■

A PlotCfgs folder is created, if necessary.

Modify Transmittal Setup Dialog Box | 741

■

A SheetSets folder is created to hold all support files for sheet sets, if
necessary. The sheet set data (DST) file, however, is placed in the root
folder.

This option is not available if you're saving a transmittal package to an Internet
location.
Source Root Folder
Defines the source root folder for relative paths of drawing-dependent files,
such as xrefs.
The source root folder also contains the sheet set data (DST) file when a sheet
set is transmitted.
Place All Files in One Folder
All files are installed to a single, specified target folder when the transmittal
package is installed.
Keep Files and Folders As Is
Preserves the folder structure of all files in the transmittal package, facilitating
ease of installation on another system. This option is not available if you're
saving a transmittal package to an Internet location.

Actions
Provides options for organizing the actions that can be associated with the
transmittal package.
Send E-mail with Transmittal
Launches the default system email application when the transmittal package
is created so that you can send an email that includes the transmittal package
as an attachment.
Set Default Plotter to 'None'
Changes the printer/plotter setting in the transmittal package to None. Your
local printer/plotter settings are usually not relevant to the recipient.
Bind External References
Binds all AutoCAD drawing file (DWG) external references to the files to which
they were attached.
Bind
Binds the selected DWG external reference to the current drawing.

742 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Insert
Binds the DWG external reference to the current drawing in a way similar to
detaching and inserting the reference drawing.
Prompt for Password
Opens the Transmittal - Set Password dialog box, where you can specify a
password for your transmittal package.
Purge Drawings
Does a complete purge of all the drawings in the transmittal package.
NOTE As the purge is done in silent mode, you will not receive any notifications
when purged items in the drawings have been removed.

Include Options
Provides a means for including additional options with the transmittal package.
Include Fonts
Includes any associated font files (TTF and SHX) with the transmittal package.
NOTE Because TrueType fonts are proprietary, you should make sure that the
recipient of the transmittal package also owns the TrueType fonts. If you are not
sure whether the recipient owns the TrueType fonts, clear this option. If any
required TrueType fonts are not available to the recipient, the font specified by
the FONTALT system variable is substituted.
Include Textures from Materials
Includes textures from materials that are attached to objects or faces.
Include Files from Data Links
Adds external files referenced by a data link to the transmittal package.
Include Photometric Web Files
Includes photometric web files that are associated with web lights in the
drawing.
Include Unloaded File References
Includes all unloaded external references, images, and underlays. The unloaded
file references are listed in the Files Tree and Files Table and report under their
appropriate category.

Modify Transmittal Setup Dialog Box | 743

Transmittal Setup Description
Enter a description for the transmittal setup. This description is displayed in
the Create Transmittal dialog box below the list of transmittal file setups. You
can select any transmittal setup in the list to display its description.

Transmittal - Set Password Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Package a Set of Files for Internet Transmission

Access Methods

Button

Menu: File ➤ eTransmit
Command entry: etransmit

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Password for Compressed Transmittal Provides a space for an optional
password for the transmittal package. When others attempt to open the
transmittal package, they must provide this password to access the files.
Password protection cannot be applied to folder transmittal packages.

744 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Password Confirmation Provides a space to confirm the password that you
entered in the Password field.

-ETRANSMIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Package a Set of Files for Internet Transmission

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter an option [Create transmittal package/Report only/CUrrent setup/CHoose
setup/Sheet set> : Enter an option
Create Transmittal Package Packages a set of files according to the transmittal
setups on page 735 for Internet transmission. Drawing files in the transmittal
package automatically include all related dependent files such as xrefs and
font files.
Report Only Creates a report (TXT) file without creating a transmittal package.
This report file is based on the current transmittal setup.
Current Setup
Displays the name of the current transmittal setup.
Choose Setup Specifies the transmittal setup to use for the transmittal package.
Sheet Set Specifies a sheet set and transmittal setup to use for the transmittal
package. This option is available only when a sheet set is open.

EXPLODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Disassociate Compound Objects (Explode)

-ETRANSMIT | 745

Breaks a compound object into its component objects.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Explode
Menu: Modify ➤ Explode
Toolbar: Modify

Summary
Explodes a compound object when you want to modify its components
separately. Objects that can be exploded include blocks, polylines, and regions,
among others.

The color, linetype, and lineweight of any exploded object might change.
Other results differ depending on the type of compound object you're
exploding. See the following list of objects that can be exploded and the results
for each.
To explode objects and change their properties at the same time, use XPLODE.
®

NOTE If you're using a script or an ObjectARX function, you can explode only
one object at a time.
2D and Lightweight Polyline Discards any associated width or tangent
information. For wide polylines, the resulting lines and arcs are placed along
the center of the polyline.
3D Polyline Explodes into line segments. Any linetype assigned to the 3D
polyline is applied to each resulting line segment.
3D Solid Explodes planar faces into regions. Nonplanar faces explode into
surfaces.
Annotative Objects Explodes the current scale representation into its
constituent parts which are no longer . Other scale representations are
removed.
Arc If within a nonuniformly scaled block, explodes into elliptical arcs.

746 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Block Removes one grouping level at a time. If a block contains a polyline or
a nested block, exploding the block exposes the polyline or nested block object,
which must then be exploded to expose its individual objects.
Blocks with equal X, Y, and Z scales explode into their component objects.
Blocks with unequal X, Y, and Z scales (nonuniformly scaled blocks) might
explode into unexpected objects.
When nonuniformly scaled blocks contain objects that cannot be exploded,
they are collected into an anonymous block (named with a “*E” prefix) and
referenced with the nonuniform scaling. If all the objects in such a block
cannot be exploded, the selected block reference will not be exploded. Body,
3D Solid, and Region entities in a nonuniformly scaled block cannot be
exploded.
Exploding a block that contains attributes deletes the attribute values and
redisplays the attribute definitions.
Blocks inserted with MINSERT and external references (xrefs) and their
dependent blocks cannot be exploded.
Body Explodes into a single-surface body (nonplanar surfaces), regions, or
curves.
Circle If within a nonuniformly scaled block, explodes into ellipses.
Leaders Explodes into lines, splines, solids (arrow heads), block inserts (arrow
heads, annotation blocks), multiline text, or tolerance objects, depending on
the leader.
Mesh Objects Explodes each face into a separate 3D face object. Color and
materials assignments are retained.
Multiline Text Explodes into text objects.
Multiline Explodes into lines and arcs.
Polyface Mesh Explodes one-vertex meshes into a point object. Two-vertex
meshes explode into a line. Three-vertex meshes explode into 3D faces.
Region Explodes into lines, arcs, or splines.

EXPLODE | 747

EXPORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export Drawings to Other File Formats

Saves the objects in a drawing to a different file format.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: File ➤ Export

Summary
The Export Data dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed.
If you do not see the file format that you need in the Files of Type drop-down
list, also check the PLOT command for several other file types, including PDF.
NOTE The Export Data dialog box records the last used file format selection and
stores it for use during the current drawing session and between drawing sessions.
The following output types are available:
■

3D DWF (*.dwf) 3D DWFx (*.dwfx): Autodesk Design Web Format (see 3DDWF)

■

Metafile (*.wmf): Microsoft Windows Metafile (see WMFOUT)

■

ACIS (*.sat): ACIS solid object file (see ACISOUT)

■

Lithography (*.stl): Solid object stereolithography file (see STLOUT)

■

Encapsulated PS (*.eps): Encapsulated PostScript file

■

DXX Extract (*.dxx): Attribute extract DXF file (see ATTEXT)

■

Bitmap (*.bmp): Device-independent bitmap file (see BMPOUT)

■

Block (*.dwg): Drawing file (see WBLOCK)

®

™

748 | Chapter 6 E Commands

■

V7 DGN (*.dgn): MicroStation DGN file (see DGNEXPORT)

■

V8 DGN (*.dgn): MicroStation DGN file (see DGNEXPORT)

■

FBX files (*.fbx): Autodesk® FBX files (see FBXEXPORT on page 787)

-EXPORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

■

Export FBX Files

Creates a DWF, DWFx, or PDF file from the command line.

Summary
The command prompt version of EXPORTDWF, EXPORTDWFX, and
EXPORTPDF provides an interface for publishing drawing sheets that can be
controlled by a script.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.

File Format
Select DWF, DWFx, or PDF as the output file type.

Plot Area
Specify the area of the drawing to export:
Display Exports the view in the current viewport in Model space.
Extents Exports the portion of the current space of the drawing that contains
objects in Model space. All geometry in the current space is exported.
Window Exports any portion of the drawing you specify in Model space.
Click the Window button to use the mouse to specify opposite corners of the
area to be exported, or enter coordinate values.
Current Layout/All Layouts If you are exporting from paper space, specify
to export the current layout or all layouts.

-EXPORT | 749

Detailed Plot Configuration?
Specifies detailed page settings for the Model tab or layout tab you are plotting.
NOTE If you enter No, the Save As dialog appears if FILEDIA is set to 1. If FILEDIA
is set to 0, you are prompted to enter a file name at the command prompt.
Paper Size Enter the paper size or enter ? to view a list of paper sizes defined
for the default plotter driver.
Paper Units Specify Inches or Millimeters as the paper size unit.
NOTE This prompt does not display if you are exporting a raster image, such as
a BMP or TIFF file, because the size of the plot defaults to pixels.
Drawing Orientation Specify if the output displays in portrait or landscape.
Plot Scale Specify how to scale the drawing in the DWF, DWFx, or PDF file.
■

Plotted Inches=Drawing Units: Calculates the plot scale based on the inches
or millimeters to drawing units that you specify. You can also enter a real
number as a fraction (for example, you can enter 1=2 or.5).

■

Fit: Automatically calculates the scale to fit the area on the paper size
specified earlier.

Plot with Plot Styles? Specify whether to export using the plot styles applied
to objects and defined in the plot style table.
■

Yes: If you enter Yes (plot with plot styles), enter the plot style table name,
press Enter for none or enter ? to list to view plot style tables.

■

No: If you select No, enter . at the next prompt to select none.

Plot Style Table Name All style definitions with different property
characteristics are stored in the current plot style table and can be attached
to the geometry.
Plot with Lineweights Specifies whether or not to use the lineweight
(measured in pixels) specified in the PC3 driver.

750 | Chapter 6 E Commands

EXPORTDWF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Creates a DWF file and allows you to set individual page setup overrides on a
sheet by sheet basis.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF panel ➤ Export drop-down
➤ DWF

Menu: Application Menu

➤ Export ➤ DWF

Summary
When you create DWF files with the EXPORTDWF command, you can quickly
override the device driver’s page setup options, add a plot stamp, and change
file options. You can change these settings in the Save as DWF dialog box.
To include layer information, change file location, add password-protection,
and other file options, use the Export to DWF/PDF Options palette.

Save as DWF Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

EXPORTDWF | 751

Sets file options such as file name and location when you create a DWFx file.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF panel ➤ Export ➤ DWF
Menu: Export ➤ DWF
Command entry: exportdwf

Summary
When you export your drawing to a DWF file, the Save As DWF dialog box
appears. This dialog box allows you to specify the file name and location, but
also allows you to change export, page setup, and plot stamp settings.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Options
Opens the Export to DWF/PDF Options palette where you can change DWF
file settings such as file location, password-protection, and layer information.

Output Controls
Open in Viewer When Done Opens the DWF file in the default viewer after
export.
Include Plot Stamp Adds user-defined information such as drawing name,
date and time, or plot scale in the DWF file. To edit the plot stamp, click the
Plot Stamp button to open the Plot Stamp dialog box.

Export
Selects which part of the drawing to export. If you are in paper space, you can
select the current layout or all layouts. If you are in model space, you can
select the objects currently displayed, the drawing extents, or a selected area.

Window Selection button
Selects a window area to export from model space.

Page Setup
Exports the DWF file using the settings in the Page Setup Manager or choose
to override these settings.

752 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Page Setup Override
Overrides the page settings. Click the Page Setup Override button to display
the Page Setup Override dialog box on page 754.

Export to DWF/PDF Options Palette
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Specifies the general export options for the DWF, DWFx, or PDF file, such as
file location, password protection, and whether or not to include layer
information.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF panel ➤ Export ➤ DWF
Command entry: exportsettings

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

General DWF/PDF options
Changes general settings for DWF, DWFx, and PDF files.
Location Specifies where the DWF, DWFx, or PDF files are saved when you
export drawings.
Type Specifies whether to export single sheets or multiple sheets from the
drawing.
Override Precision Selects a precision preset that offers the best file resolution
for your field or creates a new precision preset by selecting Manage Precision
Presets. This dpi setting overrides the dpi settings in the DWF, DWFx, or PDF
driver.

Export to DWF/PDF Options Palette | 753

Naming Names multi-sheet files, prompts for name during export, or specifies
the name before export.
Layer Information Includes layer information in the DWF, DWFx, or PDF
file.
Merge control Specifies whether overlapping lines merge (the colors of the
lines blend together into a third color) or overwrite (the last plotted line
obscures the line beneath it).

DWF Data Options
Changes settings that are only available for DWF and DWFx files.
Password protection Provides password protection for the DWF, DWFx, or
PDF file. You decide whether or not to prompt for the new password during
export or to specify the password in this dialog box.
Password Enters the password for the DWF, DWFx, or PDF file.
Block Information Specifies block property and attribute information in the
DWF, DWFx, or PDF file
Block Template File Provides options for creating a new block template (DXE)
file, editing an existing block template file, or using the settings of a previously
created block template file.

Page Setup Override Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Allows you to override individual settings when you export a file.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF ➤ Page Setup.

754 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Summary
You can override the regular page settings applied to the layout through the
Page Setup dialog box. The override settings remain until you exit the
application. So, you do not have to reset the overrides every time you export
to a DWF, DWFx, or PDF file.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Paper Size
Select the paper size from the drop-down list of paper sizes defined for the
default plotter driver.

Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments)
Plot Style Name Select a plot style table from the drop-down list to apply to
all layouts.
Plot Style Table Editor Click to open the Plot Style Table Editor.

Drawing Orientation
Specify if the output displays in portrait or landscape.

Plot Scale
Fit to Paper Select to automatically scale the selection to fit the area on the
paper size specified earlier.
Scale Specify a scaling ratio for the drawing. This ratio varies depending on
whether you select inches or millimeters as the measurement units.
Scale Lineweights Scales lineweights in proportion to the plot scale.
Lineweights normally specify the linewidth of plotted objects and are plotted
with the linewidth size regardless of the plot scale.

Precision Presets Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Allows you to override dpi settings on a sheet-by-sheet basis when you export
and publish digital files.

Precision Presets Manager | 755

Access Methods

Button

Access Methods
Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF panel ➤ Export to DWF/PDF
Options.
In the Export to DWF/PDF Options window, under General DWF/PDF Options,
select Override Precision. Then, from Override Precision drop-down, click
Manage Precision Presets.

Summary
With the Precision Presets Manage you can override the PC3 file’s dpi setting
and automatically adjusts the dpi on a sheet-by-sheet basis during export and
publish. The override calculation uses both the desired precision and the sheet
scale to optimize the DWF, DWFx, and PDF file resolution. There are predefined
settings for Manufacturing, Architecture, and Civil Engineering, or you can
create your own.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Current Preset
Lists the preset currently in use.

Name
The name of the selected preset.

Description
You can add a description to track presets.

Scale Dependent Properties
Unit Sets the format for units of measure: Imperial or Metric.
Desired Precision Sets the number of decimal places or fractional size displayed
for linear measurments.

Non-Scale Dependent Properties
Gradient Resolution Sets the resolution for gradients in the DWF, DWFx, or
PDF file. The default setting is 200 dpi. This setting cannot exceed the current
vector resolution setting.

756 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Color and Grayscale Resolutions Sets the resolution for color and grayscale
raster images in the DWF, DWFx, or PDF file. The default is 200 dpi. This
setting cannot exceed the current vector resolution setting.
Black and White Resolution Sets the resolution for black and white raster
images in the DWF, DWFx, and PDF file. The default setting is 200 dpi. This
setting cannot exceed the current vector resolution setting.

New Precision Preset Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Allows you to name and describe a custom precision preset.

Access Methods
From the Export to DWF/PDF Options Palette, select Manage Precision Presets
in Override Precision and click New.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Name Assign a name for the custom precision preset.
Description (Optional) Enter a description for what this preset applies to.

Import Precision Preset Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Imports precision presets from an existing sheet set

Precision Presets Manager | 757

Summary
You can import precision presets from an existing sheet set (DSD file). The
Select List of Sheets dialog opens (a standard file selection dialog box).
To open the Import Precision Preset dialog box, click Import in the Precision
Presets Manager.

Export to DWF/PDF Ribbon Panel
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Creates a DWFx file where you can set individual page setup overrides on a
sheet-by-sheet basis.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF panel

Summary
With the Export DWF/PDF panel, you can quickly create DWF, DWFx, and
PDF files and override page setup options without changing the default PC3
driver or resetting page setup options.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Export
Selects which part of the drawing to export to the DWF, DWFx, or PDF file.
Display Exports objects in the current display. This option is available only
in model space.
Extents Exports the objects in the drawing extents. This option is available
only in model space.
Window Exports the objects in the window. This option is available only in
model space.
Window Selection Button Selects a window area to export from model space.

758 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Current Layout Exports only the current layout. This option is available only
in paper space.
All Layouts Exports all layouts. This option is available only in paper space.

Page Setup
Exports the objects to a DWF, DWFx, or PDF file using the drawings page
setup options or overrides the current options.
Page Setup Override Button Allows you to override the page settings on page
754.

Preview
Displays the objects in a Preview window before you export.

Options
Opens the Export to DWF/PDF Options palette where you can change DWF,
DWFx, and PDF file settings such as file location, password-protection, and
layer information.

EXPORTDWFX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Creates a DWFx file where you can set individual page setup overrides on a
sheet-by-sheet basis.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF panel ➤ Export ➤ DWFx

Menu: Application Menu

➤ Export ➤ DWFx

EXPORTDWFX | 759

Summary
When you create DWFx files with the EXPORTDWFX command, you can
quickly override the device driver’s page setup options, add a plot stamp, and
change file options. You can change these settings in the Save as DWFx dialog
box.
To include layer information, change file location, add password-protection,
and other file options, use the Export to DWF/PDF Options palette.

Save as DWFx Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Sets file options such as file name and location when you create a DWFx file.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF panel ➤ Export ➤ DWFx
Menu: Export ➤ DWFx
Command entry: exportdwfx

Summary
When you export your drawing to a DWFx file, the Save As DWFx dialog box
appears. This dialog box allows you to specify the file name and location, but
also allows you to change export, page setup, and plot stamp settings.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Options
Opens the Export to DWF/PDF Options palette where you can change DWFx
file settings such as file location, password-protection, and layer information.

760 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Output Controls
Open in Viewer when Done The DWFx file will open in the default viewer
after the export completes when this option is selected.
Include Plot Stamp Select to include user-defined information such as drawing
name, date and time, or plot scale in the DWFx file. To edit the plot stamp,
click the Plot Stamp button to open the Plot Stamp dialog box.

Export
Selects which part of the drawing to export. If you are in paper space, you can
select the current layout or all layouts. If you are in model space, you can
select the objects currently displayed, the drawing extents, or a selected area.

Window Selection button
Select a window area to export from model space.

Page Setup
Export the DWFx file using the settings in the Page Setup Manager or choose
to override these settings.

Page Setup Override
Allows you to override the page settings.

EXPORTPDF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export PDF Files

Creates a PDF filewhere you can set individual page setup overrides on a
sheet-by-sheet basis.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF panel ➤ Export drop-down
➤ PDF

EXPORTPDF | 761

Menu: Application Menu

➤ Export ➤ PDF

Summary
When you create PDF files with the EXPORTPDF command, you can quickly
override the device driver’s page setup options, add a plot stamp, and change
file options. You can change these settings in the Save as PDF dialog box.
To include layer information, change file location, add password-protection,
and other file options, use the Export to DWF/PDF Options palette.

Save as PDF Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Sets file options such as file name and location when you create a PDF file.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Export to DWF/PDF panel ➤ Export ➤ PDF
Menu: Application Menu ➤ Export ➤ PDF
Command entry: exportpdf

Summary
When you export your drawing to a PDF file, the Save As PDF dialog box is
displayed. This dialog box allows you to specify the file name and location,
but also allows you to change export, page setup, and plot stamp settings.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

762 | Chapter 6 E Commands

Options
Opens the Export to DWF/PDF Options palette where you can change PDF
file settings such as file location, password-protection, and layer information.

Output Controls
Open in Viewer when Done The PDF file will open in the default viewer after
the export completes when this option is selected.
Include Plot Stamp Select to include user-defined information such as drawing
name, date and time, or plot scale in the PDF file. To edit the plot stamp, click
the Plot Stamp button to open the Plot Stamp dialog box.

Export
Selects which part of the drawing to export. If you are in paper space, you can
select the current layout or all layouts. If you are in model space, you can
select the objects currently displayed, the drawing extents, or a selected area.

Window Selection button
Select a window area to export from model space by selecting the area with
the mouse or entering the X, Y coordinates.

Page Setup
Export the PDF file using the settings in the Page Setup Manager or choose to
override these settings.

Page Setup Override
Allows you to override the page settings.

EXPORTLAYOUT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export a Layout to Model Space

Creates a visual representation of the current layout in the model space of a
new drawing.

Access Methods

Button

EXPORTLAYOUT | 763

Menu: Application menu

➤ Save As ➤ Save Layout as a Drawing

Summary
Exported objects are duplicated visually in the new drawing and, as a result,
they might be trimmed, scaled, copied, or exploded.
The Export Layout to Model Space Drawing dialog box is displayed.
Select the location and file name for the new exported drawing. All drawings
are exported as Drawing (*.dwg).
NOTE The EXPORTLAYOUT command is only available in a layout. The command
is not available from the Model tab, while in the block editor, during reference
editing, or while using a maximized viewport.

Export Layout to Model Space Drawing Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export a Layout to Model Space

Saves all visible objects from the current layout to the model space of a new
drawing. Also exports objects that are outside the boundaries of the “paper”
in the layout.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Application menu
Command entry: exportlayout

764 | Chapter 6 E Commands

➤ Save As ➤ Save Layout as a Drawing

Summary
The Export Layout to Model Space Drawing dialog box is displayed. You can
specify a file name and location. The default location is the location of the
current drawing. The default file name is the concatenation of the name of
the current drawing and the current layout name.
The Export Layout to Model Space Drawing dialog box is a standard file
selection dialog box. However, on the Tools drop-down list, Options is not
displayed.

EXPORTSETTINGS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Adjusts the page setup and drawing selection when exporting to a DWF, DWFx,
or PDF file.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Preview Opens the area you want to export in a preview window.
Options Opens the Export to DWF/PDF Options palette.
Page Setup Opens the Page Setup Override dialog box.
Window Select Allows you to select a rectangular area to export by selecting
with the mouse or entering the X and Y coordinates.
Export Window Export the entire window area. You can change export
options such as file location and export options in the Save As dialog. The
default file format (DWF, DWFx, or PDF) set in EXPORTEPLOTFORMAT,
determines which dialog box appears: the Save as DWF dialog, the Save as
DWFx dialog box, or the Save as PDF dialog box.

EXPORTSETTINGS | 765

EXPORTTOAUTOCAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Custom and Proxy Objects

Creates a new DWG file with all AEC objects exploded.

Access Methods
Command entry: -exporttoautocad or aectoacad

Summary
You can create a new version of a drawing file with all proxy AEC objects
exploded into basic AutoCAD LT objects. The new version of the drawing
loses the intelligence of the custom AEC objects, but the resulting basic objects
can be displayed and accessed in earlier versions of AutoCAD LT when object
enablers are not available for those versions.
NOTE Any subsequent changes you make to this new drawing file do not affect
the original drawing file.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Export options [Format/Bind/bind Type/Maintain/Prefix/Suffix/?] : Enter an option or press Enter to specify a file name

Enter for Filename
Creates a new drawing file with the specified name.
NOTE You can use the Prefix option to create a unique file name for this drawing
and to prevent overwriting the existing drawing file.

Format
Determines the drawing file format for the resulting drawing file.

Bind
Determines how xrefs are treated when creating the new drawing.
Yes Binds all xrefs to the drawing. Layers and other xref-dependent named
objects are merged into the new drawing.

766 | Chapter 6 E Commands

No Maintains the xrefs as links to other drawings.

Bind Type
Determines how xref-dependent objects are treated when the Bind option is
turned on.
Bind Maintains the names of layers and other xref-dependent objects when
binding xrefs.
Insert Merges the names of xref-dependent objects into the new drawing
without including the original file name.

Maintain
Determines how blocks within custom AEC objects are treated.
Yes Explodes all block instances within custom AEC objects into basic
AutoCAD LT objects. The resulting basic objects revert to their original
properties rather than the properties of the block definitions.
No Does not explode any block instances within custom AEC objects. The
properties of the block instances are determined in the usual way, depending
on how the objects in the blocks were created and the property settings of the
layers on which the blocks are inserted.

Prefix
Specifies the prefix to be added to the current drawing file name.

Suffix
Specifies the suffix to be added to the current drawing file name.

? List Settings
Lists the current settings for the command.

EXTEND
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Trim or Extend Objects

Extends objects to meet the edges of other objects.

EXTEND | 767

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Extend
Menu: Modify ➤ Extend
Toolbar: Modify

Summary
To extend objects, first select the boundaries. Then press Enter and select the
objects that you want to extend. To use all objects as boundaries, press Enter
at the first Select Objects prompt.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Current settings: Projection = current, Edge = current
Select boundary edges...
Select objects or : Select one or more objects and press Enter, or press
Enter to select all displayed objects

Select the objects that define the cutting edges to which you want to trim an
object, or press Enter to select all displayed objects as potential cutting edges.
TRIM projects the cutting edges and the objects to be trimmed onto the XY
plane of the current user coordinate system (UCS).
NOTE To select cutting edges that include blocks, you can use only the single
selection, Crossing, Fence, and Select All options.
Select object to trim on page 1969 or shift-select to extend on page 1969 or [Fence
on page 1969/Crossing on page 1969/Project on page 1969/Edge on page 1970/eRase
on page 1971/Undo on page 1971]: Select an object to trim, hold down SHIFT and
select an object to extend it instead, or enter an option

1968 | Chapter 20 T Commands

Specify an object selection method to select the objects to trim. If more than
one trim result is possible, the location of the first selection point determines
the result.

Object to Trim
Specifies the object to trim.

Shift-Select to Extend
Extends the selected objects rather than trimming them. This option provides
an easy method to switch between trimming and extending.

Fence
Selects all objects that cross the selection fence. The selection fence is a series
of temporary line segments that you specify with two or more fence points.
The selection fence does not form a closed loop.

Crossing
Selects objects within and crossing a rectangular area defined by two points.
NOTE Some crossing selections of objects to be trimmed are ambiguous. TRIM
resolves the selection by following along the rectangular crossing window in a
clockwise direction from the first point to the first object encountered.

Project
Specifies the projection method used when trimming objects.
None Specifies no projection. The command trims only objects that intersect
with the cutting edge in 3D space.

TRIM | 1969

UCS Specifies projection onto the XY plane of the current UCS. The command
trims objects that do not intersect with the cutting edge in 3D space.

View Specifies projection along the current view direction. The command
trims objects that intersect the boundary in the current view.

Edge
Determines whether an object is trimmed at another object's extrapolated
edge or only to an object that intersects it in 3D space.

Extend Extends the cutting edge along its natural path to intersect an object
in 3D space.

No Extend Specifies that the object is trimmed only at a cutting edge that
intersects it in 3D space.

1970 | Chapter 20 T Commands

NOTE When trimming hatches, do not set Edge to Extend. If you do, gaps in the
trim boundaries will not be bridged when trimming hatches, even when the gap
tolerance is set to a correct value.

Erase
Deletes selected objects. This option provides a convenient method to erase
unneeded objects without leaving the TRIM command.

Undo
Reverses the most recent change made by TRIM.

TRIM | 1971

1972

U Commands

21

U
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Correct Mistakes

Reverses the most recent operation.

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: Standard
Shortcut menu: With no commands active and no objects selected, right-click
in the drawing area and click Undo.

Summary
You can enter u as many times as you wish, backing up one step at a time, until
the drawing is as it was when you began the current editing session.
When an operation cannot be undone, the command name is displayed but
no action is performed. Operations external to the current drawing, such as
plotting or writing to a file, cannot be undone.

1973

If you changed modes or used transparent commands during a command,
their effects are undone, along with the effects of the main command.
You can also press Ctrl+Z to undo.
The U command is equivalent to entering undo 1.

UCS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

Manages user coordinate systems.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ World
Menu: Tools ➤ New UCS ➤ World
Toolbar: UCS

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify Origin of UCS on page 1974 or [Face on page 1975/NAmed on page
1975/OBject on page 1976/Previous on page 1978/View on page 1978/World on page
1978/X/Y/Z on page 1978/ZAxis on page 1980] :

Specify Origin of UCS
Defines a new UCS using one, two, or three points. If you specify a single
point, the origin of the current UCS shifts without changing the orientation
of the X, Y, and Z axes.
If you specify a second point, the UCS rotates around the previously specified
origin point such that the positive X axis of the UCS passes through the point.

1974 | Chapter 21 U Commands

If you specify a third point, the UCS rotates around the X axis such that the
positive Y half of the XY plane of the UCS contains the point.
The three points specify an origin point, a point on the positive X axis, and a
point on the positive XY plane.

NOTE If you enter the coordinates for a point and you do not specify a Z
coordinate value, the current Z value is used.

Face
Aligns the user coordinate system to a face on a 3D solid.
Select a face by clicking within the boundary or on an edge of the face. The
UCS X axis is aligned with the closest edge of the original face selected.

Next Locates the UCS on either the adjacent face or the back face of the
selected edge.
Xflip Rotates the UCS 180 degrees around the X axis.
Yflip Rotates the UCS 180 degrees around the Y axis.
Accept If you press Enter, accepts the location. The prompt repeats until you
accept a location.

Named
Save and restore commonly used UCS orientations by name.

UCS | 1975

Restore
Restores a saved UCS so that it becomes the current UCS.
Name Specifies a named UCS.
?—List UCSs Lists the names of currently defined UCSs.

Save
Saves the current UCS to a specified name.
Name Saves the current UCS with the specified name.

Delete
Removes the specified UCS from the list of saved user coordinate systems.
If you delete a named UCS that is current, the current UCS is renamed
UNNAMED.

?—List UCSs
Lists names of user coordinate systems and provides the origin and X, Y, and
Z axes for each saved UCS relative to the current UCS. If the current UCS is
unnamed, it is listed as WORLD or UNNAMED, depending on whether it's
the same as the WCS.

Object
Aligns the user coordinate system to a selected object.
The positive Z axis of the UCS is aligned perpendicular to the plane in which
the object was originally created.

The following objects cannot be used with this option: 3D polylines, 3D
meshes, and xlines.
For most objects, the origin of the new UCS is located at the nearest vertex to
where you select the object, and the X axis is aligned with an edge or is tangent
to an edge. For planar objects, the XY plane of the UCS is aligned with the
plane in which the object is located. For complex objects, the origin is
relocated, but the current orientation of the axes is maintained.

1976 | Chapter 21 U Commands

The new UCS is defined as shown in the following table.
Define a UCS by selecting an object
Object

Method of determining UCS

Arc

The center of the arc becomes the new UCS origin. The X axis
passes through the arc endpoint that is closest to the selection
point.

Circle

The center of the circle becomes the new UCS origin. The X axis
passes through the selection point.

Dimension

The midpoint of the dimension text becomes the new UCS origin.
The direction of the new X axis is parallel to the X axis of the UCS
in effect when the dimension was drawn.

Line

The endpoint nearest the selection point becomes the new UCS
origin. The new X axis is set so that the line lies in the XZ plane of
the new UCS. The line's second endpoint has a Y coordinate of
zero in the new UCS.

Point

The point becomes the new UCS origin.

2D polyline

The start point of the polyline is the new UCS origin. The X axis
extends along the line segment from the start point to the next
vertex.

Solid

The first point of the solid determines the new UCS origin. The
new X axis lies along the line between the first two points.

Trace

The “from” point of the trace becomes the UCS origin, with the
X axis lying along its centerline.

3D face

The new UCS origin is taken from the first point, the X axis from
the first two points, and the Y positive side from the first and fourth
points. The Z axis follows by application of the right-hand rule.

Shape, text, block
reference, attribute definition

The insertion point of the object becomes the new UCS origin,
and the new X axis is defined by the rotation of the object about
its extrusion direction. The object you select to establish a new
UCS has a rotation angle of zero in the new UCS.

UCS | 1977

Previous
Restores the previous UCS.
The last 10 user coordinate systems created in model space and the last 10
created in paper space layouts are retained. Repeating this option steps back
through one set or the other, depending on which space is current.
If you have saved different UCS settings in individual viewports and you switch
between viewports, the different UCSs are not retained in the Previous list.
However, if you change a UCS setting within a viewport, the last UCS setting
is retained in the Previous list. For example, changing the UCS from World
to UCS1 would retain World at the top of the Previous list. If you then switch
viewports with Front as the current UCS, and then change the UCS to Right,
the Front UCS is retained at the top of the Previous list. If you then choose
the UCS Previous option twice in this viewport, the UCS setting changes to
Front, and then back to World. (UCSVP system variable)

View
Aligns the XY plane of the user coordinate system to a plane perpendicular to
your viewing direction. The origin point remains unchanged, but the X and
Y axes become horizontal and vertical.

World
Sets the current user coordinate system to the world coordinate system (WCS).
The WCS is the basis for all user coordinate systems and cannot be redefined.

X, Y, Z
Rotates the current UCS about a specified axis.
Point your right thumb in the positive direction of the X axis and curl your
fingers. Your fingers indicate the positive rotation direction about the axis.

1978 | Chapter 21 U Commands

Point your right thumb in the positive direction of the Y axis and curl your
fingers. Your fingers indicate the positive rotation direction about the axis.

Point your right thumb in the positive direction of the Z axis and curl your
fingers. Your fingers indicate the positive rotation direction about the axis.

You can define any UCS by specifying an origin and one or more rotations
around the X, Y, or Z axis.

UCS | 1979

Z Axis
Aligns the user coordinate system to a specified positive Z axis.
The UCS origin is moved to the first point specified and its positive Z axis
passes through the second point specified.

Object Aligns the Z axis in the direction tangent to the endpoint nearest to
where the object was selected. The positive Z axis points away from the object.

Apply
Applies the current UCS setting to a specified viewport or all active viewports
when other viewports have a different UCS saved in the viewport. (UCSVP
system variable)
Viewport Applies the current UCS to the specified viewport and ends the UCS
command.
All Applies the current UCS to all active viewports.

1980 | Chapter 21 U Commands

UCSICON
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon

Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Display UCS icon
Menu: View ➤ Display ➤ UCS Icon ➤ On

Summary
The UCS icon displays the orientation of the user coordinate system (UCS)
axes and the location of the UCS origin. If the location of the UCS origin is
not visible in a viewport, the UCS icon is displayed in the lower-left corner of
the viewport instead.
A UCS can be stored with a viewport if the UCSVP system variable is set to 1
for that viewport.
Different coordinate system icons are displayed in paper space and model
space. In both cases, a plus sign (+) appears at the base of the icon when it is
positioned at the origin of the current UCS. The letter W appears in the Y
portion of the icon if the current UCS is the same as the world coordinate
system.
With the 3D UCS icon, a square is displayed in the XY plane at the origin when
the UCS is the same as the world coordinate system.
A box is formed at the base of the icon if you are viewing the UCS from above
(the positive Z direction). The box is missing if you are viewing the UCS from
below.
With the 3D UCS icon, the Z axis is solid when viewed from above the XY
plane and dashed when viewed from below the XY plane.

UCSICON | 1981

If the UCS is rotated so that the Z axis lies in a plane parallel to the viewing
plane—that is, if the XY plane is edge-on to the viewer—the 2D UCS icon is
replaced by a broken pencil icon.
The 3D UCS icon does not use a broken pencil icon.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter an option [ON/OFF/All/Noorigin/ORigin/Properties] : Enter an
option or press Enter

On Displays the UCS icon.
Off Turns off display of the UCS icon.
All Applies changes to the icon in all active viewports. Otherwise, UCSICON
affects only the current viewport.
No Origin Displays the icon at the lower-left corner of the viewport regardless
of the location of the UCS origin.

1982 | Chapter 21 U Commands

Origin Displays the icon at the origin (0,0,0) of the current coordinate system.
If the origin is off the screen, or if the icon cannot be positioned at the origin
without being clipped at the viewport edges, the icon is displayed at the
lower-left corner of the viewport.
Properties Displays the UCS Icon dialog box, in which you can control the
style, visibility, and location of the UCS icon.

UCS Icon Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon

Controls the style, visibility, and location of the UCS icon.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Display UCS icon
Menu: View ➤ Display ➤ UCS Icon ➤ On

UCS Icon Dialog Box | 1983

Command entry: ucsicon

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

UCS Icon Style
Specifies display of either the 2D or the 3D UCS icon and its appearance.
2D
Displays a 2D icon without a representation of the Z axis.
3D
Displays a 3D icon.
Line Width
Controls the line width of the UCS icon if the 3D UCS icon is selected.

Preview
Displays a preview of the UCS icon in model space.

UCS Icon Size
Controls the size of the UCS icon as a percentage of viewport size. The default
value is 50, and the valid range is from 5 to 95. Note that the size of the UCS
icon is proportional to the size of the viewport in which it is displayed.

UCS Icon Color
Controls the colors of the UCS icon in model space viewports and in layout
tabs.
Model Space Icon Color
Controls the color of the UCS icon in model space viewports.
Apply Single Color Applies the selected Model space icon color to the 2D
UCS icons in Model space.
Layout Tab Icon Color
Controls the UCS icon color in layout tabs.

1984 | Chapter 21 U Commands

UCSMAN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

Manages defined user coordinate systems.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Named
Menu: Tools ➤ Named UCS
Toolbar: UCS

Summary
The UCS dialog box is displayed.

UCS Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

Controls the UCS and UCS icon settings for viewports.

Access Methods

Button

UCSMAN | 1985

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Named
Menu: Tools ➤ Named UCS
Toolbar: UCS
Command entry: ucsman

Summary
Lists, renames, and restores previously defined user coordinate systems, and
controls UCS and UCS icon settings for viewports.

List of Tabs
■

Named UCSs on page 1986

■

Orthographic UCSs on page 1987

■

Settings on page 1989

Named UCSs Tab (UCS Dialog Box)
Lists user coordinate systems and sets the current UCS.

Current UCS
Displays the name of the current UCS. If the UCS has not been saved and
named, it is listed as UNNAMED.
UCS Names List
Lists the coordinate systems defined in the current drawing. If there are
multiple viewports and multiple unnamed UCS settings, the list includes only
the unnamed UCS of the current viewport. Unnamed UCS definitions that
are locked to other viewports (UCSVP system variable = 1) are not listed in
the current viewport. A pointer indicates the current UCS.

1986 | Chapter 21 U Commands

UNNAMED is always the first entry if the current UCS is unnamed. World is
always listed and cannot be renamed or deleted. If you define other coordinate
systems for the active viewport during the current editing session, a Previous
entry is next. You can step back through these coordinate systems by selecting
Previous and Set Current repeatedly.
To add a UCS name to this list, use the Save option of the UCS command.
Set Current
Restores the selected coordinate system. You can also restore a selected
coordinate system by double-clicking its name in the list, or by right-clicking
the name and choosing Set Current.
Details
Displays the UCS Details dialog box, which displays UCS coordinate data. You
can also view the details about a selected coordinate system by right-clicking
the name and choosing Details.
Rename (Shortcut Menu Only) Renames a customized UCS. You cannot
rename the World UCS.
Delete (Shortcut Menu Only) Deletes a customized UCS. You cannot delete
the World UCS.

Orthographic UCSs Tab (UCS Dialog Box)
Changes the UCS to one of the orthographic UCS settings.

Current UCS
Displays the name of the current UCS. If the UCS has not been saved and
named, it is listed as UNNAMED.
Orthographic UCS Names

UCS Dialog Box | 1987

Lists the six orthographic coordinate systems defined in the current drawing.
The orthographic coordinate systems are defined relative to the UCS specified
in the Relative To list.
■

Name. Specifies the name of the orthographic coordinate system.

■

Depth. Specifies the distance between the XY plane of the orthographic
UCS and a parallel plane that passes through the origin of the coordinate
system specified by the UCSBASE system variable. The parallel plane of
the UCSBASE coordinate system can be an XY, YZ, or XZ plane.
NOTE You can specify the depth or a new origin for the selected orthographic
UCS. See Depth option.

Set Current
Restores the selected coordinate system.
Details
Displays the UCS Details dialog box, which displays UCS coordinate data. You
can also view the details about a selected coordinate system by right-clicking
the name and choosing Details.
Relative To
Specifies the base coordinate system for defining the orthographic UCSs. By
default, WCS is the base coordinate system.
Whenever you change the Relative To setting, the origin of the selected
orthographic UCS is restored to its default position.
If you save an orthographic coordinate system in a drawing as part of a
viewport configuration, or if you select a setting in Relative To other than
World, the orthographic coordinate system name changes to UNNAMED to
distinguish it from the predefined orthographic coordinate system.
Reset (Shortcut Menu Only) Restores the origin of the selected orthographic
coordinate system. The origin is restored to its default location (0,0,0) relative
to the specified base coordinate system.
Depth (Shortcut Menu or Double-Click) Specifies the distance between the
XY plane of the orthographic UCS and a parallel plane that passes through
the origin of the coordinate system. In the Orthographic UCS Depth dialog
box, enter a value or choose the Select New Origin button to use the pointing
device to specify a new depth or a new origin.

1988 | Chapter 21 U Commands

Settings Tab (UCS Dialog Box)
Displays and modifies UCS icon settings and UCS settings saved with a
viewport.

UCS Icon Settings
Specifies the UCS icon display settings for the current viewport.
On
Displays the UCS icon in the current viewport.
Display at UCS Origin Point
Displays the UCS icon at the origin of the current coordinate system in the
current viewport. If this option is cleared, or if the origin of the coordinate
system is not visible in the viewport, the UCS icon is displayed at the lower-left
corner of the viewport.
Apply to All Active Viewports
Applies the UCS icon settings to all active viewports in the current drawing.

UCS Settings
Specifies UCS behavior when the UCS setting is updated.
Save UCS with Viewport
Saves the coordinate system setting with the viewport (UCSVP system variable).
If this option is cleared, the viewport reflects the UCS of the viewport that is
current.
Update View to Plan When UCS Is Changed

UCS Dialog Box | 1989

Restores Plan view when the coordinate system in the viewport is changed.
(UCSFOLLOW system variable)

Orthographic UCS Depth Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

Specifies the depth for an orthographic UCS.

Access Methods
Shortcut menu: Right-click in the Orthographic UCSs list. Click Depth.

Summary
List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Front Depth
Specifies the distance between the XY plane of the orthographic UCS and a
parallel plane that passes through the origin of the coordinate system.
Select New Origin
Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can use the pointing device to
specify a new depth location in the drawing. To reset the origin of the selected
orthographic UCSs to the default location (0,0,0), right-click, and click Reset.

UCS Details Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

1990 | Chapter 21 U Commands

Displays information about the origin and axes of the selected UCS.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Named
Menu: Tools ➤ Named UCS
Toolbar: UCS
Command entry: ucsman

Summary
By default, the origin and the values for the X, Y, and Z axes are calculated
relative to the world coordinate system.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Name
Displays the name of the current named UCS.
Origin
Displays the UCS origin relative to the UCS selected in Relative To.
X Axis
Displays the values for the X axis relative to the UCS selected in Relative To.
Y Axis
Displays the values for the Y axis relative to the UCS selected in Relative To.
Z Axis
Displays the values for the Z axis relative to the UCS selected in Relative To.
Relative To
Sets a base coordinate system for calculating the values for Origin, X Axis, Y
Axis, and Z Axis. (UCSBASE system variable)

UCS Details Dialog Box | 1991

ULAYERS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Layers in an Underlay

Controls the display of layers in a DWF, DWFx, PDF, or DGN underlay.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Layers
Shortcut menu: Select an underlay, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose DWF, PDF, or DGN Layers.

Summary
After selecting the underlay, the Underlay Layers dialog box is displayed.

Underlay Layers Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Layers in an Underlay

Controls the display of layers in a DWF, DWFx, PDF, or DGN underlay.

Access Methods

Button

1992 | Chapter 21 U Commands

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Layers
Shortcut menu: Select an underlay, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose DWF, PDF, or DGN Layers.
Command entry: ulayers

Summary
You can turn layers on and off to filter which layers display in an underlay.

List of Options
The following options are available in this dialog box.
Reference Name Select the reference whose layers you want to manage.
Search for layer
Filters the layer list by name quickly as you enter characters. This filter is not
saved when you close the Underlay Layers dialog box. You can also search
using wild cards.
On
Turns the selected layers on and off. When a layer is on it is visible and
available for plotting. When a layer is off, it is invisible and not plotted, even
if Plot is on.
Name
Displays the name of the layer.

UNDEFINE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Built-in Commands in Macros

Allows an application-defined command to override an internal command.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter command name:

UNDEFINE | 1993

Enter a command name to suppress that command. The suppressed command
name can then be redefined to perform some other function.
You can undefine only built-in AutoCAD commands. You cannot undefine
®
commands defined by AutoLISP . This includes ObjectARX™ application
commands registered by acedDefun(). You also cannot undefine external
commands and aliases defined in the acad.pgp file.
If an AutoLISP or ObjectARX application has redefined a command with the
same name as a built-in AutoCAD command, the application-defined command
is active.
You can restore an undefined command with REDEFINE.
You can always access a built-in AutoCAD command by preceding the
command name with a period (.).
ObjectARX application commands that are registered by acedRegCmd can be
accessed by preceding the command name with a period (.), followed by the
command's group name, followed by another period (.). For example, the
MTEXT command can be accessed with .acad_mtext.mtext.
To determine command names and groups of an ObjectARX application, use
the ARX command, and choose the Commands option to see a listing of all
currently loaded ObjectARX commands and their group names.

UNDO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Correct Mistakes

Reverses the effect of commands.

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: Standard

1994 | Chapter 21 U Commands

Summary
UNDO displays the command or system variable name at the Command
prompt to indicate that you have stepped past the point where the command
was used.
NOTE UNDO has no effect on some commands and system variables, including
those that open, close, or save a window or a drawing, display information, change
the graphics display, regenerate the drawing, or export the drawing in a different
format.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter the number on page 1995 of operations to undo or [Auto on page
1995/Control on page 1995/BEgin/End on page 1996/Mark/Back on page 1996]: Enter
a positive number, enter an option, or press Enter to undo a single operation

Number
Undoes the specified number of preceding operations. The effect is the same
as entering u multiple times.

Auto
Groups the commands in a macro, such as a menu macro, into a single action,
making them reversible by a single U command.
UNDO Auto is not available if the Control option has turned off or limited
the UNDO feature.

Control
Limits or turns off UNDO.
All Turns on the full UNDO command.
None Turns off the U and UNDO commands and discards any UNDO
command information saved earlier in the editing session. The Undo button
on the Standard toolbar is unavailable.
The Auto, Begin, and Mark options are not available when None or One is in
effect. If you attempt to use UNDO while it is turned off, the following prompt
is displayed:
Enter an UNDO control option [All/None/One/Combine/Layer] :
One Limits UNDO to a single operation.
The Auto, Begin, and Mark options are not available when None or One is in
effect. The main prompt for the UNDO command changes to show that only

UNDO | 1995

a Control option or a single step of the UNDO command is available when
the One option is in effect.
Combine Controls whether multiple, consecutive zoom and pan commands
are combined as a single operation for undo and redo operations.
NOTE Pan and zoom commands that are started from the menu are not combined,
and always remain separate actions.
Layer Controls whether the layer dialog operations are combined as a single
undo operation.

Begin, End
Groups a sequence of actions into a set. After you enter the Begin option, all
subsequent actions become part of this set until you use the End option.
Entering undo begin while a group is already active ends the current set and
begins a new one. UNDO and U treat grouped actions as a single action.
If you enter undo begin without undo end, using the Number option undoes
the specified number of commands but does not back up past the begin point.
If you want to go back to before the begin point, you must use the End option,
even if the set is empty. The same applies to the U command. A mark placed
by the Mark option disappears inside an UNDO group.

Mark, Back
Mark places a mark in the undo information. Back undoes all the work done
back to this mark. If you undo one operation at a time, you are informed when
you reach the mark.
You can place as many marks as necessary. Back moves back one mark at a
time, removing the mark. If no mark is found, Back displays the following
prompt:
This will undo everything. OK? : Enter y or n or press Enter
Enter y to undo all commands entered in the current session. Enter n to ignore
the Back option.
When you use the Number option to undo multiple actions, UNDO stops if
it encounters a mark.

1996 | Chapter 21 U Commands

Undocumented Command or System Variable
Quick Reference
This command or system variable is not documented in the Help system for
one of several reasons, including
■

It is obsolete, but included in the product to maintain legacy script
compatibility

■

It was included for testing purposes and has limited or no functionality

■

It is a special case of a similar, documented command and is used in the
menu or the ribbon only

Use Search to find additional information about the feature in which you are
interested, and the documented commands and system variables associated
with it.

UNION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Composite Objects

Combines selected 3D solids, surfaces, or 2D regions by addition.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Solid Editing panel ➤ Union
Menu: Modify ➤ Solid Editing ➤ Union
Toolbar: Modeling

Undocumented Command or System Variable | 1997

Summary
You can combine two or more 3D solids, surfaces, or 2D regions into a single,
composite 3D solid, surface, or region. You must select the same type of objects
to combine.

Using the Union Command with Surfaces
Although you can use the UNION command with surfaces, it will cause the
surface to lose associativity. Instead, it is recommended that you use the surface
editing commands:
■

SURFBLEND on page 1875

■

SURFFILLET on page 1878

■

SURFPATCH on page 1883

Using the Union Command with Solids and Regions
The selection set can contain objects that lie in any number of arbitrary planes.
For mixed object types, selection sets are divided into subsets that are joined
separately. Solids are grouped in the first subset. The first selected region and
all subsequent coplanar regions are grouped in the second set, and so on.

The resulting composite solid includes the volume enclosed by all of the
selected solids. Each of the resulting composite regions encloses the area of
all regions in a subset.

1998 | Chapter 21 U Commands

You cannot use UNION with mesh objects. However, if you select a mesh
object, you will be prompted to convert it to a 3D solid or surface.

List of Prompts
The following prompt is displayed.
Select objects Select the 3D solids, surfaces, or regions to be combined.

UNISOLATEOBJECTS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Objects

Displays previously hidden objects.

Access Methods
Shortcut menu: Right-click in the drawing area and click Isolate ➤ End
Object Isolation.

Summary
Displays objects previously hidden with the ISOLATEOBJECTS on page 956 or
HIDEOBJECTS on page 912 command.

UNISOLATEOBJECTS | 1999

UNITS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Determine the Units of Measurement

Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Format ➤ Units
Command entry: 'units for transparent use

Summary
The format, precision, and other conventions to be used in displaying
coordinates, distances, and angles are set and saved in drawing template files.
These settings can also be changed in the current drawing file.
The Drawing Units dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -units at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Drawing Units Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Determine the Units of Measurement

Controls the displayed precision and format for coordinates and angles.

2000 | Chapter 21 U Commands

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Format ➤ Units
Command entry: units (or 'units for transparent use)

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Length
Specifies the current unit of measurement and the precision for the current
units.
Type
Sets the current format for units of measure. The values include Architectural,
Decimal, Engineering, Fractional, and Scientific. The Engineering and
Architectural formats produce feet-and-inches displays and assume that each
drawing unit represents one inch. The other formats can represent any
real-world unit.
Precision

Drawing Units Dialog Box | 2001

Sets the number of decimal places or fractional size displayed for linear
measurements.

Angle
Specifies the current angle format and the precision for the current angle
display.
Type
Sets the current angle format.
Precision
Sets the precision for the current angle display.
The following conventions are used for the various angle measures: decimal
degrees appear as decimal numbers, grads appear with a lowercase g suffix,
and radians appear with a lowercase r suffix. The degrees/minutes/seconds
format uses d for degrees, ' for minutes, and " for seconds; for example:
123d45'56.7"
Surveyor's units show angles as bearings, using N or S for north or south,
degrees/minutes/seconds for how far east or west the angle is from direct north
or south, and E or W for east or west; for example:
N 45d0'0" E
The angle is always less than 90 degrees and is displayed in the
degrees/minutes/seconds format. If the angle is precisely north, south, east,
or west, only the single letter representing the compass point is displayed.
Clockwise
Calculates positive angles in the clockwise direction. The default direction for
positive angles is counterclockwise.
When prompted for an angle, you can point in the desired direction or enter
an angle regardless of the setting specified for Clockwise.

Insertion Scale
Controls the unit of measurement for blocks and drawings that are inserted
into the current drawing. A block or a drawing that is created with units that
are different from the units specified with this option is scaled when inserted.
The insertion scale is the ratio of the units used in the source block or drawing
and the units used in the target drawing. Select Unitless to insert the block
without scaling it to match the specified units.

2002 | Chapter 21 U Commands

NOTE In the Options dialog box, User Preferences tab, the Source Content Units
and Target Drawing Units settings are used when, either in the source block or
the target drawing, Insertion Scale is set to Unitless.

Sample Output
Displays an example of the current settings for units and angles.

Lighting
Controls the unit of measurement for the intensity of photometric lights in
the current drawing.
NOTE In order to create and use photometric lights, a unit other than Generic
must be specified from the list of options. If Insertion Scale is set to Unitless, a
warning message is displayed informing you that the rendered output might not
be as expected.

Direction
Displays the Direction Control dialog box.

Direction Control Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Determine the Units of Measurement

Defines the angle for 0 degrees and specifies the direction in which angles are
measured.

Direction Control Dialog Box | 2003

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Format ➤ Units
Command entry: units (or 'units for transparent use)

Summary
When prompted for an angle, you can locate a point in the desired direction
or enter an angle.

Base Angle
Sets the direction of the zero angle. The following options affect the entry of
angles, the display format, and the entry of polar, cylindrical, and spherical
coordinates.
East
Specifies the compass direction east (the default).
North
Specifies the compass direction north.
West
Specifies the compass direction west.
South
Specifies the compass direction south.
Other
Specifies a direction different from the points of the compass.
Angle
Specifies a value for the zero angle when Other is selected.
Pick an Angle Button
Defines the zero angle in the graphics area based on the angle of an imaginary
line that connects any two points you specify with the pointing device.

2004 | Chapter 21 U Commands

-UNITS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Determine the Units of Measurement

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Report formats: (Examples)
1. Scientific 1.55E+01
2. Decimal 15.50
3. Engineering 1'-3.50"
4. Architectural 1'-3 1/2"
5. Fractional 15 1/2
Enter choice, 1 to 5 : Enter a value (1-5) or press Enter
The following prompt for decimal precision is displayed if you specify the
scientific, decimal, or engineering format:
Enter number of digits to right of decimal point (0 to 8) : Enter a value
(0-8) or press Enter
The following prompt for the denominator of the smallest fraction is displayed
if you specify the architectural or fractional format.
Enter denominator of smallest fraction to display
(1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256) : Enter a value (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64,
128, or 256) or press Enter
The next prompt is for angle formats and precision:
Systems of angle measure: (Examples)
1. Decimal degrees 45.0000
2. Degrees/minutes/seconds 45d0'0"
3. Grads 50.0000g
4. Radians 0.7854r
5. Surveyor's units N 45d0'0" E
Enter choice, 1 to 5 : Enter a value (1-5) or press Enter
Enter number of fractional places for display of angles (0 to 8) : Enter
a value (0-8) or press Enter
The next prompt is for the direction for angle 0:

-UNITS | 2005

Direction for angle 0:
East 3 o'clock = 0
North 12 o'clock = 90
West 9 o'clock = 180
South 6 o'clock = 270
Enter direction for angle 0 : Enter a value or press Enter
The default direction for 0 degrees is to the east quadrant, or 3 o'clock. The
default direction for positive angular measurement is counterclockwise.
Measure angles clockwise? [Yes/No] : Enter y or n or press Enter

UPDATEFIELD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Update Fields

Manually updates fields in selected objects in the drawing

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Data panel ➤ Update Fields
Menu: Tools ➤ Update Fields
Shortcut menu: With any text command active and a field selected,
right-click and click Update Field.

Summary
You can update a field manually when you want to see the latest value. With
Date fields, you must update them manually, they never update automatically.

2006 | Chapter 21 U Commands

UPDATETHUMBSNOW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch Between Open Drawings

Manually updates thumbnail previews in the Sheet Set Manager and the Quick
View tool.

Summary
The UPDATETHUMBNAIL system variable controls how the thumbnail
previews are updated. The UPDATETHUMBSNOW command updates the
following:
■

Sheets, sheet views, and model space views thumbnails in the Sheet Set
Manager

■

Quick View images

UPDATETHUMBSNOW | 2007

2008

V Commands

22

VBAIDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

AutoCAD LT VBA

Displays the Visual Basic Editor.
NOTE Microsoft® Visual Basic® for Applications software (VBA) is no longer installed
with AutoCAD LT. For more information, visit http://www.autodesk.com/vba-download.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ Visual Basic Editor
Menu: Tools ➤ Macro ➤ Visual Basic Editor

Summary
Use the Visual Basic Editor to edit code, forms, and references for any loaded
global Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) project or any embedded VBA project
in an open drawing.

2009

You can also debug and run projects from the Visual Basic Editor.

VBALOAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

AutoCAD LT VBA

Loads a global VBA project into the current work session.
NOTE Microsoft® Visual Basic® for Applications software (VBA) is no longer installed
with AutoCAD LT. For more information, visit
http://www.autodesk.com/vba-download.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ Load Project
Menu: Tools ➤ Macro ➤ Load Project

Summary
The Open VBA Project dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed.
VBA projects are stored in a separate file with a .dvb extension. Once loaded,
the modules and macros of a VBA project are available in the Macros dialog
box.
There is no limit to the number of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) projects
you can load. Any project referenced by the selected project will also be loaded,
if available.
You cannot use this dialog box to load embedded VBA projects. Embedded
projects are loaded when you open the drawing containing the project, and
they are unloaded when you close the drawing.

2010 | Chapter 22 V Commands

If you select Open Visual Basic Editor, the Visual Basic Editor is opened after
the selected project is loaded. For information about the Visual Basic Editor,
see the ActiveX and VBA Developer's Guide.
If FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), or if you enter -vbaload at the Command prompt,
VBALOAD displays command prompts.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Open VBA project <>: Enter the path and file name of the project to open
If the selected project contains macros, the AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection
dialog box is displayed.

AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoCAD LT VBA

Disables macro viruses.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ Load Project
Menu: Tools ➤ Macro ➤ Load Project
Command entry: vbaload

Summary
If you open a drawing or project file that contains macros, a macro virus can
become active and be transmitted to your computer. From that point on, every
drawing or project file you save can become infected with the macro virus.
When other users open the infected drawing or project file, the macro virus
can also be transmitted to their computers.

AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection Dialog Box | 2011

The AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog box that is displayed when you
open a drawing or project file that contains macros gives you the opportunity
to disable the macros. A macro virus can be harmful only if it is allowed to
run.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Always Ask Before Opening Projects with Macros
When cleared, prevents the AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog box from
being displayed again. You can later enable macro virus protection using the
VBA Options dialog box.
Disable Macros
Loads the drawing or project file with the macros disabled. Use Disable Macros
if you do not expect the drawing or project file to contain useful macros, or
if you aren't certain about the reliability of their source.
Once you disable the macros, you can't run any macros. However, you can
still view, edit, and save the macros. You can close the drawing or project file
later and open it again with the macros enabled.
Enable Macros
Loads the drawing or project file with the macros enabled. Use Enable Macros
if the drawing or project file is from a reliable source, or if you expect the
drawing or project file to contain useful macros.
Do Not Load
If you are loading a project file, the process is canceled and the project file is
not loaded. If you are opening a drawing with an embedded project, the
drawing is opened with the macros disabled.

VBAMAN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

AutoCAD LT VBA

Manages VBA project operations using a dialog box.

2012 | Chapter 22 V Commands

NOTE Microsoft® Visual Basic® for Applications software (VBA) is no longer installed
with AutoCAD LT. For more information, visit
http://www.autodesk.com/vba-download.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ VBA Manager
Menu: Tools ➤ Macro ➤ VBA Manager

Summary
Loads, unloads, saves, creates, embeds, and extracts VBA projects.
The VBA Manager is displayed.

VBA Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoCAD LT VBA

Loads, unloads, saves, creates, embeds, and extracts Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA) projects.

VBA Manager | 2013

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ VBA Manager
Menu: Tools ➤ Macro ➤ VBA Manager
Command entry: vbaman

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Drawing
Specifies the active drawing.
Embedded Project
Specifies the name of the embedded project for the drawing. If the drawing
does not contain an embedded project, “(none)” is displayed.
Extract
Moves the embedded project out of the drawing and into a global project file.
If you have never saved the project, you are prompted to save it.

2014 | Chapter 22 V Commands

If you choose No, the project is extracted and assigned a temporary project
name.

Projects
Lists the name and location of all the projects currently available in the current
work session.
Embed
Embeds the selected project in the specified drawing. A drawing can contain
only one embedded project. You cannot embed a project in a drawing that
already contains an embedded project.
New
Creates a new project with the default name “Global n,” where n is a
session-based number incremented with each new project.
Save As
Saves a global project. This option is available only when an unsaved global
project is selected.
Load
Displays the Open VBA Project dialog box (see VBALOAD), in which you can
load an existing project into the current work session.
Unload
Unloads the selected global project.
Macros
Displays the Macros dialog box, in which you can run, edit, or delete a VBA
macro.
Visual Basic Editor
Displays the Visual Basic Editor in which you can edit code, forms, and
references for any loaded global VBA project or any embedded VBA project
in an open drawing. You can also debug and run projects from the Visual
Basic Editor.

VBA Manager | 2015

VBARUN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

AutoCAD LT VBA

Runs a VBA macro.
NOTE Microsoft® Visual Basic® for Applications software (VBA) is no longer installed
with AutoCAD LT. For more information, visit
http://www.autodesk.com/vba-download.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ Run VBA Macro
Menu: Tools ➤ Macro ➤ Macros

Summary
Runs, edits, or deletes a VBA macro. You can also create new macros, set the
VBA options, and display the VBA Manager.
The Macros dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -vbarun at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Macros Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoCAD LT VBA

2016 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Runs, edits, or deletes a VBA macro.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ Run VBA Macro
Menu: Tools ➤ Macro ➤ Macros
Command entry: vbarun

Summary
You can also create new macros, set the VBA options, and display the VBA
Manager.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Macro Name
Specifies the name of the macro you want to run, edit, delete, or create.
Macro List

Macros Dialog Box | 2017

Lists all macros found in the drawing or project selected in Macros In.
Macros In
Specifies the project or drawing whose macros are available from the macro
list. If your project or drawing is not listed, click VBA Manager to load it.
Description
Describes the selected macro.
Run
Runs the selected macro.
Step Into
Displays the Visual Basic Editor and begins execution of the macro. Execution
is paused at the first executable line of code.
Edit
Displays the Visual Basic Editor and the selected macro.
Create
Creates a macro with the name specified in Macro Name, and then displays
the Visual Basic Editor and the empty procedure for the new macro.
If no project file or drawing is specified for the new macro, the Select Project
dialog box is displayed.
If you choose Yes, the code in the existing macro is deleted and a new, empty
macro is created with the specified name.
Delete
Deletes the selected macro.
VBA Manager
Displays the VBA Manager.
Options
Displays the VBA Options dialog box.

2018 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Select Project Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoCAD LT VBA

Prompts you to select a project or drawing in which to create the new macro.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ Run VBA Macro
Menu: Tools ➤ Macro ➤ Macros
Command entry: vbarun

Summary
The macro is created in the selected project or drawing, and the Visual Basic
Editor is opened.

VBA Options Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoCAD LT VBA

Sets VBA-specific options for the current work session.

Select Project Dialog Box | 2019

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ Run VBA Macro
Menu: Tools ➤ Macro ➤ Macros
Command entry: vbarun

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Enable Auto Embedding
Automatically creates an embedded VBA project for all drawings when you
open the drawing.
Allow Break on Errors
Break mode is a temporary suspension of program execution in the
development environment. In Break mode, you can examine, debug, reset,
step through, or continue program execution.
When you select Allow Break on Errors, unhandled errors found during the
execution of a VBA macro suspend the execution of the macro and display
the Visual Basic Editor at the point of the error in the macro.
When you clear Allow Break on Errors, untrapped errors found during the
execution of a VBA macro display a message alerting you to the error and then
end execution of the macro.
Enable Macro Virus Protection
The virus protection mechanism displays a built-in warning message whenever
you open a drawing that might contain macro viruses.

2020 | Chapter 22 V Commands

-VBARUN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

AutoCAD LT VBA

Summary
For embedded or loaded global projects, enter the name of the macro to run.
If the macro name is not unique among all the currently loaded projects, you
must also include the name of the project and module in which the macro is
found. For example, to run a macro named Test in a project named Project1,
and a module named Module1, enter the following information at the Macro
name prompt:
Project1.Module1.Test
To run a macro in a global project that is not currently loaded, enter the name
of the DVB file that contains the macro, as well as the project and module
names. For example, if the Test macro described previously is contained in a
file called Acad_Projects.dvb, and that file is not loaded, you can execute the
Test macro by entering the following at the Macro name prompt:
Acad_Projects.dvb!Project1.Module1.Test
The Acad_Projects.dvb file is loaded and the Test macro is executed. The
Acad_Projects.dvb file remains loaded once the macro has been completed.

VBASTMT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoCAD LT VBA

Executes a VBA statement at the AutoCAD Command prompt.

-VBARUN | 2021

NOTE Microsoft® Visual Basic® for Applications software (VBA) is no longer installed
with AutoCAD LT. For more information, visit
http://www.autodesk.com/vba-download.

Summary
A Visual Basic statement is a complete instruction that can contain keywords,
operators, variables, constants, and expressions. A statement generally occupies
a single line, although you can use a colon (:) to include more than one
statement on a line.
VBA statements are executed in the context of the current drawing.

VBAUNLOAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

AutoCAD LT VBA

Unloads a global VBA project.
NOTE Microsoft® Visual Basic® for Applications software (VBA) is no longer installed
with AutoCAD LT. For more information, visit
http://www.autodesk.com/vba-download.

Summary
If you do not enter a project name, the active global project is unloaded.

VIEW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

Saves and restores named views, camera views, layout views, and preset views.

2022 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ View panel ➤ Named Views
Menu: View ➤ Named Views
Toolbar: View

Summary
The View Manager on page 2023 is displayed.
If you enter -view at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
NOTE The VIEW command cannot be used transparently.

View Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

Creates, sets, renames, modifies, and deletes named views, including model
named views and camera views, layout views, and preset views.

View Manager | 2023

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ View panel ➤ Named Views
Menu: View ➤ Named Views
Toolbar: View

Summary
Click a view to display the properties for that view.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Views
Displays a list of the available views. You can expand each node (except for
the Current node) to display its views.
■

Current. Displays the current view and its View and Clipping properties

■

Model Views. Displays a list of named views and cameras, and lists General,
View, and Clipping properties for a selected view.

2024 | Chapter 22 V Commands

■

Layout Views. Displays a list of viewports on a layout that define a view,
and lists General and View properties for a selected view.

■

Preset Views. Displays a list of orthogonal and isometric views, and lists
the General properties for a selected view.

General
The following properties are available:
Name Displays the name of a selected camera, model, or layout view.
Category For model views and layout views, displays view categories (for
example, Elevations or Section and Details) defined in a drawing or the sheet set
with which the selected view is associated.
Viewport Association For layout views only, displays whether the named
view is associated with a viewport on a sheet in a sheet set.
UCS For model and layout views, displays the name of the user coordinate
system saved with the named view.
Restore Ortho UCS For preset views, restores the associated UCS when an
orthographic view is current. This option sets the UCSORTHO system variable.
Set Relative To For preset views, specifies the base coordinate system for
defining the orthographic view. The UCSBASE system variable controls the
orientation of orthographic UCSs relative to the WCS or to named UCSs.
Changing this setting also changes the orientation of the predefined
orthographic UCSs.
Layer Snapshot For model views and layout views, specifies whether the
current layer on/off settings are stored with the selected view.
Annotation Scale Specifies the annotation scale saved with the view.
Visual Style For model views only, specifies a visual style to save with the
view. For more information, see Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model.
Background For model views whose visual style is not set to 2D Wireframe,
specifies the background override (Solid, Gradient, Image, or Sun & Sky)
applied to the selected view. Opens the Background dialog box on page 2036.
Live Section For model views only, displays the live section applied when
the view is restored. For more information, see SECTIONPLANE.

Animation
View Type For model and layout views, displays the view type assigned to
the named view.

View Manager | 2025

Transition Type For model and layout views, displays the transition type
assigned to the named view and is used when playing back the view.
Transition Duration For model and layout views, displays the length of time
for the transition that is assigned to the named view and is used when playing
back the view.
Movement For model views only, displays the movement assigned to a named
view that is assigned the Cinematic view type.
Playback Duration For model and layout views, displays the length of time
that the animation takes to play back.
Distance For model views only, displays the distance used for the Cinematic
view type.
Distance Up For model views only, displays the distance the camera can move
upward. Applies to the Crane Up movement type.
Distance Down For model views only, displays the distance the camera can
move downward. Applies to the Crane Down movement type.
Distance Forward For model views only, displays the distance the camera
can move forward. Applies to the Crane Down movement type.
Distance Back For model views only, displays the distance the camera can
move backward. Applies to the Crane Up movement type.
Degrees Left / Right For model views only, displays the amount of rotation
around the Z axis. Applies to Look and Orbit movement types.
Degrees Up / Down For model views only, displays the amount of rotation
around the XY plane. Applies to Look and Orbit movement types.
Distance (Pan) Left / Right For layout views only, displays the distance the
camera can pan left and right. Applies to Pan + Zoom movement type.
Distance (Pan) Up / Down For layout views only, displays the distance the
camera can pan up and down. Applies to Pan + Zoom movement type.
Percentage In / Out For layout views only, displays the percentage the camera
can zoom in and out. Applies to Pan + Zoom movement type.
Current Position For model and layout views, displays the current position
of the camera.
Always Look at Pivot Point For model views only, displays if the view is
locked to the center-of-interest. Applies to Track and Crane movement types.

2026 | Chapter 22 V Commands

View
Camera X For current and model views only, displays the X coordinate of the
view’s camera.
Camera Y For current and model views only, displays the Y coordinate of the
view’s camera.
Camera Z For current and model views only, displays the Z coordinate of the
view’s camera.
Target X For current and model views only, displays the X coordinate of the
view's target.
Target Y For current and model views only, displays the Y coordinate of the
view’s target.
Target Z For current and model views only, displays the Z coordinate of the
view’s target.
Roll angle Specifies the current roll angle of the view.
Height Specifies the height of the view.
Width Specifies the width of the view.
Perspective For current and model views, specifies whether perspective view
is on.
Lens Length (mm) For all views except layouts, specifies the lens length (in
millimeters). Changing this value changes the Field of View setting accordingly.
Field of View For all views except layouts, specifies the horizontal field of
view (in current angle units). Changing this value changes the Lens Length
setting accordingly.

Clipping
Front Plane Specifies the offset value for the front clipping plane if front
clipping is enabled for the view.
Back Plane Specifies the offset value for the back clipping plane if back
clipping is enabled for the view.
Clipping Sets clipping options.

Set Current
Restores the selected view.

New
Displays the New View / Shot Properties dialog box on page 2028.

View Manager | 2027

Update Layers
Updates layer information saved with a selected view to match the layer
visibility in the current model space or layout viewport.

Edit Boundaries
Displays the selected view, with the rest of the drawing area displayed in a
lighter color to show the boundaries of the named view.

Delete
Deletes a selected view.

New View / Shot Properties Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

Creates a named view.

2028 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ View panel ➤ Named Views
Menu: View ➤ Named Views
Toolbar: View

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

New View / Shot Properties Dialog Box | 2029

View Name
Specifies the view’s name.

View Category
Specifies a category for the named view.

View Type
Specifies the type of view for the named view. Recorded Walk is available for
model space views only.

Boundary
Defines the area of the drawing that is assigned to the named view.
Current Display
Uses the current display as the new view.
Define Window
Uses a window as the new view, which you define in the drawing area by
specifying two opposite corners.
Define View Window Button
Temporarily closes the New View and View Manager dialog boxes so that you
can use the pointing device to define the opposite corners of the New View
window.

Settings
Provides options for saving settings with the named view.
Save Layer Snapshot with View
Saves the current layer visibility settings with the new named view.
UCS
For model and layout views, specifies a UCS to save with the new view.

List of Tabs
The following tabs are displayed.
■

View Properties tab on page 2031

■

Shot Properties tab on page 2033

2030 | Chapter 22 V Commands

View Properties Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

Defines the area of the drawing to display and controls the visual appearance
of the objects in the view and the background assigned to a named view.

New View / Shot Properties Dialog Box | 2031

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Boundary
Defines the area of the drawing that is assigned to the named view.
Current Display
Uses the current display as the new view.
Define Window
Uses a window as the new view, which you define in the drawing area by
specifying two opposite corners.
Define View Window Button
Temporarily closes the New View and View Manager dialog boxes so that you
can use the pointing device to define the opposite corners of the New View
window.

Settings
Provides options for saving settings with the named view.
Save Layer Snapshot with View
Saves the current layer visibility settings with the new named view.
UCS
For model and layout views, specifies a UCS to save with the new view.
Live Section
For model views only, specifies the live section applied when the view is
restored.
Visual Style
For model views only, specifies a visual style to save with the view. For more
information, see Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model.

Background
Controls the appearance of the background for the named view when a 3D
visual style is applied or the view is rendered.
Background Type
For model views whose visual style is not set to 2D Wireframe, specifies the
background type (Solid, Gradient, Image, or Sun & Sky) applied to the selected

2032 | Chapter 22 V Commands

view. Opens the Background dialog box on page 2036 or the Adjust Sun & Sky
Background dialog box on page 2038.
NOTE The Sun & Sky option is only available when the LIGHTINGUNITS system
variable is not set to a value of 0.
Save Sun Properties with View
Specifies whether sun and sky data is saved with the named view. The option
is automatically selected when choosing Sun & Sky for the background type.
Saving sun and sky data to a named view is optional when using a background
type other than Sun & Sky.
Current Override Displays the current override type (if one is defined).
Preview Box
Displays the current background (if one is defined).
[...] Button
If the Override Default Background option is selected, displays the Background
dialog box so you can change the current background selection.

Shot Properties Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

Defines the transition and motion used for a view when played back with
ShowMotion.

New View / Shot Properties Dialog Box | 2033

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Transition
Defines the transition to use when playing back a view.
Transition Type
Defines the transition type to use when playing back a view.
Transition Duration
Sets the length of time for the transition.

Motion
Defines the behavior of the motion to use when playing back a view.

2034 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Movement
Sets the type of movement to use for a named view when the named view is
assigned the Cinematic view type.
Playback Duration
Sets the length of time that the animation takes to play back.
Distance
Sets the distance that the motion takes to complete when the named view is
assigned the Cinematic view type.
Distance Up
Sets the distance the camera can be moved upward. Applies to the Crane Up
movement types.
Distance Down Sets the distance the camera can be moved downward. Applies
to the Crane Down movement types.
Distance Forward Sets the distance the camera can be moved forward. Applies
to the Crane Down movement types.
Distance Back
Sets the distance the camera can be moved backward. Applies to the Crane
Up movement types.
Degrees Left / Right
Sets the amount the camera can rotate around the Z axis. Applies to Look and
Orbit movement types.
Degrees Up / Down
Sets the amount the camera can rotate around the XY plane. Applies to the
Look and Orbit movement types.
Distance (Pan) Left / Right Sets the distance the camera can pan left and
right. Applies to the Pan + Zoom movement type.
Distance (Pan) Up / Down
Sets the distance the camera can pan up and down. Applies to the Pan + Zoom
movement type.
Percentage In / Out Sets the percentage the camera can zoom in and out.
Applies to the Pan + Zoom movement type.
Current Position

New View / Shot Properties Dialog Box | 2035

Sets the current position of the camera.
Always Look at Pivot Point
Locks the camera to the center-of-interest. Applies to the Track and Crane
movement types.

Preview
Previews the transition and motion assigned to the named view.

Loop
Continuously plays back the transition and motion assigned to the named
view.

Background Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

Defines the type, color, effects, and position of the background for a named
view.

2036 | Chapter 22 V Commands

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Type
Lists background overrides (None, Solid, Gradient, Image, or Sun & Sky) that
you can apply to a named view.
Solid Selects a single-color, solid background.
Gradient Specifies a two- or three-color gradient background.
Image Uses an image file for the background.
Sun & Sky Displays the Adjust Sun & Sky Background dialog box on page 2038
to specify the position, color and properties of the sun and sky for the
background.

Solid Options
Preview Displays the selected color.
Color
Opens the Select Color dialog box on page 337.

Gradient Options
Specifies settings for a new gradient background.
Preview Displays the gradient.
Three Color
Specifies a three-color gradient. If not selected, you can specify a two-color
gradient.
Top Color
Choose a color for the top color of the gradient.
Bottom Color
Opens the Select Color dialog box. Choose a color for the bottom color of the
gradient.
Rotation
Specifies an angle at which you can rotate a gradient background. Rotation is
not available with a solid or image background.

Image Options
Preview Displays the selected image.

Background Dialog Box | 2037

Filename
Displays the image file's name and path.
Browse
Select an image file and click Open.
Adjust Image
Displays the Adjust Background Image dialog box. on page 2041

Adjust Sun & Sky Background Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

Defines the position, color, and effects of the sun and sky for a view.

2038 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ View panel ➤ Named Views
Menu: View ➤ Named Views
Toolbar: View

Summary
Only available in photometric lighting workflow (LIGHTINGUNITS = 1 or 2).

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Preview
Displays the results of the current sun and sky settings for the current view.

General
Sets the general properties of the sun.
Status Turns the sun on and off.
Intensity Factor Sets the intensity or brightness of the sun. The higher the
number, the brighter the light.
Color Controls the color of the light.
Shadows Turns display and calculation of shadows for the sun on and off.
Turning shadows off increases performance.

Sky Properties
Status Determines if the sky illumination is computed at render time. This
has no impact on the viewport illumination or the background. It simply
makes the sky available as a gathered light source for rendering.
Intensity Factor Provides a way to magnify the effect of the skylight.
Haze Determines the magnitude of scattering effects in the atmosphere.

Horizon
This category of properties pertains to the appearance and location of the
ground plane.

Adjust Sun & Sky Background Dialog Box | 2039

Height Determines the absolute position of the ground plane relative to world
zero. This parameter represents a world-space length and should be formatted
in the current length unit.
Blur Determines the amount of blurring between ground plane and sky.
Ground color Determines the color of the ground plane.

Advanced
This category of properties pertains to various artistic effects.
Night Color Specifies the color of the night sky.
Aerial Perspective Specifies if aerial perspective is applied.
Visibility Distance Specifies the distance at which 10% haze occlusion results.

Sun Disk Appearance
This category of properties pertains to the background only.
Disk Scale Specifies the scale of the sun disk (1.0 = correct size).
Glow Intensity Specifies the intensity of the sun glow.
Disk Intensity Specifies the intensity of the sun disk.

Sun Angle Calculator
Date Displays the current date setting.
Time Displays the current time setting.
Daylight Saving Displays the current setting for daylight saving time.
Azimuth Displays the angle of the sun along the horizon clockwise from due
north.
Altitude Displays the angle of the sun vertically from the horizon. The
maximum is 90 degrees, or directly overhead.
Source Vector Displays the coordinates of the direction of the sun.

Rendered Shadow Details
Specifies the properties of the shadows.
Type Displays the setting for shadow type. This setting is soft (area) only in
photometric workflow. This setting is read-only when display of shadows is
turned off
Samples Specifies the number of samples to take on the solar disk. Values are
0-1000. [8] is default. This setting is read-only when display of shadows is
turned off.

2040 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Softness Displays the setting for the appearance of the edges of shadows. This
setting is read-only when display of shadows is turned off.

Geographic Location
Displays the current geographic location settings. When a city is not stored
with latitude and longitude, the city does not appear in the list.

Adjust Background Image Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

Controls options for the background image applied to a model space named
view.

Adjust Background Image Dialog Box | 2041

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ View panel ➤ Named Views
Menu: View ➤ Named Views
Toolbar: View

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Image Position
Determines the image position in the named view.
■

Center. Centers the image without changing its aspect ratio or scale.

■

Stretch. Centers the image and stretches (scales) it along both the X and
Y axes so that the image takes up the entire view. If you plan to plot the
background image, set the image position to Stretch.

■

Tile. Positions the image at the top left corner of the view and repeats the
image as needed to fill up the space in the associated viewport. The image's
aspect ratio and scale are maintained.

Offset
Specifies the image offset control (not available if Stretch is selected as the
image position).
Offset values can range from -2000 to +2000 on either the X or Y axis.
Scale
Specifies the image scale (not available if Stretch is selected as the image
position).
Scale values can range from 0.1 to 10 on either the X or Y axis.
Vertical Position Slider
If the Offset option is chosen, offsets the image vertically (the Y offset). If Scale
is chosen, adjusts the Y scale of the image.
Horizontal Position Slider

2042 | Chapter 22 V Commands

If the Offset option is chosen, offsets the image horizontally (the X offset). If
Scale is chosen, adjusts the X scale of the image.
Reset
Resets the Offset or Scale settings to their default values.
Maintain Aspect Ratio When Scaling
Locks the X and Y axes together.
If Tile is selected and you change the offset so that the bitmap rectangle appears
outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap is not centered within the drawing
area when you display the view. (During tiling, the offset acts as a
displacement, not an absolute position.) If the bitmap is displayed outside
the projection rectangle, it is not displayed in a view.

-VIEW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter an option [?/Delete/Orthographic/Restore/Save/sEttings/Window]:
?—List Views Lists the named views and cameras in the drawing.
The list includes the name of each specified view and the space in which it
was defined. M designates model space, and P designates paper space.
Delete Deletes one or more named views.
Orthographic Restores the predefined orthographic view you specify to the
current viewport.

-VIEW | 2043

The view orientation of the specified orthographic view is based on the
UCSBASE system variable, which is set to the world coordinate system by
default. When one of the orthographic views is restored, the program zooms
to the extents in the current viewport.
Restore Restores the view you specify to the current viewport. If a UCS setting
was saved with the view, it is also restored.
The center point and magnification of the saved view are also restored. If you
restore a model space view while working in paper space, you are prompted
to select a viewport in which to restore that view.
Select the viewport by clicking its border. The viewport you select must be on
and active. The program switches to model space and restores the view in the
selected viewport.
If you restore a paper space view while working in model space in a layout
tab, the program switches to paper space and restores the view. You can't
restore a paper space view if you are working in the Model tab.
Save Saves the display in the current viewport using the name you supply.
The current value of the UCSVIEW system variable is displayed when you save
a view. To change the setting and turn this option on or off, use the UCS
option of VIEW.
Settings Specifies various settings for the VIEW command.
Background Specifies background the for view. Backgrounds are visible in a
3D visual style only.
Categorize Specifies a category for the named view. Named views are displayed
by category on the View List tab in the Sheet Set Manager.
Layer Snapshot Saves the current layer visibility settings with the new named
view.
Live Section For model views only, specifies the live section applied when
the view is restored.

2044 | Chapter 22 V Commands

UCS Determines whether the current UCS and elevation settings are saved
when a view is saved. (UCSVIEW system variable)
Visual Style Sets or updates a visual style for a view.
Window Saves a portion of the current display as a view.
Restoring such a view may display objects outside the window you specified
because the shape of the window may differ from that of the viewport in
which you are restoring the view. However, plotting the view plots only the
objects inside the window, not the entire viewport display.

VIEWGO
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Content reference to: Play a Shot in ShowMotion

Restores a named view.

Summary
Restores the view you specify to the current viewport. If a layer state, UCS,
live section, visual style, or background setting was saved with the view, the
settings are also restored.

VIEWPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Content reference to: Play a Shot in ShowMotion

Plays the animation associated to a named view.

VIEWGO | 2045

Summary
Plays the animation associated to the named view entered. The command
ends if the name entered does not match a view in the drawing or the view
does not have any animation properties assigned to it.

VIEWPLOTDETAILS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Plotting

Displays information about completed plot and publish jobs.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Plot panel ➤ View Details
Menu: File ➤ View Plot and Publish Details

Summary
The Plot and Publish Details dialog box is displayed.
You can view detailed information about all completed plot and publish jobs,
or just the errors that have occurred. You can also copy the information
displayed in the dialog box to the Clipboard.

Plot and Publish Details Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Plotting

2046 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Displays information about plotting and publishing jobs that have been
completed in the current session.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Output tab ➤ Plot panel ➤ View Details
Menu: File ➤ View Plot and Publish Details
Command entry: viewplotdetails

Summary
Plot and publish details are also available through the Plot and Publish status
bar icon shortcut menu.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

View
Specifies what is displayed. You can also right-click in the details area and
click View Errors Only or View All to change this setting.
All Displays information about all completed plot and publish jobs and sheets
within those jobs.

Plot and Publish Details Dialog Box | 2047

Errors Lists errors that have occurred as jobs were plotted or published.

Copy to Clipboard
Copies all highlighted text in the Plot and Publish Details dialog box to the
Clipboard.

Details Area
Lists details of completed plot and publish jobs.

Plot and Publish Status Bar Icon Shortcut Menu
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Plotting

Summary
When background plotting is enabled, provides options for cancelling the
sheet that is currently being plotted, cancelling the entire plot or publish job,
viewing the Plot and Publish Details dialog box, and viewing the most recently
™
created Design Web Format (DWF ) file. Right-click any of the plot and publish
icons in the tray on the right side of the status bar. These icons are described
in the following table.
A plot or publish job is currently being processed in the background

A plotting details report is available. No errors and warnings occurred.

A plotting details report is available. Errors and warnings occurred.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Cancel Sheet Cancels the sheet that is currently being plotted.
Cancel Entire Job Cancels the entire plot or publish job.

2048 | Chapter 22 V Commands

View Plot and Publish Details Displays Plot and Publish Details dialog box.
View .dwf Opens the most recently created DWF file.
Enable Balloon Notification Turns on balloon notification of the status of
jobs you have plotted and published.

VIEWRES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Views

Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport.

Summary
The model is regenerated.
VIEWRES controls the appearance of circles, arcs, splines, and arced polylines
using short vectors. The greater the number of vectors, the smoother the
appearance of the circle or arc. For example, if you create a very small circle
and then zoom in, it might appear to be a polygon. Using VIEWRES to increase
the zoom percentage and regenerate the drawing updates and smooths the
circle's appearance.

NOTE Increasing the zoom percentage in VIEWRES may increase the time it takes
to regenerate the drawing.
When a paper space layout is made current for the first time and a default
viewport is created in the layout, the viewing resolution for this initial viewport
is the same as the viewing resolution for the Model tab viewport.
The VIEWRES setting is saved in the drawing. To change the default for new
drawings, consider specifying the VIEWRES setting in the template files on
which you base your new drawings.

VIEWRES | 2049

VISUALSTYLES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ View panel ➤ Visual Styles
Menu: Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ Visual Styles
Toolbar: Visual Styles

Summary
The Visual Styles Manager on page 2051 is displayed.
If you enter -visualstyles at the Command prompt, options are displayed on
page 2061.
A visual style is a collection of customizable settings that control the display
of edges, shading, background, and shadows of 3D solids and surfaces in the
current viewport.
NOTE In a script, the VISUALSTYLES command does not automatically suppress
the Visual Styles Manager. You must use -visualstyles to display command prompts.

2050 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Visual Styles Manager
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Creates and modifies visual styles.

Visual Styles Manager | 2051

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Visual Styles panel ➤
Menu: Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ Visual Styles
Toolbar: Visual Styles

➤ Visual Styles Manager

Summary
Creates and modifies visual styles.
The Visual Styles Manager has a panel of sample images of the visual styles
available in the drawing, and the following properties panels:
■

Face settings on page 2053

■

Environment settings on page 2058

■

Edge settings on page 2058

■

Lighting settings on page 2060

NOTE Changes that you make in the Visual Style panel on the ribbon create a
temporary visual style, *Current,* that is applied to the current viewport. The
settings are not saved as a named visual style.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Available Visual Styles in Drawing
Displays sample images of the visual styles that are available in the drawing.
The face, environment, and edge settings of the selected visual style are
displayed in the settings panels.
Icons on the sample image indicate the status of the visual style:
■

The icon from the Apply Selected Visual Style to Current Viewport button
at center bottom indicates the visual style that is applied to the current
viewport.

2052 | Chapter 22 V Commands

■

A drawing icon at center bottom indicates a visual style that is in use in
the current drawing but not in the current viewport.

■

A product icon at lower right indicates a default visual style that is shipped
with the product.

Buttons in Tool Strip
Provides button access to frequently used options.
Create New Visual Style A new sample image is placed at the end of the panel
and selected.
Apply Selected Visual Style to Current Viewport Applies the selected visual
style to the current viewport.
Export the Selected Visual Style to the Tool Palette Creates a tool for the
selected visual style and places it on the active tool palette.
Delete the Selected Visual Style Removes the visual style from the drawing.
A default visual style or one that is in use cannot be removed.

Shortcut Menu
Provides menu access to options that are available from the buttons in the
tool strip as well as the following additional options available only on the
shortcut menu. Right-click a sample image in the panel to access the shortcut
menu.
Apply to All Viewports Applies the selected visual style to all viewports in
the drawing.
Edit Description The description is displayed in a tooltip when the cursor
hovers over the sample image.
Copy Copies the visual style sample image to the Clipboard. You can paste
it into the Tool Palettes window to create a visual style tool, or you can paste
it into the Available Visual Styles panel to create a copy.
Paste Pastes a visual style tool into the panel and adds that visual style to the
drawing, or pastes a copy of a visual style into the Available Visual Styles panel.
Size Sets the size of the sample images. The Full option fills the panel with
one image.
Reset to Default For one of the default visual styles, restores the original
settings.

Face Settings
Control the appearance of faces in a viewport.

Visual Styles Manager | 2053

Highlight Intensity Button Changes the value for Highlight Intensity from
positive to negative and vice versa.
Opacity Button Changes the value for Opacity from positive to negative and
vice versa.
Face Style Defines the shading on faces. (VSFACESTYLE system variable)
■

Realistic. This default option is as close as possible to how the face would
appear in the real world.

■

Gooch. Uses cool and warm colors instead of dark and light to enhance
the display of faces that might be shadowed and difficult to see in a realistic
display.

■

None. Does not apply a face style. Other face settings are disabled.

This face style displays edges with all hidden lines removed.
Shows details of 3D surface or solid by using warm colors for lighted areas and
cool colors for darker areas. Only objects without applied materials show this
face style.
Lighting Quality Sets the method for interpolating colors for faces on 3D
solids and surfaces in the current viewport (VSLIGHTINGQUALITY system
variable)
■

Faceted.

■

Smooth.

■

Smoothest shows a high quality smooth appearance, but it will only
produce a visible improvement if the “Per-Pixel Lighting” hardware effect
option is turned on in the Manual Performance Tuning Dialog box.

This setting is the least resource intensive, but it displays curved surfaces as
faceted approximations.

2054 | Chapter 22 V Commands

This default setting provides a smooth display without hardware acceleration.

To display at this setting, the Per-Pixel Lighting setting needs to be turned on
in the Manual Performance Tuning dialog box from the 3DCONFIG command.

Visual Styles Manager | 2055

Color Controls the display of colors on faces. (VSFACECOLORMODE system
variable)
■

Normal. Does not apply a face color modifier.

■

Monochrome. Displays the model in shades of the color you specify
(VSMONOCOLOR on page 2606 system variable).

■

Tint. Changes the hue and saturation value of face colors.

■

Desaturate. Softens the color by reducing its saturation component by 30
percent.

The monochrome color used is the color value stored in the VSMONOCOLOR
system variable.

2056 | Chapter 22 V Commands

The tint color is determined by the hue and saturation settings of the color
value stored in the VSMONOCOLOR system variable.

The color saturation of 3D solids and surfaces is reduced by 30 percent.

Visual Styles Manager | 2057

Opacity Controls the opacity or transparency of faces in a viewport.
(VSFACEOPACITY system variable)

Materials and Color
Controls the display of materials and color on faces.
Materials Controls whether materials and textures are displayed.
(VSMATERIALMODE system variable)
Monochrome Color/Tint Color Displays the Select Color dialog box on page
337, where you select the monochrome or tint color, depending on the face
color mode. This setting is not available when face color mode is set to Normal
or Desaturate. (VSMONOCOLOR system variable)

Environment Settings
Control shadows and background.
Shadows Controls the display of shadows.
NOTE To display full shadows, hardware acceleration is required. When Geometry
Acceleration is off, full shadows cannot be displayed. (To access these settings,
enter 3dconfig at the Command prompt. In the Adaptive Degradation and
Performance Tuning dialog box, click Manual Tune.)
Backgrounds Controls whether backgrounds are displayed in the viewport.
(VSBACKGROUNDS system variable)

Edge Settings
Control how edges are displayed.

2058 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Show Sets edge display to Facet Edges, Isolines, or None. (VSEDGES system
variable)
Color Sets the color for edges. (VSEDGECOLOR system variable)

Edge Modifiers
Controls settings that apply to all edge modes except None.
Line Extensions Makes lines extend beyond their intersection, for a
hand-drawn effect. The button turns the overhang effect on and off. When
it is on, you can change the setting. (VSEDGELEX system variable)
Jitter Button and Setting Makes lines appear sketched. (VSEDGEJITTER system
variable)
Crease Angle Sets the angle at which facet edges within a face are not shown,
for a smooth effect. This option is available when the VSEDGES system variable
is set to display facet edges. (VSEDGESMOOTH system variable)
Halo Gap % Specifies the size of a gap to be displayed where an object is
hidden by another object. This option is available when the Conceptual or
3D Hidden visual styles, or a visual style based on them, is selected. When
the halo gap value is greater than 0, silhouette edges are not displayed.
(VSHALOGAP system variable)

Silhouette Edges
Controls settings that apply to silhouette edges. Silhouette edges are not
displayed on wireframe or transparent objects. (VSSILHEDGES system variable)
Show Controls the display of silhouette edges. (VSSILHEDGES system variable)
Width Specifies the width at which silhouette edges are displayed.
(VSSILHWIDTH system variable)

Occluded Edges
Controls settings that apply to all edge modes except None.
Show Controls whether occluded edges are displayed. (VSOCCLUDEDEDGES
system variable)
Color Sets the color for occluded edges. (VSOCCLUDEDCOLOR system
variable)
Linetype Sets a linetype for occluded edges. (VSOCCLUDEDLTYPE system
variable)

Intersection Edges
Controls settings that apply to intersection edges when edge mode is set to
Facet Edges.

Visual Styles Manager | 2059

Show Controls whether intersection edges are displayed.
(VSINTERSECTIONEDGES system variable)
NOTE To increase performance, turn off the display of intersection edges.
Color Sets the color for intersection edges. (VSINTERSECTIONCOLOR system
variable)
Linetype Sets a linetype for intersection edges. (VSINTERSECTIONLTYPE
system variable)

Lighting Settings
Controls lighting-related effects.
Exposure Control Controls the size of highlights on faces without materials.
(VSFACEHIGHLIGHT system variable)
Shadow Display Controls the display of shadows in the viewports. Turn
shadows off to increase performance. (VSSHADOWS system variable)
■

Mapped Object Shadows. Displays full shadows.

■

Ground Shadows.

■

Off.

Create New Visual Style and Edit Name and Description Dialog
Boxes
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Names the visual style and provides space for a description.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Name Names the visual style.

2060 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Description Provides an optional description for the visual style. The
description is displayed in a tooltip when the cursor hovers over the sample
image.

-VISUALSTYLES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Creates and modifies visual styles from the command line.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter an option [set Current on page 2061/Saveas on page 2061/Rename on page
2061/Delete on page 2061/? on page 2061]:

Set Current
These options are the same as the options in VSCURRENT.

Save As
Name Saves the visual style with the name you specify.
NOTE You must be in model space to save a visual style. If you enter a name that
is already in use for a visual style, you can either replace the existing visual style
or enter a different name.

Rename
Name Renames the visual style.

Delete
Name Deletes the visual style.

?—List Visual Styles
Lists the visual styles in the drawing.

-VISUALSTYLES | 2061

VISUALSTYLESCLOSE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Closes the Visual Styles Manager.

VLISP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoLISP and Visual LISP

Displays the Visual LISP interactive development environment.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Manage tab ➤ Applications panel ➤ Visual LISP Editor
Menu: Tools ➤ AutoLISP ➤ Visual LISP Editor

Summary
Use Visual LISP to develop, test, and debug AutoLISP programs.
The Visual LISP IDE (interactive development environment) is displayed.
NOTE VLIDE is used to transfer control to Visual LISP. It performs the same function
as the VLISP command.

2062 | Chapter 22 V Commands

VPCLIP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Layout Viewports

Clips layout viewport objects and reshapes the viewport border.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Viewports panel ➤ Clip
Shortcut menu: Select the viewport to clip, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Viewport Clip.

Summary
You can either select an existing object to designate as the new boundary, or
specify the points of a new boundary. The new boundary does not clip the
old boundary, it redefines it.
TIP Use the generic CLIP on page 332 command to clip images, external references,
viewports, and underlays.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Clipping Object Specifies an object to act as a clipping boundary. Objects
that are valid as clipping boundaries include closed poly-lines, circles, ellipses,
closed splines, and regions.
Polygonal Draws a clipping boundary. You can draw line segments or arc
segments by specifying points. The following prompt is displayed:
The descriptions of the Next Point, Arc, Close, Length, and Undo options
match the descriptions of the corresponding options in the PLINE command.

VPCLIP | 2063

Delete Deletes the clipping boundary of a selected viewport. This option is
available only if the selected viewport has already been clipped. If you clip a
viewport that has been previously clipped, the original clipping boundary is
deleted, and the new clipping boundary is applied.

VPLAYER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Freeze Specified Layers in a Layout Viewport

Sets layer visibility within viewports.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter an option [? on page 2064/Color on page 2064/Ltype/LWeight/PStyle on
page 2065/TRansparency on page 2065/Freeze on page 2066/Thaw on page 2066/Reset
on page 2066/Newfrz on page 2066/Vpvisdflt on page 2066]:
In the Model tab, the VPLAYER command has two options.
Enter an option [Newfrz/Vpvisdflt]:

?—List Frozen Layers
Displays the names of frozen layers in a selected viewport.

Color
Changes the color associated with a layer.
True Color Specifies a true color to use for the selected object.
Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to use for the selected
object.
All Applies the changes in all viewports.
Select Applies the changes in selected viewports.
Current Applies the changes in the current viewport only.

2064 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Ltype
Changes the linetype associated with a layer.
■

All on page 2064

■

Select on page 2064

■

Current on page 2064

Lweight
Changes the lineweight associated with a layer.
If you enter a lineweight that is not valid, the current lineweight is set to the
nearest fixed lineweight value.
If you want to plot an object with a custom width not found in the list of
fixed lineweight values, you can use the Plot Style Table Editor to customize
plotted lineweights.
■

All on page 2064

■

Select on page 2064

■

Current on page 2064

Pstyle
Sets the plot style assigned to a layer. This option is not available if you are
using color-dependent plot styles in the current drawing (the PSTYLEPOLICY
on page 2473 system variable is set to 1). See Use Plot Styles to Control Plotted
Objects in the User’s Guide.
■

All on page 2064

■

Select on page 2064

■

Current on page 2064

Transparency
Changes the transparency level associated with a layer.
■

All on page 2064

■

Select on page 2064

■

Current on page 2064

VPLAYER | 2065

Freeze
Freezes a layer or set of layers in one or more viewports. Objects on frozen
layers are not displayed, regenerated, or plotted.
■

All on page 2064

■

Select on page 2064

■

Current on page 2064

Thaw
Thaws layers in specific viewports.
■

All on page 2064

■

Select on page 2064

■

Current on page 2064

Reset
Sets the visibility of layers in specified viewports to their current default setting.
■

All on page 2064

■

Select on page 2064

■

Current on page 2064

Newfrz (New Freeze)
Creates new layers that are frozen in all viewports.

Vpvisdflt (Viewport Visibility Default)
Thaws or freezes the specified layers in subsequently created viewports.

VPMAX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Access Model Space from a Layout Viewport

Expands the current layout viewport for editing.

2066 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Access Methods

Buton

Toolbar: Status bar
Shortcut menu: Right-click in a viewport and click Maximize Viewport.

Summary
The viewport is expanded to fill the screen and switched to model space for
editing.

VPMIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Access Model Space from a Layout Viewport

Restores the current layout viewport.

Access Methods

Button

Toolbar: Status bar
Shortcut menu: Right-click in a maximized viewport and click Minimize
Viewport.

Summary
The center point and magnification are returned to the settings that were in
effect before the viewport was maximized.

VPMIN | 2067

VPOINT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define a 3D View with Coordinate Values or Angles

Sets the viewing direction for a 3D visualization of the drawing.

Access Methods
Menu: View ➤ 3D Views ➤ Viewpoint

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify a view pointor [Rotate] : Specify a point,
enter r, or press ENTER to display a compass and axis tripod
View Point Creates a vector that defines a direction from which the drawing
can be viewed. The view defined is as if the viewer is looking from the point
back at the origin (0,0,0).

Rotate Specifies a new viewing direction using two angles.
■

Enter angle in XY plane from X axis.

The first angle is specified with respect to the X axis, in the XY plane.
■

Enter angle from XY plane.

The second angle is specified up or down from the XY plane.

2068 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Compass and Axis Tripod Displays a compass and axis tripod, which you
use to define a viewing direction in the viewport.

The compass is a two-dimensional representation of a globe. The center point
is the north pole (0,0,n), the inner ring is the equator (n,n,0), and the entire
outer ring is the south pole (0,0,-n).
As you move the crosshairs, the axis tripod rotates to conform to the viewing
direction indicated on the compass. To select a viewing direction, move your
pointing device to a location on the globe and click.

VPORTS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Model Space Viewports

Creates multiple viewports in model space or paper space.

Access Methods

Button

VPORTS | 2069

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Viewports panel ➤ Named Viewports
Menu: View ➤ Viewports
Toolbar: Layouts

Summary
The Viewports dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -vports at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Viewports Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Model Space Viewports

Creates new viewport configurations, or names and saves a model space
viewport configuration.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Viewports panel ➤ Named Viewports
Menu: View ➤ Viewports
Toolbar: Layouts
Command entry: vports

Summary
The options available depend on whether you are configuring model space
viewports (on the Model tab) or layout viewports (on a layout tab).

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

2070 | Chapter 22 V Commands

New Viewports Tab—Model Space (Viewports Dialog Box)

New Name
Specifies a name for the new model space viewport configuration. If you do
not enter a name, the viewport configuration is applied but not saved. If a
viewport configuration is not saved, it cannot be used in a layout.
Standard Viewports
Lists and sets the standard viewport configurations, including CURRENT,
which is the current configuration.
Preview
Displays a preview of the viewport configuration you select and the default
views assigned to each individual viewport in the configuration.
Apply To
Applies the model space viewport configuration to the entire display or to the
current viewport.
■

Display: Applies the viewport configuration to the entire Model tab display.

■

Current Viewport: Applies the viewport configuration to the current viewport
only.

Viewports Dialog Box | 2071

Setup
Specifies either a 2D or a 3D setup. When you select 2D, the new viewport
configuration is initially created with the current view in all of the viewports.
When you select 3D, a set of standard orthogonal 3D views is applied to the
viewports in the configuration.
Change View To
Replaces the view in the selected viewport with the view you select from the
list. You can choose a named view, or if you have selected 3D setup, you can
select from the list of standard views. Use the Preview area to see the choices.
Visual Style
Applies a visual style to the viewport. All available visual styles are displayed.

Named Viewports Tab—Model Space (Viewports Dialog Box)
Lists all saved model viewport configurations in the drawing.

Current Name
Displays the name of the current viewport configuration.

New Viewports Tab—Layouts (Viewports Dialog Box)
Standard Viewports Displays a list of standard viewport configurations and
configures layout viewports.

2072 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Preview Displays a preview of the viewport configuration you select and the
default views assigned to each individual viewport in the configuration.
Viewport Spacing
Specifies the spacing you want to apply between the layout viewports you are
configuring.
Setup Specifies either a 2D or a 3D setup. When you select 2D, the new
viewport configuration is initially created with the current view in all of the
viewports. When you select 3D, a set of standard orthogonal 3D views is
applied to the viewports in the configuration.
Change View To Replaces the view in the selected viewport with the view
you select from the list. You can choose a named view, or if you have selected
3D setup, you can select from the list of standard views.

Named Viewports Tab—Layouts (Viewports Dialog Box)
Displays any saved and named model space viewport configurations for you
to use in the current layout. You cannot save and name a layout viewport
configuration.

-VPORTS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Model Space Viewports

Summary
The command prompts available depend on whether you are configuring
model viewports (on the Model tab) or layout viewports (on a layout tab).

-VPORTS | 2073

-VPORTS - Model Space Viewports
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Model Space Viewports

Summary
The number and layout of active viewports and their associated settings are
called viewport configurations.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter an option [Save/Restore/Delete/Join/Single/?/2/3/4] <3>: Enter an option
Save Saves the current viewport configuration using a specified name.
Restore Restores a previously saved viewport configuration.
Delete Deletes a named viewport configuration.
Join Combines two adjacent model viewports into one larger viewport.
The two model viewports must share a common edge of the same length. The
resulting viewport inherits the view of the dominant viewport.

Single Returns the drawing to a single viewport view, using the view from
the current viewport.

2074 | Chapter 22 V Commands

?—List Viewport Configurations Displays the identification numbers and
screen positions of the active viewports.
The lower-left and upper-right corners of the viewport define its location. For
these corners, values between 0.0,0.0 (for the lower-left corner of the drawing
area) and 1.0,1.0 (for the upper-right corner) are used. The current viewport
is listed first.
2 Divides the current viewport in half.
3 Divides the current viewport into three viewports.
The Horizontal and Vertical options split the area into thirds. The Above,
Below, Left, and Right options specify where the larger viewport is placed.
4 Divides the current viewport into four viewports of equal size.

-VPORTS - Layout Viewports
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Layout Viewports

Summary
The number and layout of active viewports and their associated settings are
called viewport configurations.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify corner of viewport or
[ON/OFF/Fit/Shadeplot/Lock/Object/Polygonal/Restore/LAyer/2/3/4] :
Specify a point or enter an option

-VPORTS | 2075

On Turns on a viewport, making it active and making its objects visible.
Off Turns off a viewport. When a viewport is off, its objects are not displayed,
and you cannot make that viewport current.
Fit Creates one viewport that fills the available display area. The actual size
of the viewport depends on the dimensions of the paper space view.
Shadeplot Specifies how viewports in layouts are plotted.
■

As Displayed: Plots the same way it is displayed

■

All Visual Styles: Plots using the specified visual style; all visual styles in the
drawing are listed as options whether in use or not

■

All Render Presets: Plots using the specified render preset; all render presets
are listed as options

Lock Locks the current viewport. This is similar to layer locking.
Object Creates a nonrectangular layout viewport from a closed polyline,
ellipse, spline, region, or circle. The polyline you specify must be closed and
contain at least three vertices. It can be self-intersecting, and it can contain
arcs as well as line segments.
Polygonal Creates a nonrectangular layout viewport defined by a series of
line and arc segments.
The descriptions of the Next Point, Arc, Close, Length, and Undo options
match the descriptions of the corresponding options in the PLINE command.
Restore Restores a previously saved viewport configuration.
Layer Resets layer property overrides for the selected viewport to their global
layer properties.
2 Divides the current viewport in half.

3 Divides the current viewport into three viewports.

2076 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Horizontal and Vertical split the area into thirds. The other options create one
large viewport in half the available area and two smaller ones in the other
half. Above, Below, Left, and Right specify where the larger viewport is placed.

4 Divides the current viewport into four viewports of equal size.

VSCURRENT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Sets the visual style in the current viewport.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter an option [2dwireframe/Wireframe/Hidden/Realistic/Conceptual/Shaded
on page 2078/shaded with Edges on page 2078/shades of Gray on page 2078/SKetchy
on page 2078/X-ray on page 2078/Other] <2dwireframe>:

VSCURRENT | 2077

NOTE To display lighting from point lights, distant lights, spotlights, or the sun,
set the visual style to Realistic, Conceptual, or a custom visual style with shaded
objects.
2D Wireframe Displays the objects using lines and curves to represent the
boundaries. Raster and OLE objects, linetypes, and lineweights are visible.
Even if the value for the COMPASS on page 2192 system variable is set to 1, it
does not appear in the 2D Wireframe view.
Wireframe Displays the objects using lines and curves to represent the
boundaries. Displays a shaded 3D UCS icon. You can set the COMPASS system
variable to 1 to view the compass.
Hidden Displays the objects using 3D wireframe representation and hides
lines representing back faces.
Realistic Shades the objects and smooths the edges between polygon faces.
Materials that you have attached to the objects are displayed.
Conceptual Shades the objects and smooths the edges between polygon faces.
Shading uses a transition between cool and warm colors. The effect is less
realistic, but it can make the details of the model easier to see.
Shaded Produces a smooth shaded model.
Shaded with Edges Produces a smooth shaded model with visible edges.
Shades of Gray Produces a gray color effect by using the monocolor face color
mode.
Sketchy Produces a hand-sketched effect by using the overhang and jitter.
X-ray Changes the opacity of faces to make the whole scene partially
transparent.
Other Displays the following prompt:
Enter a visual style name [?]: Enter the name of a visual style in the current drawing,
or enter ? to display a list of names and repeat the prompt

2078 | Chapter 22 V Commands

VSLIDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

View Slides

Displays an image slide file in the current viewport.

Summary
The Select Slide File dialog box, a standard file selection dialog box, is displayed.
To display a slide in a slide library (.slb extension), set FILEDIA to 0, enter
vslide, and then specify the slide library file name followed by the slide file
name enclosed in parentheses: slidelibrary (slide).
When you view slides of images shaded with the -SHADE command in a larger
window or a higher resolution than was used for creating the slide, black lines
may appear interspersed among the lines of the shaded image. To avoid this
situation, use a full screen that is set at the highest resolution when creating
the slides.

VSSAVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Saves a visual style.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Save current visual style as or [?]
Enter a name or enter ? to list all the visual styles in the drawing.

VSLIDE | 2079

NOTE You must be in model space to save a visual style. If you enter a name that
is already in use for a visual style, you can either replace the existing visual style
or enter a different name.

VTOPTIONS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pan or Zoom a View

Displays a change in view as a smooth transition.

Summary
The View Transitions dialog box on page 2080 is displayed.

View Transitions Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pan or Zoom a View

Controls when smooth view transitions are used.

Access Methods
Command entry: vtoptions

Summary
Sets the options for smooth view transitions.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

2080 | Chapter 22 V Commands

Enable Animation for Pan and Zoom Makes a smooth view transition during
panning and zooming. (VTENABLE system variable)
Enable Animation When View Rotates Makes a smooth view transition
when the view angle is changed. (VTENABLE system variable)
Enable Animation During Scripts Makes smooth view transitions while a
script is running. (VTENABLE system variable)
Transition Speed Sets the speed of a smooth view transition in milliseconds.
Performance
Set the minimum speed for a smooth view transition in frames per second.
When a smooth view transition cannot maintain this speed, an instant
transition is used to preserve performance.

View Transitions Dialog Box | 2081

2082

W Commands

23

WALKFLYSETTINGS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Walk and Fly Through a Drawing

Controls the walk and fly navigation settings.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Render ➤ Animations panel ➤ Walk and Fly drop-down ➤ Walk
and Fly Settings.
Menu: View ➤ Walk and Fly ➤ Walk and Fly Settings
Toolbar: 3D Navigation

Summary
The Walk and Fly Settings dialog box on page 2084 is displayed.

2083

Walk and Fly Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Walk and Fly Through a Drawing

Controls the walk and fly navigation settings

Access Methods

Walk
and Fly
Settings

Ribbon: Render ➤ Animations panel ➤ Walk and Fly drop-down ➤ Walk
and Fly Settings.
Menu: View ➤ Walk and Fly ➤ Walk and Fly Settings
Toolbar: 3D Navigation
Command entry: walkflysettings

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

2084 | Chapter 23 W Commands

Settings
Specifies settings related to the Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings balloon
on page 77 and the Position Locator window on page 76.
When Entering Walk and Fly Modes
Specifies that the Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings balloon is displayed
each time you enter walk or fly mode.
Once Per Session
Specifies that the Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings balloon is displayed the
first time in each AutoCAD session that you enter walk or fly mode.
Never
Specifies that the Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings balloon is never
displayed.
Display Position Locator Window
Specifies whether the Position Locator window opens when you enter walk
mode.

Current Drawing Settings
Specifies walk and fly mode settings specific to the current drawing.
Walk/Fly Step Size
Sets the size of each step in drawing units (STEPSIZE system variable).
Steps Per Second
Specifies how many steps occur per second (STEPSPERSEC system variable).

WBLOCK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks

Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file.

WBLOCK | 2085

Summary
The Write Block dialog box is displayed.
Entering -wblock at the Command prompt displays a standard file selection
dialog box in which to specify a name for the new drawing file, followed by
command prompts. If FILEDIA is set to 0, the standard file selection dialog
box is suppressed.

Write Block Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks

Saves objects or converts a block to a file.

Access Methods
Command entry: wblock

2086 | Chapter 23 W Commands

Summary
The Write Block dialog box displays different default settings depending on
whether nothing is selected, a single block is selected, or objects other than
blocks are selected.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Source
Specifies blocks and objects, saves them as a file, and specifies insertion points.
Block
Specifies an existing block to save as a file. Select a name from the list.
Entire Drawing
Selects current drawing to save as another file.
Objects
Selects objects to save as a file. Specify a base point and select objects below.

Base Point
Specifies a base point for the block. The default value is 0,0,0.
Pick Point
Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can specify an insertion base
point in the current drawing.
X
Specifies the X coordinate value for the base point.
Y
Specifies the Y coordinate value for the base point.
Z
Specifies the Z coordinate value for the base point.

Objects
Sets the effect of block creation on objects used to create a block.
Retain
Retains the selected objects in the current drawing after saving them as a file.

Write Block Dialog Box | 2087

Convert to Block
Converts the selected object or objects to a block in the current drawing after
saving them as a file.
Delete from Drawing
Deletes the selected objects from the current drawing after saving them as a
file.
Select Objects Button
Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can select one or more objects
to save to the file.
Quick Select Button
Opens the Quick Select dialog box, which you can use to filter your selection
set.
Objects Selected
Indicates the number of objects selected.

Destination
Specifies the new name and location of the file and the units of measurement
to be used when the block is inserted.
File Name and Path
Specifies a file name and path where the block or objects will be saved.
[...]
Displays a standard file selection dialog box.
Insert Units
Specifies the unit value to be used for automatic scaling when the new file is
™
dragged from DesignCenter or inserted as a block in a drawing that uses
different units. Select Unitless if you do not want to automatically scale the
drawing when you insert it. See INSUNITS.

2088 | Chapter 23 W Commands

-WBLOCK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks

Summary
If FILEDIA is set to 1, entering -wblock at the Command prompt displays a
standard file selection dialog box in which to specify a name for the new
drawing file. If FILEDIA is set to 0, entering -wblock at the Command prompt
displays a prompt. The new drawing is saved in the file format that is specified
in Save As on the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog box.
After the file is created, the selected objects are deleted from the drawing. You
can use OOPS to restore the objects.
In the new drawing, the world coordinate system (WCS) is set parallel to the
user coordinate system (UCS).

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter name of output file:
Enter name of existing block or
[= (block=output file)/* (whole drawing)] :
Existing Block Writes that block to a file. You cannot enter the name of an
external reference (xref) or one of its dependent blocks.
= Specifies that the existing block and the output file have the same name.
* Writes the entire drawing to the new output file, except for unreferenced
symbols. Model space objects are written to model space, and paper space
objects are written to paper space.

-WBLOCK | 2089

WEBLIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Weblights

Creates a web light

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Render ➤ Lights panel ➤ Create Light ➤ Weblight.
Toolbar: Lights

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify source location <0,0,0>: Enter coordinate values or use the pointing device
Specify target location <1,1,1>: Enter coordinate values or use the pointing device
Enter an option to change [Name on page 2090/Intensity factor on page 2090/Status
on page 2090/Photometry on page 2091/weB on page 2091/shadoW on page
2092/filterColor on page 2092/eXit on page 2092] :
NOTE The LIGHTINGUNITS system variable must be set to a value other than 0
to create and use weblights.

Name
Specifies the name of the light.

Intensity Factor
Sets the intensity or brightness of the light.

Status
Turns the light on and off. If lighting is not enabled in the drawing, this setting
has no effect.

2090 | Chapter 23 W Commands

Photometry
Photometry is available when the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to
1 or 2. Photometry is the measurement of the luminous intensities of visible
light sources.
In photometry, luminous intensity is a measure of the perceived power emitted
by a light source in a particular direction. Luminous flux is the perceived
power in per unit of solid angle. The total luminous flux for a lamp is the
perceived power emitted in all directions. Luminance is the total luminous
flux incident on a surface, per unit area.
Intensity Enter an intensity value in candelas, the perceived power in a
luminous flux value, or illuminance value for the total luminous flux incident
on a surface.
■

Candela (symbol: cd) is the SI unit of luminous intensity (perceived power
emitted by a light source in a particular direction). Cd/Sr

■

Lux (symbol: lx) is the SI unit of illuminance. Lm/m^2

■

Foot-candle (symbol: fc) is the American unit of illuminance. Lm/ft^2

Enter f to specify the perceived power in a luminous flux value.
If you enter i, you can specify the intensity of the light based on an illuminance
value.
The illuminance value can be specified in either lux or foot-candles. Enter d
to specify a distance to use to calculate illuminance.
Color Specify the color of the light based on a color name or a Kelvin
temperature. Enter ? to display a list of color names.
Enter a text string using wild card characters to display a partial listing of color
names, or an asterisk (*) to display all the possible choices.
If you enter k, you can specify the color of the light based on a Kelvin
temperature value.
Exit Exits the command.

Web
Specifies the intensity for a light at points on a spherical grid.
File Specifies which web file to use to define the properties of the web. Web
files have the file extension .ies.
X Specifies the X rotation for the web.
Y Specifies the Y rotation for the web.

WEBLIGHT | 2091

Z Specifies the Z rotation for the web.

Shadow
Makes the light cast shadows.
Off Turns off the display and calculation of shadows for the light. Use this
option to increase performance.
Sharp Displays shadows with sharp edges. Use this option to increase
performance.
Soft Mapped Displays realistic shadows with soft edges.
Map Size Specifies the amount of memory to use to calculate the shadow
map.
Softness Specifies the softness to use to calculate the shadow map.
Soft Sampled Displays realistic shadows with softer shadows (penumbra)
based on extended light sources.
Specify the shape of the shadow by entering s and then the dimensions of the
shape. (For example, the radius of the sphere or the length and width of a
rectangle.)
Specify the sample size by entering a.
Specify the visibility of the shape by for the shadow by entering v.

Filter Color
Controls the color of the light.
True Color Specifies a True Color. Enter in the format R,G,B (red, green, blue).
Index Specifies an ACI (AutoCAD Color Index) color.
HSL Specifies an HSL (hue, saturation, luminance) color.
Color Book Specifies a color from a color book.

Exit
Exits the command.

2092 | Chapter 23 W Commands

WEDGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid Wedge

Creates a 3D solid wedge.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Modeling panel ➤ Wedge
Menu: Draw ➤ Modeling ➤ Wedge
Toolbar: Modeling

Summary
The direction of the taper is always in the positive X-axis direction of the UCS.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first corner or [Center on page 2094]: Specify a point or enter c for center
Specify other corner or [Cube on page 2094/Length on page 2095]: Specify the other
corner of the wedge or enteran option
If the other corner of the wedge is specified with a Z value that differs from
the first corner, then no height prompt is displayed.
Specify height or [2Point on page 2095] : Specify the height or enter 2P
for the 2 Point option

WEDGE | 2093

Entering a positive value draws the height along the positive Z axis of the
current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the height along the negative
Z axis.

Center
Creates the wedge by using a specified center point.

Cube Creates a wedge with sides of equal length.

Length Creates a wedge with length, width, and height values you specify.
The length corresponds to the X axis, the width to the Y axis, and the height
to the Z axis. If you pick a point to specify the length, you also specify the
rotation in the XY plane.

Cube
Creates a wedge with sides of equal length.

2094 | Chapter 23 W Commands

Length
Creates a wedge with length, width, and height values you specify. The length
corresponds to the X axis, the width to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis.

2Point
Specifies that the height of the wedge is the distance between the two specified
points.

WHOHAS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Open a Drawing

Displays ownership information for opened drawing files.

Summary
You can use WHOHAS to track which users have certain drawing files open.
After you select a file, the ownership information is displayed at the Command
prompt. The information includes the current user's computer name, login
ID, and full name (if available) and the date and time the drawing file was
opened.
NOTE Similar information is displayed automatically when you try to open a
drawing file that another user has already opened.
The information displayed by WHOHAS is stored in a temporary DWL (drawing
lock) file. A DWL file is deleted when the file is closed.

WHOHAS | 2095

WIPEOUT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Blank Area to Cover Objects

Creates a wipeout object, and controls whether wipeout frames are displayed
in the drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Wipeout
Menu: Draw ➤ Wipeout

Summary
Creates a polygonal area that masks underlying objects with the current
background color. The wipeout area is bounded by a frame that you can turn
on for editing and turn off for plotting.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify first point on page 2097 or [Frames on page 2097/Polyline on page 2097]
.

2096 | Chapter 23 W Commands

First Point Determines the polygonal boundary of the wipeout object from
a series of points.
Frames Determines whether the edges of all wipeout objects are displayed or
hidden.
Polyline Determines the polygonal boundary of the wipeout objects from a
selected polyline.
Erase Polyline Enter y to erase the polyline that was used to create the wipeout
object. Enter n to retain the polyline.

WMFIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert WMF Files

Imports a Windows metafile.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Insert ➤ Windows Metafile

Summary
WMF files can contain both vector and raster information, however only the
vector information is imported. WMF files are inserted as a block reference
and can be resized and printed without losing resolution.
The Import WMF dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed.
In the Import WMF dialog box, if you click Tools ➤ Options, the WMF In
Options dialog box is displayed. You can also open this dialog box directly
by using WMFOPTS.

WMFIN | 2097

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify insertion point on page 2098 or [Scale on page 2098/X on page 2098/Y on
page 2098/Z on page 2098/Rotate on page 2098/PScale on page 2099/PX on page 2099/PY
on page 2099/PZ on page 2099/PRotate on page 2099]: Specify a point or enter an option

Insertion Point
Places a copy of the metafile with its base point at the specified insertion
point.
X Scale Factor Sets the X and Y scale factors.
All X and Y dimensions of the metafile are multiplied by the X and Y scale
factors supplied. The metafile is rotated by the angle specified, using the
insertion point as the center of rotation.
Corner Defines the X and Y scales at the same time, using the insertion point
and another point as the corners of a box. The X and Y dimensions of the box
become the X and Y scale factors. The insertion point is the first corner.
The rotation angle sets the angle of the WMF file.
XYZ Scales the metafile in all three dimensions.
If you enter c, you specify a corner point. The specified point and the insertion
point determine the X and Y scale factors for the WMF file.
The rotation angle sets the angle of the WMF file.

Scale
Sets the scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes. The scale for the Z axis is the
absolute value of the specified scale factor.

X
Sets the X scale factor.

Y
Sets the Y scale factor.

Z
Sets the Z scale factor.

Rotate
Sets the angle of insertion for the WMF file.
■

X Scale Factor on page 2098

■

Corner on page 2098

■

XYZ on page 2098

2098 | Chapter 23 W Commands

PScale
Sets the temporary scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes to control the display
of the WMF file as it is dragged into position.
■

X Scale Factor on page 2098

■

Corner on page 2098

■

XYZ on page 2098

PX
Sets the temporary scale factor for the X axis to control the display of the WMF
file as it is dragged into position.
■

X Scale Factor on page 2098

■

Corner on page 2098

■

XYZ on page 2098

PY
Sets the temporary scale factor for the Y axis to control the display of the WMF
file as it is dragged into position.
■

X Scale Factor on page 2098

■

Corner on page 2098

■

XYZ on page 2098

PZ
Sets the temporary scale factor for the Z axis to control the display of the WMF
file as it is dragged into position.
■

X Scale Factor on page 2098

■

Corner on page 2098

■

XYZ on page 2098

PRotate
Sets the temporary rotation angle of the WMF file as it is dragged into position.
■

X Scale Factor on page 2098

■

Corner on page 2098

■

XYZ on page 2098

WMFIN | 2099

WMFOPTS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert WMF Files

Sets options for WMFIN.

Summary
The WMF In Options dialog box is displayed.

WMF In Options Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert WMF Files

Controls whether metafiles maintain relative line widths and whether they
are imported as wireframes or solid objects.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Wire Frame (No Fills)
Imports objects as wireframes. If you clear this option, objects are imported
as filled objects.
Wide Lines

2100 | Chapter 23 W Commands

Maintains the relative line width of lines and borders. If you clear this option,
lines are imported with zero width.

WMFOUT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export WMF Files

Saves objects to a Windows metafile.

Summary
The Create WMF standard file selection dialog box is displayed.

WORKSPACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Task-Based Workspaces

Creates, modifies, and saves workspaces and makes a workspace current.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter Workspace option [setCurrent on page 2101/SAveas on page 2101/Edit on
page 2101/Rename on page 1963/Delete on page 2102/SEttings on page 2102/? on page
2102].
Set Current Sets a current workspace.
Save As Saves a current interface configuration as a workspace.
Edit Opens the Customize User Interface dialog box, Customize tab on page
377, where you can make modifications to a workspace.
Rename Renames a workspace.

WMFOUT | 2101

Delete Deletes a workspace.
Settings Opens the Workspace Settings dialog box on page 2103, which controls
the display, menu order, and Save settings of a workspace.
?—List Workspaces Lists all workspaces defined in the main and enterprise
CUIx files.

WSSAVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Task-Based Workspaces

Saves a workspace.

Summary
If you enter -wssave at the Command prompt, WSSAVE displays prompts.
The Save Workspace dialog box is displayed.

Save Workspace Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Task-Based Workspaces

Saves the current workspace scheme and settings of a workspace.

Access Methods
Command entry: wssave

List of Options
The following option are displayed.

2102 | Chapter 23 W Commands

Name Displays a text box where you can specify a name for a newly saved
workspace and view a list of existing workspaces. These workspaces can be
overwritten if the CUIx file in which they are included is writable. Read-only
files, such as CUIx files that are shared across a network (called enterprise CUIx
files), are displayed with a “Read-Only” file name extension.

WSSETTINGS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Task-Based Workspaces

Sets options for workspaces.

Summary
The Workspace Settings dialog box is displayed.

Workspace Settings Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Task-Based Workspaces

Controls the display, menu order, and Save settings of a workspace.

Access Methods
Command entry: wssettings

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
My Workspace

WSSETTINGS | 2103

Displays a list of workspaces from which you can choose a workspace to assign
to the My Workspace toolbar button.
Menu Display and Order
Controls which workspace name you want to display in the Workspaces toolbar
and menu, the order of those workspace names, and whether a separator line
is added between each workspace name. The workspaces displayed here and
in the Workspaces toolbar and menu include the current workspace (displayed
with a check mark in the toolbar and menu) and the workspace you've defined
in the My Workspace= option, regardless of the display settings.
Move Up
Moves workspace names up in the display order.
Move Down
Moves workspace names down in the display order.
Add Separator
Adds a separator between workspace names.
Do Not Save Changes to Workspace
Does not save changes you've made to a workspace when you switch to another
workspace
(WSAUTOSAVE on page 2624 system variable)
Automatically Save Workspace Changes
Saves changes you've made to a workspace when you switch to another
workspace.
(WSAUTOSAVE on page 2624 system variable)

2104 | Chapter 23 W Commands

X Commands

24

XATTACH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Drawing References (Xrefs)

Inserts DWG files as an external reference (xref).

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Attach
Menu: Insert ➤ External Reference
Toolbar: Reference

Summary
When you attach a drawing file as an xref, you link that referenced drawing to
the current drawing. Any changes to the referenced drawing are displayed in
the current drawing when it is opened or reloaded.
The Select Reference File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. After you select the DWG files, the Attach External Reference dialog

2105

box is displayed. After the files are attached, you can adjust and clip the xref
through the External Reference ribbon contextual tab.

Attach External Reference Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Drawing References (Xrefs)

Attaches drawings as an external reference (xref).

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Attach
Menu: Insert ➤ External Reference
Toolbar: Reference
Command entry: xattach

2106 | Chapter 24 X Commands

Summary
If you attach a drawing that contains an attached xref, the attached xref
appears in the current drawing. You can select multiple DWG files to attach.
Like blocks, attached xrefs can be nested. If another person is currently editing
the xref, the attached drawing is based on the most recently saved version.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Name
Identifies the DWG you have selected to attach.

Browse
Displays the Select Reference File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box), in which you can select a new external reference for the current drawing.

Preview
Displays the DWG you have selected to attach.

Reference Type
Specifies whether the external reference is an attachment or an overlay. Unlike
an xref that is an attachment, an overlay is ignored when the drawing to
which it is attached is then attached as an xref to another drawing.
See “Attach Drawing References (Xrefs)” and “Nest and Overlay Referenced
Drawings”.

Locate using Geographic Data
Attaches drawings using geographic data as the reference.

Scale
Specify On-screen
Allows you to input at the Command prompt or the pointing device.
X
Sets the X scale factor.
Y
Sets the Y scale factor.
Z
Sets the Z scale factor.

Attach External Reference Dialog Box | 2107

Uniform Scale
Sets the Y and X scale factors as the same as Z.

Insertion Point
Specify On-Screen
Allows you to input at the Command prompt or the pointing device.
X
Sets the X coordinate value.
Y
Sets the Y coordinate value.
Z
Sets the Z coordinate value.

Path Type
Select the full (absolute) path, the relative path to the external reference file,
or No Path, the name of the external reference (the file must be located in the
same folder as the current drawing file).

Rotation
Specify on-screen
If Specify On-Screen is selected, you may wait until you exit the dialog box
to rotate the object with your pointing device or at the Command prompt.
Angle
If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter the rotation angle value in the dialog
box.

Block Unit
Displays information about the block units.
Unit
Displays the specified INSUNITS value for the inserted block.
Factor
Displays the unit scale factor, which is calculated based on the INSUNITS value
of the block and the drawing units.

Show Details
Displays the external reference file paths.

2108 | Chapter 24 X Commands

Found In Displays the path where the external reference file is located.
Saved Path Displays the path that is saved with the drawing when the external
reference is attached. The path is dependent upon the Path Type setting.

External Reference Ribbon Contextual Tab
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Drawing References (Xrefs)

Displays options for attaching external references.

Access Methods
Ribbon: Insert tab ➤ Reference panel
Menu: Insert ➤ DWG Reference
Command entry: xattach

Summary
The External Reference tab is displayed when you select an external reference.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Edit Panel
Edit Reference In-Place (REFEDIT on page 1607) Edits an xref or a block
definition directly within the current drawing.
Open Reference (XOPEN on page 2118) Opens a selected drawing reference
(xref) in a new window.

Clipping Panel
Create Clipping Boundary (XCLIP on page 2113) Crops the display of a selected
external reference or block reference to a specified boundary.

External Reference Ribbon Contextual Tab | 2109

Remove Clipping (XCLIP on page 2113) Deletes the clipping boundary.

Options Panel
External References (EXTERNALREFERENCES on page 771) Opens the
External References palette.

XBIND
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Archive Drawings That Contain Referenced Drawings (Bind)

Binds one or more definitions of named objects in an xref to the current
drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ External Reference ➤ Bind
Toolbar: Reference

Summary
The Xbind dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -xbind at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
NOTE The Bind option of XREF binds the xref file. Use XBIND for individual
dependent definitions.

2110 | Chapter 24 X Commands

Xbind Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Archive Drawings That Contain Referenced Drawings (Bind)

Adds xref-dependent named objects (such as blocks, dimension styles, layers,
linetypes, and text styles) to your drawing.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ External Reference ➤ Bind
Toolbar: Reference
Command entry: xbind

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Xrefs
Lists the xrefs currently attached to the drawing. Selecting an xref
(double-clicking) displays the named object definitions in the attached xref.
Definitions to Bind
Lists the xref-dependent named object definitions to bind to the host drawing.
Add

Xbind Dialog Box | 2111

Moves the named object definitions selected in the Xrefs list into the
Definitions to Bind list.
Remove
Moves the xref-dependent named object definition selected in the Definitions
to Bind list back to its xref-dependent definition table.

-XBIND
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Archive Drawings That Contain Referenced Drawings (Bind)

Binds one or more definitions of named objects in an xref to the current
drawing.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter symbol type to bind [Block/Dimstyle/LAyer/LType/Style]: Enter an option
Depending on the option, you are prompted for a xref-dependent named
object (symbol) such as a block, dimension style, layer, linetype, or text style.
Enter dependent Symbol name(s): Enter a name list or * to bind all xref-dependent
named objects (symbols) from that definition table
The name you specify must be the full name, including the vertical bar
character ( | ).
The xref-dependent named objects you specify are added to your drawing.
You can manipulate them as you would any other named object. The vertical
bar character ( | ) from each xref-dependent named object is replaced with a
number (usually 0) between two dollar signs ($).
If you specify a layer whose associated linetype is not CONTINUOUS, XBIND
also binds the referenced linetype. If you apply XBIND to a block, any block,
dimension style, layer, linetype, or text style that's referenced by objects in
the block is also bound. If the block contains an xref, XBIND binds that xref
and all its dependent named objects.

2112 | Chapter 24 X Commands

XCLIP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Clip External References and Blocks

Crops the display of a selected external reference or block reference to a
specified boundary.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Inset tab ➤ Reference panel ➤ Clip.
Toolbar: Reference
Shortcut menu: Select an xref, right-click in the drawing area, and click
Clip Xref.

Summary
The clipping boundary determines the portion of an xref or block instance
that is hidden, either outside or inside the boundary. The visibility of the
clipping boundary is controlled by the XCLIPFRAME system variable.
TIP Use the generic CLIP command to clip images, external references, viewports,
and underlays.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

On
Displays the clipped portion of the external reference or block in the current
drawing.

XCLIP | 2113

Off
Displays all of the geometry of the external reference or block in the current
drawing, ignoring the clipping boundary.

Clipdepth
Sets the front and back clipping planes on an xref or block. Objects outside
the volume defined by the boundary and the specified depth are not displayed.
Regardless of the current UCS, the clip depth is applied parallel to the clipping
boundary.
Front Clip Point Creates a clipping plane passing through and perpendicular
to the clipping boundary.
Distance Creates a clipping plane the specified distance from and parallel to
the clipping boundary.
Remove Removes both the front and back clipping planes.

Delete
Removes a clipping boundary for the selected xref or block. To temporarily
turn off a clipping boundary, use the Off option. Delete erases the clipping
boundary and the clipdepth. The ERASE command cannot be used to delete
clipping boundaries.

Generate Polyline
Automatically draws a polyline coincident with the clipping boundary. The
polyline assumes the current layer, linetype, lineweight, and color settings.
Use this option when you want to modify the current clipping boundary using
PEDIT and then redefine the clipping boundary with the new polyline. To see
the entire xref while redefining the boundary, use the Off option.

New Boundary
Defines a rectangular or polygonal clipping boundary, or generates a polygonal
clipping boundary from a polyline.
Select Polyline Defines the boundary with the selected polyline. The polyline
can be open but must consist of straight line segments and cannot intersect
itself.
Polygonal Defines a polygonal clipping boundary with three or more points
that you specify for the vertices of a polygon.
Rectangular Defines a rectangular boundary with the points that you specify
for opposite corners.
Invert Clip Inverts the mode of the clipping boundary: objects are clipped
either outside the boundary or inside the boundary.

2114 | Chapter 24 X Commands

NOTE You can only create a new clipping boundary for a selected XREF underlay
when the old boundary is deleted.

XEDGES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Wireframe Models

Creates wireframe geometry from the edges of a 3D solid, surface, mesh, region,
or subobject.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Solid Editing panel ➤ Extract Edges
Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ Extract Edges

Summary
With the XEDGES command, you can create wireframe geometry by extracting
all the edges from the following objects:
■

3D solids

■

3D solid history subobjects

■

Meshes

■

Regions

■

Surfaces

■

Subobjects (edges and faces)

XEDGES | 2115

Press and hold Ctrl to select faces, edges and component objects, repeating if
necessary. Objects such as lines, arcs, splines, or 3D polylines are created along
the edges of the selected objects or subobjects.

XLINE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Construction Lines (and Rays)

Creates a line of infinite length.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Construction Line
Menu: Draw ➤ Construction Line
Toolbar: Draw

Summary
Lines that extend to infinity, such as xlines, can be used to create construction
and reference lines, and for trimming boundaries.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify a point on page 2117 or [Hor on page 2117/Ver on page 2117/Ang on page
2117/Bisect on page 2118/Offset on page 2118.

2116 | Chapter 24 X Commands

Point
Specifies the location of the infinite line using two points through which it
passes.
The xline is created through the specified point.

Hor
Creates a horizontal xline passing through a specified point.
The xline is created parallel to the X axis.

Ver
Creates a vertical xline passing through a specified point.
The xline is created parallel to the Y axis.

Ang
Creates an xline at a specified angle.

Angle of Xline Specifies the angle at which to place the line.

XLINE | 2117

Reference Specifies the angle from a selected reference line. The angle is
measured counterclockwise from the reference line.

Bisect
Creates an xline that passes through the selected angle vertex and bisects the
angle between the first and second line.
The xline lies in the plane determined by the three points.

Offset
Creates an xline parallel to another object.
Offset Distance Specifies the distance the xline is offset from the selected
object.
Through Creates an xline offset from a line and passing through a specified
point.

XOPEN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Edit a Referenced Drawing in a Separate Window

Opens a selected drawing reference (xref) in a new window.

Summary
Opens a selected drawing reference in a separate window for editing. If the
selected reference contains nested xrefs, Open Reference Files dialog box on
page 2119 is displayed where you can specify which xref to open.

2118 | Chapter 24 X Commands

Open Reference Files Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Edit a Referenced Drawing in a Separate Window

Opens a selected drawing reference (xref) in a new window.

Access Methods
Command entry: xopen

Summary
The Open Reference Files dialog box, displays a reference tree showing all
nested xrefs. The source file for the selected xref opens in a separate drawing
window, where you can edit, save, and then close the drawing.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.

Open Reference Files Dialog Box | 2119

Reference Name
Displays a reference tree of all nested xrefs for a specified reference.
Highlight Selected Reference
Highlights the selected xrefs in the drawing area.
Preview
Displays a preview of the selected reference.
Zoom To...
Temporarily closes the Open Reference Files dialog box and zooms the view
in the drawing area to the selected reference. Press Enter to redisplay the dialog
box.
Open
Opens the source file for the selected reference in a separate window.

XPLODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Disassemble a Block Reference (Explode)

Breaks a compound object into its component objects.

Summary
Reports how many objects were selected and, of those, how many objects
cannot be exploded.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Enter an option [Individually on page 2121/Globally on page 2121].

2120 | Chapter 24 X Commands

Individually
Applies changes to the selected objects one at a time. The following prompt
is displayed for each object.
All Sets the color, linetype, lineweight, and layer of the component objects
after you explode them. The prompts associated with the Color, Linetype,
Lineweight, and Layer options are displayed.
Color Sets the color of the objects after you explode them.
■

Enter bylayer to inherit the color of the exploded object's layer.

■

Enter byblock to inherit the color of the exploded object.

■

Enter t for a true color to be used for the selected object.

■

Enter co for a color from a loaded color book to be used for the selected
object.

Layer Sets the layer of the component objects after you explode them. The
default option is to inherit the current layer rather than the layer of the
exploded object.
LType Sets the linetype of the component objects after you explode them.
Enter bylayer to inherit the linetype of the exploded object's layer.
Enter byblock to inherit the linetype of the exploded object.
LWeight Sets the lineweight of the component objects after you explode
them.
Inherit from Parent Block Sets the color, linetype, lineweight, and layer of
the component objects to that of the exploded object if the component objects'
color, linetype, and lineweight are BYBLOCK and the objects are drawn on
layer 0.
Explode Breaks a compound object into its component objects exactly as the
EXPLODE command does.

Globally
Applies changes to all the selected objects.

XPLODE | 2121

XREF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings

Starts the EXTERNALREFERENCES command.

Summary
The External References palette is displayed.
If you enter -xref at the Command prompt, options are displayed.

Bind Xrefs Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings

Converts DWG references (xrefs) to standard local block definitions.

Access Methods

Button

Menu: Insert ➤ External References
Toolbar: Reference

2122 | Chapter 24 X Commands

Shortcut menu: Select a DWG reference (xref), right-click in the drawing
area, and choose External References.
Command entry: externalreferences

Summary
If you bind an xref into the current drawing, the xref and all its dependent
named objects become a part of the current drawing. Use XBIND to add
individual xref-dependent named objects, such as blocks, text styles, dimension
styles, layers, and linetypes, to the local definition table. The two methods of
binding xrefs to the current drawing are Bind and Insert. Bind alters the
definition table names of an xref when it is inserted. Insert does not alter the
definition table names of an xref when it is inserted. To bind a nested xref,
you must also select the parent xref.

List of Options
The following options are displayed.
Bind
Binds the selected DWG reference to the current drawing. Xref-dependent
named objects are changed from blockname|definitionname to
blockname$n$definitionname syntax. In this manner, unique named objects are
created for all xref-dependent definition tables bound to the current drawing.
For example, if you have an xref named FLOOR1 containing a layer named
WALL, after binding the xref, the xref-dependent layer FLOOR1|WALL becomes
a locally defined layer named FLOOR1$0$WALL. The number in $n$ is
automatically increased if a local named object with the same name already
exists. In this example, if FLOOR1$0$WALL already existed in the drawing,
the xref-dependent layer FLOOR1|WALL would be renamed FLOOR1$1$WALL.
Insert
Binds the DWG reference to the current drawing in a way similar to detaching
and inserting the reference drawing. Rather than being renamed using
blockname$n$definitionname syntax, xref-dependent named objects are stripped
of the xref name. As with inserting drawings, no name-incrementing occurs
if a local named object shares the same name as a bound xref-dependent
named object. The bound xref-dependent named object assumes the properties
of the locally defined named object.
For example, if you have an xref named FLOOR1 containing a layer named
WALL, after binding with the Insert option, the xref-dependent layer
FLOOR1|WALL becomes the locally defined layer WALL.

Bind Xrefs Dialog Box | 2123

-XREF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.

Enter an Option
?—List Xrefs Lists the DWG reference name, path, and type and the number
of DWG references currently attached to your drawing.
Bind Converts a specified DWG reference into a block, making it a permanent
part of the drawing.
The xref-dependent named objects, such as layer names, of the former xref
are added to your drawing. In each xref-dependent named object, the vertical
bar (|) is replaced with three new characters: a number (usually 0) between
two dollar signs ($). The number is increased if the same name already exists
in the current drawing.
Detach Detaches one or more DWG references from your drawing, erasing
all instances of a specified xref and marking the xref definition for deletion
from the definition table. Only the xrefs attached or overlaid directly to the
current drawing can be detached; nested xrefs cannot be detached.
Path Displays and edits the path name associated with a particular DWG
reference. This option is useful if you change the location of or rename the
drawing file associated with the xref.
Unload Unloads the selected DWG references.
A marker is left in place of the xref so that it can be reloaded later.
Reload Reloads one or more DWG references. This option reloads and displays
the most recently saved version of that drawing.
If the program encounters an error while reloading, it ends XREF and undoes
the entire reloading sequence.
Overlay Displays the Enter Name of File to Overlay dialog box (a standard
file selection dialog box). If you reference a drawing that contains an overlaid
xref, the overlaid xref does not appear in the current drawing.

2124 | Chapter 24 X Commands

Unlike blocks and attached xrefs, overlaid xrefs cannot be nested. If another
person is currently editing the xref file, the program overlays the most recently
saved version.
If the xref you specify is not already overlaid, a new xref is crated, using the
name of the referenced file.
If FILEDIA is set to 0, the following prompt is displayed:
Enter Name of File to Overlay.
You can enter a tilde (~) to display a dialog box.
Attach Displays the External Reference dialog box, if a DWG reference is
selected, or the Select Reference File dialog box, if no DWG reference is selected.
See XATTACH.
If you reference a drawing that contains an attached xref, the attached xref
appears in the current drawing. Like blocks, attached xrefs can be nested. If
another person is currently editing the xref file, the most recently saved version
is attached.

Specify Insertion Point
Specify a point or enter an option
Scale Sets the scale factor. All X and Y dimensions of the xref are multiplied
by the X and Y scale factors. The xref is rotated by the specified angle, using
the insertion point as the center of rotation.
X, Y, and Z Sets X, Y, and Z scale factors.
■

X Scale Factor. Defines X, Y, and Z scale factors for the xref.

■

Corner. Defines the X and Y scales at the same time, using the insertion
point and another point as the corners of a box, and then defines the Z
scale.

Rotate Sets the angle of insertion for the xref.
PScale Sets the scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes to control the display of
the xref as it is dragged into position.
PX, PY, and PZ Sets the X, Y, and Z axes to control the display of the xref as
it is dragged into position.
PRotate Sets the rotation angle of the xref as it is dragged into position.

-XREF | 2125

2126

Z Commands

25

ZOOM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pan or Zoom a View

Increases or decreases the magnification of the view in the current viewport.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: View tab ➤ Navigate panel ➤ Realtime
Menu: View ➤ Zoom ➤ Realtime
Toolbar: Standard
Shortcut menu: With no objects selected, right-click in the drawing area and
choose Zoom to zoom in real time.
Command entry: 'zoom for transparent use

Summary
You can change the magnification of a view by zooming in and out, which is
similar to zooming in and out with a camera. Using ZOOM does not change

2127

the absolute size of objects in the drawing. It changes only the magnification
of the view.
In a perspective view, ZOOM displays the 3DZOOM prompts.
NOTE You cannot use ZOOM transparently during VPOINT or DVIEW or while
ZOOM, PAN, or VIEW is in progress.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.
Specify corner of window, enter a scale factor (nX or nXP), or
[All on page 2128/Center/Dynamic/Extents on page
2129/Previous/Scale/Window/Object] : Enter a relative offset

2134 | Chapter 26 Command Modifiers

At a prompt for locating a point, enter from, and then enter a temporary
reference or base point from which you can specify an offset to locate the next
point. Enter the offset location from this base point as a relative coordinate,
or use direct distance entry.
NOTE You cannot use this method during dragging in commands such as MOVE
and COPY. Specifying an absolute coordinate, either by keyboard entry or with a
pointing device, cancels the FROM command.

MTP (Command Modifier)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps

Locates the midpoint between two points.
Command entry: At a prompt to locate a point, enter mtp
The midpoint between two points (MTP) command modifier can be used with
running object snaps or object snap overrides. (OSNAP command)
At any Command prompt to locate a point, enter mtp or m2p.
First point of mid: Specify a point
Second point of mid: Specify a second point

TRACKING (Command Modifier)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Track to Offset Point Locations (Tracking)

Locates a point from a series of temporary points.
Command entry: At a prompt to locate a point, enter tracking
Tracking turns on Ortho mode and can be used with Snap mode.

MTP (Command Modifier) | 2135

At any prompt to locate a point, enter tracking, track, or tk.
First tracking point: Specify a location or distance
Next point (Press ENTER to end tracking): Specify a second location or distance
Tracking specifies a series of temporary points, each offset from the previous
one. Thus, you specify a new point location from a series of directions and
distances. To determine the location of each temporary point, you can use
direct distance entry. First move the cursor to specify the direction, and then
enter a numeric distance.
Alternatively, tracking can establish a new point by combining the X and Y
values of two specified points. You can specify these two points in any order,
depending on the cursor direction after the first point. Direct distance entry
specifies a distance in the direction of the current location of your cursor.
Coordinate filters combine X, Y, and Z values from different points into a
single point. Relative coordinate entry locates a point relative to the last point
entered.
You can also access tracking by holding down SHIFT and right-clicking to
display the object snap shortcut menu.

Object Snaps (Command Modifier)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps

Specifies a precise point at a location on an object.
Command entry: Within a command, at a prompt to locate a point, specify
an object snap
When you specify an object snap, the cursor snaps to the specified point on
an object closest to the center of the cursor. By default, a marker and a tooltip
are displayed when you move the cursor over the object snap location on an
object.

Specify a Single Object Snap
If you specify a single object snap, it stays in effect only for the next point
you specify.

2136 | Chapter 26 Command Modifiers

You can specify an object snap with any of the following methods:
■

Enter a object snap by typing its name. To see a list of valid object snaps,
refer to the OSNAP on page 1380 command or the Drafting Settings Dialog
Box on page 664.

■

Click an object snap from the Object Snap toolbar.

■

Click an object snap from the Object Snap shortcut menu. You can diisplay
this shortcut menu by pressing SHIFT while you right-click.

Use Running Object Snaps
Using the OSNAP or DSETTINGS commands, you can specify a set of running
object snaps. Running object snaps are one or more object snaps that remain
in effect as you work.
■

To turn running object snaps on and off, click the OSNAP button on the
status bar or press F3.

■

Press TAB to cycle through the object snap possibilities before you specify
the point.

■

To turn off running object snaps for the next point only, specify the None
object snap.

Selection Modes (Command Modifier)
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select Objects

Controls how you create selection sets
Command entry: At a prompt to select objects, enter one of the valid selection
modes described in the SELECT command
The selection mode you enter remains active only for the current Select Objects
prompt.

Selection Modes (Command Modifier) | 2137

2138

System Variables

AutoCAD LT® stores the values for its operating environment and some of its commands in
system variables. You can examine any system variable and change any writable system
variable directly at the command prompt by entering the system variable name or by using
the SETVAR command or the AutoLISP® getvar and setvar functions. Many system variables
are also accessible through dialog box options
To access a list of system variables, on the Contents tab of the Help window, click the + sign
next to System Variables.

2139

2140

3D System Variables

27

3DDWFPREC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish 3D DWF Files

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Controls the precision of 3D DWF or 3D DWFx publishing.
This system variable has a range from 1 to 6. Higher settings result in finer
precision.
3DDWFPREC Value Deviation Value
1

1

2

0.5

3

0.2

4

0.1

5

0.01

6

0.001

2141

NOTE Setting a 3DDWFPREC value of 5 or 6 will create very large files or sheets
in a multi-sheet DWF or DWFx.

3DCONVERSIONMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Lights in Drawings from Previous Versions of AutoCAD

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Used to convert material and light definitions to the current product release
3DCONVERSIONMODE Deviation Value
Value
0

No material or lighting conversion takes place when the
drawing is opened

1

Material and lighting conversion takes place automatically

2

You are prompted to convert any materials or lighting.

3DOSMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 11
Controls the settings for the 3D object snaps.

2142 | Chapter 27 3D System Variables

Controls which 3D object snaps are enabled. The setting is stored as a bitcode
using the sum of the following values:
Value

Description

Shortcut Keys

0

Enables all 3D object snaps

1

Disables all 3D object snaps

ZNON

2

Snaps to a vertex or a control vertex

ZVER

4

Snaps to the midpoint on a face edge

ZMID

8

Snaps to the center of a face

ZCEN

16

Snaps to a spline or surface knot

ZKNO

32

Snaps to a perpendicular face (planar
faces only)

ZPER

64

Snaps to an object nearest to a face

ZNEA

126

Turns on all 3D object snaps

To specify more than one object snap, enter the sum or their values. For
example, entering 6 specifies the vertex (2) and midpoint (4) object snaps.
Entering 126 turns on all 3D object snaps.

3DSELECTIONMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select Objects Individually

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1

3DSELECTIONMODE | 2143

Controls the selection precedence of both visually and physically overlapping
objects when using 3D visual styles.
0

Use legacy 3D selection precedence

1

Use line-of-sight 3D selection precedence for selecting 3D
solids and surfaces. Also, a defining object associated with
a surface is given selection precedence with this setting.

3DSELECTIONMODE has no effect when selecting 3D solids if they are
displayed as 2D or 3D wireframes.

2144 | Chapter 27 3D System Variables

A System Variables

28

ACADLSPASDOC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

AutoLISP and Visual LISP

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the acad.lsp file is loaded into every drawing or just the first
drawing opened in a session.
0

Loads acad.lsp into just the first drawing opened in a session

1

Loads acad.lsp into every drawing opened

ACADPREFIX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

2145

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Stores the directory path, if any, specified by the ACAD environment variable,
with path separators appended if necessary.

ACADVER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize the Drawing Environment

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Stores the AutoCAD version number.
This variable differs from the DXF file $ACADVER header variable, which
contains the drawing database level number.

ACISOUTVER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export ACIS SAT Files

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 70
Controls the ACIS version of SAT files created using the ACISOUT command.
ACISOUT only supports a value of 15 through 18, 20, 21, 30, 31, 40, 50, 60,
and 70.

2146 | Chapter 28 A System Variables

ACTPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Play Back an Action Macro

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: ""
Specifies the additional paths to use when locating available action macros
for playback.
NOTE To specify more than one path, but you need to enter a semi-colon between
each path.

ACTRECORDERSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Action Macros

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Specifies the current state of the Action Recorder.
0

Action Recorder is idle

1

Action Recorder is active; an action macro is currently
being recorded

2

Action Recorder is active; an action macro is currently
being played back

ACTPATH | 2147

ACTRECPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Action Macros

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies
Specifies the path used to store new action macros.

ACTUI
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Action Macros

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 6
Controls the behavior of the Action Recorder panel when recording and
playing back macros.
0

No changes to the Action Recorder panel occur when recording or playing back an action macro

1

Action Recorder panel is expanded during playback

2

Action Recorder panel is expanded during recording

4

When recording is finished, prompt for a name and description for the action macro

2148 | Chapter 28 A System Variables

ADCSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Access Content with DesignCenter

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Indicates whether the DesignCenter window is open or closed.
For developers who need to determine status through AutoLISP.
0

Closed

1

Open

AFLAGS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Block Attributes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 16
Sets options for attributes.
The value is the sum of the following:
0

No attribute mode selected

1

Invisible

2

Constant

ADCSTATE | 2149

4

Verify

8

Preset

16

Lock position in block

32

Multiple lines

ANGBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Angular Dimensions

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the base angle to 0 with respect to the current UCS.

ANGDIR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Angular Dimensions

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the direction of positive angles.
Angle values are measured from angle 0 relative to the orientation of the
current UCS.
0

Counterclockwise

2150 | Chapter 28 A System Variables

1

Clockwise

ANNOALLVISIBLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Annotative Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Hides or displays annotative objects that do not support the current annotation
scale.
0

Only annotative objects that support the current are displayed

1

All annotative objects are displayed

The ANNOALLVISIBLE setting is saved individually for model space and each
layout.
NOTE When ANNOALLVISIBLE is set to 1, annotative objects that support more
than one scale will only display one .

ANNOAUTOSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Annotation Scale

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: -4

ANNOALLVISIBLE | 2151

Updates annotative objects to support the annotation scale when the
annotation scale is changed.
When the value is negative, the autoscale functionality is turned off, but the
settings are maintained:
1

Adds the newly set annotation scale to annotative objects
that support the current scale except for those on layers
that are turned off, frozen, locked or that are set to Viewport > Freeze.

-1

ANNOAUTOSCALE is turned off, but when turned back
on is set to 1.

2

Adds the newly set annotation scale to annotative objects
that support the current scale except for those on layers
that are turned off, frozen, or that are set to Viewport >
Freeze.

-2

ANNOAUTOSCALE is turned off, but when turned back
on is set to 2.

3

Adds the newly set annotation scale to annotative objects
that support the current scale except for those on layers
that are locked.

-3

ANNOAUTOSCALE is turned off, but when turned back
on is set to 3.

4

Adds the newly set annotation scale to all annotative objects that support the current scale.

-4

ANNOAUTOSCALE is turned off, but when turned back
on is set to 4.

2152 | Chapter 28 A System Variables

ANNOTATIVEDWG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Annotative Blocks and Attributes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies whether or not the drawing will behave as an annotative block when
inserted into another drawing.
0

Nonannotative

1

Annotative

NOTE The ANNOTATIVEDWG system variable becomes read-only if the drawing
contains annotative objects.

APBOX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Visual Aids for Object Snaps (AutoSnap)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Turns the display of the AutoSnap aperture box on or off.
The aperture box is displayed in the center of the crosshairs when you snap
to an object.
0

Off

ANNOTATIVEDWG | 2153

1

On

APERTURE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 10
Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels.
This system variable has the same name as a command. Use the SETVAR
command to access this system variable.
Enter a value (1-50). The higher the number, the larger the target box. You
can also change this setting in the Options dialog box, Drafting tab.
APERTURE controls the object snap target box, not the pickbox displayed at
the Select Objects prompt. The object selection pickbox is controlled by the
PICKBOX system variable.

APPLYGLOBALOPACITIES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

■

Transparency Dialog Box on page 1373

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0

2154 | Chapter 28 A System Variables

Applies transparency settings to all palettes.
0

Transparency settings off

1

Transparency settings on

This system variable determines the default setting for the Transparency dialog
box > Apply these settings to all palettes option on page 1373.

APSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Custom Block Authoring Tools

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether the Block Authoring Palettes window in the Block Editor
is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

AREA
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Obtain Area and Mass Properties Information

(Read-only)
Type:

Real

APSTATE | 2155

Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0.0000
This system variable has the same name as a command. Use the GETVAR
command to access this system variable.

ATTDIA
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Blocks

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the INSERT command uses a dialog box for attribute value
entry.
0

Issues Command prompts

1

Uses a dialog box

ATTIPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Block Attributes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the display of the in-place editor used to create multiline attributes.
0

Displays a limited in-place editor that includes only a few
formatting options

2156 | Chapter 28 A System Variables

1

Displays the full in-place editor with all formatting options

Use the limited in-place editor when creating multiline attributes for best
compatibility with releases prior to AutoCAD LT 2008.

ATTMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Block Attributes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls display of attributes.
0

Off: Makes all attributes invisible

1

Normal: Retains current visibility of each attribute; visible
attributes are displayed; invisible attributes are not

2

On: Makes all attributes visible

ATTMULTI
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define Block Attributes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1

ATTMODE | 2157

Controls whether multiline attributes can be created.
0

Turns off all access methods for creating multiline attributes. They can still be viewed and edited.

1

Turns on all access methods for creating multiline attributes.

ATTREQ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Blocks

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether INSERT uses default attribute settings during insertion of
blocks.
0

Assumes the defaults for the values of all attributes

1

Turns on prompts or a dialog box for attribute values, as
specified by ATTDIA

AUDITCTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Repair a Damaged Drawing File

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0

2158 | Chapter 28 A System Variables

Controls whether AUDIT creates an audit report (ADT) file.
0

Prevents writing of ADT files

1

Writes ADT files

AUNITS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Angular Unit Conventions

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets units for angles.
0

Decimal degrees

1

Degrees/minutes/seconds

2

Gradians

3

Radians

4

Surveyor's units

AUPREC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Angular Unit Conventions

Type:

Integer

AUNITS | 2159

Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the display precision for angular units and coordinates.
However, the internal precision of angular values and and coordinates is always
maintained, regardless of the display precision. AUPREC does not affect the
display precision of dimension text (see DIMSTYLE).
Valid values are integers from 0 to 8.

AUTODWFPUBLISH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Publish Options

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether DWF (Design Web Format) files are created automatically
when you save or close drawing (DWG) files.
0

Turns off automatic publishing to DWF files when a
drawing is saved or closed

1

Turns on automatic publishing to DWF files when a
drawing is saved or closed

The AUTOPUBLISH command controls additional options.
NOTE This command will be removed in a future release.

2160 | Chapter 28 A System Variables

AUTOMATICPUB
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Publish Options

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 0
Controls whether electronic files (DWF/PDF) are created automatically when
you save or close drawing (DWG) files.
0

Turns off automatic publishing to DWF/PDF files when a
drawing is saved or closed

1

Turns on automatic publishing to DWF/PDF files when a
drawing is saved or closed

The AUTOPUBLISH command controls additional options.

AUTOSNAP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Visual Aids for Object Snaps (AutoSnap)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 63
Controls the display of the AutoSnap marker, tooltip, and magnet.

AUTOMATICPUB | 2161

Also turns on polar and object snap tracking, and controls the display of polar
tracking, object snap tracking, and Ortho mode tooltips. The setting is stored
as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Turns off the AutoSnap marker, tooltips, and magnet. Also
turns off polar tracking, object snap tracking, and tooltips
for polar tracking, object snap tracking, and Ortho mode

1

Turns on the AutoSnap marker

2

Turns on the AutoSnap tooltips

4

Turns on the AutoSnap magnet

8

Turns on polar tracking

16

Turns on object snap tracking

32

Turns on tooltips for polar tracking, object snap tracking,
and Ortho mode

2162 | Chapter 28 A System Variables

B System Variables

29

BACKGROUNDPLOT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Plotting

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls whether background plotting is turned on or off for plotting and
publishing.
By default, background plotting is turned off for plotting and on for publishing.
Value

PLOT

PUBLISH

0

Foreground

Foreground

1

Background

Foreground

2

Foreground

Background

3

Background

Background

When -PLOT, PLOT, -PUBLISH, and PUBLISH are used in a script (SCR file), the
BACKGROUNDPLOT system variable value is ignored, and -PLOT, PLOT,
-PUBLISH, and PUBLISH are processed in the foreground.

2163

BACKZ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a 3D Dynamic View (DVIEW)

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Stores the back clipping plane offset from the target plane for the current
viewport, in drawing units.
Meaningful only if clipping is specified in CAMERA, DVIEW, or 3DCLIP. If
there are several cameras, the value is the last back clipping plane that you
set current. The distance of the back clipping plane from the camera point
can be found by subtracting BACKZ from the camera-to-target distance.

BACTIONBARMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Group Related Actions in Dynamic Blocks

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Indicates whether the action bars or the legacy action objects are displayed
in the Block Editor.
0

Legacy action objects are displayed in the
Block Editor.

1

Action bars are displayed in the Block Editor.

2164 | Chapter 29 B System Variables

NOTE The BACTIONSET,BASSOCIATE, and BLOOKUPTABLE on page 252 commands
are disabled when the BACTIONBARMODE system variable is set to 1.

BACTIONCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions and Parameters

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 7
Sets the text color of actions in the Block Editor.
Valid values include BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and an integer from 1 to 255.
Valid values for True Colors are a string of integers each from 1 to 255 separated
by commas and preceded by RGB. The True Color setting is entered as follows:
RGB:000,000,000

BCONSTATUSMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Identify Fully Constrained Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Turns the constraint display status on and off and controls the shading of
objects based on their constraint level.

BACTIONCOLOR | 2165

When the display status is on, objects are shaded based on whether they are
partially constrained, fully constrained, over constrained, or not constrained.
0

Turns off the constraint display status

1

Turns on the constraint display status

You can turn the display status on or off using an icon in the drawing status
bar. The colors corresponding to the constraint status can also be modified
in the Block Editor Settings dialog box. When you enter the Block Editor, the
value is always set to 0.

BDEPENDENCYHIGHLIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions and Parameters

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether or not dependent objects are dependency highlighted when
a parameter, action, or grip is selected in the Block Editor.
0

Specifies that dependent objects are not highlighted

1

Specifies that dependent objects are highlighted

Dependency highlighting displays objects with a halo effect.

BGRIPOBJCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions and Parameters

2166 | Chapter 29 B System Variables

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 141
Sets the color of grips in the Block Editor.
Valid values include BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and an integer from 1 to 255.
Valid values for True Colors are a string of integers each from 1 to 255 separated
by commas and preceded by RGB. The True Color setting is entered as follows:
RGB:000,000,000

BGRIPOBJSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions and Parameters

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 8
Sets the display size of custom grips in the Block Editor relative to the screen
display.
Valid values are integers from 1 to 255.

BINDTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save Back Edited Referenced Drawings and Blocks

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0

BGRIPOBJSIZE | 2167

Controls how xref names are handled when binding xrefs or editing xrefs in
place.
0

Traditional binding behavior ("xref1|one" becomes
"xref$0$one")

1

Insert-like behavior ("xref1|one" becomes "one")

BLIPMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Erase Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether marker blips are visible.
This system variable has the same name as the BLIPMODE command. Use the
SETVAR command to access this system variable.
0

Turns off marker blips

1

Turns on marker blips

BLOCKEDITLOCK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Edit Dynamic Blocks

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Registry

2168 | Chapter 29 B System Variables

Initial value: 0
Disallows opening of the Block Editor and editing of dynamic block definitions.
When BLOCKEDITLOCK is set to 1, double-clicking a dynamic block in a
drawing opens the Properties palette. If the dynamic block contains attributes,
double-clicking the block reference opens the Enhanced Attribute Editor.
Double click actions can be customized using the Double Click Actions.
0

Specifies that the Block Editor can be opened

1

Specifies that the Block Editor cannot be opened

BLOCKEDITOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Edit Dynamic Blocks

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether or not the Block Editor is open.
0

Indicates that the Block Editor is not open

1

Indicates that the Block Editor is open

BLOCKTESTWINDOW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Test Blocks Within the Block Editor

BLOCKEDITOR | 2169

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether or not a test block window is current.
The BLOCKTESTWINDOW system variable controls the display of the
contextual panel that is displayed when a test block window is current. When
the test block window is current, this system variable is set to 1, otherwise it
is set to 0.

BPARAMETERCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions and Parameters

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 170
Sets the color of parameters in the Block Editor.
Valid values include BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and an integer from 1 to 255.
Valid values for True Colors are a string of integers each from 1 to 255 separated
by commas and preceded by RGB. The True Color setting is entered as follows:
RGB:000,000,000

BPARAMETERFONT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions and Parameters

Type:
Saved in:

String
Registry

2170 | Chapter 29 B System Variables

Initial value: Simplex.shx
Sets the font used for parameters and actions in the Block Editor.
You can specify either a True Type font or a SHX font (for example, Verdana
or Verdana.ttf). You must add the .shx extension to specify an AutoCAD SHX
font. When specifying an Asian Big Font, use the following naming
convention: an SHX file followed by a comma (,), followed by the Big Font
file name (for example, Simplex.shx,Bigfont.shx).

BPARAMETERSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions and Parameters

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 12
Sets the size of parameter text and features in the Block Editor relative to the
screen display.
Valid values include an integer from 1 to 255.

BPTEXTHORIZONTAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions and Parameters

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1

BPARAMETERSIZE | 2171

Forces the text displayed for action parametes and constraint parameters in
the Block Editor to be horizontal.
0

Aligns text with the dimension line of the
parameter

1

Displays the text for action parameters and
constraint parameters in the Block Editor
horizontally

The BPTEXTHORIZONTAL system variable is applicable to the action
parameters and block constraint parameters.

BTMARKDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Actions and Parameters

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether or not value set markers are displayed for dynamic block
references.
0

Specifies that value set markers are not displayed

1

Specifies that value set markers are displayed

BVMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Visibility States

2172 | Chapter 29 B System Variables

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Controls how objects that are made invisible for the current visibility state
are displayed in the Block Editor.
0

Specifies that hidden objects are not visible

1

Specifies that hidden objects are visible but dimmed

BVMODE | 2173

2174

C System Variables

30

CALCINPUT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are evaluated
in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes.
0

Expressions are not evaluated

1

Expressions are evaluated after you press Alt+Enter

CAMERADISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Camera Properties

2175

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Turns the display of camera objects on or off.
The value changes to 1 (to display cameras) when you use the CAMERA
command.
0

Camera glyphs are not displayed

1

Camera glyphs are displayed

CAMERAHEIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Camera Properties

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Specifies the default height for new camera objects.
The height is expressed in current drawing units.

CANNOSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Annotation Scale

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1:1
Sets the name of the current annotation scale for the current space.

2176 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

You can only enter a named scale that exists in the drawing’s named scale
list.

CANNOSCALEVALUE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Annotation Scale

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000
Returns the value of the current annotation scale.

CAPTURETHUMBNAILS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Content reference to: Rewind Tool

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Specifies if and when thumbnails are captured for the Rewind tool.
0

No preview thumbnails are generated when a view change
occurs outside the SteeringWheels

1

Preview thumbnails are generated on demand for the Rewind tool when the bracket is positioned over an empty
frame

2

Preview thumbnails are automatically generated after each
view change occurs

CANNOSCALEVALUE | 2177

CBARTRANSPARENCY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Verify Geometric Constraints

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 50
Controls the transparency of the constraint bars.
The valid CBARTRANSPARENCY system variable is between 10 and 90. The
higher value makes the constraint bars more opaque.

CCONSTRAINTFORM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether annotational or dynamic constraints are applied to objects.
0

Dynamic

1

Annotational

When this system variable is set to 0, dynamic constraints are created, by
default, when you use the DIMCONSTRAINT command.

2178 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

CDATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Obtain General Drawing Information

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Stores the current date and time in decimal format.
The date and time displays in a decimal format starting with the year. After
the decimal point, CDATE displays the time using a 24-hour clock. For
example, the ninth day of February in the year 2006 at 3:05 pm displays as
20060209.150500.

CECOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change the Color of an Object

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: BYLAYER
Sets the color of new objects.
Valid values include the following:
■

BYLAYER or BYBLOCK

■

AutoCAD Color Index (ACI): integer values from 1 to 255, or a color name
from the first seven colors

■

True Colors: RGB or HSL values from 000 to 255 in the form
"RGB:130,200,240"

CDATE | 2179

■

Color Books: Text from standard PANTONE or custom color books, the
DIC color guide, or RAL color sets, for example "DIC COLOR GUIDE(R)$DIC
43"

CELTSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Linetype Scale

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000
Sets the current object linetype scaling factor.
Sets the linetype scaling for new objects relative to the LTSCALE command
setting. A line created with CELTSCALE = 2 in a drawing with LTSCALE set to
0.5 would appear the same as a line created with CELTSCALE = 1 in a drawing
with LTSCALE = 1.

CELTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Current Linetype

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: BYLAYER
Sets the linetype of new objects.

2180 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

CELWEIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Current Lineweight

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -1
Sets the lineweight of new objects.
-1

Sets the lineweight to "BYLAYER."

-2

Sets the lineweight to "BYBLOCK."

-3

Sets the lineweight to "DEFAULT." "DEFAULT" is controlled
by the LWDEFAULT system variable.

Other valid values entered in hundredths of millimeters include 0, 5, 9, 13,
15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 53, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 106, 120, 140, 158, 200,
and 211.
All values must be entered in hundredths of millimeters. (Multiply a value by
2540 to convert values from inches to hundredths of millimeters.)

CENTERMT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Multiline Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls how grips stretch multiline text that is centered horizontally.

CELWEIGHT | 2181

CENTERMT does not apply to stretching multiline text by using the ruler in
the In-Place Text Editor.
0

When you move a corner grip in centered multiline text,
the center grip moves in the same direction, and the grip
on the opposite side remains in place

1

When you move a corner grip in centered multiline text,
the center grip stays in place, and both sets of side grips
move in the direction of the stretch

CETRANSPARENCY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Change the Properties of Objects

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ByLayer
Sets the transparency level for new objects.
ByLayer

Transparency value determined by layer

ByBlock

Transparency value determined by block

0

Fully opaque (not transparent)

1-90

Transparency value defined as a percentage

To change the transparency of existing objects, use the Properties palette or
the Layer Properties Manager.
NOTE Transparency is limited to 90 percent to avoid confusion with layers that
are turned off or frozen.
The transparency level for new hatch objects is controlled by the
HPTRANSPARENCY system variable.

2182 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

CHAMFERA
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Chamfers

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the first chamfer distance when CHAMMODE is set to 0.

CHAMFERB
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Chamfers

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the second chamfer distance when CHAMMODE is set to 0.

CHAMFERC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Chamfers

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the chamfer length when CHAMMODE is set to 1.

CHAMFERA | 2183

CHAMFERD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Chamfers

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the chamfer angle when CHAMMODE is set to 1.

CHAMMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Chamfers

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Sets the input method for CHAMFER
0

Requires two chamfer distances

1

Requires a chamfer length and an angle

CIRCLERAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Circles

2184 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the default circle radius.
A zero indicates no default.

CLASSICKEYS
Quick Reference
Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Sets shortcuts to pre-Windows AutoCAD shortcuts or Windows shortcuts.
0

To copy, press Ctrl + C

1

To cancel, press Ctrl + C

CLAYER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Layer Settings and Layer Properties

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the current layer.

CLASSICKEYS | 2185

CLEANSCREENSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off.
0

Off

1

On

CLISTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Dock, Resize, and Hide the Command Window

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1
Indicates whether the command window is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

2186 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

CMATERIAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create New Materials

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: BYLAYER
Sets the material of new objects.
Valid values are BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and the name of a material in the
drawing.

CMDACTIVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Enter Commands on the Command Line

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Indicates whether an ordinary command, transparent command, script, or
dialog box is active.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

No active command

1

Ordinary command is active

2

Transparent command is active

4

Script is active

CMATERIAL | 2187

8

Dialog box is active

16

DDE is active

32

AutoLISP is active (only visible to an ObjectARX-defined
command)

64

ObjectARX command is active

CMDDIA
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Leaders

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of the In-Place Text Editor for the LEADER and QLEADER
commands.
0

Off

1

On

CMDECHO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

AutoLISP and Visual LISP

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Not-saved

2188 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

Initial value: 1
Controls whether prompts and input are echoed during the AutoLISP command
function.
0

Turns off echoing

1

Turns on echoing

CMDINPUTHISTORYMAX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shortcut Menus

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 20
Sets the maximum number of previous input values that are stored for a
prompt in a command.
Display of the history of user input is controlled by the INPUTHISTORYMODE
system variable.

CMDNAMES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Enter Commands on the Command Line

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: ""
Displays the names of the active and transparent commands.

CMDINPUTHISTORYMAX | 2189

For example, LINE'ZOOM indicates that the ZOOM command is being used
transparently during the LINE command.
This variable is designed for use with programming interfaces such as AutoLISP,
DIESEL, and ActiveX Automation.
The following is a simple example that demonstrates how to use DIESEL to
display the current command at the status line.
Command: modemacro
New value for MODEMACRO, or . for none <"">: $(getvar, cmdnames)
For additional information, see “Introduction to Programming Interfaces” in
the Customization Guide.

CMLEADERSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Leader Styles

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Standard
Sets the name of the current multileader style.

CMLJUST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Multilines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0

2190 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

Specifies multiline justification.
0

Top

1

Zero (Middle)

2

Bottom

CMLSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Multilines

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000 (imperial) or 20.0000 (metric)
Controls the overall width of a multiline.
A scale factor of 2.0 produces a multiline twice as wide as the style definition.
A zero scale factor collapses the multiline into a single line. A negative scale
factor flips the order of the offset lines (that is, the smallest or most negative
is placed on top when the multiline is drawn from left to right).

CMLSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Multilines

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Standard
Sets the multiline style that governs the appearance of the multiline.

CMLSCALE | 2191

COMPASS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use 3D Navigation Tools

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the 3D compass is on or off in the current viewport.
0

Turns off the 3D compass

1

Turns on the 3D compass

CONSTRAINTBARDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Controls the display of constraint bars after you apply constraints and when
you select geometrically constrained drawings.
0

Does not display constraint bars for selected objects after applying geometric constraints
NOTE Constraint bars will always be displayed when CONSTRAINTBAR = Showall,
even if you set the value of the CONSTRAINTBARDISPLAY system variable to 0.

2192 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

1

Displays constraint bars for selected objects
after applying constraints

2

Temporarily displays constraint bars for the
selected geometrically constrained objects

3

Bits 1 and 2 are both turned on

CONSTRAINTBARMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 4095
Controls the display of geometrical constraints on constraint bars.
1

Horizontal

2

Vertical

4

Perpendicular

8

Parallel

16

Tangent

32

Smooth

64

Coincident

128

Concentric

256

Colinear

512

Symmetric

CONSTRAINTBARMODE | 2193

1024

Equal

2048

Fix

For example, set CONSTRAINTBARMODE to 12 (8+4) to display parallel and
perpendicular constraints on the constraint bars.
Set CONSTRAINTBARMODE to 4095 to display constraint bars for all constraint
types.

CONSTRAINTINFER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Infer Geometric Constraints

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the geometric constraints are inferred while drawing and
editing geometry.
0

Geometric constraints are not inferred

1

Geometric constraints are inferred

CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Registry

2194 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

Initial value: 2
Controls the text format for dimensional constraints.
0

Name (for example, Width)

1

Value (for example, 4.0000)

2

Expression (for example, width = 4.0000)

NOTE The CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT system variable is also applicable to the
block constraint parameters (BCPARAMETER command) in the Block Editor.

CONSTRAINTRELAX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Objects with Geometric Constraints Applied

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether constraints are enforced or relaxed when editing an object.
0

Maintains constraints

1

Relaxes constraints

Use this system variable when you run scripts and action macros and want to
relax any constraints.

CONSTRAINTRELAX | 2195

CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Objects with Geometric Constraints Applied

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints.
0

Does not retain the size of the geometry
when a constraint is applied or modified

1

Retains the size of the geometry when a
constraint is applied or modified

When the CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE is set to 0, resizing a constrained line
may result in unpredictable behavior.

COORDS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Coordinate Entry

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the format and update frequency of coordinates on the status line.
0

The absolute coordinates of your pointing device is updated only when you specify points

2196 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

1

The absolute coordinates of your pointing device is updated continuously

2

The absolute coordinates of your pointing device is updated continuously except when a point, distance, or
angle is requested. In that case, relative polar coordinates
are displayed instead of X and Y. The Z values always display as absolute coordinates.

3

The absolute coordinates (WCS) of your pointing device
is updated continuously with the latitude and longitude
coordinate values of the geographic location.

COPYMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Copy Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the COPY command repeats automatically.
0

Sets the COPY command to repeat automatically

1

Sets the COPY command to create a single copy

CPLOTSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Plot Styles

COPYMODE | 2197

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ByColor
Controls the current plot style for new objects.
If the current drawing you are working in is in color-dependent mode
(PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1), CPLOTSTYLE is read-only and has a value of
BYCOLOR. If the current drawing you are working in is in named plot styles
mode (PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 0), CPLOTSTYLE can be set to the following
values (BYLAYER is the default):
"BYLAYER"
"BYBLOCK"
"NORMAL"
"USER DEFINED"
To convert the current drawing to use named or color-dependent plot styles,
use CONVERTPSTYLES.

CPROFILE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Interface Settings (Profiles)

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: <>
Displays the name of the current profile.

2198 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

CROSSINGAREACOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 100
Controls the color of the selection area during crossing selection.
The valid range is 1 to 255. The SELECTIONAREA system variable must be on.

CSHADOW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Backgrounds and Shadows

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the shadow display property for a 3D object.
To be visible, shadows must be turned on in the visual style that is applied to
the viewport.
0

Casts and receives shadows

1

Casts shadows

2

Receives shadows

3

Ignores shadows

CROSSINGAREACOLOR | 2199

NOTE To display full shadows, hardware acceleration is required. When Geometry
Acceleration is off, full shadows cannot be displayed. (To access these settings,
enter 3dconfig at the Command prompt. In the Adaptive Degradation and
Performance Tuning dialog box, click Manual Tune.)

CTAB
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Model Space Viewports

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Model
Returns the name of the current (model or layout) tab in the drawing.
Provides a means for the user to determine which tab is active.

CTABLESTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Table Styles

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Standard
Sets the name of the current table style

2200 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

CULLINGOBJ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Cycle Through and Filter Subobjects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether 3D subobjects that are hidden from view can be highlighted
or selected.
0

1

No subobject culling
■

Rolling over 3D objects highlights all 3D subobjects, including hidden subobjects.

■

Selecting 3D objects by dragging selects all 3D subobjects, including hidden
subobjects.

Apply subobject culling
■

Rolling over 3D objects highlights only the subobjects that are normal in the
current view.

■

Selecting 3D objects by dragging selects only the subobjects that are normal
in the current view.

CULLINGOBJSELECTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Cycle Through and Filter Subobjects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0

CULLINGOBJ | 2201

Controls whether 3D objects that are hidden from view can be highlighted
or selected.
0

1

No object culling
■

Rolling over 3D objects highlights all 3D objects, including hidden objects.

■

Selecting 3D objects by dragging selects all 3D objects, including hidden
objects.

Apply object culling
■

Rolling over 3D objects highlights only the objects that are normal in the
current view.

■

Selecting 3D objects by dragging selects only the objects that are normal in
the current view.

CURSORSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 5
Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size.
Valid settings range from 1 to 100 percent. When set to 100, the crosshairs
are full-screen and the ends of the crosshairs are never visible. When less than
100, the ends of the crosshairs may be visible when the cursor is moved to
one edge of the screen.

2202 | Chapter 30 C System Variables

CVPORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select and Use the Current Viewport

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Displays the identification number of the current viewport.
You can change this value, which changes the current viewport, if the
following conditions are met:
■

The identification number you specify is that of an active viewport.

■

A command in progress has not locked cursor movement to that viewport.

■

Tablet mode is off.

CVPORT | 2203

2204

D System Variables

31

DATALINKNOTIFY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Link a Table to External Data

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls the notification for updated or missing data links.
0

Disables data link update notification.

1

Enables data link notification. Notifies you that external
data is linked to the current drawing by displaying the
data link icon in the lower-right corner of the application
window (the notification area of the status bar tray). Will
not display balloon message notifications.

2

Enables data link notification and balloon message notifications. Notifies you that external data is linked to the
current drawing as in 1 above. Also displays a data link
file change notification in the area of the drawing where
the data link requires updating.

2205

DATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Obtain General Drawing Information

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Stores the current date and time in Modified Julian Date format.
This value is represented as a Modified Julian Date (MJD), which is the Julian
day number and decimal fraction of a day in the format:
.
The Modified Julian Date, conventionally called UT1, is a worldwide scientific
standard that assigns day numbers beginning at an essentially arbitrary date
and time of 12:00 a.m. on 1 January 4713 B.C. (B.C.E.). With this system, 4
July 1997 at 2:29:58 p.m. corresponds to 2450634.60387736, and 1 January
1998 at 12:00 noon corresponds to 2450815.50000000.
You can compute differences in date and time by subtracting the numbers
returned by DATE. To extract the seconds since midnight from the value
returned by DATE, use AutoLISP expressions:
(setq s (getvar "DATE"))
(setq seconds (* 86400.0 (- s (fix s))))

Because your computer clock provides the date and time, the DATE system
variable returns a true Julian date only if the system clock is set to UTC/Zulu
(Greenwich Mean Time). TDCREATE and TDUPDATE have the same format
as DATE, but their values represent the creation time and last update time of
the current drawing.

2206 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DBCSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Configure a Database for Use with PRODNAME Drawings

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether the dbConnect Manager is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

DBLCLKEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Double Click Actions

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the double click editing behavior in the drawing area.
Double click actions can be customized using the Customize User Interface
(CUI) Editor. The system variable can accept the values of On and Off in place
of 1 and 0.
0

Disabled

1

Enabled

DBCSTATE | 2207

DBMOD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save a Drawing

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates the drawing modification status.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
1

Object database modified

4

Database variable modified

8

Window modified

16

View modified

32

Field modified

The DBMOD value is reset to 0 when you save the drawing.

DCTCUST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Check Spelling

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies
Displays the path and file name of the current custom spelling dictionary.

2208 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DCTMAIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Check Spelling

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies by country/region
Displays the three letter keyword for the current main spelling dictionary.
You can specify a default main spelling dictionary using the SETVAR command.
When prompted for a new value for DCTMAIN, you can enter one of the
keywords below. Depending on the language version of the program, not all
dictionaries may be available.
Keyword

Language name

enu

American English

eng

British English (ise)

enc

Canadian English

cat

Catalan

csy

Czech

dan

Danish

nld

Dutch (primary)

fin

Finnish

fra

French (accented capitals)

frc

French (unaccented capitals)

deu

German (post-reform)

DCTMAIN | 2209

deo

German (pre-reform)

ita

Italian

nor

Norwegian (Bokmal)

ptb

Portuguese (Brazilian)

ptg

Portuguese (Iberian)

rus

Russian

esp

Spanish

sve

Swedish

DEFAULTGIZMO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Gizmos

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Sets the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo as the default during subobject
selection.
0

The 3D Move gizmo is displayed by default
when an object is selected in a 3D visual
style.

1

The 3D Rotate gizmo is displayed by default
when an object is selected in a 3D visual
style.

2210 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

2

The 3D Scale gizmo is displayed by default
when an object is selected in a 3D visual
style.

3

No gizmo is displayed by default when an
object is selected in a 3D visual style.

Set this variable to display the gizmo you use most often by default.

With the 3D Move gizmo, you can restrict the movement of selected objects
along an X, Y, or Z axis, or within a specified plane. To specify the movement
limitations, hover the cursor over the gizmo until the axis or plane is
highlighted.
With the 3D Rotate gizmo, you can restrict the rotation of selected objects
about an X, Y, or Z axis. To specify the rotation axis, hover the cursor over the
gizmo until the axis line is displayed in red and the revolution path is
highlighted in yellow.

DEFAULTGIZMO | 2211

With the 3D Scale gizmo, you can resize selected objects uniformly, resize
them along an X, Y, or Z axis, or resize them along a specified plane. To specify
the scale limitations, hover the cursor over the gizmo. Highlight the solid area
between the axes for uniform resizing. Highlight the double lines between
the axes to specify resizing along a plane. Highlight an axis to specify resizing
along an axis.

2212 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

No gizmo is displayed by default when an object is selected in a 3D visual
style.

You can also change the gizmo defaults on the Subobject panel of the Home
and Mesh Modeling tabs.

DEFAULTLIGHTING
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Lighting

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Turns on and off default lighting in place of other lighting.
Default lighting is provided by a set of distant lights that follow the view
direction. When default lighting is on, the sun and other lights do not cast

DEFAULTLIGHTING | 2213

light, even if they are turned on. The setting of this system variable is
viewport-specific.
0

Default lighting is automatically turned off when point
lights, spotlights, distant lights, or the sun are on

1

Default lighting only is turned on

DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Lighting

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies the type of default lighting, old or new.
The default lighting provided in AutoCAD 2006 and earlier releases used one
distant light. The new default lighting uses two distant lights to illuminate
more of the model and also adjusts ambient light. The setting of this system
variable is viewport-specific.
0

Old type of default lighting

1

New type of default lighting

DEFLPLSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Plot Styles

2214 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: ByColor
Specifies the default plot style for all layers in a drawing when opening a
drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000, or for Layer 0
when creating a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
When the drawing is opened and PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1 (color-dependent
plot style mode), DEFLPLSTYLE is read-only and has a value of “BYCOLOR.”
If PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 0 (named plot style mode) when the drawing is
opened, DEFLPLSTYLE is writable and has a default value of “NORMAL.”
To convert the current drawing to use named or color-dependent plot styles,
use CONVERTPSTYLES.

DEFPLSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Plot Styles

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: ByColor
Specifies the default plot style for new objects in a drawing when opening a
drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000, or when creating
a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
When the drawing is opened and PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1 (color-dependent
plot style mode), DEFPLSTYLE is read-only and has a value of “BYCOLOR.” If
PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 0 (named plot style mode), DEFPLSTYLE is writable
and has a default value of “BYLAYER.”
To convert the current drawing to use named or color-dependent plot styles,
use CONVERTPSTYLES.

DEFPLSTYLE | 2215

DELOBJ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Combine Areas (Regions)

■

Create Solids and Surfaces from Lines and Curves

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Controls whether geometry used to create 3D objects is retained or deleted.
If the SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY on page 2537 system variable is set to 1, the
DELOBJ setting is ignored.
0

All defining geometry is retained.

1

Deletes profile curves, including those used with the EXTRUDE, SWEEP, REVOLVE, and LOFT commands. Removes
all defining geometry for CONVTOSOLID on page 363,
CONVTOSURFACE on page 366, CONVTONURBS, and
CONVTOMESH commands. Cross sections used with the
LOFT command are also deleted.

2

Deletes all defining geometry, including paths and guide
curves used with the SWEEP and LOFT commands.

3

Deletes all defining geometry, including paths and guide
curves used with the SWEEP and LOFT commands if the
action results in a solid object. Removes all defining geometry for CONVTOSOLID, CONVTOSURFACE, CONVTONURBS, and CONVTOMESH commands.

-1

Displays prompts to delete profile curves, including those
used with the EXTRUDE, SWEEP, REVOLVE, and LOFT
commands. Prompts to remove cross sections used with
the LOFT command.
The original geometry for CONVTOSOLID, CONVTOSURFACE, and CONVTOMESH commands is removed without
prompting.

2216 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

-2

Displays prompts to delete all defining geometry, including
paths and guide curves used with the SWEEP and LOFT
commands.
The original geometry for CONVTOSOLID, CONVTOSURFACE, and CONTOMESH commands is removed without
prompting.

-3

Displays prompts to delete all defining geometry if the
resulting entities are a surface of any type. Deletes all original geometry resulting in a solid entity, original geometry
for CONVTOSOLID, CONVTOSURFACE, CONVTONURBS,
and CONVTOMESH commands is removed without
prompting

DEMANDLOAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Demand Loading

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Specifies if and when to demand-load certain applications.
If you set this system variable to 0, third-party applications and some AutoCAD
commands cannot function.
0

Turns off demand-loading.

1

Demand-loads the source application when you open a
drawing that contains custom objects. This setting does
not demand-load the application when you invoke one
of the application's commands.

2

Demand-loads the source application when you invoke
one of the application's commands. This setting does not

DEMANDLOAD | 2217

demand-load the application when you open a drawing
that contains custom objects.
3

Demand-loads the source application when you open a
drawing that contains custom objects or when you invoke
one of the application's commands

DGNFRAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Hide and Show Underlay Frames

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Determines whether DGN underlay frames are visible or plotted in the current
drawing.
The FRAME system variable overrides the DGNFRAME setting. Use the
DGNFRAME system variable after the FRAME system variable to reset the DGN
frame settings.
0

The DGN underlay frame is not displayed or plotted

1

The DGN underlay frame is displayed and plotted

2

The DGN underlay frame is displayed but not plotted

DGNIMPORTMAX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import MicroStation DGN Files

2218 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 10000000
Sets the maximum number of elements that are translated when importing a
DGN file.
This limit prevents the program from running out of memory and suspending
when importing large DGN files.
0

Turns off the limit.

>0

Sets the limit for the number of elements.

DGNMAPPINGPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Manage Translation Mapping Setups

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies
Specifies the location of the dgnsetups.ini file where DGN mapping setups
are stored.
NOTE You can set the location of the dgnsetups.ini file in Files tab (Options dialog
box).

DGNOSNAP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps with Underlays

DGNMAPPINGPATH | 2219

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Determines whether object snapping is active for geometry in DGN underlays
that are attached to the drawing.
The UOSNAP system variable overrides the DGNOSNAP setting.
0

Turns off object snapping for geometry in all DGN underlay attachments in the drawing

1

Turns on object snapping for geometry in all DGN underlay attachments in the drawing

DIASTAT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Stores the exit method of the most recently used dialog box.
0

Cancel

1

OK

NOTE The DIASTAT system variable does not apply to standard file selection dialog
boxes, such as the Select File and the Save Drawing As dialog boxes.

2220 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DIGITIZER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Freehand Sketches

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Identifies digitizers connected to the system.
1

Integrated touch

2

External touch

4

Integrated pen

8

External pen

16

Multiple input

128

Input devices are ready

DIMADEC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Angular Dimensions

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0

DIGITIZER | 2221

Controls the number of precision places displayed in angular dimensions.
-1

Angular dimensions display the number of decimal places
specified by DIMDEC.

0-8

Specifies the number of decimal places displayed in angular dimensions (independent of DIMDEC)

DIMALT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls the display of alternate units in dimensions.
See also DIMALTD, DIMALTF, DIMALTTD, DIMALTTZ, DIMALTZ, and
DIMAPOST.
Off

Disables alternate units

On

Enables alternate units

DIMALTD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Drawing

2222 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Initial value: 2 (imperial) or 3 (metric)
Controls the number of decimal places in alternate units.
If DIMALT is turned on, DIMALTD sets the number of digits displayed to the
right of the decimal point in the alternate measurement.

DIMALTF
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 25.4000 (imperial) or 0.0394 (metric)
Controls the multiplier for alternate units.
If DIMALT is turned on, DIMALTF multiplies linear dimensions by a factor to
produce a value in an alternate system of measurement. The initial value
represents the number of millimeters in an inch.

DIMALTRND
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Rounds off the alternate dimension units.

DIMALTF | 2223

DIMALTTD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2 (imperial) or 3 (metric)
Sets the number of decimal places for the tolerance values in the alternate
units of a dimension.

DIMALTTZ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls suppression of zeros in tolerance values.
0

Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches

1

Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches

2

Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches

3

Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet

To suppress leading or trailing zeros, add the following values to one of the
preceding values:
4

Suppresses leading zeros

2224 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

8

Suppresses trailing zeros

DIMALTU
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Sets the units format for alternate units of all dimension substyles except
Angular.
1

Scientific

2

Decimal

3

Engineering

4

Architectural (stacked)

5

Fractional (stacked)

6

Architectural

7

Fractional

8

Microsoft Windows Desktop (decimal format using Control
Panel settings for decimal separator and number grouping
symbols)

DIMALTU | 2225

DIMALTZ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the suppression of zeros for alternate unit dimension values.
DIMALTZ values 0-3 affect feet-and-inch dimensions only.
0

Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches

1

Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches

2

Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches

3

Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet

4

Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 0.5000 becomes .5000)

8

Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5)

12

Suppresses both leading and trailing zeros (for example,
0.5000 becomes .5)

DIMANNO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Annotative Dimensions and Tolerances

2226 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether or not the current dimension style is .
0

Nonannotative

1

Annotative

DIMAPOST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Specifies a text prefix or suffix (or both) to the alternate dimension
measurement for all types of dimensions except angular.
For instance, if the current units are Architectural, DIMALT is on, DIMALTF
is 25.4 (the number of millimeters per inch), DIMALTD is 2, and DIMAPOST
is set to "mm", a distance of 10 units would be displayed as 10"[254.00mm].
To turn off an established prefix or suffix (or both), set it to a single period
(.).

DIMARCSYM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Arc Length Dimensions

DIMAPOST | 2227

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls display of the arc symbol in an arc length dimension.
0

Places arc length symbols before the dimension text

1

Places arc length symbols above the dimension text

2

Suppresses the display of arc length symbols

DIMASSOC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Associative Dimensions

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Controls the associativity of dimension objects and whether dimensions are
exploded.
0

Creates exploded dimensions. There is no association
between the various elements of the dimension. The lines,
arcs, arrowheads, and text of a dimension are drawn as
separate objects.

1

Creates non-associative dimension objects. The elements
of the dimension are formed into a single object. If one
of the definition points of the dimension moves, the dimension is updated.

2

Creates associative dimension objects. The elements of
the dimension are formed into a single object, and one
or more definition points of the dimension are coupled
with association points on geometric objects. If the asso-

2228 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

ciation point on the geometric object moves, the dimension location, orientation, and value are updated.

DIMASSOC is not stored in a dimension style.
Drawings saved in a format previous to AutoCAD 2002 retain the setting of
the DIMASSOC system variable. When the drawing is reopened in AutoCAD
2002 or later, the dimension associativity setting is restored.

DIMASZ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Arrowheads

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.1800 (imperial) or 2.5000 (metric)
Controls the size of dimension line and leader line arrowheads. Also controls
the size of hook lines.
Multiples of the arrowhead size determine whether dimension lines and text
should fit between the extension lines. DIMASZ is also used to scale arrowhead
blocks if set by DIMBLK. DIMASZ has no effect when DIMTSZ is other than
zero.

DIMATFIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Fit Dimension Text Within Extension Lines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 3

DIMASZ | 2229

Determines how dimension text and arrows are arranged when space is not
sufficient to place both within the extension lines.
0

Places both text and arrows outside extension lines

1

Moves arrows first, then text

2

Moves text first, then arrows

3

Moves either text or arrows, whichever fits best

A leader is added to moved dimension text when DIMTMOVE is set to 1.

DIMAUNIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Angular Dimensions

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the units format for angular dimensions.
0

Decimal degrees

1

Degrees/minutes/seconds

2

Gradians

3

Radians

DIMAUNIT sets this value when entered at the Command prompt or when
set from the Primary Units area in the Annotation dialog box.

2230 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DIMAZIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Suppress Zeros in Dimensions

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Suppresses zeros for angular dimensions.
0

Displays all leading and trailing zeros

1

Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 0.5000 becomes .5000)

2

Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5)

3

Suppresses leading and trailing zeros (for example, 0.5000
becomes .5)

DIMBLK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Arrowheads

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Sets the arrowhead block displayed at the ends of dimension lines.
To return to the default, closed-filled arrowhead display, enter a single period
(.). Arrowhead block entries and the names used to select them in the New,

DIMAZIN | 2231

Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes are shown below. You
can also enter the names of user-defined arrowhead blocks.
NOTE Annotative blocks cannot be used as custom arrowheads for dimensions
or leaders.
""

closed filled

"_DOT"

dot

"_DOTSMALL"

dot small

"_DOTBLANK"

dot blank

"_ORIGIN"

origin indicator

"_ORIGIN2"

origin indicator 2

"_OPEN"

open

"_OPEN90"

right angle

"_OPEN30"

open 30

"_CLOSED"

closed

"_SMALL"

dot small blank

"_NONE"

none

"_OBLIQUE"

oblique

"_BOXFILLED"

box filled

"_BOXBLANK"

box

2232 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

"_CLOSEDBLANK"

closed blank

"_DATUMFILLED"

datum triangle filled

"_DATUMBLANK"

datum triangle

"_INTEGRAL"

integral

"_ARCHTICK"

architectural tick

DIMBLK1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Arrowheads

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Sets the arrowhead for the first end of the dimension line when DIMSAH is
on.
To return to the default, closed-filled arrowhead display, enter a single period
(.). For a list of arrowheads, see DIMBLK.
NOTE Annotative blocks cannot be used as custom arrowheads for dimensions
or leaders.

DIMBLK1 | 2233

DIMBLK2
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Arrowheads

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Sets the arrowhead for the second end of the dimension line when DIMSAH
is on.
To return to the default, closed-filled arrowhead display, enter a single period
(.). For a list of arrowhead entries, see DIMBLK.
NOTE Annotative blocks cannot be used as custom arrowheads for dimensions
or leaders.

DIMCEN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Radial Dimensions

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0900 (imperial) or 2.5000 (metric)
Controls drawing of circle or arc center marks and centerlines by the
DIMCENTER, DIMDIAMETER, and DIMRADIUS commands.
For DIMDIAMETER and DIMRADIUS, the center mark is drawn only if you
place the dimension line outside the circle or arc.
0

No center marks or lines are drawn

<0

Centerlines are drawn

2234 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

>0

Center marks are drawn

The absolute value specifies the size of the center mark or centerline.
The size of the centerline is the length of the centerline segment that extends
outside the circle or arc. It is also the size of the gap between the center mark
and the start of the centerline.
The size of the center mark is the distance from the center of the circle or arc
to the end of the center mark.

DIMCLRD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Dimension Lines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Assigns colors to dimension lines, arrowheads, and dimension leader lines.
Also controls the color of leader lines created with the LEADER command.
Color numbers are displayed in the Select Color dialog box. For BYBLOCK,
enter 0. For BYLAYER, enter 256.

DIMCLRE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Override a Dimension Style

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Assigns colors to extension lines, center marks, and centerlines.

DIMCLRD | 2235

Color numbers are displayed in the Select Color dialog box. For BYBLOCK,
enter 0. For BYLAYER, enter 256.

DIMCLRT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Appearance of Dimension Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Assigns colors to dimension text.
The color can be any valid color number.

DIMCONSTRAINTICON
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Displays the lock icon next to the text for dimensional constraints.
0

Does not display the lock icon next to the
text for dimensional constraints

1

Displays the icon for dynamic constraints

2

Displays the icon for annotational constraints

2236 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

3

Displays the icon for dynamic and annotational constraints

DIMDEC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 4 (imperial) or 2 (metric)
Sets the number of decimal places displayed for the primary units of a
dimension.
The precision is based on the units or angle format you have selected. Specified
value is applied to angular dimensions when DIMADEC on page 2221 is set to
-1.

DIMDLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Dimension Lines

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the distance the dimension line extends beyond the extension line when
oblique strokes are drawn instead of arrowheads.

DIMDEC | 2237

DIMDLI
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Dimension Lines

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.3800 (imperial) or 3.7500 (metric)
Controls the spacing of the dimension lines in baseline dimensions.
Each dimension line is offset from the previous one by this amount, if
necessary, to avoid drawing over it. Changes made with DIMDLI are not
applied to existing dimensions.

DIMDSEP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
Single-character
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: . (imperial) or , (metric)
Specifies a single-character decimal separator to use when creating dimensions
whose unit format is decimal.
When prompted, enter a single character at the Command prompt. If
dimension units is set to Decimal, the DIMDSEP character is used instead of
the default decimal point. If DIMDSEP is set to NULL (default value, reset by
entering a period), the decimal point is used as the dimension separator.

2238 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DIMEXE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Extension Lines

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.1800 (imperial) or 1.2500 (metric)
Specifies how far to extend the extension line beyond the dimension line.

DIMEXO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Extension Lines

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0625 (imperial) or 0.6250 (metric)
Specifies how far extension lines are offset from origin points.
With fixed-length extension lines, this value determines the minimum offset.

DIMFRAC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Fractions

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Drawing

DIMEXE | 2239

Initial value: 0
Sets the fraction format when DIMLUNIT is set to 4 (Architectural) or 5
(Fractional).
0

Horizontal stacking

1

Diagonal stacking

2

Not stacked (for example, 1/2)

DIMFXL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Extension Lines

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000
Sets the total length of the extension lines starting from the dimension line
toward the dimension origin.

DIMFXLON
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Extension Lines

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls whether extension lines are set to a fixed length.
When DIMFXLON is on, extension lines are set to the length specified by
DIMFXL.

2240 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DIMGAP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Location of Dimension Text

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0900 (imperial) or 0.6250 (metric)
Sets the distance around the dimension text when the dimension line breaks
to accommodate dimension text.
Also sets the gap between annotation and a hook line created with the LEADER
command. If you enter a negative value, DIMGAP places a box around the
dimension text.
DIMGAP is also used as the minimum length for pieces of the dimension line.
When the default position for the dimension text is calculated, text is
positioned inside the extension lines only if doing so breaks the dimension
lines into two segments at least as long as DIMGAP. Text placed above or
below the dimension line is moved inside only if there is room for the
arrowheads, dimension text, and a margin between them at least as large as
DIMGAP: 2 * (DIMASZ + DIMGAP).

DIMJOGANG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Radial Dimensions

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 45
Determines the angle of the transverse segment of the dimension line in a
jogged radius dimension.

DIMGAP | 2241

Jogged radius dimensions are often created when the center point is located
off the page. Valid settings range is 5 to 90.

DIMJUST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Location of Dimension Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the horizontal positioning of dimension text.
0

Positions the text above the dimension line and centerjustifies it between the extension lines

1

Positions the text next to the first extension line

2

Positions the text next to the second extension line

3

Positions the text above and aligned with the first extension line

4

Positions the text above and aligned with the second extension line

DIMLDRBLK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Leader Objects

Type:

String

2242 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Specifies the arrow type for leaders.
To return to the default, closed-filled arrowhead display, enter a single period
(.). For a list of arrowhead entries, see DIMBLK.
NOTE Annotative blocks cannot be used as custom arrowheads for dimensions
or leaders.

DIMLFAC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Scale for Dimensions

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000
Sets a scale factor for linear dimension measurements.
All linear dimension distances, including radii, diameters, and coordinates,
are multiplied by DIMLFAC before being converted to dimension text. Positive
values of DIMLFAC are applied to dimensions in both model space and paper
space; negative values are applied to paper space only.
DIMLFAC applies primarily to nonassociative dimensions (DIMASSOC set 0
or 1). For nonassociative dimensions in paper space, DIMLFAC must be set
individually for each layout viewport to accommodate viewport scaling.
DIMLFAC has no effect on angular dimensions, and is not applied to the
values held in DIMRND, DIMTM, or DIMTP.

DIMLFAC | 2243

DIMLIM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Lateral Tolerances

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Generates dimension limits as the default text.
Setting DIMLIM to On turns DIMTOL off.
Off

Dimension limits are not generated as default text

On

Dimension limits are generated as default text

DIMLTEX1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Extension Lines

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Sets the linetype of the first extension line.
The value is BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, or the name of a linetype.

2244 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DIMLTEX2
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Extension Lines

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Sets the linetype of the second extension line.
The value is BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, or the name of a linetype.

DIMLTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Dimension Lines

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Sets the linetype of the dimension line.
The value is BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, or the name of a linetype.

DIMLUNIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:

Integer

DIMLTEX2 | 2245

Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Sets units for all dimension types except Angular.
1

Scientific

2

Decimal

3

Engineering

4

Architectural (always displayed stacked)

5

Fractional (always displayed stacked)

6

Microsoft Windows Desktop (decimal format using Control
Panel settings for decimal separator and number grouping
symbols)

DIMLWD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Dimension Lines

Type:
Enum
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -2
Assigns lineweight to dimension lines.
-3

Default (the LWDEFAULT value)

-2

BYBLOCK

-1

BYLAYER

The integer represents 1/100th of a mm.

2246 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DIMLWE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Extension Lines

Type:
Enum
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -2
Assigns lineweight to extension lines.
-3

Default (the LWDEFAULT value)

-2

BYBLOCK

-1

BYLAYER

The integer represents 1/100th of a mm.

DIMPOST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimension Units

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: None
Specifies a text prefix or suffix (or both) to the dimension measurement.
For example, to establish a suffix for millimeters, set DIMPOST to mm; a
distance of 19.2 units would be displayed as 19.2 mm.
If tolerances are turned on, the suffix is applied to the tolerances as well as to
the main dimension.

DIMLWE | 2247

Use <> to indicate placement of the text in relation to the dimension value.
For example, enter <>mm to display a 5.0 millimeter radial dimension as
"5.0mm". If you entered mm <>, the dimension would be displayed as "mm
5.0". Use the <> mechanism for angular dimensions.

DIMRND
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Round Off Dimension Values

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Rounds all dimensioning distances to the specified value.
For instance, if DIMRND is set to 0.25, all distances round to the nearest 0.25
unit. If you set DIMRND to 1.0, all distances round to the nearest integer.
Note that the number of digits edited after the decimal point depends on the
precision set by DIMDEC. DIMRND does not apply to angular dimensions.

DIMSAH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Arrowheads

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls the display of dimension line arrowhead blocks.
Off

Use arrowhead blocks set by DIMBLK

On

Use arrowhead blocks set by DIMBLK1 and DIMBLK2

2248 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DIMSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Scale for Dimensions

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000
Sets the overall scale factor applied to dimensioning variables that specify
sizes, distances, or offsets.
Also affects the leader objects with the LEADER command.
Use MLEADERSCALE to scale multileader objects created with the MLEADER
command.
0.0

A reasonable default value is computed based on the
scaling between the current model space viewport and
paper space. If you are in paper space or model space and
not using the paper space feature, the scale factor is 1.0.

>0

A scale factor is computed that leads text sizes, arrowhead
sizes, and other scaled distances to plot at their face values.

DIMSCALE does not affect measured lengths, coordinates, or angles.
Use DIMSCALE to control the overall scale of dimensions. However, if the
current dimension style is , DIMSCALE is automatically set to zero and the
dimension scale is controlled by the CANNOSCALE system variable. DIMSCALE
cannot be set to a non-zero value when using annotative dimensions.

DIMSD1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Dimension Lines

DIMSCALE | 2249

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls suppression of the first dimension line and arrowhead.
When turned on, suppresses the display of the dimension line and arrowhead
between the first extension line and the text.
Off

First dimension line is not suppressed

On

First dimension line is suppressed

DIMSD2
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Dimension Lines

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls suppression of the second dimension line and arrowhead.
When turned on, suppresses the display of the dimension line and arrowhead
between the second extension line and the text.
Off

Second dimension line is not suppressed

On

Second dimension line is suppressed

DIMSE1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Extension Lines

2250 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Suppresses display of the first extension line.
Off

Extension line is not suppressed

On

Extension line is suppressed

DIMSE2
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Extension Lines

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Suppresses display of the second extension line.
Off

Extension line is not suppressed

On

Extension line is suppressed

DIMSOXD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Dimension Lines

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off

DIMSE2 | 2251

Suppresses arrowheads if not enough space is available inside the extension
lines.
Off

Arrowheads are not suppressed

On

Arrowheads are suppressed

If not enough space is available inside the extension lines and DIMTIX is on,
setting DIMSOXD to On suppresses the arrowheads. If DIMTIX is off,
DIMSOXD has no effect.

DIMSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply a New Dimension Style to Existing Dimensions

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Standard (imperial) or ISO-25 (metric)
Stores the name of the current dimension style.
This system variable has the same name as a command. Use the SETVAR
command to access this system variable. The DIMSTYLE system variable is
read-only; to change the current dimension style, use the DIMSTYLE command.

DIMTAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Location of Dimension Text

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Drawing

2252 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Initial value: 0 (imperial) or 1 (metric)
Controls the vertical position of text in relation to the dimension line.
0

Centers the dimension text between the extension lines.

1

Places the dimension text above the dimension line except
when the dimension line is not horizontal and text inside
the extension lines is forced horizontal (DIMTIH = 1). The
distance from the dimension line to the baseline of the
lowest line of text is the current DIMGAP value.

2

Places the dimension text on the side of the dimension
line farthest away from the defining points.

3

Places the dimension text to conform to Japanese Industrial
Standards (JIS).

4

Places the dimension text below the dimension line.

DIMTDEC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Lateral Tolerances

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 4 (imperial) or 2 (metric)
Sets the number of decimal places to display in tolerance values for the primary
units in a dimension.
This system variable has no effect unless DIMTOL is set to On. The default for
DIMTOL is Off.

DIMTDEC | 2253

DIMTFAC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Scale for Dimensions

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000
Specifies a scale factor for the text height of fractions and tolerance values
relative to the dimension text height, as set by DIMTXT.
For example, if DIMTFAC is set to 1.0, the text height of fractions and
tolerances is the same height as the dimension text. If DIMTFAC is set to
0.7500, the text height of fractions and tolerances is three-quarters the size
of dimension text.

DIMTFILL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Appearance of Dimension Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the background of dimension text.
0

No background

1

The background color of the drawing

2

The background specified by DIMTFILLCLR

2254 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DIMTFILLCLR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Appearance of Dimension Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the color for the text background in dimensions.
Color numbers are displayed in the Select Color dialog box. For BYBLOCK,
enter 0. For BYLAYER, enter 256.

DIMTIH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Location of Dimension Text

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: On (imperial) or Off (metric)
Controls the position of dimension text inside the extension lines for all
dimension types except Ordinate.
Off

Aligns text with the dimension line

On

Draws text horizontally

DIMTFILLCLR | 2255

DIMTIX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Fit Dimension Text Within Extension Lines

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Draws text between extension lines.
Off

Varies with the type of dimension. For linear and angular
dimensions, text is placed inside the extension lines if there
is sufficient room. For radius and diameter dimensions
that don't fit inside the circle or arc, DIMTIX has no effect
and always forces the text outside the circle or arc.

On

Draws dimension text between the extension lines even
if it would ordinarily be placed outside those lines

DIMTM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Lateral Tolerances

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the minimum (or lower) tolerance limit for dimension text when DIMTOL
or DIMLIM is on.
DIMTM accepts signed values. If DIMTOL is on and DIMTP and DIMTM are
set to the same value, a tolerance value is drawn.

2256 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

If DIMTM and DIMTP values differ, the upper tolerance is drawn above the
lower, and a plus sign is added to the DIMTP value if it is positive.
For DIMTM, the program uses the negative of the value you enter (adding a
minus sign if you specify a positive number and a plus sign if you specify a
negative number).

DIMTMOVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Dimension Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets dimension text movement rules.
0

Moves the dimension line with dimension text

1

Adds a leader when dimension text is moved

2

Allows text to be moved freely without a leader

DIMTOFL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Fit Dimension Text Within Extension Lines

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off (imperial) or On (metric)
Controls whether a dimension line is drawn between the extension lines even
when the text is placed outside.

DIMTMOVE | 2257

For radius and diameter dimensions (when DIMTIX is off), draws a dimension
line inside the circle or arc and places the text, arrowheads, and leader outside.
Off

Does not draw dimension lines between the measured
points when arrowheads are placed outside the measured
points

On

Draws dimension lines between the measured points even
when arrowheads are placed outside the measured points

DIMTOH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Fit Dimension Text Within Extension Lines

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: On (imperial) or Off (metric)
Controls the position of dimension text outside the extension lines.
Off

Aligns text with the dimension line

On

Draws text horizontally

DIMTOL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Lateral Tolerances

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off

2258 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Appends tolerances to dimension text.
Setting DIMTOL to on turns DIMLIM off.

DIMTOLJ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Lateral Tolerances

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1 (imperial) or 0 (metric)
Sets the vertical justification for tolerance values relative to the nominal
dimension text.
This system variable has no effect unless DIMTOL is set to On. The default for
DIMTOL is Off.
0

Bottom

1

Middle

2

Top

DIMTP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Scale for Dimensions

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000

DIMTOLJ | 2259

Sets the maximum (or upper) tolerance limit for dimension text when DIMTOL
or DIMLIM is on.
DIMTP accepts signed values. If DIMTOL is on and DIMTP and DIMTM are
set to the same value, a tolerance value is drawn.
If DIMTM and DIMTP values differ, the upper tolerance is drawn above the
lower and a plus sign is added to the DIMTP value if it is positive.

DIMTSZ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Arrowheads

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Specifies the size of oblique strokes drawn instead of arrowheads for linear,
radius, and diameter dimensioning.
0

Draws arrowheads.

>0

Draws oblique strokes instead of arrowheads. The size of
the oblique strokes is determined by this value multiplied
by the DIMSCALE value

DIMTVP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Location of Dimension Text

Type:
Saved in:

Real
Drawing

2260 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Initial value: 0.0000
Controls the vertical position of dimension text above or below the dimension
line.
The DIMTVP value is used when DIMTAD is off. The magnitude of the vertical
offset of text is the product of the text height and DIMTVP. Setting DIMTVP
to 1.0 is equivalent to setting DIMTAD to on. The dimension line splits to
accommodate the text only if the absolute value of DIMTVP is less than 0.7.

DIMTXSTY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Appearance of Dimension Text

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Standard
Specifies the text style of the dimension.

DIMTXT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Appearance of Dimension Text

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.1800 (imperial) or 2.5000 (metric)
Specifies the height of dimension text, unless the current text style has a fixed
height.

DIMTXSTY | 2261

DIMTXTDIRECTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Appearance of Dimension Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies the reading direction of the dimension text.
0

Displays dimension text in a Left-to-Right reading style

1

Displays dimension text in a Right-to-Left reading style

DIMTZIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Lateral Tolerances

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0 (imperial) or 8 (metric)
Controls the suppression of zeros in tolerance values.
Values 0-3 affect feet-and-inch dimensions only.
0

Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches

1

Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches

2

Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches

3

Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet

2262 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

4

Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 0.5000 becomes .5000)

8

Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5)

12

Suppresses both leading and trailing zeros (for example,
0.5000 becomes .5)

DIMUPT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Location of Dimension Text

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls options for user-positioned text.
Off

Cursor controls only the dimension line location

On

Cursor controls both the text position and the dimension
line location

DIMZIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Suppress Zeros in Dimensions

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Drawing

DIMUPT | 2263

Initial value: 0 (imperial) or 8 (metric)
Controls the suppression of zeros in the primary unit value.
Values 0-3 affect feet-and-inch dimensions only:
0

Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches

1

Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches

2

Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches

3

Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet

4

Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 0.5000 becomes .5000)

8

Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5)

12

Suppresses both leading and trailing zeros (for example,
0.5000 becomes .5)

DIMZIN also affects real-to-string conversions performed by the AutoLISP rtos
and angtos functions.

DISPSILH
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0

2264 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Controls display of silhouette edges of 3D solid objects in a 2D Wireframe or
3D Wireframe visual style.
0

Off. Do not display silhouette edges

1

On. Display silhouette edges

When turned on, DISPSILH also suppresses the mesh displayed when using
the HIDE command in the 2D wireframe visual style.
Use the REGEN command to display the results.

DISTANCE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Obtain Distances, Angles, and Point Locations

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0.0000
Stores the distance computed by the DIST command.

DIVMESHBOXHEIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Box

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions for the height of a mesh box along the Z axis.

DISTANCE | 2265

This setting affects new mesh boxes that are created with the MESH command.
This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog box.

DIVMESHBOXLENGTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Box

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions for the length of a mesh box along the X axis.

2266 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

This setting affects new mesh boxes that are created with the MESH command.
This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog box.

DIVMESHBOXWIDTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Box

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions for the width of a mesh box along the Y axis.

This setting affects new mesh boxes that are created with the MESH command.
This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog box.

DIVMESHCONEAXIS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Cone

DIVMESHBOXWIDTH | 2267

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 8
Sets the number of subdivisions around the perimeter of the mesh cone base.

This setting affects new mesh cones that are created with the MESH command.
This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog box.

DIVMESHCONEBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Cone

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions between the perimeter and the center point
of the mesh cone base.

2268 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

This setting affects new mesh cones that are created with the MESH command.
This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog box.

DIVMESHCONEHEIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Cone

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions between the base and the point or top of the
mesh cone.

DIVMESHCONEHEIGHT | 2269

This setting affects new mesh cones that are created with the MESH command.
This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog box.

DIVMESHCYLAXIS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Cylinder

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 8
Sets the number of subdivisions around the perimeter of the mesh cylinder
base.

2270 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

This setting affects new mesh cylinders that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHCYLBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Cylinder

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of radial subdivisions from the center of the mesh cylinder
base to its perimeter.

DIVMESHCYLBASE | 2271

This setting affects new mesh cylinders that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHCYLHEIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Cylinder

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3

2272 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Sets the number of subdivisions between the base and the top of the mesh
cylinder.
This setting affects new mesh cylinders that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHPYRBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Pyramid

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of radial subdivisions between the center of the mesh pyramid
base and its perimeter.

DIVMESHPYRBASE | 2273

This setting affects new mesh pyramids that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHPYRHEIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Pyramid

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions between the base and the top of the mesh
pyramid.

2274 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

This setting affects new mesh pyramids that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHPYRLENGTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Pyramid

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions along each dimension of a mesh pyramid
base.

DIVMESHPYRLENGTH | 2275

This setting affects new mesh pyramids that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHSPHEREAXIS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Sphere

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 12

2276 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Sets the number of radial subdivisions around the axis endpoint of the mesh
sphere.
This setting affects new mesh spheres that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHSPHEREHEIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Sphere

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 6
Sets the number of subdivisions between the two axis endpoints of the mesh
sphere.

This setting affects new mesh spheres that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHSPHEREHEIGHT | 2277

DIVMESHTORUSPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Torus

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 8
Sets the number of subdivisions in the path that is swept by the profile of a
mesh torus.

This setting affects new mesh tori that are created with the MESH command.
This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog box.

DIVMESHTORUSSECTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Torus

2278 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 8
Sets the number of subdivisions in the profile that sweeps the path of a mesh
torus.

This setting affects new mesh tori that are created with the MESH command.
This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog box.

DIVMESHWEDGEBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Wedge

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions between the midpoint of the perimeter of
triangular dimension of the mesh wedge.

DIVMESHWEDGEBASE | 2279

This setting affects new mesh wedges that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHWEDGEHEIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Wedge

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions for the height of the mesh wedge along the
Z axis.

2280 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

This setting affects new mesh wedges that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHWEDGELENGTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Wedge

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 4
Sets the number of subdivisions for the length of a mesh wedge along the X
axis.

DIVMESHWEDGELENGTH | 2281

This setting affects new mesh wedges that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHWEDGESLOPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Wedge

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions in the slope that extends from the apex of
the wedge to the edge of the base.

2282 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

This setting affects new mesh wedges that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DIVMESHWEDGEWIDTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Mesh Wedge

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the number of subdivisions for the width of the mesh wedge along the
Y axis.

DIVMESHWEDGEWIDTH | 2283

This setting affects new mesh wedges that are created with the MESH
command. This value can also be set in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog
box.

DONUTID
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Donuts

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0.5000
Sets the default for the inside diameter of a donut.

DONUTOD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Donuts

2284 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1.0000
Sets the default for the outside diameter of a donut.
The value must be nonzero. If DONUTID is larger than DONUTOD, the two
values are swapped by the next command.

DRAGMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls the display of objects being dragged.
This system variable has the same name as a command. Use the SETVAR
command to access this system variable.
When it is on, the image of an object is displayed as you drag it to another
position. With some computer configurations, dragging can be
time-consuming. Use DRAGMODE to suppress dragging.
0

Does not display an outline of the object as you drag it

1

Displays the outline of the object as you drag it only if you
enter drag at the Command prompt after selecting the
object to drag

2

Auto; always displays an outline of the object as you drag
it

DRAGMODE | 2285

DRAGP1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 10
Sets the regen-drag input sampling rate.

DRAGP2
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 25
Sets the fast-drag input sampling rate.

DRAGVS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid Box

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""

2286 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Sets the visual style that is displayed while creating 3D solid and mesh
primitives and extruded solids, surfaces, and meshes.
You can enter a period (.) to specify the current visual style. DRAGVS can only
be set to a visual style that is saved in the drawing.
DRAGVS has no effect when the current viewport's visual style is set to 2D
Wireframe.
The visual style specified for DRAGVS cannot be removed with the PURGE
command.

DRAWORDERCTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 3
Controls the default display behavior of overlapping objects when they are
created or edited.
0

Turns off the default draw order of overlapping objects:
after objects are edited, regardless of their draw order,
the objects are displayed on top until a drawing is regenerated (REGEN) or reopened. This setting also turns off
draw order inheritance: new objects that are created from
another object using the commands listed below are not
assigned the draw order of the original object. Use this
setting to improve the speed of editing operations in large
drawings. The commands that are affected by inheritance
are BREAK, FILLET, HATCH, HATCHEDIT, EXPLODE, TRIM,
JOIN, PEDIT, and OFFSET.

1

Turns on the default draw order of objects: after objects
are edited, they are automatically displayed according to
the correct draw order.

DRAWORDERCTL | 2287

2

Turns on draw order inheritance: new objects created
from another object using the commands listed above are
assigned the draw order of the original object.

3

Provides full draw order display. Turns on the correct draw
order of objects, and turns on draw order inheritance.

NOTE Full draw order display may slow some editing operations.

DRSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Recover from a System Failure

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Indicates whether the Drawing Recovery Manager window is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

DTEXTED
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Single-Line Text

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Registry

2288 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

Initial value: 2
Specifies the user interface displayed for editing single-line text.
Obsolete command. Replaced by the TEXTED on page 2549 system variable.

DWFFRAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Hide and Show Underlay Frames

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Determines whether DWF or DWFx underlay frames are visible or plotted in
the current drawing.
The FRAME system variable overrides the DWFFRAME setting. Use the
DWFFRAME system variable after the FRAME system variable to reset the DWF
frame settings
0

The DWF or DWFx underlay frame is not visible and it is
not plotted

1

Displays the DWF or DWFx underlay frame and allows it
to be plotted

2

Displays the DWF or DWFx underlay frame but keeps it
from being plotted

DWFOSNAP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps with Underlays

DWFFRAME | 2289

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Determines whether object snapping is active for geometry in DWF or DWFx
underlays that are attached to the drawing.
The UOSNAP system variable overrides the DWFOSNAP setting.
0

Object snapping is disabled for geometry in all DWF or
DWFx underlay attachments in the drawing

1

Object snapping is enabled for geometry in all DWF or
DWFx underlay attachments in the drawing

DWGCHECK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Open a Drawing

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Checks drawings for potential problems when opening them.
0

If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem,
you are warned before the drawing is opened.

1

If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem,
or if it was saved by an application other than one released
by Autodesk or based on RealDWG, you are warned before
the drawing is opened.

2

If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem,
you are notified at the Command prompt.

3

If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem,
you are notified at the Command prompt. If the drawing
has a potential problem and the drawing was saved by

2290 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

an application other than one released by Autodesk or
based on RealDWG, you are warned before the drawing
is opened.

DWGCODEPAGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Text Fonts for International Work

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Stores the same value as SYSCODEPAGE (for compatibility reasons).

DWGNAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save a Drawing

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Drawing1.dwg
Stores the name of the current drawing.
If a new drawing has not been saved yet, DWGNAME defaults to Drawing1.dwg.
Additional new drawings are named Drawing2.dwg, Drawing3.dwg, and so on.
If you specified a drive and folder prefix, the prefix is stored in DWGPREFIX.

DWGCODEPAGE | 2291

DWGPREFIX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save a Drawing

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Stores the drive and folder prefix for the drawing.

DWGTITLED
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save a Drawing

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether the current drawing has been named.
0

Drawing has not been named

1

Drawing has been named

2292 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DXEVAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Update Extracted Data

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 12
Controls when data extraction tables are compared against the data source,
and if the data is not current, displays an update notification
The setting is stored as an integer using the sum of the following values:
0

No notification

1

Open

2

Save

4

Plot

8

Publish

16

eTransmit/Archive

32

Save with Automatic Update

64

Plot with Automatic Update

128

Publish with Automatic Update

256

eTransmit/Archive with Automatic Update

DXEVAL | 2293

DYNCONSTRAINTMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Dimensional Constraints

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Displays hidden dimensional constraints when constrained objects are selected.
0

Keeps constraints hidden when an object
is selected

1

Displays hidden constraints when dimensionally constrained objects are selected

NOTE This system variable takes effect when dynamic constraints are hidden (see
DCDISPLAY on page 515).

DYNDIGRIP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 31
Controls which dynamic dimensions are displayed during grip stretch editing.
The DYNDIVIS system variable must be set to 2, which displays all dynamic
dimensions.

2294 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

None

1

Resulting dimension

2

Length change dimension

4

Absolute angle dimension

8

Angle change dimension

16

Arc radius dimension

The DYNMODE system variable turns Dynamic Input features on and off.

DYNDIVIS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls how many dynamic dimensions are displayed during grip stretch
editing.
DYNDIGRIP controls which dynamic dimensions are displayed during grip
stretch editing.
0

Only the first dynamic dimension in the cycle order

1

Only the first two dynamic dimensions in the cycle order

2

All dynamic dimensions, as controlled by the DYNDIGRIP
system variable

The DYNMODE system variable turns Dynamic Input features on and off.

DYNDIVIS | 2295

DYNMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Turns Dynamic Input features on and off.
When all features are on, the context governs what is displayed.
When DYNMODE is set to a negative value, the Dynamic Input features are
not turned on, but the setting is stored. Press the Dyn button in the status bar
to set DYNMODE to the corresponding positive value.
0

All Dynamic Input features, including dynamic prompts,
off

1

Pointer input on

2

Dimensional input on

3

Both pointer input and dimensional input on

If dynamic prompts are on (DYNPROMPT is set to 1), they are displayed when
DYNMODE is set to 1, 2, or 3.
When dimensional input is turned on (DYNMODE = 2 or 3), the program
switches to pointer input when you enter a comma or an angle bracket (<),
or when you select multiple grip points.
When DYNMODE is set to 1, 2, or 3, you can turn off all features temporarily
by holding down the temporary override key, F12.
Settings are on the Dynamic Input tab in the Drafting Settings dialog box.

2296 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

DYNPICOORDS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether pointer input uses relative or absolute format for coordinates.
0

Relative

1

Absolute

The DYNMODE system variable turns Dynamic Input features on and off.

DYNPIFORMAT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether pointer input uses polar or Cartesian format for coordinates.
This setting applies only to a second or next point.
0

Polar

1

Cartesian

The DYNMODE system variable turns Dynamic Input features on and off.

DYNPICOORDS | 2297

DYNPIVIS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls when pointer input is displayed.
0

Only when you type at a prompt for a point

1

Automatically at a prompt for a point

2

Always

The DYNMODE system variable turns Dynamic Input features on and off.

DYNPROMPT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls display of prompts in Dynamic Input tooltips.
0

Off

1

On

2298 | Chapter 31 D System Variables

The DYNMODE system variable turns Dynamic Input features on and off.
When DYNMODE is set to 0 (off), prompts are not displayed regardless of the
DYNPROMPT setting.

DYNTOOLTIPS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Dynamic Input

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls which tooltips are affected by tooltip appearance settings.
0

Only Dynamic Input value fields

1

All drafting tooltips

DYNTOOLTIPS | 2299

2300

E System Variables

32

EDGEMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Trim or Extend Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls how the TRIM and EXTEND commands determine cutting and
boundary edges.
0

Uses the selected edge without any extensions

1

Extends or trims the selected object to an imaginary extension of the cutting or boundary edge

Lines, arcs, elliptical arcs, rays, and polylines are objects eligible for natural
extension. The natural extension of a line or ray is an unbounded line (xline),
an arc is a circle, and an elliptical arc is an ellipse. A polyline is broken down
into its line and arc components, which are extended to their natural boundaries.

2301

ELEVATION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the User Coordinate System in 3D

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Stores the current elevation of new objects relative to the current UCS.

ENTERPRISEMENU
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create an Enterprise CUIx File

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: "."
Stores the enterprise customization file name (if defined), including the path
for the file name.

ERHIGHLIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Drawing References (Xrefs)

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Registry

2302 | Chapter 32 E System Variables

Initial value: 1
Controls whether reference names or reference objects are highlighted when
their counterparts are selected in the External References palette or in the
drawing window.
0

Referenced objects are not highlighted.

1

Referenced objects are highlighted.

ERRNO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoLISP and Visual LISP

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Displays the number of the appropriate error code when an AutoLISP function
call causes an error that AutoCAD detects.
AutoLISP applications can inspect the current value of ERRNO with (getvar
"errno").
The ERRNO system variable is not always cleared to zero. Unless it is inspected
immediately after an AutoLISP function has reported an error, the error that
its value indicates may be misleading. This variable is always cleared when
starting or opening a drawing.
See the AutoLISP Developer's Guide for more information.

ERRNO | 2303

ERSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Drawing References (Xrefs)

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Indicates whether the External References palette is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

EXPERT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Controls whether certain prompts are issued.
0

Issues all prompts normally.

1

Suppresses “About to regen, proceed?” and “Really want
to turn the current layer off?” (-LAYER)

2

Suppresses the preceding prompts and “Block already
defined. Redefine it?” (-BLOCK) and “A drawing with this
name already exists. Overwrite it?” (SAVE or WBLOCK).

2304 | Chapter 32 E System Variables

3

Suppresses the preceding prompts and those issued by
the LINETYPE Command prompt (-LINETYPE) if you try to
load a linetype that's already loaded or create a new linetype in a file that already defines that linetype.

4

Suppresses the preceding prompts and those issued by
UCS Save and VPORTS Save if the name you supply already
exists.

5

Suppresses the prompt, “That name is already in Use, redefine it?” issued by the -DIMSTYLE Save option when
you supply the name of an existing dimension style.
Suppresses the same prompt issued by the -SCALELISTEDIT
Add option.

When a prompt is suppressed by EXPERT, the operation in question is
performed as though you entered y at the prompt. Setting EXPERT can affect
scripts, menu macros, AutoLISP, and the command functions.

EXPORTEPLOTFORMAT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 2
Sets the default electronic file output type: PDF, DWF, or DWFx.
0

PDF

1

DWF

2

DWFx

EXPORTEPLOTFORMAT | 2305

EXPORTMODELSPACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies what part of the drawing to export to a DWF, DWFx, or PDF file from
Model space
0

Display

1

Extents

2

Window

EXPORTPAPERSPACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies what part of the drawing to export to a DWF, DWFx, or PDF file from
paper space.
0

Current Layout

1

All Layouts

2306 | Chapter 32 E System Variables

EXPORTPAGESETUP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Export DWF and DWFx Files

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies whether to export to a DWF, DWFx, or PDF file with the current page
setup.
0

Current - Exports the file using the DWG’s current page
setup. When this is set to 0, the Page Setup combo box
in the Export to DWF/PDF panel of the Ribbon’s Output
tab displays Current.

1

Override - Exports the file and allows you to override the
DWG’s current page setup. When this is set to 1, the Page
Setup combo box in the Export to DWF/PDF panel of the
Ribbon’s Output tab displays Override.
You can override plot options such as page size and orientation in the Page Setup Override dialog box.

EXPLMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Disassemble a Block Reference (Explode)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1

EXPORTPAGESETUP | 2307

Controls whether the EXPLODE command supports nonuniformly scaled
(NUS) blocks.
0

Does not explode NUS blocks

1

Explodes NUS blocks

EXTMAX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pan or Zoom a View

(Read-only)
Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the upper-right point of the drawing extents.
Expands outward as new objects are drawn; shrinks only with ZOOM All or
ZOOM Extents. Reported in world coordinates for the current space.

EXTMIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pan or Zoom a View

(Read-only)
Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the lower-left point of the drawing extents.

2308 | Chapter 32 E System Variables

Expands outward as new objects are drawn; shrinks only with ZOOM All or
ZOOM Extents. Reported in world coordinates for the current space.

EXTNAMES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Resolve Name Conflicts in External References

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Sets the parameters for named object names (such as linetypes and layers)
stored in definition tables.
0

Uses AutoCAD Release 14 parameters, which limit names
to 31 characters in length. Names can include the letters
A to Z, the numerals 0 to 9, and the special characters
dollar sign ($), underscore (_), and hyphen (-).

1

Uses AutoCAD 2000 (and later releases) parameters.
Names can be up to 255 characters in length, and can
include the letters A to Z, the numerals 0 to 9, spaces, and
any special characters not used by Microsoft® Windows®
and AutoCAD for other purposes.

EXTNAMES | 2309

2310

F System Variables

33

FACETERDEVNORMAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

Type:
Real
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 40
Sets the maximum angle between the surface normal and contiguous mesh
faces.
This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the
MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted
to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.) This value can also be
set in the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog box.
Use this setting to retain visual consistency between mesh objects that have the
same shape but different sizes. You can enter any non-negative number between
0 (zero) and 180. Lowering the value increases the density in areas of high
curvature and decreases density in flatter areas.
Lowering the value might increase the drawing file size, and should be saved
for larger objects with high FACETERDEVSURFACE settings. Avoid lowering
this value for objects with small details such as holes or fillets.
NOTE The value of this system variable reflects the value for objects with no
smoothness.

2311

FACETERDEVSURFACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

Type:
Real
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 0.001
Sets how closely the converted mesh object adheres to the original shape of
the solid or surface.
This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the
MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted
to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.) This value can also be
set in the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog box.
You can enter any non-negative number, including 0 (zero). Smaller values
result in a higher number of faces, more accurate meshes with less deviation
from the object surface, and slower performance. Set the value to 0 to turn
off the option.
NOTE The value of this system variable reflects the value for objects with no
smoothness.

FACETERGRIDRATIO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

Type:
Real
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the maximum aspect ratio for the mesh subdivisions that are created for
solids and surfaces converted to mesh.

2312 | Chapter 33 F System Variables

This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the
MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted
to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.) This value can also be
set in the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog box.
Permissible values range from 0 to 100, and set the height/width ratio of the
face. Use this variable to prevent long, thin faces that can result from
cylindrical object conversions. Smaller values result in more, better-formed
faces, but can affect performance. Set this value to 0 to turn it off.
If the value you enter is less than 1, the ratio calculation is based on 1/n. For
example, if you enter 0.2, the variable value is 1/0.2 = 5.
NOTE The value of this system variable reflects the value for objects with no
smoothness.

FACETERMAXEDGELENGTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

Type:
Real
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the maximum length of edges for mesh objects that are created by
conversion from solids and surfaces.
You can use any non-negative number, including 0 (zero).
This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the
MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted
to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.) This value can also be
set in the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog box.
NOTE The value of this system variable reflects the value for objects with no
smoothness.

FACETERMAXEDGELENGTH | 2313

FACETERMAXGRID
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 4096
Sets the maximum number of U and V grid lines for solids and surfaces
converted to mesh.
This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the
MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted
to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.)
Permissible values range from 0 to 4096.
NOTE The value of this system variable reflects the value for objects with no
smoothness.

FACETERMESHTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 0
Sets the type of mesh to be created.
0

Objects are converted to an optimized mesh object type with
fewer faces

1

Faces are mostly quadrilateral

2314 | Chapter 33 F System Variables

2

Faces are mostly triangular

This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the
MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted
to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.) This value can also be
set in the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog box.

FACETERMINUGRID
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 0
Sets the minimum number of U grid lines for solids and surfaces that are
converted to mesh.
This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the
MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted
to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.)
Permissible values range from 0 to 1023. Setting 0 (zero) turns off the setting.
The value of this system variable cannot exceed the value of
FACETERMAXGRID/FACETERMINVGRID.
NOTE The value of this system variable reflects the value for objects with no
smoothness.

FACETERMINVGRID
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

FACETERMINUGRID | 2315

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 0
Sets the minimum number of V grid lines for solids and surfaces that are
converted to mesh.
This setting affects mesh that is converted from a 3D solid or surface object
using the MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can
be converted to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.)
Permissible values range from 0 to 1023. Setting 0 (zero) turns off the setting.
The value of this system variable cannot exceed the value of
FACETERMAXGRID/FACETERMINUGRID.
NOTE The value of this system variable reflects the value for objects with no
smoothness.

FACETERPRIMITIVEMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1
Specifies whether smoothness settings for objects that are converted to mesh
are derived from the Mesh Tessellation Options or the Mesh Primitive Options
dialog box.
0

Applies settings from the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog box to
the converted object.

1

Applies settings from the Mesh Primitive Options dialog box to the
converted object.

This setting affects mesh that is converted from a primitive 3D solid object
(such as box or cone) using the MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete
list of objects that can be converted to mesh, see Objects That Can Be

2316 | Chapter 33 F System Variables

Converted to Mesh.) It can also be set in the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog
box.

FACETERSMOOTHLEV
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Meshes by Conversion

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1
Sets the default level of smoothness for objects that are converted to mesh.
-1 or any
negative
number

Does not smooth the object after conversion

0

Does not smooth the object after conversion

1

Applies smoothness level 1 after conversion

2

Applies smoothness level 2 after conversion

3

Applies smoothness level 3 after conversion

This variable sets the default level of smoothness that is applied to mesh that
is created as a result of conversion from another object with the MESHSMOOTH
command.
The value cannot be greater than the value of SMOOTHMESHMAXLEV.
Mesh objects that are created under the following circumstances are always
created without smoothness, and are not affected by this system variable:
■

Mesh created using REVSURF, TABSURF, RULESURF, or EDGESURF

■

Mesh created using MESHSMOOTH when the type of mesh is set to be
quadrilateral or triangular (FACETERMESHTYPE)

FACETERSMOOTHLEV | 2317

For a complete list of objects that can be converted to mesh, see Objects That
Can Be Converted to Mesh.
This variable can also be set in the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog box.

FACETRATIO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create 3D Solid Primitives

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Controls the aspect ratio of faceting for cylindrical and conic solids.
0

Creates an N by 1 mesh for cylindrical and conic solids

1

Creates an N by M mesh for cylindrical and conic solids

A setting of 1 increases the density of the mesh to improve the quality of
rendered and shaded models.
The faceting is visible only in the 2D wireframe visual style.

FACETRES
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Balance Mesh Density for Smooth Geometry

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.5000

2318 | Chapter 33 F System Variables

Adjusts the smoothness of shaded objects and objects with hidden lines
removed. Valid values are from 0.01 to 10.0.
When you use the 3DPRINT command, the FACTRES system variable is set to
10.
NOTE 3DDWFPREC replaces FACETRES in controlling the precision of published
3D DWF files.

FIELDDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Update Fields

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background.
The background is not plotted.
0

Fields are displayed with no background

1

Fields are displayed with a gray background

FIELDEVAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Update Fields

Type:

Integer

FIELDDISPLAY | 2319

Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 31
Controls how fields are updated.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Not updated

1

Updated on open

2

Updated on save

4

Updated on plot

8

Updated on use of ETRANSMIT

16

Updated on regeneration

NOTE The Date field is updated by UPDATEFIELD, but it is not updated
automatically based on the setting of the FIELDEVAL system variable.

FILEDIA
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes.
0

Does not display dialog boxes. You can still request a file
dialog box to appear by entering a tilde (~) in response
to the command's prompt. The same is true for AutoLISP
and ADS functions.

2320 | Chapter 33 F System Variables

1

Displays dialog boxes. However, if a script or AutoLISP/Ob™
jectARX program is active, an ordinary prompt is displayed.

FILLETRAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Fillets

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Stores the current fillet radius for 2D objects.
If you use the FILLET on page 800 command to change the radius of a 2D fillet,
the value of this system variable changes to match.

FILLETRAD3D
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Fillet a Surface

■

Modify Edges on 3D Objects

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000
Stores the current fillet radius for 3D objects.
Stores the default radius for 3D solid and surface fillets created with the
FILLETEDGE on page 804 and SURFFILLET on page 1878 commands. If you change
the radius while using the FILLETEDGE or SURFFILLET commands, the
FILLETRAD system variable does not update to this new value.

FILLETRAD | 2321

FILLMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights, and
Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled in.
0

Objects are not filled

1

Objects are filled

FONTALT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Substitute Fonts

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: simplex.shx
Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be
located.
When a drawing file with a defined text style is opened and an alternate font
is not specified, the Alternate Font dialog box is displayed.

2322 | Chapter 33 F System Variables

FONTMAP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Substitute Fonts

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: acad.fmp
Specifies the font mapping file to be used.
A font mapping file contains one font mapping per line; the original font used
in the drawing and the font to be substituted for it are separated by a semicolon
(;). For example, to substitute the Times TrueType font for the Roman font,
the line in the mapping file would read as follows:
romanc.shx;times.ttf

If FONTMAP does not point to a font mapping file, if the FMP file is not found,
or if the font file name specified in the FMP file is not found, the font defined
in the style is used. If the font in the style is not found, a font is substituted
according to the substitution rules.
FONTMAP only works with text created through the MTEXT command.

FRAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Hide and Show Underlay Frames

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 3
Turns the display of frames on and off for all external references, images, and
DWF, DWFx, PDF, and DGN underlays.

FONTMAP | 2323

The FRAME setting overrides the individual IMAGEFRAME, DWFFRAME,
PDFFRAME, DGNFRAME, and XCLIPFRAME settings.
0

The frame is not visible and it is not plotted

1

Displays the frame and allows it to be plotted

2

Displays the frame but keeps it from being plotted

3

The individual setting varies for all underlays in the current
drawing (external references, images, and DWF, DWFx,
PDF, and DGN underlays all have different frame settings).
NOTE This value is used internally by AutoCAD.

FRONTZ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a 3D Dynamic View (DVIEW)

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Stores the front clipping plane offset from the target plane for the current
viewport, in drawing units.
The front clipping and front clip not at eye bitcodes in VIEWMODE are on. The
FRONTZ value is the last front clipping plane value set current with the
CAMERA, DVIEW, or 3DCLIP command. The distance of the front clipping
plane from the camera point is found by subtracting FRONTZ from the
camera-to-target distance.

2324 | Chapter 33 F System Variables

FULLOPEN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Open Part of a Large Drawing (Partial Load)

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1
Indicates whether the current drawing is partially open.
0

Indicates a partially open drawing

1

Indicates a fully open drawing

FULLPLOTPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use AutoSpool

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether the full path of the drawing file is sent to the plot spooler.
0

Sends the drawing file name only

1

Sends the full path of the drawing file

FULLOPEN | 2325

2326

G System Variables

34

GEOLATLONGFORMAT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Geographic Location

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the format of the latitude or longitude values in the Geographic
Location dialog box, and the coordinate status bar in Geographic mode.
0

Latitude and longitude format is decimal
degrees (DD)

1

Latitude and longitude format is degrees
minutes seconds (DMS)

2327

GEOMARKERVISIBILITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Geographic Location

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls the visibility of geographic markers.
0

Geographic marker is not visible

1

Geographic marker is visible

GFANG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Specifies the angle of a gradient fill.
Valid values are 0 to 360 (degrees).

2328 | Chapter 34 G System Variables

GFCLR1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill

Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: "Blue"
Specifies the color for a one-color gradient fill or the first color for a two-color
gradient fill.
Valid values include the following:
■

AutoCAD Color Index (ACI): integer values from 1 to 255, or a color name
from the first seven colors

■

True Colors: RGB or HSL values from 000 to 255 in the form
"RGB:130,200,240"

■

Color Books: Text from standard PANTONE color books, the DIC color
guide, or RAL color sets, for example "DIC COLOR GUIDE(R)$DIC 43"

GFCLR2
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill

Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: "Yellow"
Specifies the second color for a two-color gradient fill.
Valid values include the following:
■

AutoCAD Color Index (ACI): integer values from 1 to 255, or a color name
from the first seven colors

GFCLR1 | 2329

■

True Colors: RGB or HSL values from 000 to 255 in the form
"RGB:130,200,240"

■

Color Books: Text from standard PANTONE color books, the DIC color
guide, or RAL color sets, for example "DIC COLOR GUIDE(R)$DIC 43"

GFCLRLUM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1.0000
Controls the tint or shade level in a one-color gradient fill.
A tint gradient transitions toward white and a shade gradient transitions
toward black. Valid values range from 0.0 (darkest) to 1.0 (lightest).

GFCLRSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Specifies whether a gradient fill uses one color or two colors.
0

Two-color gradient fill

1

One-color gradient fill

2330 | Chapter 34 G System Variables

GFNAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1
Specifies the pattern of a gradient fill.
1

Linear

2

Cylindrical

3

Inverted cylindrical

4

Spherical

5

Hemispherical

6

Curved

7

Inverted spherical

8

Inverted hemispherical

9

Inverted curved

GFSHIFT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill

GFNAME | 2331

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Specifies whether the pattern in a gradient fill is centered or is shifted up and
to the left.
0

Centered

1

Shifted up and to the left

GLOBALOPACITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

■

Transparency Dialog Box on page 1373

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 100
Controls transparency level for all palettes.
0

Fully transparent

100

Fully opaque

Enter a value from 0-100 to set the transparency level.
This system variable determines the default setting for the Transparency dialog
box > Disable all window transparency (global) option on page 1374.

2332 | Chapter 34 G System Variables

GRIDDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Controls the display behavior and display limits of the grid.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Restricts the grid to the area specified by the LIMITS
command

1

Does not restrict the grid to the area specified by the
LIMITS command

2

Turns on adaptive grid display, which limits the density
of the grid when zoomed out

4

If the grid is set to adaptive display and when zoomed in,
generates additional, more closely spaced grid lines in the
same proportion as the intervals of the major grid lines

8

Changes the grid plane to follow the XY plane of the dynamic UCS.

NOTE Setting 4 is ignored unless setting 2 is specified.

GRIDMAJOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

GRIDDISPLAY | 2333

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 5
Controls the frequency of major grid lines compared to minor grid lines.
Valid values range from 1 to 100.
Grid lines are displayed in any visual style.

GRIDMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies whether the grid is turned on or off.
0

Turns the grid off

1

Turns the grid on

GRIDSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the style of grid displayed for 2D model space, Block Editor, 3D
parallel projection, 3D perspective projection, and Sheet and Layout tabs.

2334 | Chapter 34 G System Variables

The setting is stored as an integer using the sum of the following values:
0

Displays lined grid for 2D model space, Block Editor, 3D
parallel projection, 3D perspective projection, and Sheet
and Layout.

1

Displays dotted grid for 2D model space.

2

Displays dotted grid for Block Editor.

4

Displays dotted grid for Sheet and Layout.

GRIDUNIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
2D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.5000,0.5000 (imperial) or 10,10 (metric)
Specifies the grid spacing (X and Y) for the current viewport.

GRIPBLOCK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Grips in Blocks

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0

GRIDUNIT | 2335

Controls the display of grips in blocks.
0

Assigns a grip only to the insertion point of the block

1

Assigns grips to objects within the block

See also:
■

Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box) on page 1348

GRIPCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Grip Modes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 150
Controls the color of unselected grips.
The valid range is 1 to 255.
See also:
■

Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box) on page 1348

GRIPCONTOUR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Grip Modes

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Registry

2336 | Chapter 34 G System Variables

Initial value: 251
Controls the color of the grip contour.
The valid range is 1 to 255.

GRIPDYNCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Dynamic Blocks in Drawings

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 140
Controls the color of custom grips for dynamic blocks.
The valid range is 1 to 255.

GRIPHOT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Grip Modes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 12
Controls the color of selected grips.
The valid range is 1 to 255.
See also:
■

Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box) on page 1348

GRIPDYNCOLOR | 2337

GRIPHOVER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Grip Modes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 11
Controls the fill color of an unselected grip when the cursor pauses over it.
The valid range is 1 to 255.
See also:
■

Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box) on page 1348

GRIPMULTIFUNCTIONAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Method to Modify Objects

■

Modify Polylines

■

Edit Objects with Grips

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Specifies the access methods to multi-functional grips.
0

Access to multi-functional grips is disabled

1

Access multi-functional grips with Ctrl-cycling and the Hot
Grip shortcut menu

2338 | Chapter 34 G System Variables

2

Access multi-functional grips with the dynamic menu and
the Hot Grip shortcut menu

3

Access multi-functional grips with Ctrl-cycling, the dynamic menu, and the Hot Grip shortcut menu

GRIPOBJLIMIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Grip Modes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 100
Suppresses the display of grips when the selection set includes more than the
specified number of objects.
The valid range is 0 to 32,767. For example, when set to 1, grips are suppressed
when more than one object is selected. When set to 0, grips are always
displayed.
See also:
■

Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box) on page 1348

GRIPS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Grip Modes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2

GRIPOBJLIMIT | 2339

Controls the display of grips on selected objects.
0

Hides grips

1

Displays grips

2

Displays additional midpoint grips on polyline segments

To adjust the size of the grips and the effective selection area used by the
cursor when you snap to a grip, use GRIPSIZE.
See also:
■

Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box) on page 1348

GRIPSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Grip Modes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 5
Sets the size of the grip box in pixels.
The valid range is 1 to 255.
See also:
■

Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box) on page 1348

2340 | Chapter 34 G System Variables

GRIPSUBOBJMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Grips to Edit 3D Solids and Surfaces

■

Choose a Method to Modify Objects

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether grips are automatically made hot when subobjects are
selected.
0

Does not turn the grips hot when subobjects are selected.

1

Turns the face, edge, or vertex grips hot when subobjects
of 3D objects (solid, surface, or mesh) are selected.

2

Turns the grips hot when subobjects of 2D polyline objects
(line or arc segments) are selected.

3

Turns the grips hot when subobjects of
■

3D objects (faces, edges, or vertices) are selected

■

2D polyline objects (line or arc segments) are selected

Setting this system variable to 1 is especially helpful for quickly modifying
groups of faces, edges, and vertices on mesh objects.

GRIPTIPS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Grip Modes

GRIPSUBOBJMODE | 2341

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of grip tips and Ctrl-cycling tooltips.
Hover your cursor over the multi-functional grips and pause to display grip
tips and Ctrl-cycling tooltips.
0

Hides grip tips and Ctrl-cycling tooltips.

1

Displays grip tips and Ctrl-cycling tooltips.

See also:
■

Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box) on page 1348

■

Choose a Method to Modify Objects

■

Modify Objects with Multi-Functional Grips

GTAUTO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Gizmos

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether 3D gizmos are automatically displayed when you select
objects before you start a command in a viewport with a 3D visual style.
0

Gizmos are not displayed automatically when you select
objects before starting a command.

1

Gizmos are displayed automatically after you create a selection set.

This system variable affects the display of the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, and 3D
Scale gizmos. Gizmos were previously known as “grip tools.”

2342 | Chapter 34 G System Variables

GTDEFAULT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Gizmos

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale operation starts
automatically when you start the MOVE, ROTATE, or SCALE command in a
viewport with a 3D visual style.
0

Does not automatically start the 3DMOVE, 3DROTATE,
or 3DSCALEcommands when the MOVE, ROTATE, or
SCALE commands are started in a 3D view.

1

Automatically starts the 3DMOVE, 3DROTATE, or 3DSCALE
commands when the MOVE, ROTATE, or SCALE commands are started in a 3D view.

GTLOCATION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Gizmos

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1

GTDEFAULT | 2343

Controls the initial location of the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo
when you select objects before you start a command in a viewport with a 3D
visual style.
0

Places the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo at the
same location as the UCS icon. The gizmo orientation is
aligned with the current UCS.

1

Places the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo at the
geometric center of the selection set.

This system variable affects the display of the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, and 3D
Scale gizmos. Gizmos were previously known as “grip tools.”

2344 | Chapter 34 G System Variables

H System Variables

35

HALOGAP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies a gap to be displayed where an object is hidden by another object.
The value is specified as a percent of one unit and is independent of the zoom
level.
HALOGAP is available only in 2D views. In 3D views, the VSHALOGAP system
variable is used.

HANDLES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Command Scripts

2345

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: On
Reports whether object handles can be accessed by applications.
Because handles can no longer be turned off, has no effect except to preserve
the integrity of scripts.

HELPPREFIX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

■

Files Tab (Options Dialog Box) on page 1316

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD
Sets the file path for the Help system.
This system variable determines the default setting in the Options dialog box
> Files tab > Help and Miscellaneous File Names option > Help Location option
on page 1317.

HIDEPRECISION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shade a Model and Use Edge Effects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Controls the accuracy of hides and shades.

2346 | Chapter 35 H System Variables

Hides can be calculated in double precision or single precision. Setting
HIDEPRECISION to 1 produces more accurate hides by using double precision,
but this setting also uses more memory and can affect performance, especially
when hiding solids.
0

Single precision; uses less memory

1

Double precision; uses more memory

HIDETEXT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shade a Model and Use Edge Effects

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: On
Specifies whether text objects created by the TEXT or MTEXT command are
processed during a HIDE command.
Off

Text is not hidden and does not hide other objects

On

Text is hidden but does not hide other objects

HIGHLIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1

HIDETEXT | 2347

Controls object highlighting; does not affect objects selected with grips.
0

Turns off object selection highlighting

1

Turns on object selection highlighting

HPANG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the angle for new hatch patterns.

HPANNOTATIVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Scaling Annotations

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls whether a new hatch pattern is annotative.
0

Nonannotative

1

Annotative

2348 | Chapter 35 H System Variables

HPASSOC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Hatch and Fill Areas

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether hatches and fills are associative.
0

Hatches and fills are not associated with their defining
boundary objects

1

Hatches and fills are associated with their defining
boundary objects and are updated when the boundary
objects change

HPBACKGROUNDCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: None
Controls the background color for hatch patterns.
Valid values include the following:
■

“None” or “.” for no background color

■

AutoCAD Color Index (ACI): integer values from 1 to 255, or a color name
from the first seven colors

HPASSOC | 2349

■

True Colors: RGB or HSL values from 000 to 255 in the form
"RGB:130,200,240"

■

Color Books: Text from standard PANTONE color books, the DIC color
guide, or RAL color sets, for example "DIC COLOR GUIDE(R)$DIC 43"

HPBOUND
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Hatch and Fill Areas

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1
Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY.
0

Creates a region

1

Creates a polyline

A polyline or region object is created only if the HPBOUNDRETAIN system
variable is turned on.

HPBOUNDRETAIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Hatch and Fill Areas

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0

2350 | Chapter 35 H System Variables

Controls whether boundary objects are created for new hatches and fills.
0

Does not create boundary objects

1

Creates boundary objects according to the HPBOUND
system variable

HPCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: use current
Sets a default color for new hatches.
Valid values include the following:
■

“.” to use the current color set in the CECOLOR system variable

■

ByLayer or ByBlock

■

AutoCAD Color Index (ACI): integer values from 1 to 255, or a color name
from the first seven colors

■

True Colors: RGB or HSL values from 000 to 255 in the form
"RGB:130,200,240"

■

Color Books: Text from standard PANTONE color books, the DIC color
guide, or RAL color sets, for example "DIC COLOR GUIDE(R)$DIC 43"

Values other than the “.” (use current) value override the current color
(CECOLOR).

HPCOLOR | 2351

HPDLGMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills

Type:
String
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 2
Controls the display of the Hatch and Gradient dialog box and the Hatch Edit
dialog box.
0

Hatch and Gradient dialog box is not displayed for HATCH
and GRADIENT unless Settings is entered at the Command
prompt

1

Hatch and Gradient dialog box is displayed for HATCH
and GRADIENT

2

Hatch and Gradient dialog box is not displayed for HATCH
and GRADIENT when the ribbon is active (RIBBONSTATE
= 1). When the ribbon is inactive (RIBBONSTATE = 0), the
Hatch and Gradient dialog box is displayed.

HPDOUBLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Specifies hatch pattern doubling for user-defined patterns.

2352 | Chapter 35 H System Variables

Doubling specifies a second set of lines drawn at 90 degrees to the original
lines.
0

Turns off hatch pattern doubling

1

Turns on hatch pattern doubling

HPDRAWORDER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 3
Controls the draw order of hatches and fills.
Controls whether hatch and fill objects are displayed in front or behind all
other objects, or in front or behind their associated boundaries.
0

None. The hatch or fill is not assigned a draw order.

1

Send to back. The hatch or fill is sent to the back of all
other objects.

2

Bring to front. The hatch or fill is brought to the front of
all other objects.

3

Send behind boundary. The hatch or fill is sent behind
the hatch’s boundary objects.

4

Bring in front of boundary. The hatch or fill is brought in
front of the hatch’s boundary objects.

HPDRAWORDER | 2353

HPGAPTOL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Hatch and Fill Areas

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0.0000
Treats a set of objects that almost enclose an area as a closed hatch boundary.
The default value, 0, specifies that the objects enclose the area, with no gaps.
Enter a value, in drawing units, from 0 to 5000 to set the maximum size of
gaps that can be ignored when the objects serve as a hatch boundary.

HPINHERIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Hatch Alignment, Scale, and Rotation

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the hatch origin of the resulting hatch when using Inherit Properties
in HATCH and HATCHEDIT.
0

The hatch origin is taken from HPORIGIN

1

The hatch origin is taken from the source hatch object

2354 | Chapter 35 H System Variables

HPISLANDDETECTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Hatch and Fill Areas

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls how islands within the hatch boundary are treated.
0

Normal. Hatches islands within islands.

1

Outer. Hatches only areas outside of islands.

2

Ignore. Hatches everything within the boundaries.

An island is an enclosed area within the area to be hatched.

HPISLANDDETECTIONMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Hatch and Fill Areas

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls whether internal closed boundaries, called islands, are detected.
0

Off
.

1

On (recommended). Hatches or ignores islands according
to HPISLANDDETECTION.

HPISLANDDETECTION | 2355

HPLAYER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: use current
Specifies a default layer for new hatches and fills.
Values other than the “.” (use current) value override the current layer
(CELAYER).

HPMAXLINES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Scale of Hatch Patterns

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1000000
Sets the maximum number of hatch lines that are generated in a hatch
operation.
Valid values are from 100 to10,000,000.

HPNAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill

2356 | Chapter 35 H System Variables

Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: ANSI31 (imperial) or ANGLE (metric)
Sets the default hatch pattern name.
Valid names can contain up to 34 characters without spaces. The value ""
indicates that there is no default. Enter a period (.) to reset HPNAME to the
default value.

HPOBJWARNING
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Scale of Hatch Patterns

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 10000
Sets the number of hatch boundary objects that can be selected before
displaying a warning message.
The maximum value can vary, but is significantly larger than 100000000 (one
hundred million).

HPORIGIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Hatch Origin Point

Type:
2D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000
Sets the hatch origin point for new hatch patterns relative to the current user
coordinate system.

HPOBJWARNING | 2357

HPORIGINMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Hatch Origin Point

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls how the default hatch origin point is determined.
0

Uses HPORIGIN

1

Uses the bottom-left corner of the rectangular extents of
the hatch boundaries

2

Uses the bottom-right corner of the rectangular extents
of the hatch boundaries

3

Uses the top-right corner of the rectangular extents of the
hatch boundaries

4

Uses the top-left corner of the rectangular extents of the
hatch boundaries

5

Uses the center of the rectangular extents of the hatch
boundaries

HPQUICKPREVIEW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill

Type:

Switch

2358 | Chapter 35 H System Variables

Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1
Controls whether to display a preview when specifying internal points for a
hatch.
0 or OFF

No preview

1 or ON

Quick preview

HPSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Scale of Hatch Patterns

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1.0000
Sets the hatch pattern scale factor.

HPSEPARATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Hatch and Fill Areas

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether a single hatch object or separate hatch objects are created
when operating on several closed boundaries.
0

A single hatch object is created

HPSCALE | 2359

1

Separate hatch objects are created

HPSPACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Scale of Hatch Patterns

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1.0000
Sets the hatch pattern line spacing for user-defined patterns.

HPTRANSPARENCY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: use current
Sets the default transparency for new hatches and fills.
Valid values include “use current” (or “.”), ByLayer, ByBlock, and integer values
from 0 to 90. The higher the value, the more transparent the hatch.
Values other than “use current” or “.” override the current transparency
(CETRANSPARENCY).
Changing this value does not affect existing hatch objects.

2360 | Chapter 35 H System Variables

HYPERLINKBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Hyperlink to Access a File or a Web Page

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Specifies the path used for all relative hyperlinks in the drawing.
If no value is specified, the drawing path is used for all relative hyperlinks.

HYPERLINKBASE | 2361

2362

I System Variables

36

IMAGEFRAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Show and Hide Raster Image Boundaries

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls whether image frames are displayed and plotted.
The FRAME system variable overrides the IMAGEFRAME setting. Use the
IMAGEFRAME system variable after the FRAME system variable to reset the
IMAGE frame settings.
NOTE Normally, when image frames are not displayed, you cannot select images.
However, the IMAGECLIP command temporarily turns image frames on.
0

The image frames are not visible and they are not plotted

1

The image frames are displayed and plotted

2

The image frames are displayed but not plotted

2363

IMAGEHLT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Improve the Display Speed of Raster Images

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the entire raster image or only the raster image frame is
highlighted.
0

Highlights only the raster image frame

1

Highlights the entire raster image

IMPLIEDFACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Press or Pull Bounded Areas

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the detection of implied faces.
0

Implied faces cannot be detected.

1

Implied faces can be detected.

An implied face is a closed area that creates a boundary by intersecting or
overlapping a face on a 3D solid object. This variable affects the ability to use
implied faces when you press Ctrl+Shift+E and drag the area inside the
boundary to create an extrusion dynamically.

2364 | Chapter 36 I System Variables

This variable must be set to 1 if you want to select and modify implied faces.

INDEXCTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Layer and Spatial Indexes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls whether layer and spatial indexes are created and saved in drawing
files.
To receive the maximum benefit of demand loading, it is recommended that
you save any drawings that are used as xrefs with layer and spatial indexes
0

No indexes are created

1

Layer index is created

2

Spatial index is created

3

Layer and spatial indexes are created

INETLOCATION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Get Started with Internet Access

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: http://www.autodesk.com

INDEXCTL | 2365

Stores the Internet location used by the BROWSER command and the Browse
the Web dialog box.

INPUTHISTORYMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shortcut Menus

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 15
Controls the content and location of the display of a history of user input.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

No history of recent input is displayed.

1

History of recent input is displayed at the command line
or in a dynamic prompt tooltip. Access with the Up Arrow
and Down Arrow keys at the Command prompt, or at an
input prompt.

2

History of recent input for the current command is displayed in the shortcut menu under Recent Input.

4

History of recent input for all commands in the current
session is displayed in the shortcut menu under Recent
Input.

8

Markers for recent input of point locations are displayed.
Use the arrow keys at the Command prompt for specifying
a point location.

2366 | Chapter 36 I System Variables

INSBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Blocks

Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000,0.0000
Stores the insertion base point set by BASE, which gets expressed as a UCS
coordinate for the current space.

INSNAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Blocks

Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: ""
Sets a default block name for the INSERT command.
The name must conform to symbol naming conventions. Returns "" if no
default is set. Enter a period (.) to set no default.

INSUNITS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Blocks

INSBASE | 2367

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1 (imperial) or 4 (metric)
Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or xrefs
inserted or attached to a drawing.
NOTE The INSUNITS setting is ignored when inserting blocks into a drawing.
0

Unspecified (No units)

1

Inches

2

Feet

3

Miles

4

Millimeters

5

Centimeters

6

Meters

7

Kilometers

8

Microinches

9

Mils

10

Yards

11

Angstroms

12

Nanometers

13

Microns

14

Decimeters

15

Dekameters

16

Hectometers

17

Gigameters

2368 | Chapter 36 I System Variables

18

Astronomical Units

19

Light Years

20

Parsecs

INSUNITSDEFSOURCE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Blocks

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
Valid range is 0 to 20.
0

Unspecified (No units)

1

Inches

2

Feet

3

Miles

4

Millimeters

5

Centimeters

6

Meters

7

Kilometers

8

Microinches

9

Mils

INSUNITSDEFSOURCE | 2369

10

Yards

11

Angstroms

12

Nanometers

13

Microns

14

Decimeters

15

Dekameters

16

Hectometers

17

Gigameters

18

Astronomical Units

19

Light Years

20

Parsecs

INSUNITSDEFTARGET
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Insert Blocks

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
Valid range is 0 to 20.
0

Unspecified (No units)

1

Inches

2370 | Chapter 36 I System Variables

2

Feet

3

Miles

4

Millimeters

5

Centimeters

6

Meters

7

Kilometers

8

Microinches

9

Mils

10

Yards

11

Angstroms

12

Nanometers

13

Microns

14

Decimeters

15

Dekameters

16

Hectometers

17

Gigameters

18

Astronomical Units

19

Light Years

20

Parsecs

INSUNITSDEFTARGET | 2371

INTELLIGENTUPDATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 20
Controls the graphics refresh rate.
The default value is 20 frames per second. If you encounter problems related
to graphics generation or timing, turn off the variable by setting it to 0.
INTELLIGENTUPDATE works by suppressing the graphics update until the
timer expires. Subsequent updates reset the timer.
The performance improvement significantly affects updates for scripts and
AutoLISP graphics. Those using regular AutoCAD commands will not see a
noticeable difference in performance.

INTERFERECOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Check 3D Models for Interferences

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Sets the color for interference objects.
Valid values include BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, a color name, and integers from 0
to 255.
Valid values for True Colors are a string of integers each from 0 to 255 separated
by commas and preceded by RGB. The True Color setting is entered as follows:
RGB:000,000,000

2372 | Chapter 36 I System Variables

If you have a color book installed, you can specify any colors that are defined
in the book.

INTERFEREOBJVS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Check 3D Models for Interferences

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Realistic
Sets the visual style for interference objects.
INTERFEREOBJVS can only be set to a visual style that is saved in the drawing.
The visual style specified for INTERFEREOBJVS cannot be removed with the
PURGE command.

INTERFEREVPVS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Check 3D Models for Interferences

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 3D Wireframe
Specifies the visual style for the viewport during interference checking.
INTERFEREVPVS can only be set to a visual style that is saved in the drawing.
The visual style specified for INTERFEREVPVS cannot be removed with the
PURGE command.

INTERFEREOBJVS | 2373

INTERSECTIONCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Controls the color of polylines at the intersection of 3D surfaces when the
visual style is set to 2D Wireframe.
Value 0 designates ByBlock, value 256 designates ByLayer, and value 257
designates ByEntity. Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD Color Index (ACI)
color. True Colors and Color Book colors are also available.
The INTERSECTIONCOLOR setting is visible only if INTERSECTIONDISPLAY
is turned on and if the HIDE on page 911 command is used.

INTERSECTIONDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls the display of polylines at the intersection of 3D surfaces when the
visual style is set to 2D Wireframe.
Off

Turns off the display of intersection polylines

On

Turns on the display of intersection polylines

2374 | Chapter 36 I System Variables

ISAVEBAK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings.
ISAVEBAK controls the creation of a backup file (BAK). In the operating system,
copying the file data to create a BAK file for large drawings takes a major
portion of the incremental save time.
0

No BAK file is created (even for a full save)

1

A BAK file is created

WARNING In some cases (such as a power failure in the middle of a save), it's
possible that drawing data can be lost.

ISAVEPERCENT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 50
Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file.
The value of ISAVEPERCENT is an integer between 0 and 100. The default
value of 50 means that the estimate of wasted space within the file does not
exceed 50 percent of the total file size. Wasted space is eliminated by periodic

ISAVEBAK | 2375

full saves. When the estimate exceeds 50 percent, the next save will be a full
save. This resets the wasted space estimate to 0. If ISAVEPERCENT is set to 0,
every save is a full save.

ISOLINES
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 8
Specifies the number of contour lines per surface on objects.
Valid settings are integers from 0 to 2047.
NOTE When you create a new drawing that is based on a template, the initial
value may differ.

2376 | Chapter 36 I System Variables

L System Variables

37

LARGEOBJECTSUPPORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save a Drawing

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls large object size limit support when you open and save drawings.
0

Use legacy object size limits from AutoCAD LT 2009 and
prior

1

Use AutoCAD LT 2010 object size limits

LASTANGLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Arcs

2377

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0.0000
Stores the end angle of the last arc entered relative to the XY plane of the
current UCS for the current space.

LASTPOINT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Coordinate Entry

Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000,0.0000
Stores the last point specified, expressed as UCS coordinates for the current
space.
You can reference the last point specified by entering the @ symbol at a point
prompt. This is equivalent to entering @0,0,0.

LASTPROMPT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Enter Commands on the Command Line

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: ""
Stores the last string echoed to the Command prompt.
This string is identical to the last line seen at the Command prompt and
includes any user input.

2378 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LATITUDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Geographic Location

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 37.7950
Specifies the latitude of the drawing model in decimal format.
The default is the latitude of San Francisco, California. The valid range is -90
to +90. Positive values represent north latitudes.
This value is affected by the settings of the LUPREC system variable.
This value is not affected by the settings of the AUNITS and AUPREC system
variables.

LAYERDLGMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Layers to Manage Complexity

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Sets the flavor of the Layer Properties Manager that is defined for the use of
the LAYER command.
The LAYER command is mapped to execute either the CLASSICLAYER or
LAYERPALETTE.
0

Maps the LAYER command to use the modal Layer Properties Manager

LATITUDE | 2379

1

Maps LAYER command to use the modeless Layer Properties Manager

LAYEREVAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use New Layer Notification

■

LAYEREVALCTL on page 2381

■

LAYERNOTIFY on page 2383

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies whether the layer list is evaluated for new layers when added to the
drawing or to attached xrefs.
The setting is stored in an integer using one of the following values:
0

Off

1

Detects when new xref layers have been added in the
drawing

2

Detects when new layers have been added in the drawing
and xrefs

NOTE LAYEREVALCTL overrides the LAYEREVAL and LAYERNOTIFY setvars when
LAYEREVALCTL = 0. It acts like a global off (but not a global on). There is no effect
even if LAYEREVALCTL is turned on if LAYERNOTIFY = 0 or LAYEREVAL = 0.
LAYEREVALCTL must be set to 1 for LAYERNOTIFY and LAYEREVAL to function
correctly.

2380 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LAYEREVALCTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use New Layer Notification

■

LAYEREVAL on page 2380

■

LAYERNOTIFY on page 2383

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1
Controls the overall Unreconciled New Layer filter list in Layer Properties
Manager which is evaluated for new layers.
This system variable also affects whether the new layer notification is displayed
or not.
0

Disables the evaluation and notification of new layers

1

Enables the evaluation of new layers on LAYEREVAL settings
in DWG file

NOTE LAYEREVALCTL overrides the LAYEREVAL and LAYERNOTIFY setvars when
LAYEREVALCTL = 0. It acts like a global off (but not a global on). There is no effect
even if LAYEREVALCTL is turned on if LAYERNOTIFY = 0 or LAYEREVAL = 0.
LAYEREVALCTL must be set to 1 for LAYERNOTIFY and LAYEREVAL to function
correctly.

LAYERFILTERALERT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Filter and Sort the List of Layers

LAYEREVALCTL | 2381

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Deletes excessive layer filters to improve performance.
When a drawing has 100 or more layer filters, and the number of layer filters
exceeds the number of layers, LAYERFILTERALERT provides a method for
deleting layer filters to improve performance.
0

Off

1

When the Layer Manager is opened, deletes all layer filters;
no message is displayed

2

When the Layer Manager is opened, displays a message
that states the problem, recommends deleting all filters,
and offers a choice: “Do you want to delete all layer filters
now?”

3

When the drawing is opened, displays a message that
states the problem and offers to display a dialog box where
you can choose which filters to delete

LAYERMANAGERSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Layer Settings and Layer Properties

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Indicates whether the Layer Properties Manager is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

2382 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LAYERNOTIFY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use New Layer Notification

■

LAYEREVAL on page 2380

■

LAYERNOTIFY on page 2383

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies when an alert displays when unreconciled new layers are found.
0

Off

1

Plot

2

Open

4

Load/Reload/Attach for xrefs

8

Restore layer state

16

Save

32

Insert

NOTE LAYEREVALCTL overrides the LAYEREVAL and LAYERNOTIFY setvars when
LAYEREVALCTL = 0. It acts like a global off (but not a global on). There is no effect
even if LAYEREVALCTL is turned on if LAYERNOTIFY = 0 or LAYEREVAL = 0.
LAYEREVALCTL must be set to 1 for LAYERNOTIFY and LAYEREVAL to function
correctly.

LAYERNOTIFY | 2383

LAYLOCKFADECTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Layers to Manage Complexity

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 50
Controls the amount of fading for objects on locked layers.
Fades the objects on locked layers to contrast them with objects on unlocked
layers and reduces the visual complexity of a drawing. Objects on locked layers
are still visible for reference and for object snapping.

The range for controlling the fading for objects on locked layers is from -90
to 90.
0

Locked layers are not faded

>0

When the value is positive, controls the percent of fading
up to 90 percent

<0

When the value is negative, locked layers are not faded,
but the value is saved for switching to that value by
changing the sign

NOTE The fading value is limited to 90 percent to avoid confusion with layers
that are turned off or frozen.

2384 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LAYOUTREGENCTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model tab and layout tabs.
For each tab, the display list is updated either by regenerating the drawing
when you switch to that tab or by saving the display list to memory and
regenerating only the modified objects when you switch to that tab. Changing
the LAYOUTREGENCTL setting can improve performance.
0

The drawing is regenerated each time you switch tabs.

1

For the Model tab and the last layout made current, the
display list is saved to memory and regenerations are
suppressed when you switch between the two tabs. For
all other layouts, regenerations still occur when you switch
to those tabs.

2

The drawing is regenerated the first time you switch to
each tab. For the remainder of the drawing session, the
display list is saved to memory and regenerations are
suppressed when you switch to those tabs.

The performance gain achieved by changing the LAYOUTREGENCTL setting
is dependent on several factors, including the drawing size and type, the
objects contained in the drawing, the amount of available memory, and the
effect of other open drawings or applications. When LAYOUTREGENCTL is
set to 1 or 2, the amount of additional memory used is the size of the Model
tab's display list multiplied by the number of viewports in each layout for
which the display list is saved.
If LAYOUTREGENCTL is set to 1 or 2 and performance seems slow in general
or when you switch between tabs for which the display list is saved, consider
changing to a setting of 0 or 1 to find the optimal balance for your work

LAYOUTREGENCTL | 2385

environment. For additional information about performance settings, see
System tab (in the Options dialog box).
Regardless of the LAYOUTREGENCTL setting, if you redefine a block or undo
a tab switch, the drawing is regenerated the first time you switch to any tab
that contains saved viewports.

LEGACYCTRLPICK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select Objects Individually

■

SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE on page 2532

■

Cycle Through and Filter Subobjects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Specifies the keys for selection cycling and the behavior for Ctrl+click.
0

Ctrl+click is used to select subobjects (faces, edges, and
vertices) on 3D solids, surfaces, and meshes.

1

Ctrl+click is used to cycle through overlapping objects.
Disallows using Ctrl+click to select subobjects on 3D solids,
surfaces, and meshes.

2

Ctrl+click is used to select subobjects (faces, edges, and
vertices) on 3D solids, surfaces, and meshes when SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE on page 2532 is set to 0.If SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE is set to 1, 2, 3, or 4, it is not necessary
to hold down the Ctrl key to select subobjects.If you hold
down the Ctrl key when SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE is set
to 1, 2, 3, or 4, the subobject filter is turned off until the
Ctrl key is released.

2386 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LENSLENGTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Camera

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 50.0000
Stores the length of the lens (in millimeters) used in perspective viewing.

LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Lights

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls whether light glyphs are displayed
When this system variable is set to Off, the glyphs that represent lights in the
drawing are not displayed.
A light glyph is a symbolic representation of a point lights and spotlights.
0

Off

1

On

LENSLENGTH | 2387

LIGHTINGUNITS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Controls whether generic or photometric lights are used, and specifies the
lighting units for the drawing
When this system variable is set to 1 or 2, photometric lighting is enabled;
otherwise standard (generic) lighting is used.
0

No lighting units are used and standard (generic) lighting
is enabled.

1

American lighting units (foot-candles) are used and photometric lighting is enabled.

2

International lighting units (lux) are used and photometric
lighting is enabled.

LIGHTLISTSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Light Properties

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0

2388 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

Indicates whether the Lights in Model window is open.
0

Closed

1

Open

LIGHTSINBLOCKS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Incorporate Luminaire Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls whether lights contained in blocks are used when rendering
By default, this system variable is turned on in AutoCAD LT drawings. When
this system variable is off, lights in blocks do not affect 3D objects in the
current viewport when rendering. Previous versions of AutoCAD LT did not
support rendering lights in blocks.
0 (Off)

Lights in blocks are disabled

1 (On)

Lights in blocks are enabled

LIMCHECK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Drawing

LIGHTSINBLOCKS | 2389

Initial value: 0
Controls the creation of objects outside the grid limits.
0

Objects can be created outside the limits

1

Objects cannot be created outside the limits

LIMMAX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
2D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 12.0000,9.0000 (imperial) or 420.0000,297.0000 (metric)
Stores the upper-right grid limits for the current space, expressed as a world
coordinate.
LIMMAX is read-only when paper space is active and the paper background
or printable area is displayed.

LIMMIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
2D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000
Stores the lower-left grid limits for the current space, expressed as a world
coordinate.

2390 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LIMMIN is read-only when paper space is active and the paper background
or printable area is displayed.

LINEARBRIGHTNESS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the brightness level of the viewport in the standard lighting workflow.
Controls the brightness level of the viewport when standard lighting is enabled
(LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 0). Valid settings are integers from
-10 to 10. The brightness level in photometric lighting can be controlled by
the LOGEXPBRIGHTNESS systems variable.

LINEARCONTRAST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the contrast level of the viewport in the standard lighting workflow.
Controls the contrast level of the viewport when standard lighting is enabled
(LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 0). Valid settings are integers from
-10 to 10. The contrast level in photometric lighting can be controlled by
LOGEXPCONTRAST.

LINEARBRIGHTNESS | 2391

LOCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch Between Model Space and Layouts

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies by country/region
Displays a code that indicates the current locale.
This code appears as a three-letter abbreviation returned by the Windows
GetLocaleInfo function using the LOCALE_SABBREVLANGNAME constant.

LOCALROOTPREFIX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of File Organization

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies
Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were
installed.
These files are stored in the product folder under the Local Settings folder; for
example, "c:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application
Data\application_name\release_number\language".
The Template and Textures folders are in this location, and you can add any
customizable files that you do not want to roam on the network. See
ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX for the location of the roamable files.

2392 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LOCKUI
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify the Behavior of Dockable Windows

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as the
ribbon, DesignCenter, and the Properties palette.
Locked toolbars and windows can still be opened and closed and items can
be added and deleted. To unlock them temporarily, hold down Ctrl.
A lock icon in the status bar tray indicates whether toolbars and windows are
locked. Right-click the icon to display locking options.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Toolbars and windows not locked

1

Docked toolbars locked

2

Docked or anchored windows locked

4

Floating toolbars locked

8

Floating windows locked

LOFTANG1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting.

Type:

Real

LOCKUI | 2393

Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 90
Sets the draft angle through the first cross section in a loft operation.
The 0 direction is measured outward from the curve on the plane of the curve.
The positive direction is measured toward the next cross section. Valid values
include 0 to less than 360.

LOFTANG2
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting.

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 90
Sets the draft angle through the last cross section in a loft operation.
The 0 direction is measured outward from the curve on the plane of the curve.
The positive direction is measured toward the previous cross section. Valid
values include 0 to less than 360.

LOFTMAG1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting.

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the magnitude of the draft angle through the first cross section in a loft
operation.
Controls how soon the surface starts bending back toward the next cross
section.

2394 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LOFTMAG2
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting.

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the magnitude of the draft angle through the last cross section in a loft
operation.
Controls how soon the surface starts bending back toward the next cross
section.

LOFTNORMALS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting.

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls the normals of a lofted object where it passes through cross sections.
This setting is ignored when specifying a path or guide curves.
These settings can also be specified in the Loft Settings Dialog Box.
0

Ruled

1

Smooth Fit

2

Start cross section

3

End cross section

LOFTMAG2 | 2395

4

Start and End cross sections

5

All cross sections

6

Use draft angle and magnitude

LOFTPARAM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 7
Controls the shape of lofted solids and surfaces.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
1

No twist (minimizes the twist between cross sections)

2

Align direction (aligns the start to end direction of each
cross section curve)

4

Simplify (produces simple solids and surfaces, such as a
cylinder or plane, instead of spline solids and surfaces)

8

Close (closes the surface or solid between the first and the
last cross sections)

2396 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LOGEXPBRIGHTNESS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 65.0
Controls the brightness level of the viewport when using photometric lighting
Controls the brightness level of the viweport when photometric lighting is
enabled (LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 or 2). Valid range is from
0.0 to 200.0. The brightness level in standard lighting can be controlled by
the LINEARBRIGHTNESS systems variable.

LOGEXPCONTRAST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 50.0
Controls the contrast level of the viewport when using photometric lighting
Controls the contrast level of the viewport when photometric lighting is
enabled (LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 or 2). Valid range is from
0.0 to 100.0. The contrast level in standard lighting can be controlled by the
LINEARCONTRAST systems variable.

LOGEXPBRIGHTNESS | 2397

LOGEXPDAYLIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Controls if the exterior daylight flag is enabled when using photometric
lighting
When this system variable is off, exterior daylight is turned off when
photometric lighting is enabled (LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1
or 2). When on, the exposure control algorithm in the rendering acts as if
there is an extremely bright light source in the scene. Therefore, the default
setting of “Auto” is tied directly to the sun setting. Under special circumstances,
it may be desirable to manually set this variable due to extremely bright
artificial light sources or, conversely, due to a sun-lit scene that it is illuminated
only by a small amount of directly visible sunlight.
0

Off

1

On

2

Auto, current sun status is used

LOGEXPMIDTONES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0

2398 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

Controls the mid tones level of the viewport when using photometric lighting
Controls the mid tones level of the viewport when photometric lighting is
enabled (LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 or 2). Valid range from
0.01 to 20.0.

LOGEXPPHYSICALSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1500.0000
Controls the relative brightness of self-illuminated materials in a photometric
environment
This global scale factor is used to adjust the relative brightness of
self-illuminated materials in a photometric environment. Valid values range
from 0.001 to 200000.

LOGFILEMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Application Fonts

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Specifies whether the contents of the text window are written to a log file.
0

Log file is not maintained

1

Log file is maintained

LOGEXPPHYSICALSCALE | 2399

LOGFILENAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Application Fonts

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current drawing.
The initial value varies depending on the name of the current drawing and
the installation folder.

LOGFILEPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies
Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session.
You can also specify the path by using the OPTIONS command. The initial
value is based on the installation folder.

2400 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LOGINNAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Open a Drawing

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Displays the Windows login name and is saved with the file properties statistics
of DWG and related files.

LONGITUDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Geographic Location

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -122.3940
Specifies the longitude of the drawing model in decimal format.
The default is the longitude of San Francisco, California. The valid range is
-180 to +180. Positive values represent east longitudes.
This value is affected by the settings of the LUPREC system variable.
This value is not affected by the settings of the AUNITS and AUPREC system
variables.

LOGINNAME | 2401

LTSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control Linetype Scale

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000
Sets the global linetype scale factor.
The linetype scale factor cannot equal zero. This system variable has the same
name as a command. Use the SETVAR command to access this system variable.

LUNITS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Unit Format Conventions

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Sets linear units.
1

Scientific

2

Decimal

3

Engineering

4

Architectural

5

Fractional

2402 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

LUPREC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set the Unit Format Conventions

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 4
Sets the display precision for linear units and coordinates.
However, the internal precision of distance, area, and volume values, and
linear coordinates is always maintained, regardless of the display precision.
LUPREC does not affect the display precision of dimension text (see
DIMSTYLE).
Valid values are integers from 0 to 8.

LWDEFAULT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Lineweights

Type:
Enum
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 25
Sets the value for the default lineweight.
The default lineweight can be set to any valid lineweight value in hundredths
of millimeters, including: 0, 5, 9, 13, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 53, 60, 70,
80, 90, 100, 106, 120, 140, 158, 200, and 211.
All values must be entered in hundredths of millimeters. (Multiply a value by
2540 to convert values from inches to hundredths of millimeters.)

LUPREC | 2403

LWDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Lineweights

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: OFF
Controls whether the lineweights of objects are displayed.
This setting is controlled separately for model space and for all paper space
layouts.
OFF

Lineweights are not displayed

ON

Lineweights are displayed

LWUNITS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Lineweights

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether lineweight units are displayed in inches or millimeters.
0

Inches

1

Millimeters

2404 | Chapter 37 L System Variables

38

M System Variables

MATBROWSERSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Browse Material Libraries

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 0
Controls the state of the Materials Browser.
0

Materials Browser is closed.

1

Materials Browser is open.

MATEDITORSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create New Materials

(Read-only)

2405

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Indicates whether the Materials Editor is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

MATERIALSPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Browse Material Libraries

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk
Shared\Materials2011
Specifies the path of the materials libraries.

MAXACTVP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Turn Layout Viewports On or Off

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 64
Sets the maximum number of viewports that can be active at one time in a
layout.
MAXACTVP has no effect on the number of viewports that are plotted.

2406 | Chapter 38 M System Variables

MAXSORT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Blocks

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1000
Sets the maximum number of symbol names or block names sorted by listing
commands.
If the total number of items exceeds this value, no items are sorted.
The value of MAXSORT is an integer between 0 and 32767.

MAXTOUCHES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Freehand Sketches

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Identifies the number of touch points supported by connected digitizers.

MBUTTONPAN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pointing Device Buttons

MAXSORT | 2407

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the behavior of the third button or wheel on the pointing device.
0

Supports the action defined in the customization (CUIx)
file

1

Supports panning when you hold and drag the button or
wheel

MEASUREINIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Start a Drawing from Scratch

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies by country/region
Controls whether a drawing you start from scratch uses imperial or metric
default settings.
Specifically, MEASUREINIT controls which hatch pattern and linetype files
are used. The Drawing1.dwg that opens when you start the program is a
drawing that is started from scratch.
0

Imperial; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file designated by the ANSIHatch and ANSILinetype registry settings

1

Metric; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file designated by the ISOHatch and ISOLinetype registry settings

2408 | Chapter 38 M System Variables

MEASUREMENT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Start a Drawing from Scratch

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0 (imperial) or 1 (metric)
Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern
and linetype files.
0

Imperial; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file designated by the ANSIHatch and ANSILinetype registry settings

1

Metric; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file designated by the ISOHatch and ISOLinetype registry settings

MENUBAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Access the Classic Menu Bar

Controls the display of the menu bar.
0

Hides the menu bar

1

Displays the menu bar

MEASUREMENT | 2409

MENUCTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Screen Menus

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the page switching of the screen menu.
0

Screen menu does not switch pages in response to keyboard command entry

1

Screen menu does switch pages in response to keyboard
command entry

MENUECHO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Macros

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Sets menu echo and prompt control bits.
The value is the sum of the following:
1

Suppresses echo of menu items (^P in a menu item toggles
echoing)

2

Suppresses display of system prompts during menu

2410 | Chapter 38 M System Variables

4

Disables ^P toggle of menu echoing

8

Displays input/output strings; debugging aid for DIESEL
macros

MENUNAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

User Interface Customization

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: customization_file_name
Stores the customization file name, including the path for the file name.

MESHTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Construct Meshes from Other Objects

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls the type of mesh that is created by REVSURF, TABSURF, RULESURF
and EDGESURF.
0

Creates legacy polygon or polyface mesh when you use REVSURF, TABSURF,
RULESURF, or EDGESURF

1

Creates full-featured mesh objects when you use REVSURF, TABSURF, RULESURF, or EDGESURF (recommended)

MENUNAME | 2411

This option does not affect mesh created using the 3DMESH and PFACE
commands.

MIRRHATCH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Mirror Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls how MIRROR reflects hatch patterns.
0

Retains hatch pattern direction

1

Mirrors the hatch pattern direction

MIRRTEXT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Mirror Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls how the MIRROR command reflects text.
0

Retains text direction

1

Mirrors the text

2412 | Chapter 38 M System Variables

MLEADERSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Leaders

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000
Sets the overall scale factor applied to multileader objects.
Use DIMSCALE to scale leader objects created with the LEADER command.
0.0

A reasonable default value is computed based on the
scaling between the current model space viewport and
paper space. If you are in paper space or model space and
not using the paper space feature, the scale factor is 1.0.

>0

A scale factor is computed that leads text sizes, arrowhead
sizes, and other scaled distances to plot at their face values.

MLEADERSCALE does not affect measured lengths, coordinates, or angles.
When MLEADERSCALE is set to 0, and the current multileader style is not ,
the overall multileader scale of multileader objects created in paper space
viewports is determined by the viewport scale. When the current multileader
style is annotative, the MLEADERSCALE value is set to 0. Changes to the
MLEADERSCALE value are ignored and the value is reset to 0.

MODEMACRO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of the MODEMACRO System Variable

Type:

String

MLEADERSCALE | 2413

Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: ""
Displays a text string on the status line, such as the name of the current
drawing, time/date stamp, or special modes.
Use MODEMACRO to display a string of text, or use special text strings written
in the DIESEL macro language to have the macro evaluated from time to time
and base the status line on user-selected conditions.

MSLTSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Annotative Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Scales linetypes displayed on the model tab by the
0

Linetypes displayed on the Model tab are not scaled by
the annotation scale

1

Linetypes displayed on the Model tab are scaled by the
annotation scale

NOTE MSLTSCALE is set to 0 when you open drawings created in AutoCAD LT
2007 and earlier.

MSMSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Using Markups for Design Review

2414 | Chapter 38 M System Variables

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Indicates whether the Markup Set Manager is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

MSOLESCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Importing OLE Objects into Drawings

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000
Controls the size of an OLE object with text that is pasted into model space.
MSOLESCALE controls only the initial size. If the scale factor value is changed,
existing OLE objects in the drawing are not affected.
A positive number scales by value. Zero (0) scales by the DIMSCALE value.

MTEXTCOLUMN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Edit Columns in Multiline Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2

MSOLESCALE | 2415

Sets the default column setting for a multiline text (mtext) object.
0

No column.

1

Dynamic columns with auto height.

2

Dynamic column with manual height.

MTEXTED
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Using an Alternate Text Editor

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: "Internal"
Sets the application for editing multiline text objects.
You can specify a different text editor for the MTEXT command. If you set
MTEXTED to internal or to null (.), the In-Place Text Editor is displayed. If
you set MTEXTED to “OldEditor”, the Multiline Text Editor is displayed. If
you specify a path and the name of the executable file for another text editor
or word processor, that path and file name instead are displayed instead.
If the multiline text object is fewer than 80 characters, you can enter :lisped
to use the LISP editor.
Text editors other than the internal one show the formatting codes in
paragraph text.

MTEXTFIXED
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Multiline Text

2416 | Chapter 38 M System Variables

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Sets the display size and orientation of multiline text in a specified text editor.
If MTEXTED is set to “Internal”, multiline text is displayed in the In-Place
Text Editor, and the setting of MTEXTFIXED has the following results:
0 or 1

Displays the In-Place Text Editor and the text within it at
the size, position, and rotation of the multiline text object
in the drawing.

2

Displays the In-Place Text Editor and the text within it at
the size, position, and rotation of the multiline text object
in the drawing.
Text that would otherwise be difficult to read (if it is very
small, very large, or is rotated) is displayed at a legible size
and is oriented horizontally so that you can easily read
and edit it.

If MTEXTED is set to “OldEditor,” multiline text is displayed in the Multiline
Text Editor, and the setting of MTEXTFIXED has the following results:
0

Displays the Multiline Text Editor and the text within it at
the size and position of the multiline text object in the
drawing. Text too large or too small to be edited is displayed at a minimum or maximum size. Text that is rotated is displayed horizontally.

1 or 2

Displays the Multiline Text Editor at a fixed position and
size based on last use, and displays text in the editor at a
fixed height. Text that is rotated is displayed horizontally.

MTEXTTOOLBAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Multiline Text

MTEXTTOOLBAR | 2417

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 2
Controls the display of the Text Formatting toolbar.
0

The Text Formatting toolbar is never displayed.

1

The Text Formatting toolbar is displayed upon selection
of an MTEXT object.

2

The Text Formatting toolbar does not display when the
ribbon is on.

MTJIGSTRING
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Multiline Text

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: "abc"
Sets the content of the sample text displayed at the cursor location when the
MTEXT command is started.
The text string is displayed in the current text size and font. You can enter
any string of up to ten letters or numbers or enter a period (.) to display no
sample text.

MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Search Paths and File Locations

2418 | Chapter 38 M System Variables

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies
Stores the full path to the My Documents folder for the user currently logged
on.
These files are stored in the product folder under the Local Settings folder; for
example, "c:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents".

MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX | 2419

2420

N System Variables

39

NAVBARDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Navigation Bar

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of the navigation bar in all viewports.
0

Navigation bar is not displayed

1

Navigation bar is displayed

NAVSWHEELMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Navigate with SteeringWheels

Type:

Integer

2421

Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Specifies the current mode of the SteeringWheel.
0

Big View Object wheel

1

Big Tour Building wheel

2

Big Full Navigation wheel

3

2D Navigation wheel

4

Mini View Object wheel

5

Mini Tour Building wheel

6

Mini Full Navigation wheel

NAVSWHEELOPACITYBIG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Navigate with SteeringWheels

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 50
Controls the opacity of the big SteeringWheels.
Valid values are from 25 to 90 percent. When set to 90, the big wheels appear
almost fully opaque against the drawing window and obscure the view of the
objects under the wheel. When set to less than 90, the big wheels appear to
fade into the drawing window, which results in the objects under the wheel
to appear less obscured.

2422 | Chapter 39 N System Variables

NAVSWHEELOPACITYMINI
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Navigate with SteeringWheels

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 50
Controls the opacity of the mini SteeringWheels.
Valid values are from 25 to 90 percent. When set to 90, the mini wheels appear
almost fully opaque against the drawing window and obscure the view of the
objects under the wheel. When set to less than 90, the mini wheels appear to
fade into the drawing window, which results in the objects under the wheel
to appear less obscured.

NAVSWHEELSIZEBIG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Navigate with SteeringWheels

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Specifies the size of the big SteeringWheels.
0

Small

1

Normal

2

Large

NAVSWHEELOPACITYMINI | 2423

NAVSWHEELSIZEMINI
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Navigate with SteeringWheels

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Specifies the size of the mini SteeringWheels.
0

Small

1

Normal

2

Large

3

Extra

NAVVCUBEDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use ViewCube

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 3
Controls the display of the ViewCube tool in the current visual style and the
current viewport.
0

ViewCube is not displayed in 2D and 3D visual styles

1

ViewCube is displayed in 3D visual styles, but not in 2D
visual styles

2424 | Chapter 39 N System Variables

2

ViewCube is displayed in 2D visual styles, but not in 3D
visual styles

3

ViewCube is displayed in both 2D and 3D visual styles

NAVVCUBELOCATION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use ViewCube

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Identifies the corner in a viewport where the ViewCube tool is displayed.
0

Upper-right

1

Upper-left

2

Lower-left

3

Lower-right

NAVVCUBEOPACITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use ViewCube

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 50

NAVVCUBELOCATION | 2425

Controls the opacity of the ViewCube tool when inactive.
Valid values are from 0 to 100 percent. When set to 100, the ViewCube appears
fully opaque against the drawing window and obscures all objects under it in
the viewport. When set to less than 100, the ViewCube fades into the drawing
window, which results in the objects under it to appear less obscured. If set
to 0, the ViewCube is not displayed in the viewport unless the cursor is
positioned over top of the ViewCube’s location.

NAVVCUBEORIENT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use ViewCube

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether the ViewCube tool reflects the current UCS or WCS.
0

ViewCube is oriented to reflect WCS

1

ViewCube is oriented to reflect the current UCS

NAVVCUBESIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use ViewCube

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 4

2426 | Chapter 39 N System Variables

Specifies the size of the ViewCube tool.
0

Small

1

Normal

2

Large

3

Tiny

4

Automatic; the size of the ViewCube tool is scaled up or
down based on the size of the active viewport, zoom
factor of the active layout, or drawing window

NOMUTT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

Type:
Short
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Suppresses the message display (muttering) when it wouldn't normally be
suppressed.
Displaying messages is the normal mode, but message display is suppressed
during scripts, AutoLISP routines, and so on.
0

Resumes normal muttering behavior

1

Suppresses muttering indefinitely

NOMUTT | 2427

NORTHDIRECTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Sun and Sky Simulation

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Specifies the angle of the sun from north.
This value is affected by the settings of the AUNITS and AUPREC system
variables.
NOTE The angle is interpreted in the context of the world coordinate system
(WCS). This value is completely separate from surveyor angular units, which are
always set relative to the current UCS.

2428 | Chapter 39 N System Variables

O System Variables

40

OBJECTISOLATIONMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 0
Controls whether hidden objects remain hidden between drawing sessions.
OJBECTISOLATIONMODE controls whether objects that are hidden using the
ISOLATEOBJECTS on page 956 or HIDEOBJECTS on page 912 command remain
hidden after saving and reopening the drawing.
0

Isolated/hidden objects are temporary for current drawing
session

1

Isolated/hidden objects persist between drawing sessions

2429

OBSCUREDCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 257
Specifies the color of obscured lines.
Value 0 designates ByBlock, value 256 designates ByLayer, and value 257
designates ByEntity. Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD Color Index (ACI).
An obscured line is a hidden line made visible by changing its color and
linetype. OBSCUREDCOLOR is available only in 2D views. In 3D views, the
VSOBSCUREDCOLOR system variable is used.
The OBSCUREDCOLOR setting is visible only if the OBSCUREDLTYPE system
variable is turned on by setting it to a value other than 0.

OBSCUREDLTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies the linetype of obscured lines.

2430 | Chapter 40 O System Variables

An obscured line is a hidden line made visible by changing its color and
linetype. OBSCUREDLTYPE is available only in 2D views. In 3D views, the
VSOBSCUREDLTYPE system variable is used.
Obscured linetypes are independent of zoom level, unlike regular linetypes.
The linetype values are defined as follows:
0

Off

1

Solid

2

Dashed

3

Dotted

4

Short Dash

5

Medium Dash

6

Long Dash

7

Double Short Dash

8

Double Medium Dash

9

Double Long Dash

10

Medium Long Dash

11

Sparse Dot

OBSCUREDLTYPE | 2431

OFFSETDIST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Offset an Object

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: -1.0000
Sets the default offset distance.
<0

Offsets an object through a specified point

0

Sets the default offset distance

OFFSETGAPTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Offset an Object

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls how potential gaps between segments are treated when closed
polylines are offset.
0

Fills the gaps by extending the polyline segments

1

Fills the gaps with filleted arc segments (the radius of each
arc segment is equal to the offset distance)

2

Fills the gaps with chamfered line segments (the perpendicular distance to each chamfer is equal to the offset
distance)

2432 | Chapter 40 O System Variables

OLEFRAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Edit OLE Objects in Drawings

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Controls whether a frame is displayed and plotted on all OLE objects in the
drawing.
The frame on an OLE object must be displayed in order for grips to be visible.
0

Frame is not displayed and not plotted

1

Frame is displayed and is plotted

2

Frame is displayed but is not plotted

OLEHIDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Importing OLE Objects into Drawings

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the display and plotting of OLE objects.
0

All OLE objects are visible and plot

1

OLE objects are visible and plot in paper space only

OLEFRAME | 2433

2

OLE objects are visible and plot in model space only

3

No OLE objects are visible or plot

OLEQUALITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Importing OLE Objects into Drawings

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Sets the default plot quality for OLE objects.
With OLEQUALITY, you can assign the plot quality for OLE objects to 0
(monochrome), 1 (low graphics), or 2 (high graphics).
When OLEQUALITY is set to 3, the quality level is assigned automatically
based on the type of object. For example, spreadsheets and tables are set to
monochrome, color text and pie charts are set to low graphics, and
photographs are set to high graphics.
The following table define the value of the plot quality for OLE objects.
0

Monochrome

1

Low graphics

2

High graphics

3

Automatically Select

2434 | Chapter 40 O System Variables

OLESTARTUP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Importing OLE Objects into Drawings

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the source application of an embedded OLE object loads
when plotting.
Loading the OLE source application may improve the plot quality.
0

Does not load the OLE source application

1

Loads the OLE source application when plotting

OPENPARTIAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Open a Drawing

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether a drawing file can be worked on before it is fully open.
Two conditions must be met for this system variable to have an effect. The
drawing must have been saved with paper space displayed (TILEMODE is set
to 0), and the INDEXCTL system variable must be set to a non-zero value.
0

Legacy behavior: A drawing must be fully opened before
work can begin on it

OLESTARTUP | 2435

1

Work can begin on the visible portions of a drawing before
it is fully open

OPMSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Change the Properties of Objects

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Stores a value that indicates whether the Properties palette is open, closed or
hidden.
0

Closed

1

Open

2

Auto-hide: Open but only the title bar is displayed when
the cursor moves off the palette

ORTHOMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Orthogonal Locking (Ortho Mode)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Constrains cursor movement to the perpendicular.

2436 | Chapter 40 O System Variables

When ORTHOMODE is turned on, the cursor can move only horizontally or
vertically relative to the UCS and the current grid rotation angle
0

Turns off Ortho mode

1

Turns on Ortho mode

OSMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 4133
Sets running object snaps
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

NONe

1

ENDpoint

2

MIDpoint

4

CENter

8

NODe

16

QUAdrant

32

INTersection

64

INSertion

128

PERpendicular

256

TANgent

OSMODE | 2437

512

NEArest

1024

Clears all object snaps

2048

APParent Intersection

4096

EXTension

8192

PARallel

To specify more than one object snap, enter the sum of their values. For
example, entering 3 specifies the Endpoint (bitcode 1) and Midpoint (bitcode
2) object snaps. Entering 16383 specifies all object snaps.
When object snaps are switched off using the Osnap button on the status bar,
a bitcode of 16384 (0x4000) is returned, in addition to the normal value of
OSMODE. With this additional value, developers can distinguish this mode
from Object Snap modes that have been turned off from within the Drafting
Settings dialog box. Setting this bit toggles running object snaps off. Setting
OSMODE to a value with this bit off toggles running object snaps on.

OSNAPCOORD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Visual Aids for Object Snaps (AutoSnap)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override
running object snaps.
0

Running object snap settings override keyboard coordinate
entry

1

Keyboard entry overrides object snap settings

2438 | Chapter 40 O System Variables

2

Keyboard entry overrides object snap settings except in
scripts

OSNAPNODELEGACY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Multiline Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the Node object snap can be used to snap to multiline text
objects.
The number and location of nodes on a multiline text object snap depends
on the vertical and horizontal justification of the multiline text object.
0

Node object snap can be used with multiline text objects

1

Node object snap ignores multiline text objects

OSNAPZ
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0

OSNAPNODELEGACY | 2439

Controls whether object snaps are automatically projected onto a plane parallel
to the XY plane of the current UCS at the current elevation.
0

Osnap uses the Z-value of the specified point

1

Osnap substitutes the Z-value of the specified point with
the elevation (ELEV) set for the current UCS

OSOPTIONS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Automatically suppresses object snaps on hatch objects and geometry with
negative Z values when using a dynamic UCS.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Object snaps operate on hatch objects, and on geometry
with negative Z values when using a dynamic UCS

1

Object snaps ignore hatch objects

2

Object snaps ignore geometry with negative Z values
during use of a dynamic UCS

2440 | Chapter 40 O System Variables

P System Variables

41

PALETTEOPAQUE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

■

Transparency Dialog Box on page 1373

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.
When transparency is available and turned on, you can use the Transparency
option on the shortcut menu to set a different degree of transparency for the
current palette or for all palettes.
When transparency is unavailable or turned off, all palettes are opaque.
Transparency is unavailable when palettes or windows are docked, when
transparency is not supported by the current operating system, or when a
hardware accelerator is enabled.
0

Transparency is turned off

1

Transparency is turned on

2441

2

Transparency is turned off and is not supported by the
hardware and/or operating system

3

Transparency is turned on, but is not supported by the
hardware and/or operating system

Available settings depend whether hardware acceleration is enabled. When
hardware acceleration is enabled, setting 2 and 3 are available; when disabled,
setting 0 and 1 are available.
This system variable determines the default setting in the Transparency dialog
box > General section > How transparent should the palette be? option on
page 1373.

PAPERUPDATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Paper Size

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the display of a warning dialog when attempting to print a layout
with a paper size different from the paper size specified by the default for the
plotter configuration file.
0

Displays a warning dialog box if the paper size specified
in the layout is not supported by the plotter

1

Sets paper size to the configured paper size of the plotter
configuration file

2442 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

PARAMETERCOPYMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls how constraints and referenced user parameters are handled when
constrained objects are copied between drawings, Model space and layouts,
and block definitions.
Parameters and their values apply to the current space only. Model space,
individual paper space layouts, and various block definitions in the block
editor cannot access each other's parameters. Several commands, including
PASTECLIP and EXPLODE, can introduce dimensional constraints and
constraint parameters into an environment where referenced user parameters
are no longer accessible or are in conflict.
The PARAMETERCOPYMODE system variable provides several options for
handling these situations.
0

Do not copy any dimensional constraints
or constraint parameters. Constraints are
removed from copied objects.

1

Copy dimensional constraints and constraint parameters. Always replace expressions with numerical constants. Rename
dimensional parameters if there is a naming conflict.

2

Copy dimensional constraints, constraint
parameters, and user parameters. Reference existing user parameters when available, otherwise replace expressions with
numerical constants.

3

Copy dimensional constraints, constraint
parameters, and user parameters. Refer-

PARAMETERCOPYMODE | 2443

ence existing user parameters when available, otherwise create any missing user
parameters. Change missing referenced
dimensional constraints into user parameters.
4

Copy all dimensional constraints, constraint
parameters, and expressions. Rename the
parameters of copied objects if conflicts in
value occurs for copied parameters.

PARAMETERSSTATUS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Apply Dimensional Constraints

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether the Parameters Manager is displayed or hidden.
0

Hidden

1

Displayed

PDFFRAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Hide and Show Underlay Frames

Type:

Integer

2444 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Determines whether the PDF underlay frame is visible.
The FRAME system variable overrides the PDFFRAME setting. Use the
PDFFRAME system variable after the FRAME system variable to reset the PDF
frame settings.
0

The PDF underlay frame is not visible and it is not plotted

1

Displays the PDF underlay frame and allows it to be plotted

2

Displays the PDF underlay frame but keeps it from being
plotted

PDFOSNAP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps with Underlays

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Determines whether object snapping is active for geometry in PDF underlays
that are attached to the drawing.
The UOSNAP system variable overrides the PDFOSNAP setting.
0

Object snapping is disabled for geometry in all PDF underlay attachments in the drawing

1

Object snapping is enabled for geometry in all PDF underlay attachments in the drawing

PDFOSNAP | 2445

PDMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Divide an Object into Equal Segments

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls how point objects are displayed.
For information about values to enter, see the POINT command.

PDSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Divide an Object into Equal Segments

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the display size for point objects.
0

Creates a point at 5 percent of the drawing area height

>0

Specifies an absolute size

<0

Specifies a percentage of the viewport size

2446 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

PEDITACCEPT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Polylines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Suppresses display of the Object Selected Is Not a Polyline prompt in PEDIT.
The prompt is followed by “Do you want it to turn into one?” Entering y
converts the selected object to a polyline. When the prompt is suppressed,
the selected object is automatically converted to a polyline.
0

The prompt is displayed

1

The prompt is suppressed

PELLIPSE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Ellipses

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the ellipse type created with ELLIPSE.
0

Creates a true ellipse object.

1

Creates a polyline representation of an ellipse

PEDITACCEPT | 2447

PERIMETER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Obtain Area and Mass Properties Information

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0.0000
Stores the last perimeter value computed by the AREA or LIST command.
Also stores perimeter values computed by DBLIST

PERSPECTIVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define a Perspective Projection (DVIEW)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Specifies whether the current viewport displays a perspective view.
0

Perspective view turned off

1

Perspective view turned on

Perspective views are available only in model space, and only with 3D visual
styles.
NOTE PERSPECTIVE is set to 0 when the drawing file or DXF file is saved to a file
format earlier than AutoCAD 2007.

2448 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

PERSPECTIVECLIP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define a Perspective Projection (DVIEW)

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 5.0000
Determines the location of eyepoint clipping.
The value determines where the eye point clipping occurs as a percentage.
Values can range between 0.01 and 10.0. If you select a small value, the z-values
of objects will be compressed at the target view and beyond. If you select a
value such as 0.5%, the clipping will appear very close to the eyepoint of the
view. In some extreme cases it might be appropriate to use 0.1%, but it is
recommended to change the setting to a higher value such as 5%.

PFACEVMAX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Custom Mesh (Legacy)

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 4
Sets the maximum number of vertices per face.
This system variable affects only legacy polyface meshes such as those created
by PFACE.

PERSPECTIVECLIP | 2449

PICKADD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select Multiple Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 2
Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or
add to it.
0

Turns off PICKADD. The objects and subobjects most recently selected become the selection set. Previously selected objects and subobjects are removed from the selection
set. Add more objects or subobjects to the selection set
by pressing SHIFT while selecting.

1

Turns on PICKADD. Each object and subobject selected,
either individually or by windowing, is added to the current selection set. To remove objects or subobjects from
the set, press SHIFT while selecting.

2

Turns on PICKADD. Each object and subobject selected,
either individually or by windowing, is added to the current selection set. To remove objects or subobjects from
the set, press SHIFT while selecting.
Keeps objects selected after the SELECT command ends.

PICKAUTO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select Multiple Objects

2450 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt.
0

Turns off PICKAUTO.

1

Draws a selection window (for either a window or a
crossing selection) automatically at the Select Objects
prompt

PICKBOX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select Objects Individually

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Sets the object selection target height, in pixels.
NOTE When PICKBOX is set to 0, selection previewing of objects is not available.

PICKDRAG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select Multiple Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0

PICKBOX | 2451

Controls the method of drawing a selection window.
0

Draws the selection window using two points. Click the
pointing device at one corner, and then click to select
another corner.

1

Draws the selection window using dragging. Click one
corner and drag the pointing device; release the button
at the other corner.

PICKFIRST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you
issue a command.
0

Turns off PICKFIRST; you select objects after you issue a
command

1

Turns on PICKFIRST; you select objects before you issue a
command

PICKSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select Objects in Groups

2452 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
0

No group selection or associative hatch selection

1

Group selection

2

Associative hatch selection

3

Group selection and associative hatch selection

PLATFORM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Indicates which platform is in use.

PLINECONVERTMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Splines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0

PLATFORM | 2453

Specifies the fit method used in converting splines to polylines.
0

Polylines are created with linear segments

1

Polylines are created with arc segments

PLINEGEN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Linetypes on Short Segments and Polylines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets how linetype patterns generate around the vertices of a 2D polyline.
Does not apply to polylines with tapered segments.
0

Generates polylines to start and end with a dash at each
vertex

1

Generates the linetype in a continuous pattern around the
vertices of the polyline

PLINETYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Polylines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2

2454 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

Specifies whether optimized 2D polylines are used.
PLINETYPE controls both the creation of new polylines with the PLINE
command and the conversion of existing polylines in drawings from previous
releases.
0

Polylines in older drawings are not converted when
opened; PLINE creates old-format polylines

1

Polylines in older drawings are not converted when
opened; PLINE creates optimized polylines

2

Polylines in AutoCAD Release 14 or older drawings are
converted when opened; PLINE creates optimized polylines

For more information on the two formats, see the CONVERT command.
PLINETYPE also controls the polyline type created with the following
commands: BOUNDARY (when object type is set to Polyline), DONUT, PEDIT
(when selecting a line or arc), POLYGON, and SKETCH (when SKPOLY is set
to 1).

PLINEWID
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Polylines

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Stores the default polyline width.

PLINEWID | 2455

PLOTOFFSET
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust the Plot Offset of a Layout

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the plot offset is relative to the printable area or to the edge
of the paper.
0

Sets the plot offset relative to the printable area.

1

Sets the plot offset relative to the edge of the paper

PLOTROTMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select a Printer or Plotter

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls the orientation of plots.
0

Rotates the effective plotting area so the corner with the
Rotation icon aligns with the paper at the lower left for 0,
top left for 90, top right for 180, and lower right for 270.
X and Y origin offsets are calculated relative to the lowerleft corner.

1

Aligns the lower-left corner of the effective plotting area
with the lower-left corner of the paper.

2456 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

2

Works the same as 0 value except that the X and Y origin
offsets are calculated relative to the rotated origin position.

PLOTTRANSPARENCYOVERRIDE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Object Properties

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1
Controls whether object transparency is plotted.
0

Does not plot object transparency

1

Uses the setting specified in the Page Setup or the Plot
dialog boxes

2

Plots object transparency

Setting the PLOTTRANSPARENCYOVERRIDE system variable to 0 or 2 overrides
the Plot Transparency option in the Page Setup or the Plot dialog boxes.
WARNING Because this system variable can affect global plot performance, it is
strongly advised that you leave the value set to 1 and manage plot transparency
from the Page Setup or the Plot dialog boxes.

PLQUIET
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line

PLOTTRANSPARENCYOVERRIDE | 2457

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the display of optional plot-related dialog boxes and nonfatal errors
for scripts.
0

Displays plot dialog boxes and nonfatal errors

1

Logs nonfatal errors and doesn't display plot-related dialog
boxes

POINTCLOUDAUTOUPDATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import 3D Point Cloud Files

■

Work with AutoCAD Drawings in AutoCAD LT

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether a point cloud is regenerated automatically after
manipulation, panning, zooming, or orbiting.
0

The image must be manually regenerated when the view
changes. If this value is 0, then the value for
POINTCLOUDRTDENSITY on page 2460 has no impact on
the number of points displayed while zooming, panning,
or orbiting in real time.

1

The image is automatically regenerated.

2458 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

POINTCLOUDDENSITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import 3D Point Cloud Files

■

Work with AutoCAD Drawings in AutoCAD LT

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 15
Controls the number of points displayed at once for all point clouds in the
drawing view.
The system variable value is a percentage of 1,500,000, which is the maximum
number of points that can exist in a drawing, regardless of the number of
point clouds attached to a single drawing.
For example, if the system variable is set to 1, a maximum of 15,000 points
is displayed at one time, even if there are multiple point clouds displayed on
the screen. The 15,000 points are evenly distributed between the viewable
point clouds.

POINTCLOUDLOCK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import 3D Point Cloud Files

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether an attached point cloud can be manipulated, moved, or
rotated.
Sets the default Lock property for new point cloud objects.

POINTCLOUDDENSITY | 2459

NOTE This setting does not affect the Lock property for existing point cloud
objects.
0

New point cloud objects are not locked and can be manipulated. The Lock property is set to No.

1

New point cloud objects are locked for editing and cannot
be manipulated. The Lock property is set to Yes.

POINTCLOUDRTDENSITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import 3D Point Cloud Files

■

Work with AutoCAD Drawings in AutoCAD LT

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 5
Improves performance by degrading the number of points displayed in the
drawing view zooming, panning, or orbiting in real time.
Set this system variable to a value less than the value of POINTCLOUDDENSITY
on page 2459 in order to improve performance.
The system variable value is a percentage of 1,500,000, which is the maximum
number of points that can exist in a drawing, regardless of the number of
point clouds attached to a single drawing.
For example, if the system variable is set to 1, a maximum of 15,000 points
is displayed while zooming, panning, or orbiting in real time.
NOTE If the value of POINTCLOUDAUTOUPDATE on page 2458 is 0, then the value
for POINTCLOUDRTDENSITY has no impact on the number of points displayed
while zooming, panning, or orbiting in real time.

2460 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

POLARADDANG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: ""
Stores additional angles for polar tracking and polar snap.
You can add up to 10 angles. Each angle can be separated with semicolons (;).
The AUNITS system variable sets the format for display of angles.Unlike
POLARANG, POLARADDANG angles do not result in multiples of their values.
The bit value for the POLARMODE system variable must have 4 turned on for
POLARADDANG to have an effect.
When using fractions of an angle, set the AUPREC system variable (angular
precision) to a higher value. Otherwise, the POLARADDANG value will be
rounded off.

POLARANG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 90
Sets the polar angle increment.
Values are 90, 45, 30, 22.5, 18, 15,10, and 5.

POLARADDANG | 2461

POLARDIST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the snap increment when the SNAPTYPE is set to 1 (PolarSnap).

POLARMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls settings for polar and object snap tracking.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
Polar angle measurements
0

Measure polar angles based on current UCS (absolute)

1

Measure polar angles from selected objects (relative)

Object snap tracking
0

Track orthogonally only

2

Use polar tracking settings in object snap tracking

2462 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

Use additional polar tracking angles
0

No

4

Yes

Acquire object snap tracking points
0

Acquire automatically

8

Press SHIFT to acquire

NOTE In a 3D view, a tracking vector parallel to the Z axis of the UCS is also
displayed, and the tooltip displays +Z and -Z for the angle depending on the
direction along the Z axis.

POLYSIDES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Rectangles and Polygons

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 4
Sets the default number of sides for the POLYGON command.
The range is 3 to 1024.

POPUPS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

POLYSIDES | 2463

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1
Displays the status of the currently configured display driver.
0

Does not support dialog boxes, the menu bar, and icon
menus

1

Supports these features

PREVIEWEFFECT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Specifies the visual effect used for previewing selection of objects.
0

Dashed lines (the default display for selected objects)

1

Thickened lines

2

Dashed and thickened lines

PREVIEWFACEEFFECT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

2464 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Specifies the visual effect used for previewing selection of face subobjects.
0

No highlight effect for face

1

Highlight face with texture fill

PREVIEWFILTER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 7
Excludes specified object types from selection previewing.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Excludes nothing

1

Excludes objects on locked layers

2

Excludes objects in xrefs

4

Excludes tables

8

Excludes multiline text objects

16

Excludes hatch objects

32

Excludes objects in groups

PREVIEWFILTER | 2465

PREVIEWTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save a Drawing

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the view to use for the drawing thumbnail.
0

Use last saved view

1

Use Home view

PRODUCT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: "AutoCAD"
Returns the product name.

2466 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

PROGRAM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: "acad"
Returns the program name.

PROJECTNAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Paths to Referenced Drawings

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Assigns a project name to the current drawing.
Used when an xref, image, or DWF underlay file is not found in its original
path. The project name points to a section in the registry that can contain
one or more search paths for each project name defined. Project names and
their search directories are created from the Files tab of the Options dialog
box.
Project names make it easier for users to manage xrefs, images, and DWF
underlay when drawings are exchanged between customers, or if users have
different drive mappings to the same location on a server.
If the xref, image, or DWF underlay file is not found at the original path, the
project paths associated with the project name are searched. If the xref, image,
or DWF underlay file is not found there, the AutoCAD search path is searched.

PROGRAM | 2467

PROJMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Trim or Extend Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Sets the current Projection mode for trimming or extending.
0

True 3D mode (no projection)

1

Project to the XY plane of the current UCS

2

Project to the current view plane

PROXYGRAPHICS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Custom and Proxy Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies whether images of proxy objects are saved in the drawing.
0

Does not save image with the drawing; a bounding box
is displayed instead

1

Saves image with the drawing

2468 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

PROXYNOTICE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Custom and Proxy Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Displays a notice when a proxy is created.
A proxy is created when you open a drawing containing custom objects created
by an application that is not present. A proxy is also created when you issue
a command that unloads a custom object's parent application.
0

No proxy warning is displayed

1

Proxy warning is displayed

PROXYSHOW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Custom and Proxy Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of proxy objects in a drawing.
0

Proxy objects are not displayed

1

Graphic images are displayed for all proxy objects

PROXYNOTICE | 2469

Only the bounding box is displayed for all proxy
objects

2

PROXYWEBSEARCH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Custom and Proxy Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Specifies how the program checks for object enablers.
Object enablers allow you to display and use custom objects in drawings even
when the ObjectARX application that created them is unavailable.
PROXYWEBSEARCH is also controlled with the Live Enabler options on the
System tab of the Options dialog box.
0

Prevents checking for object enablers

1

Checks for object enablers only if a live Internet connection
is present

PSLTSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Scale Linetypes in Layout Viewports

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1

2470 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

Controls the linetype scaling of objects displayed in paper space viewports.
0

No special linetype scaling. Linetype dash lengths are
based on the drawing units of the space (model or paper)
in which the objects were created. Scaled by the global
LTSCALE factor.

1

Viewport scaling governs linetype scaling. If TILEMODE is
set to 0, dash lengths are based on paper space drawing
units, even for objects in model space. In this mode,
viewports can have varying magnifications, yet display
linetypes identically. For a specific linetype, the dash
lengths of a line in a viewport are the same as the dash
lengths of a line in paper space. You can still control the
dash lengths with LTSCALE

When you change PSLTSCALE or use a command such as ZOOM with
PSLTSCALE set to 1, objects in viewports are not automatically regenerated
with the new linetype scale. Use the REGEN or REGENALL command to update
the linetype scales in each viewport.

PSOLHEIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Polysolid

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 4.0000 (imperial) or 80.0000 (metric)
Controls the default height for a swept solid object created with the
POLYSOLID command.
The value reflects the last entered height value when using the POLYSOLID
command. You cannot enter 0 as the value.

PSOLHEIGHT | 2471

PSOLWIDTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Polysolid

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.2500 (imperial) or 5.0000 (metric)
Controls the default width for a swept solid object created with the POLYSOLID
command.
The value reflects the last entered height value when using the POLYSOLID
command. You cannot enter 0 as the value.

PSTYLEMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Plot Styles

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Indicates whether the current drawing is in a Color-Dependent or Named Plot
Style mode.
0

Uses named plot style tables in the current drawing

1

Uses color-dependent plot style tables in the current
drawing

2472 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

PSTYLEPOLICY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Plot Styles

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the plot style mode, Color-Dependent or Named, that is used when
opening a drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000 or
when creating a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
0

Drawing is set to use named plot styles. The plot style for
new objects is set to the default defined in DEFPLSTYLE.
The plot style for new layers is set to the default defined
in DEFLPLSTYLE.

1

Drawing is set to use color-dependent plot styles. The plot
style for an object is based on the object’s color.

PSVPSCALE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Scale Views in Layout Viewports

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the view scale factor for all newly created viewports.
The view scale factor is defined by comparing the ratio of units in paper space
to the units in newly created model space viewports. The view scale factor
you set is used with the VPORTS command. A value of 0 means the scale factor
is Scaled to Fit. A scale must be a positive real value.

PSTYLEPOLICY | 2473

PUBLISHALLSHEETS
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Publish 3D DWF Files

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1
Specifies whether to load the contents of the active document or of all open
documents in the Publish dialog box.
0

Only the current document's contents (layouts and/or
model space) are automatically loaded in the publish list

1

The contents (layouts and/or model space) of all open
AutoCAD documents are automatically loaded in the
publish list

PUBLISHCOLLATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish, Transmit, and Archive Sheet Sets

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1

2474 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

Publishing sheets as a single job requires A plot driver that supports the
multi-sheet plotting or printing option
0

A published sheet set is processed one sheet at a time.
Separate PLT files are created for each sheet. If the sheet
set is published, the sheets might be interleaved with
other plot jobs.

1

A published sheet set is processed as a single job. A multisheet PLT file is created. If the sheet set is published, it is
never interleaved with other plot jobs.

PUBLISHHATCH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish an Electronic Drawing Set

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether hatch patterns published to DWF or DWFx format are treated
as a single object when they are opened in Autodesk Impression.
0

Treats hatch pattern components as separate objects when
published to a DWF or DWFx format

1

Treats hatch pattern components as a single object when
published to a DWF or DWFx format

NOTE Autodesk Impression uses this information to improve performance when
handling DWF or DWFx files that contain hatches. This variable only affects
drawings published to the DWF or DWFx format. It does not affect drawings
plotted to the DWF or DWFx format.

PUBLISHHATCH | 2475

PUCSBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ""
Stores the name of the UCS that defines the origin and orientation of
orthographic UCS settings in paper space only.

2476 | Chapter 41 P System Variables

Q System Variables

42

QCSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of QuickCalc

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Indicates whether the QuickCalc calculator is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

QPLOCATION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Change the Properties of Objects

Type:

Integer

2477

Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Sets the location mode of Quick Properties palette.
0

Quick Properties palette displays using the Cursor-dependent location mode

1

Quick Properties palette displays using the Static location
mode

QPMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Change the Properties of Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: -1
Sets the on or off state of Quick Properties palette.
0

Turns off the display of the Quick Properties palette for all
objects. When turned back on by clicking Quick Properties
on the status bar, QPMODE is set to 1.

1

Turns on the display of the Quick Properties palette for all
objects

2

Turns on the display of Quick Properties palette only for
objects that are defined in the Customize User Interface
(CUI) Editor to display properties

NOTE When this system variable is set to a negative number, the feature is turned
off but the value is retained.

2478 | Chapter 42 Q System Variables

QTEXTMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights, and
Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls how text is displayed.
0

Turns off Quick Text mode; displays characters

1

Turns on Quick Text mode; displays a box in place of text

QVDRAWINGPIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch Between Open Drawings

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the default display state of preview images of drawings.
0

Displays preview images of drawings in an unpinned state

1

Displays preview images of drawings in a pinned state

QTEXTMODE | 2479

QVLAYOUTPIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch Between Layouts in the Current Drawing

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the default display state of preview images of model space and layouts
in a drawing.
0

Displays preview images of model space and layouts in a
drawing in an unpinned state

1

Displays preview images of model space and layouts in a
drawing in a pinned state

2480 | Chapter 42 Q System Variables

R System Variables

43

RASTERDPI
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Plot to Raster File Formats

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 300
Controls paper size and plot scaling when changing from dimensional to
dimensionless output devices, or vice versa.
Converts millimeters or inches to pixels, or vice versa. Accepts an integer between
100 and 32,767 as a valid value.

RASTERPERCENT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Plot to Raster File Formats

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Registry

2481

Initial value: 20
Sets the maximum percentage of available virtual memory that is allowed for
plotting a raster image.

RASTERPREVIEW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save a Drawing

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing.
0

No preview image is created

1

Preview image created

RASTERTHRESHOLD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Plot to Raster File Formats

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 20
Specifies a raster threshold in megabytes.
If the plotted raster image exceeds this threshold, the availability of system
memory is checked. The plot is aborted if the image is too big for the available
memory.

2482 | Chapter 43 R System Variables

REBUILD2DCV
Quick Reference
See also:
■

CVREBUILD on page 402

■

Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 6
Sets the number of control vertices when rebuilding a spline.
Valid values are from 2 to 32767.

REBUILD2DDEGREE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

CVREBUILD on page 402

■

Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Sets the global degree when rebuilding a spline.
Valid values are 1 to 11.

REBUILD2DCV | 2483

A curve with a degree of 1 is a straight line and a curve with a degree of 2 has
one bend. A Bezier curve has a degree of 3. Higher degrees create more complex
curves, but require computations.

REBUILD2DOPTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

CVREBUILD on page 402

■

Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether to delete the original curve when rebuilding a spline.
0

Retains original curve

1

Deletes original curve

2484 | Chapter 43 R System Variables

REBUILDDEGREEU
Quick Reference
See also:
■

CVREBUILD on page 402

■

Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Sets the degree in the U direction when rebuilding a NURBS surface.
Valid values are 2to 11.

REBUILDDEGREEV
Quick Reference
See also:
■

CVREBUILD on page 402

■

Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Sets the degree in the V direction when rebuilding a NURBS surface.
Valid values are 2 to 11.

REBUILDDEGREEU | 2485

REBUILDOPTIONS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

CVREBUILD on page 402

■

Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls deletion and trimming options when rebuilding a NURBS surface.
Value

When you use CVREBUILD:

0

The original surface is not deleted and trimmed areas are not applied
to the rebuilt object.

1

The original surface is deleted and trimmed areas are not applied to
the rebuilt object.

2

The original surface is not deleted and trimmed areas are applied to
the rebuilt object.

3

The original surface is deleted and trimmed areas are applied to the
rebuilt object.

REBUILDU
Quick Reference
See also:
■

CVREBUILD on page 402

■

Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves

Type:

Integer

2486 | Chapter 43 R System Variables

Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 6
Sets the number of grid lines in the U direction when rebuilding a NURBS
surface.
Enter a value from 2 to 32767 to increase or decrease the number of U direction
grid lines used to rebuild the ASM solid or surface.

REBUILDV
Quick Reference
See also:
■

CVREBUILD on page 402

■

Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 6
Sets the number of grid lines in the V direction when rebuilding a NURBS
surface.
Valid values are 2 to 32767 to increase or decrease the number of V direction
grid lines used to rebuild the ASM solid or surface.

RECOVERAUTO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Repair a Damaged Drawing File

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0

REBUILDV | 2487

Controls the display of recovery notifications before or after opening a
damaged drawing file.
0

Displays a task dialog to recover damaged files while
opening a drawing that needs recovery. The task dialog
interrupts any running scripts.

1

Automatically recovers the damaged files, opens the
drawing, and displays a task dialog with the information
of the recovered files. If a script is running, the task dialog
is suppressed.

2

Automatically recovers the damaged files and opens the
drawing without displaying any task dialog. The information of the recovered files is displayed at the command
prompt.

RECOVERYMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Recover from a System Failure

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls whether drawing recovery information is recorded after a system
failure.
0

Recovery information is not recorded, the Drawing Recovery window does not display automatically after a system
failure, and any recovery information in the system registry
is removed

1

Recovery information is recorded, but the Drawing Recovery window does not display automatically after a system
failure

2488 | Chapter 43 R System Variables

2

Recovery information is recorded, and the Drawing Recovery window displays automatically in the next session after
a system failure

REFEDITNAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Edit Selected Objects in Referenced Drawings and Blocks

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: ""
Displays the name of the reference being edited.

REGENMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights, and
Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls automatic regeneration of the drawing.
0

Turns off the REGENAUTO command

1

Turns on the REGENAUTO command

REFEDITNAME | 2489

RE-INIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Digitizing Tablets

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Reinitializes the digitizer, digitizer port, and acad.pgp file.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
1

Digitizer input/output port reinitialization

4

Digitizer reinitialization

16

PGP file reinitialization (reload)

To specify more than one reinitialization, enter the sum of the bitcode values.
For example, enter 5 to specify both digitizer port (1) and digitizer
reinitialization (4).

REMEMBERFOLDERS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Open a Drawing

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the default path displayed in standard file selection dialog boxes.
0

Restores the behavior of AutoCAD 2000 and previous releases. When you start the program by double-clicking a

2490 | Chapter 43 R System Variables

shortcut icon, if a Start In path is specified in the icon
properties, that path is used as the default for all standard
file selection dialog boxes.
1

The default path in each standard file selection dialog box
is the last path used in that dialog box. The Start In folder
specified for the AutoCAD shortcut icon is not used.

RENDERPREFSSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Render Settings Palette

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether the Render Settings palette is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

RENDERUSERLIGHTS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Render Settings Palette

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether to override the setting for viewport lighting during rendering.

RENDERPREFSSTATE | 2491

Provides a way of overriding the DEFAULTLIGHTING system variable for
rendering while retaining the setting for working in a viewport.
0

The current lights in the viewport are used in the rendered
scene, either default lights or user lights, as specified by
the DEFAULTLIGHTING system variable.

1

Overrides the setting for the DEFAULTLIGHTING system
variable. Only user lights are rendered.

REPORTERROR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Recover from a System Failure

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether an error report can be sent to Autodesk if the program closes
unexpectedly.
Error reports help Autodesk diagnose problems with the software.
0

The Error Report message is not displayed, and no report
can be sent to Autodesk.

1

The Error Report message is displayed, and an error report
can be sent to Autodesk.

An error report can be sent to Microsoft if REPORTERROR is set to 0 and
Windows is set to allow error reports.

2492 | Chapter 43 R System Variables

RIBBONCONTEXTSELECT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Organize the Ribbon

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1
Controls how ribbon contextual tabs are displayed when you single- or
double-click an object.
0

When an object or selection set is single- or double-clicked,
focus is not automatically switched to ribbon contextual
tabs defined in contextual tab states.

1

When an object or selection set is single-clicked, focus is
switched to the first ribbon contextual tab defined in
contextual tab states.

2

When an object or selection set is double-clicked, focus is
switched to the first ribbon contextual tab defined in
contextual tab states.

RIBBONCONTEXTSELLIM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Organize the Ribbon

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 2500
Limits the number of objects that can be changed at one time with the ribbon
property controls or a contextual tab.

RIBBONCONTEXTSELECT | 2493

The valid range is 0 to 32767. When set to 0, the limit is turned off.
Selecting a large number of objects and changing them with the Properties
panel or a contextual tab on the ribbon can result in slow response time. This
system variable prevents such an occurrence, especially on a computer with
limited memory.
If the limit is exceeded, the specified property of the selected objects will not
be changed, but the setting for the current property will be changed instead.
NOTE The Properties palette is not affected by this system variable.

RIBBONDOCKEDHEIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Content reference to: Display and Organize the Ribbon

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 100
Determines whether the horizontally docked ribbon is set to the height of the
current tab or a predetermined height.
The valid range is from 0 to 500. When set to 0, the ribbon will always size
itself to the height of the selected tab. When set to any value between 1 to
500, the ribbon will always be that number of pixels high.

RIBBONSELECTMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Content reference to: Display and Organize the Ribbon

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
User-settings

2494 | Chapter 43 R System Variables

Initial value: 1
Determines whether a pickfirst selection set remains selected after a ribbon
contextual tab is invoked and the command is completed.
0

The pickfirst selection set does not remain selected
after a command is executed from a ribbon contextual
tab.
NOTE There may be exceptions for some commands.

1

The pickfirst selection set remains selected after a command is executed from a ribbon contextual tab.

RIBBONSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Content reference to: Overview of the Ribbon

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1
Indicates whether the ribbon palette is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of File Organization

RIBBONSTATE | 2495

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies
Stores the full path to the root folder where roamable customizable files were
installed.
If you are working on a network that supports roaming, when you customize
files that are in your roaming profile they are available to you regardless of
which machine you are currently using.
These files are stored in the product folder under the Application Data folder;
for example, "c:\Documents and Settings\username\Application
Data\productname\version\language".

ROLLOVEROPACITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

■

Transparency Dialog Box on page 1373

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 100
Controls the transparency of a palette while the cursor moves over the palette.
0

Fully transparent

100

Fully opaque

Enter a value from 0-100 to set the transparency level.
This system variable determines the default setting in the Transparency dialog
box > Rollover section > How transparent should the palette be on mouse-over?
option on page 1373.

2496 | Chapter 43 R System Variables

ROLLOVERTIPS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of rollover tooltips in the application.
The content in tooltips can be customized in the Customize User Interface
(CUI) Editor.
0

Object rollover tooltips are not displayed

1

Object rollover tooltips are displayed

ROLLOVERTIPS is saved in the current profile.

RTDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pan or Zoom a View

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of raster images and OLE objects during Realtime ZOOM
or PAN.
0

Displays raster image and OLE content

1

Displays outline only

ROLLOVERTIPS | 2497

RTDISPLAY is saved in the current profile.

2498 | Chapter 43 R System Variables

S System Variables

44

SAVEFIDELITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save a Drawing

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether the drawing is saved with visual fidelity.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Saved without visual fidelity.

1

Annotation objects assigned annotative scales are saved
to separate layers for each scale used. Only affects drawings when saving to AutoCAD LT 2007 or earlier file
formats.

See also:
■

Save with Visual Fidelity for Annotative Objects

2499

SAVEFILE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies
Stores the current automatic save file name.

SAVEFILEPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies
Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current
session.
You can also change the path on the Files tab in the Options dialog box.

SAVENAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Obtain General Drawing Information

2500 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: ""
Displays the file name and directory path of the most recently saved drawing.

SAVETIME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 10
Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes.
0

Turns off automatic saving.

>0

Saves the drawing at intervals specified by the nonzero
integer automatically

The value of SAVETIME is an integer between 0 and 600.
The SAVETIME timer starts as soon as you make a change to a drawing. It is
reset and restarted by a manual QSAVE, SAVE, or SAVEAS. The current drawing
is saved to the path specified by the SAVEFILEPATH system variable. The file
name is stored in the SAVEFILE system variable.

SCREENBOXES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Screen Menus

SAVETIME | 2501

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Stores the number of boxes in the screen menu area of the drawing area.
If the screen menu is turned off, SCREENBOXES is zero. On platforms that
permit the drawing area to be resized or the screen menu to be reconfigured
during an editing session, the value of this variable might change during the
editing session.

SCREENMENU
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Tab (Options Dialog Box) on page 1321

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether screen menus display.
0

Screen menus off

1

Screen menus on

This system variable determins the default setting in the Options dialog box
> Display tab > Windows Elements section > Display screen menu option on
page 1323.

SCREENMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

2502 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 3
Indicates the state of the display.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Text screen is displayed

1

Drawing area is displayed

2

Dual-screen display is configured

SCREENSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Switch Between Model Space and Layouts

(Read-only)
Type:
2D-point
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Stores current viewport size in pixels (X and Y).

SELECTIONANNODISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Annotative Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1

SCREENSIZE | 2503

Controls whether alternate are temporarily displayed in a dimmed state when
an object is selected
0

Off

1

On

The dimming intensity is controlled by the XFADECTL system variable.

SELECTIONAREA
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of effects for selection areas.
Selection areas are created by the Window, Crossing, WPolygon, and CPolygon
options of SELECT.
0

Off

1

On

SELECTIONAREAOPACITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Registry

2504 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

Initial value: 25
Controls the transparency of the selection area during window and crossing
selection.
The valid range is 0 to 100. The lower the setting, the more transparent the
area. A value of 100 makes the area opaque. The SELECTIONAREA system
variable must be on.

SELECTIONCYCLING
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select Objects Individually

■

Use 3D Subobject Grips

■

Modify 3D Subobjects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Turns selection cycling on and off.
0

Off

1

On (the list dialog does not display)

2

On (the list dialog displays the selected objects that you
can cycle through)

SELECTIONPREVIEW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

SELECTIONCYCLING | 2505

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Controls the display of selection previewing
Objects are highlighted when the pickbox cursor rolls over them. This selection
previewing indicates that the object would be selected if you clicked. The
setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Off

1

On when no commands are active

2

On when a command prompts for object selection

SELECTSIMILARMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Select Objects by Properties

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 130
Controls which properties must match for an object of the same type to be
selected with SELECTSIMILAR.
The default value is 130. Objects of the same type are considered similar if
they are on the same layer, and, for referenced objects, have the same name.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Object type

1

Color

2

Layer

4

Linetype

2506 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

8

Linetype scale

16

Lineweight

32

Plot style

64

Object style (such as text styles, dimension styles, and
table styles)

128

Name (for referenced objects, such as blocks, xrefs, and
images)

SETBYLAYERMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display and Change the Properties of Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 255
Controls which properties are selected for the SETBYLAYER command.
The setting is stored as an integer using the sum of the following values:
0

No properties are selected

1

Color property

2

Linetype property

4

Lineweight property

8

Material property

16

Plot Style property

32

Changes ByBlock to ByLayer

SETBYLAYERMODE | 2507

64

Includes blocks when changing ByBlock to ByLayer

128

Transparency property

SHADEDGE
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 3
Controls the shading of edges in rendering.
0

Faces shaded, edges not highlighted

1

Faces shaded, edges drawn in background color

2

Faces not filled, edges in object color

3

Faces in object color, edges in background color

SHADEDIF
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Type:

Integer

2508 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 70
Sets the ratio of diffuse reflective light to ambient light.
The ratio is a percentage of diffuse reflective light when SHADEDGE is set to
0 or 1.

SHADOWPLANELOCATION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Backgrounds and Shadows

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Controls the location of an invisible ground plane used to display shadows.
The value is a location on the current Z axis. The ground plane is invisible,
but it casts and receives shadows. Objects that are located below the ground
plane are shadowed by it. The ground plane is used when the VSSHADOWS
system variable is set to display either full shadows or ground shadows.

SHORTCUTMENU
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Up the Drawing Area

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 11
Controls whether Default, Edit, and Command mode shortcut menus are
available in the drawing area.

SHADOWPLANELOCATION | 2509

The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Disables all Default, Edit, and Command mode shortcut
menus, restoring AutoCAD Release 14 behavior.

1

Enables Default mode shortcut menus.

2

Enables Edit mode shortcut menus.

4

Enables Command mode shortcut menus whenever a
command is active.

8

Enables Command mode shortcut menus only when
command options are currently available at the Command
prompt.

16

Enables display of a shortcut menu when the right button
on the pointing device is held down longer

SHOWHIST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Original Forms of Composite Solids

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls the Show History property for solids in a drawing.
0

Sets the Show History property to No (read-only) for all
solids. Overrides the individual Show History property
settings for solids. You cannot view the original objects
that were used to create the solid.

1

Does not override the individual Show History property
settings for solids.

2510 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

2

Displays the history of all solids by overriding the individual
Show History property settings for solids. You can view
the original objects that were used to create the solid.

SHOWLAYERUSAGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Layers

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Displays icons in the Layer Properties Manager to indicate whether layers are
in use.
Setting this system variable to Off improves performance in the Layer Properties
Manager.
0

Off

1

On

SHOWMOTIONPIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Content reference to: Overview of ShowMotion

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1

SHOWLAYERUSAGE | 2511

Controls the default state of the thumbnail shots.
0

Displays thumbnail shots in an unpinned state

1

Displays thumbnail shots in a pinned state

SHOWPALETTESTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Indicates whether the palettes, including the ribbon and the Command
window, are displayed or hidden.
0

Indicates that the palettes, including the ribbon and the
Command window, are hidden

1

Indicates that the palettes, including the ribbon and the
Command window, are displayed

SHPNAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shape Descriptions

Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: ""

2512 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

Sets a default shape name that must conform to symbol- naming conventions.
If no default is set, it returns "". Enter a period (.) to set no default.

SIGWARN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

View Digital Signature Details

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether a warning is presented when a file with an attached digital
signature is opened.
If the system variable is on and you open a file with a valid signature, the
digital signature status is displayed. If the variable is off and you open a file,
the digital signature status is displayed only if a signature is invalid. You can
set the variable using the Display Digital Signature Information option on the
Open and Save tab of the Options dialog box.
0

Warning is not presented if a file has a valid signature

1

Warning is presented

SKETCHINC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Freehand Sketches

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.1000 (imperial) or 1.0000 (metric)

SIGWARN | 2513

Sets the record increment for the SKETCH command.

SKPOLY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Freehand Sketches

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Determines whether the SKETCH command generates lines, polylines, or
splines.
0

Generates lines

1

Generates polylines

2

Generates splines

SKTOLERANCE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Freehand Sketches

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.5
Determines how closely the spline fits to the freehand sketch.
Valid values are between 0 and 1.

2514 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

SKYSTATUS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Sun and Sky Simulation

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Determines if the sky illumination is computed at render time.
This has no impact on the viewport illumination or the background. It only
makes the sky available as a gathered light source for rendering.
0

Sky off

1

Sky background

2

Sky background and illumination

SMOOTHMESHCONVERT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create 3D Solids from Objects

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 0
Sets whether mesh objects that you convert to 3D solids or surfaces are
smoothed or faceted, and whether their faces are merged.
0

Creates a smooth model. Coplanar faces are optimized, or merged.

SKYSTATUS | 2515

1

Creates a smooth model. Original mesh faces are retained in the converted
object.

2

Creates a model with flattened faces. Coplanar faces are optimized, or merged.

3

Creates a model with flattened faces. Original mesh faces are retained in the
converted object.

This system variable sets the default value for operations that use
CONVTOSOLID and CONVTOSURFACE commands.

SMOOTHMESHGRID
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Mesh Smoothness Levels

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 3
Sets the maximum level of smoothness at which the underlying mesh facet
grid is displayed on 3D mesh objects.
0

Never displays the underlying mesh facet grid

1

Displays the facet grid for smoothing levels 0 and 1

2

Displays the facet grid for smoothing levels 2 and lower

3

Displays the facet grid for levels 3 and lower

Use this variable to help visualize smooth surfaces. By setting limits, you can
simplify the display of the underlying facet grid when you work with extremely
dense mesh objects.
You can enter any number, depending on the number of smoothing levels
you expect. This variable does not affect the smoothing level of the mesh. Its
value cannot exceed the value of SMOOTHMESHMAXLEV.

2516 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

If the VSLIGHTINGQUALITY system variable is 0, this system variable is
ignored and all smoothness levels are displayed as faceted.

SMOOTHMESHMAXFACE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Mesh Smoothness Levels

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1000000
Sets the maximum number of faces permitted for mesh objects.
The initial value of this system variable is adjusted for best performance based
on your system configuration. Permissible values are from 1 to 16,000,000.
Use this limit to prevent creating extremely dense meshes that might affect
program performance.

SMOOTHMESHMAXLEV
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Mesh Smoothness Levels

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 4
Sets the maximum smoothness level for mesh objects.
Permissible values are from 1 to 255. The recommended range is 1-5. Use this
limit to prevent creating extremely dense meshes that might affect program
performance.

SMOOTHMESHMAXFACE | 2517

SNAPANG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the snap and grid rotation angle for the current viewport relative to the
current UCS.
When SNAPANG is set to a value other than 0, the lined grid will not display.

SNAPBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
2D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000
Sets the snap and grid origin point for the current viewport relative to the
current UCS.

SNAPISOPAIR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Isometric Grid and Snap

2518 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the isometric plane for the current viewport.
0

Left

1

Top

2

Right

SNAPMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Turns the Snap mode on and off.
0

Snap off

1

Snap on for the current viewport

SNAPSTYL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Drawing

SNAPMODE | 2519

Initial value: 0
Sets the snap style for the current viewport.
0

Standard (rectangular snap)

1

Isometric snap

SNAPTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Sets the type of snap for the current viewport.
0

Grid, or standard snap.

1

PolarSnap. Snaps along polar angle increments. Use PolarSnap with polar and object snap tracking.

SNAPUNIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Adjust Grid and Grid Snap

Type:
2D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.5000,0.5000 (imperial) or 10.0000,10.0000 (metric)
Sets the snap spacing for the current viewport.

2520 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

If SNAPSTYL is set to 1, the X value of SNAPUNIT is adjusted automatically
to accommodate the isometric snap.
Changes to this system variable are not reflected in the grid until the display
is refreshed.

SOLIDCHECK
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Clean and Check 3D Solids

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1
Turns 3D solid validation on and off for the current session.
0

Off

1

On

SOLIDHIST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Original Forms of Composite Solids

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls the default history property setting for solid objects.

SOLIDCHECK | 2521

When set to 1, composite solids retain a “history” of the original objects
contained in the composite.
0

Sets the History property to None for all solids. No history
is retained.

1

Sets the History property to Record for all solids. All solids
retain a history of their original objects.

SORTENTS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 127
Controls object sorting in support of draw order for several operations.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Turns off all object sorting

1

Sorts for object selection

2

Sorts for object snaps

4

Obsolete, has no effect

8

Obsolete, has no effect

16

Sorts for REGEN commands

32

Sorts for plotting

64

Obsolete, has no effect

2522 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

SPLDEGREE
Quick Reference
(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 3
Stores the last-used degree setting for splines and sets the default degree setting
for the SPLINE command when specifying control vertices.
Enter a value from 1 to 5.
NOTE SPLDEGREE defaults to 3 when AutoCAD starts.

SPLFRAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Creating Meshes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the display of helixes and smoothed mesh objects.
0

1

■

Does not display the control polygon for helixes.

■

Displays smoothed mesh objects if they have been smoothed.

■

Does not display the invisible edges of 3D faces or polyface meshes.

■

Displays the control polygon for helixes.

■

Displays unsmoothed mesh objects, even if they have been smoothed.

■

Displays the edges of 3D faces and polyface meshes.

SPLDEGREE | 2523

NOTE To control the display for splines, use the CVSHOW on page 407 and the
CVHIDE on page 401 commands.

SPLINESEGS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Polylines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 8
Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline
generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command.
Enter a non-zero integer between -32768 to 32767. If you set SPLINESEGS to
a negative value, segments are generated using the absolute value of the setting
and then a fit-type curve is applied to those segments. Fit-type curves use arcs
as the approximating segments. Using arcs yields a smoother generated curve
when few segments are specified, but the curve can take longer to generate.

SPLINETYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Polylines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 6
Sets the type of curve generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command.
5

Quadratic B-spline

6

Cubic B-spline

2524 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

SPLKNOTS
Quick Reference
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Stores the last-used knot parameterization for splines and sets the default knot
setting for the SPLINE command when specifying fit points.
0

Chord

1

Square root chord

2

Uniform

NOTE SPLKNOTS always defaults to 0 when AutoCAD starts.

SPLMETHOD
Quick Reference
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Stores the last-used spline method and sets the default method for the SPLINE
command.
0

Fit

1

Control Vertices

NOTE SPLMETHOD always defaults to 0 when AutoCAD starts.

SPLKNOTS | 2525

SSFOUND
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Publish, Transmit, and Archive Sheet Sets

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: ""
Displays the sheet set path and file name if a search for a sheet set is successful.
SSLOCATE must be set to 1 and the drawing file must be open for a successful
search.

SSLOCATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Sheets

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1
Controls whether the sheet set associated with a drawing is located and opened
when the drawing is opened.
0

Does not open a drawing's sheet set with the drawing

1

Opens a drawing's sheet set with the drawing

SSMAUTOOPEN and SSLOCATE must both be set to 1 to open a sheet set
automatically in the Sheet Set Manager.

2526 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

SSMAUTOOPEN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Sheets

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
User-settings
Initial value: 1
Controls the display behavior of the Sheet Set Manager when a drawing
associated with a sheet is opened.
0

Does not open the Sheet Set Manager automatically

1

Opens the Sheet Set Manager automatically

SSMAUTOOPEN and SSLOCATE must both be set to 1 to open a sheet set
automatically in the Sheet Set Manager.

SSMPOLLTIME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Sheets

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 60
Controls the time interval between automatic refreshes of the status data in
a sheet set.
The SSMPOLLTIME timer sets the time in seconds between automatic refreshes
of the status data of sheets in a sheet set. Valid values are 20-600. The
SSMSHEETSTATUS system variable must be set to 2 for the timer to operate.

SSMAUTOOPEN | 2527

SSMSHEETSTATUS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Sheets

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls how the status data in a sheet set is refreshed.
The status data for sheets in the current sheet set includes whether a sheet is
locked and whether a sheet is missing (or found in an unexpected location).
This status data can be updated automatically for all sheets.
To refresh the sheet set manually, use the Refresh Sheet Status button on the
Sheet List tab of the Sheet Set Manager.
0

Do not automatically refresh the status data in a sheet set

1

Refresh the status data when the sheet set is loaded or
updated

2

Refresh the status data when the sheet set is loaded or
updated, or at a time interval set by SSMPOLLTIME

SSMSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create a Sheet Set

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies

2528 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

Indicates whether the Sheet Set Manager window is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

STANDARDSVIOLATION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of CAD Standards

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Specifies whether a user is notified of standards violations in the current
drawing when a nonstandard object is created or modified.
Changes to the value of this system variable take effect only when Display
Icons from Services is checked in the Tray Settings dialog box. To display the
Tray Settings dialog box, click the down arrow at the right end of the tray on
the status bar, and then click Tray Settings on the shortcut menu.
0

Notification is turned off

1

An alert is displayed when a standards violation occurs in
the drawing

2

An icon is displayed in the status bar tray when you open
a file associated with a standards file and when you create
or modify nonstandard objects

STANDARDSVIOLATION | 2529

STARTUP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Start a Drawing from Scratch

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the Create New Drawing dialog box is displayed when a
new drawing is started with NEW or QNEW.
Also controls whether the Startup dialog box is displayed when the application
is started.
If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0, file dialog boxes are not displayed.
0

Displays the Select Template dialog box, or uses a default
drawing template file set in the Options dialog box, on
the Files tab.

1

Displays the Startup and the Create New Drawing dialog
boxes

STATUSBAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Application Status Bar

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of the application and drawing status bars
0

Hides both the application and drawing status bars

2530 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

1

Displays only the application status bar

2

Displays both the application and drawing status bars

3

Displays only the drawing status bar

STEPSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Walk and Fly Through a Drawing

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 6.0000
Specifies the size of each step when in walk or fly mode, in drawing units.
You can enter any real number from 1E-6 to 1E+6.

STEPSPERSEC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Walk and Fly Through a Drawing

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2.0000
Specifies the number of steps taken per second when you are in walk or fly
mode.
You can enter any real number from 1 to 30.

STEPSIZE | 2531

SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Cycle Through and Filter Subobjects

■

LEGACYCTRLPICK on page 2386

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Filters whether faces, edges, vertices or solid history subobjects are highlighted
when you roll over them.
In busy 3D environments with many objects, it can be helpful to filter certain
subobjects out of the selection highlighting.
0

When subobject filtering is off, press Ctrl+click to select a face, edge, vertex or
a history subobject. (Shift + F1)

1

Only vertices are available for selection (Shift + F2)

2

Only edges are available for selection. (Shift + F3)

3

Only faces are available for selection. (Shift + F4)

4

Only history subobjects of compound objects are available for selection. (Shift
+ F5)

Turn off subobject filtering if you want to select the entire object. You can
also press Ctrl+click to select faces, edges, and vertices.

2532 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

When filtering is set for vertices, you cannot select faces, edges, or history
subobjects.

When filtering is set for edges, you cannot select faces, vertices, or history
subobjects.

SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE | 2533

When filtering is set for faces, you cannot select edges, vertices, or history
subobjects.

When filtering is set for history subobjects, you can only select the wireframe
representations of portions of objects removed during a union, subtract, or
intersect operation.

2534 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

Subobject Selection Filter Cursors
When a subobject selection filter is set, the following images are displayed
next to the cursor:
Vertex filtering is on

Edge filtering is on

Face filtering is on

History subobject filtering is on

Subobject not eligible for selection

SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE | 2535

SUNPROPERTIESSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Sun and Sky Simulation

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether the Sun Properties window is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

SUNSTATUS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Sun and Sky Simulation

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Turns on and off the lighting effects of the sun in the current viewport.
Only the lights from sources other than the sun affect the view in the current
viewport.
0

Off

1

On

2536 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Surfaces from Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls whether surfaces maintain a relationship with the objects from which
they were created.
When associativity is on, surfaces automatically adjust to modifications made
to other, related surfaces.
0

Surfaces are created with no associativity to other surfaces

1

Surfaces are created with associativity to other surfaces

When set to 1, the DELOBJ on page 2216 system variable is ignored. Defining
geometry are not deleted when an associative surface is created.

SURFACEASSOCIATIVITYDRAG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Associative Surfaces

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Sets the dragging preview behavior of associative surfaces to increase
performance.

SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY | 2537

Controls whether to preview the movement of all related associative surfaces
when a related object. Disabling the preview can increase performance.
0

Displays no preview. The display refreshes after dragging is
complete.

1

Previews only the movement of the first associated surface.
All other associated surfaces do not move until after dragging
is complete.

2

Previews the movement of all associated surfaces.

SURFACEAUTOTRIM
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Trim and Untrim Surfaces

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether surfaces are automatically trimmed when you project
geometry onto them.
0

Surfaces are not trimmed when you project geometry
onto them.

1

Surfaces are automatically trimmed to geometry that is
projected using PROJECTGEOMETRY on page 1533.

2538 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

SURFACEMODELINGMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Solids and Surfaces from Lines and Curves

■

Create Surfaces

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Controls whether surfaces are created as procedural surfaces or NURBS surfaces.
0

Creates a procedural surface when creating surfaces.

1

Creates a NURBS surface when creating surfaces.

SURFTAB1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Construct Meshes from Other Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 6
Sets the number of tabulations to be generated for the RULESURF and TABSURF
commands.
Also sets the mesh density in the M direction for the REVSURF and EDGESURF
commands.

SURFACEMODELINGMODE | 2539

SURFTAB2
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Construct Meshes from Other Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 6
Sets the mesh density in the N direction for the REVSURF and EDGESURF
commands.

SURFTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Polylines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 6
Controls the type of surface-fitting to be performed by the Smooth option of
the PEDIT command.
5

Quadratic B-spline surface

6

Cubic B-spline surface

8

Bezier surface

2540 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

SURFU
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Polylines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 6
Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the M direction and the U isolines
density on surface objects.
Valid values are 0 through 200. Meshes are always created with a minimum
surface density of 2.

SURFV
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Modify Polylines

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 6
Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the N direction and the V isolines
density on surface objects.
Valid values are 0 through 200. Meshes are always created with a minimum
surface density of 2.

SURFU | 2541

SYSCODEPAGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Text Fonts for International Work

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Indicates the system code page, which is determined by the operating system.
To change the code page, see Help in your operating system.

2542 | Chapter 44 S System Variables

T System Variables

45

TABLEINDICATOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Tables

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of row numbers and column letters when the In-Place Text
Editor is open for editing a table cell.
0

Off

1

On

TABLETOOLBAR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and Modify Tables

2543

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls the display of the Table toolbar.
0

The Table toolbar is never displayed.

1

The Table toolbar is displayed upon selection of a table
cell.

2

The Table toolbar is not displayed when the ribbon is
turned on.

TABMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Digitizing Tablets

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Controls the use of the tablet.
For more information on using and configuring a tablet, see the TABLET
command.
0

Off

1

On

2544 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

TARGET
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Parallel and Perspective Views

(Read-only)
Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000,0.0000
Stores the location (as a UCS coordinate) of the target point for the current
viewport.

TBCUSTOMIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Tool Palettes

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether tool palette groups can be customized.
Controls whether the CUSTOMIZE command is enabled or disabled for tool
palette group customization, and if the Customize option from the toolbar
shortcut menu is displayed or not.
0

Disables access to customization

1

Enables access to customization

TARGET | 2545

TDCREATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Identifying Information to Drawings

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the local time and date the drawing was created.

TDINDWG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Identifying Information to Drawings

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the total editing time, which is the total elapsed time between saves of
the current drawing.
The format is:
.
To compute the number of seconds, multiply the decimal fraction in
TDINDWG by 86400 seconds.

2546 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

TDUCREATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Identifying Information to Drawings

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the universal time and date that the drawing was created.

TDUPDATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Identifying Information to Drawings

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the local time and date of the last update/save.

TDUSRTIMER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Identifying Information to Drawings

(Read-only)
Type:

Real

TDUCREATE | 2547

Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the user-elapsed timer.

TDUUPDATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add Identifying Information to Drawings

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the universal time and date of the last update or save.

TEMPOVERRIDES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Override Object Snap Settings

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Turns temporary override keys on and off.
A temporary override key is a key that you can hold down to temporarily turn
on or turn off one of the drawing aids that are set in the Drafting Settings
dialog box; for example, Ortho mode, object snaps, or Polar mode.
0

Off

1

On

2548 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

TEMPPREFIX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Search Paths and File Locations

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Contains the directory name (if any) configured for placement of temporary
files, with a path separator appended.
Windows has a character limit of 255 for the combined file name and path
length of temporary files. You can modify this limit from the Options dialog
box, Files tab, under Temporary Drawing File Location.

TEXTED
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Change Single-Line Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Specifies the user interface displayed for editing single-line text.
0

Displays the In-Place Text Editor when creating or editing
single-line text.

1

Displays the Edit Text dialog box when editing single-line
text.

2

Displays the In-Place Text Editor when creating or editing
single-line text. Repeats the command automatically.

TEMPPREFIX | 2549

TEXTEVAL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Single-Line Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Controls how text strings entered with TEXT (using AutoLISP) or with -TEXT
are evaluated.
0

All responses to prompts for text strings and attribute
values are taken literally.

1

All text starting from an opening parenthesis [(] or an exclamation mark [!] is evaluated as an AutoLISP expression,
as for nontextual input.

The TEXT command takes all input literally regardless of the setting of
TEXTEVAL unless it is executed completely with a script or AutoLISP
expression. The -TEXT command honors the setting of TEXTEVAL.

TEXTFILL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use TrueType Fonts

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while plotting.
0

Displays text as outlines

2550 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

1

Displays text as filled images

TEXTOUTPUTFILEFORMAT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Share Drawing Files Internationally

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Provides Unicode options for plot and text window log files.
0

ANSI format

1

UTF-8 (Unicode)

2

UTF-16LE (Unicode)

3

UTF-16BE (Unicode)

TEXTQLTY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use TrueType Fonts

Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines.
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 50

TEXTOUTPUTFILEFORMAT | 2551

Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines for TrueType fonts
while plotting and rendering. 0 represents no effort to refine the smoothness
of the text; 100 represents a maximum effort to smooth text characters. Lower
values decrease resolution and increase plotting speed. Higher values increase
resolution and decrease plotting speed.
Sets the resolution of TrueType fonts while plotting. Use integer values from
0 to 100. Lower values decrease resolution and increase plotting speed. Higher
values increase resolution and decrease plotting speed.

TEXTSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Text Height

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.2000 (imperial) or 2.5000 (metric)
Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with the current text style.
TEXTSIZE has no effect if the current text style has a fixed height.

TEXTSTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Text Styles

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Standard
Sets the name of the current text style.

2552 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

THICKNESS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Add 3D Thickness to Objects

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the current 3D thickness.

THUMBSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Content reference to: Overview of ShowMotion

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Specifies the maximum generated size for thumbnail previews in pixels.
0

64x64

1

128x128

2

256x256

THICKNESS | 2553

TILEMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Model Space Viewports

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Makes the Model tab or the last layout tab current.
0

Makes the last active layout tab (paper space) active

1

Makes the Model tab active

TIMEZONE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Geographic Location

Type:
Enum
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -8000
Sets the time zone for the sun in the drawing.
The values in the table are expressed as hours and minutes away from
Greenwich Mean Time. The geographic location you set also sets the time
zone. If the time zone is not accurate, you can correct it in the Geographic
Location dialog box or set the TIMEZONE system variable.
-12000

International Date Line West

-11000

Midway Island, Samoa

2554 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

-10000

Hawaii

-9000

Alaska

-8000

Pacific Time (US & Canada), Tijuana

-7000

Arizona

-7000

Chihuahua, La Paz, Mazatlan

-7000

Mountain Time (US & Canada)

-7001

Arizona

-7002

Mazatlan

-6000

Central America

-6001

Central Time (US & Canada)

-6002

Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey

-6003

Saskatchewan

-5000

Eastern Time (US & Canada)

-5001

Indiana (East)

-5002

Bogota, Lima, Quito

-4000

Atlantic Time (Canada)

-4001

Caracas, La Paz

-4002

Santiago

-3300

Newfoundland

-3000

Brasilia

-3001

Buenos Aires, Georgetown

-3002

Greenland

TIMEZONE | 2555

-2000

Mid-Atlantic

-1000

Azores

-1001

Cape Verde Is.

0

Universal Coordinated Time

1

Greenwich Mean Time

2

Casablanca, Monrovia

+1000

Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm

+1001

Brussels, Madrid, Copenhagen, Paris

+1002

Belgrade, Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana, Prague

+1003

Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb

+1004

West Central Africa

+2000

Athens, Beirut, Istanbul, Minsk

+2001

Bucharest

+2002

Cairo

+2003

Harare, Pretoria

+2004

Helsinki, Kyiv, Sofia, Talinn, Vilnius

+2005

Jerusalem

+3000

Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volograd

+3001

Kuwait, Riyadh

+3002

Baghdad

+3003

Nairobi

+3300

Tehran

2556 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

+4000

Abu Dhabi, Muscat

+4001

Baku, Tbilisi, Yerevan

+4300

Kabul

+5000

Ekaterinburg

+5001

Islamabad, Karachi, Tashkent

+5300

Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi

+5450

Kathmandu

+6000

Almaty, Novosibirsk

+6001

Astana, Dhaka

+6002

Sri Jayawardenepura

+6300

Rangoon

+7000

Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta

+7001

Krasnoyarsk

+8000

Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi

+8001

Kuala Lumpur, Singapore

+8002

Taipei

+8003

Irkutsk, Ulaan Bataar

+8004

Perth

+9000

Osaka, Sapporo, Tokyo

+9001

Seoul

+9002

Yakutsk

+9300

Adelaide

TIMEZONE | 2557

+9301

Darwin

+10000

Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

+10001

Guam, Port Moresby

+10002

Brisbane

+10003

Hobart

+10004

Vladivostok

+11000

Magadan, Solomon Is., New Caledonia

+12000

Auckland, Wellington

+12001

Fiji, Kamchatka, Marshall Is.

+13000

Nuku’alofa

TOOLTIPMERGE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip.
The appearance of the merged tooltip is controlled by the settings in the
Tooltip Appearance dialog box.
0

Off

1

On

2558 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

TOOLTIPS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user interface
elements.
0

Turns off the display of tooltips

1

Turns on the display of tooltips

TPSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Tool Palettes

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Varies
Indicates whether the Tool Palettes window is open or closed.
0

Closed

1

Open

TOOLTIPS | 2559

TRACEWID
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Lines

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0500 (imperial) or 1.0000 (metric)
Sets the default trace width.

TRACKPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the display of polar and object snap tracking alignment paths.
0

Displays full-screen polar and object snap tracking paths

1

Displays full-screen polar tracking path; displays object
snap tracking path only between the alignment point and
the From point to the cursor location

2

Displays full-screen object snap tracking path; does not
display polar tracking path

3

Does not display polar tracking path; displays object snap
tracking path only between the alignment point and the
From point to the cursor location

2560 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

TRANSPARENCYDISPLAY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display Properties of Certain Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether the object transparency is displayed.
0

Object transparency is not displayed

1

Object transparency is displayed

TRAYICONS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Update Referenced Drawing Attachments

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether a tray is displayed on the status bar.
0

Does not display a tray

1

Displays a tray

TRANSPARENCYDISPLAY | 2561

TRAYNOTIFY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Update Referenced Drawing Attachments

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether service notifications are displayed in the status bar tray.
0

Does not display notifications

1

Displays notifications

TRAYTIMEOUT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Update Referenced Drawing Attachments

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the length of time (in seconds) that service notifications are displayed.
Valid values are 0 to 10.

2562 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

TREEDEPTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Layer and Spatial Indexes

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 3020
Specifies the maximum depth, that is, the number of times the tree-structured
spatial index can divide into branches.
0

Suppresses the spatial index entirely, eliminating the performance improvements it provides in working with large
drawings. This setting assures that objects are always
processed in database order.

>0

Turns on spatial indexing. An integer of up to five digits
is valid. The first three digits refer to model space, and the
remaining two digits refer to paper space.

<0

Treats model space objects as 2D (Z coordinates are ignored), as is always the case with paper space objects.
Such a setting is appropriate for 2D drawings and makes
more efficient use of memory without loss of performance

You cannot use TREEDEPTH transparently.

TREEMAX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Layer and Spatial Indexes

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Registry

TREEDEPTH | 2563

Initial value: 10000000
Limits memory consumption during drawing regeneration by limiting the
number of nodes in the spatial index (oct-tree).
By imposing a fixed limit with TREEMAX, you can load drawings created on
systems with more memory than your system and with a larger TREEDEPTH
than your system can handle. These drawings, if left unchecked, have an
oct-tree large enough to eventually consume more memory than is available
to your computer. TREEMAX also provides a safeguard against experimentation
with inappropriately high TREEDEPTH values.
The initial default for TREEMAX is 10000000 (10 million), a value high enough
to effectively disable TREEMAX as a control for TREEDEPTH. The value to
which you should set TREEMAX depends on your system's available RAM.
You get about 15,000 oct-tree nodes per megabyte of RAM.
If you want an oct-tree to use up to, but no more than, 2 megabytes of RAM,
set TREEMAX to 30000 (2 x 15,000). If the program runs out of memory
allocating oct-tree nodes, restart, set TREEMAX to a smaller number, and try
loading the drawing again.
The program might occasionally run into the limit you set with TREEMAX.
Follow the resulting prompt instructions. Your ability to increase TREEMAX
depends on your computer's available memory.

TRIMMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Chamfers

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether selected edges for chamfers and fillets are trimmed.
0

Leaves selected edges intact

1

Trims selected edges to the endpoints of chamfer lines
and fillet arcs

2564 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

TSPACEFAC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify the Line Spacing Within Multiline Text

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1.0000
Controls the multiline text line-spacing distance measured as a factor of text
height.
Valid values are 0.25 to 4.0.

TSPACETYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify the Line Spacing Within Multiline Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the type of line spacing used in multiline text.
At Least adjusts line spacing based on the tallest characters in a line. Exactly
uses the specified line spacing, regardless of individual character sizes.
1

At Least

2

Exactly

TSPACEFAC | 2565

TSTACKALIGN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Stacked Characters Within Multiline Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls the vertical alignment of stacked text.
0

Bottom aligned

1

Center aligned

2

Top aligned

TSTACKSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Stacked Characters Within Multiline Text

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 70
Controls the percentage of stacked text fraction height relative to selected
text's current height.
Valid values are from 25 to 125.

2566 | Chapter 45 T System Variables

U System Variables

46

UCSAXISANG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 90
Stores the default angle when rotating the UCS around one of its axes using the
X, Y, or Z option of the UCS command.
Its value must be entered as an angle in degrees (valid values are: 5, 10, 15, 18,
22.5, 30, 45, 90, 180).

UCSBASE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

Type:
Saved in:

String
Drawing

2567

Initial value: ""
Stores the name of the UCS that defines the origin and orientation of
orthographic UCS settings.
Valid values include any named UCS.

UCSDETECT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use the Dynamic UCS with Solid Models

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether dynamic UCS acquisition is active or not.
0

Not active

1

Active

UCSFOLLOW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Generates a plan view whenever you change from one UCS to another.
The UCSFOLLOW setting is saved separately for each viewport. If UCSFOLLOW
is on for a particular viewport, a plan view is generated in that viewport
whenever you change coordinate systems.

2568 | Chapter 46 U System Variables

Once the new UCS has been established, you can use DVIEW, PLAN, VIEW,
or VPOINT to change the view of the drawing. It will change to a plan view
again the next time you change coordinate systems.
0

UCS does not affect the view

1

Any UCS change causes a change to the plan view of the
new UCS in the current viewport

The setting of UCSFOLLOW is maintained separately for paper space and
model space and can be accessed in either, but the setting is ignored while in
paper space (it is always treated as if set to 0). Although you can define a
non-world UCS in paper space, the view remains in plan view to the world
coordinate system.

UCSICON
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 3
Displays the UCS icon for the current viewport or layout.
This system variable has the same name as a command. Use the SETVAR
command to access this system variable.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

No icon is displayed

1

On; the icon is displayed in the lower-left corner of the
current viewport or layout

2

Origin; if the icon is on, the icon is displayed at the UCS
origin, if possible

The setting of this system variable is viewport and layout specific.

UCSICON | 2569

UCSNAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon

(Read-only)
Type:
String
Saved in:Drawing
Stores the name of the current coordinate system for the current viewport in
the current space.
Returns a null string if the current UCS is unnamed.

UCSORG
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Assign User Coordinate System Orientations to Viewports

(Read-only)
Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000
Stores the origin point of the current coordinate system for the current
viewport in the current space.
This value is always stored as a world coordinate.

2570 | Chapter 46 U System Variables

UCSORTHO
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Determines whether the related orthographic UCS setting is restored
automatically when an orthographic view is restored.
0

Specifies that the UCS setting remains unchanged when
an orthographic view is restored

1

Specifies that the related orthographic UCS setting is restored automatically when an orthographic view is restored

UCSVIEW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Determines whether the current UCS is saved with a named view.
0

Does not save current UCS with a named view

1

Saves current UCS whenever a named view is created

UCSORTHO | 2571

UCSVP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Assign User Coordinate System Orientations to Viewports

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Determines whether the UCS in viewports remains fixed or changes to reflect
the UCS of the current viewport.
The setting of this system variable is viewport specific.
0

Unlocked; UCS reflects the UCS of the current viewport

1

Locked; UCS stored in viewport, and is independent of
the UCS of the current viewport

UCSXDIR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

(Read-only)
Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1.0000,0.0000,0.0000
Stores the X direction of the current UCS for the current viewport in the
current space.
The setting of this system variable is viewport specific.

2572 | Chapter 46 U System Variables

UCSYDIR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS)

(Read-only)
Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000,1.0000,0.0000
Stores the Y direction of the current UCS for the current viewport in the current
space.
The setting of this system variable is viewport specific.

UNDOCTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Correct Mistakes

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 53
Indicates the state of the Auto, Control, and Group options of the UNDO
command.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

UNDO is turned off

1

UNDO is turned on

2

Only one command can be undone

UCSYDIR | 2573

4

Auto is turned on

8

A group is currently active

16

Zoom and pan operations are grouped as a single action

32

Layer property operations are grouped as a single action

UNDOMARKS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Correct Mistakes

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Stores the number of marks placed in the UNDO control stream by the Mark
option.
The Mark and Back options are not available if a group is currently active.

UNITMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Specify Units and Unit Formats

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the display format for units.

2574 | Chapter 46 U System Variables

By default, the format for displaying measured values differs slightly from the
format used for entering them. (You cannot include spaces when entering
measured values.)
0

Displays fractional, feet-and-inches, and surveyor's angles
in “report” format using spaces as delimiters

1

Displays fractional, feet-and-inches, and surveyor's angles
in “input” format without including spaces and, in some
cases, substituting dashes for spaces

UOSNAP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use Object Snaps with Underlays

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Determines whether object snapping is active for geometry in DWF, DWFx,
PDF, and DGN underlays that are attached to the drawing.
UOSNAP overrides the DWFOSNAP, PDFOSNAP, and DGNOSNAP settings.
Conversely, you can override the UOSNAP setting for DWF, DWFx, PDF, and
DGN underlays by issuing the necessary DWFOSNAP, PDFOSNAP, or
DGNOSNAP system variables.
0

Object snapping is disabled for geometry in all underlay
attachments in the drawing

1

Object snapping is enabled for geometry in all underlay
attachments in the drawing

2

The individual setting varies for all underlays in the current
drawing: DWF, DWFx and DGN.

UOSNAP | 2575

UPDATETHUMBNAIL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

Type:
Bitcode
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 15
Controls updating of the thumbnail previews in the Sheet Set Manager and
Quick View.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Does not update thumbnail previews for sheet views,
model space views, sheets, or Quick View images

1

Updates model space view thumbnail previews

2

Updates sheet view thumbnail previews

4

Updates sheet thumbnail previews

8

Updates thumbnail previews when sheets or views are
created, modified, or restored

16

Updates thumbnail previews when the drawing is saved

USERI1-5
Quick Reference
See also:
■

DIESEL Expressions in Macros

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Drawing

2576 | Chapter 46 U System Variables

Initial value: 0
Provides storage and retrieval of integer values.
There are five system variables: USERI1, USERI2, USERI3, USERI4, and USERI5.

USERR1-5
Quick Reference
See also:
■

DIESEL Expressions in Macros

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Provides storage and retrieval of real numbers.
There are five system variables: USERR1, USERR2, USERR3, USERR4, and
USERR5.

USERS1-5
Quick Reference
See also:
■

DIESEL Expressions in Macros

Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: ""
Provides storage and retrieval of text string data.
There are five system variables: USERS1, USERS2, USERS3, USERS4, and USERS5.

USERR1-5 | 2577

2578

V System Variables

47

VIEWCTR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pan or Zoom a View

(Read-only)
Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the center of view in the current viewport.
Expressed as a UCS coordinate.

VIEWDIR
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Define a 3D View with a Camera

(Read-only)

2579

Type:
3D-vector
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000,1.0000
Stores the viewing direction in the current viewport, expressed in UCS
coordinates.
This describes the camera point as a 3D offset from the target point.

VIEWMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Stores the View mode for the current viewport.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0

Turned off.

1

Perspective view active.

2

Front clipping on

4

Back clipping on.

8

UCS Follow mode on.

16

Front clip not at eye. If on, the front clip distance
(FRONTZ) determines the front clipping plane. If off,
FRONTZ is ignored, and the front clipping plane is set to
pass through the camera point (vectors behind the camera
are not displayed). This flag is ignored if the front-clipping
bit (2) is off.

2580 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

VIEWSIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Views

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the height of the view displayed in the current viewport, measured in
drawing units.

VIEWTWIST
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Rotate Views in Layout Viewports

(Read-only)
Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Stores the view rotation angle for the current viewport measured relative to
the WCS.

VISRETAIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Drawing References (Xrefs)

VIEWSIZE | 2581

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers.
Controls visibility, color, linetype, lineweight, and plot styles.
0

The layer table, as stored in the reference drawing (xref),
takes precedence. Changes made to xref-dependent layers
in the current drawing are valid in the current session only
and are not saved with the drawing. When the current
drawing is reopened, the layer table is reloaded from the
reference drawing, and the current drawing reflects all of
those layer property settings.

1

Xref-dependent layer changes made in the current drawing
take precedence. Layer settings are saved with the current
drawing's layer table and persist from session to session.

VPLAYEROVERRIDES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Override Layer Properties in Viewports

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Indicates if there are any layers with viewport (VP) property overrides for the
current layout viewport.
0

Current viewport does not have any associated layer
property overrides

1

Current viewport has associated layer property overrides

2582 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

VPLAYEROVERRIDESMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Override Layer Properties in Viewports

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether layer property overrides for layout viewports are displayed
and plotted.
0

Layer property overrides are not displayed in layout viewports or plotted

1

Layer property overrides are displayed in layout viewports
and plotted

VPMAXIMIZEDSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Access Model Space from a Layout Viewport

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether the viewport is maximized or not.
The maximized viewport state is canceled if you start the PLOT command.
0

Not maximized

1

Maximized

VPLAYEROVERRIDESMODE | 2583

VPROTATEASSOC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Rotate Views in Layout Viewports

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether the view within a viewport is rotated with the viewport
when the viewport is rotated.
0

When a viewport is rotated, the view inside is not rotated.

1

When a viewport is rotated, the view inside is rotated to
match the rotation of the viewport.

NOTE After rotating a viewport, VPROTATEASSOC is set to 0 for a new viewport
created in the same layout.

VSACURVATUREHIGH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 112

■

ANALYSISOPTIONS - Curvature Tab on page 114

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Sets the value at which a surface displays as green during curvature analysis
(ANALYSISCURVATURE on page 110).
The default value for this system variable is 1.

2584 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

VSACURVATURELOW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 112

■

ANALYSISOPTIONS - Curvature Tab on page 114

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -1
Sets the value at which a surface displays as blue during curvature analysis
(ANALYSISCURVATURE on page 110).
The default value for this system variable is -1.

VSACURVATURETYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 112

■

ANALYSISOPTIONS - Curvature Tab on page 114

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls which type of curvature analysis is used with the
(ANALYSISCURVATURE on page 110).
0

Gaussian curvature (evaluates areas of high and low curvature)

1

Mean curvature (evaluates the mean curvature of the U and
V surface curvature values)

2

Maximum curvature (evaluates the maximum curvature of
the U and V surface curvature values)

VSACURVATURELOW | 2585

3

Minimum curvature (evaluates the minimum curvature of the
U and V surface curvature values)

VSADRAFTANGLEHIGH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 112

■

ANALYSISOPTIONS - Draft Analysis Tab on page 115

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 3
Sets the value at which a model displays as green during draft analysis
(ANALYSISDRAFT on page 111).
Draft angle is the angle in degrees between the surface normal and the UCS
plane. High value is set by this system variable.
-90

Surface is parallel to the UCS with surface normal facing the opposite direction as the construction plane

0

Surface is perpendicular to the construction plane

90

Surface is parallel to the construction plane with surface normal facing the same direction as the UCS

VSADRAFTANGLELOW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 112

■

ANALYSISOPTIONS - Draft Analysis Tab on page 115

2586 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

Type:
Real
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -3
Sets the value at which a model displays as blue during draft analysis
(ANALYSISDRAFT on page 111).
Draft angle is the angle in degrees between the surface normal and the UCS
plane. Low value set by this system variable.
-90

Surface is parallel to the UCS with surface normal facing the opposite direction as the construction plane.

0

Surface is perpendicular to the construction plane.

90

Surface is parallel to the construction plane with surface normal facing the same direction as the UCS.

VSAZEBRACOLOR1
Quick Reference
See also:
■

ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 112

■

ANALYSISOPTIONS - Zebra Analysis Tab on page 113

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: RGB: 255, 255, 255
Sets the first color of the zebra stripes displayed during zebra analysis
(ANALYSISZEBRA).
Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) color.
Values for RGB True Color are represented as a comma-separated string of
integers 000 to 255. The default value is RGB:255,255,255.
NOTE When a color book is installed, any colors defined in the book can be used.

VSAZEBRACOLOR1 | 2587

VSAZEBRACOLOR2
Quick Reference
See also:
■

ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 112

■

ANALYSISOPTIONS - Zebra Analysis Tab on page 113

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: RGB: 0, 0, 0
Sets the second (contrasting) color of the zebra stripes displayed during zebra
analysis (ANALYSISZEBRA).
Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) color.
Values for RGB True Color are represented as a comma-separated string of
integers 000 to 255. The default value is RGB:0,0,0.
NOTE When a color book is installed, any colors defined in the book can be used.

VSAZEBRADIRECTION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 112

■

ANALYSISOPTIONS - Zebra Analysis Tab on page 113

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 90
Controls whether zebra stripes display horizontally, vertically, or at an angle
during zebra analysis (ANALYSISBRA).
0

Horizontal

2588 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

90

Vertical

NOTE Enter a value between 0 and 90 degrees to set Zebra stripes at an angle.

VSAZEBRASIZE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 112

■

ANALYSISOPTIONS - Zebra Analysis Tab on page 113

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 45
Controls the width of the zebra stripes displayed during zebra analysis
(ANALYSISZEBRA).
Valid values are from 1 to 100.

VSAZEBRATYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 112

■

ANALYSISOPTIONS - Zebra Analysis Tab on page 113

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Sets the type of zebra display when using zebra analysis (ANALYSISZEBRA).
0

Chrome Ball

VSAZEBRASIZE | 2589

1

Cylinder

VSBACKGROUNDS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Backgrounds and Shadows

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls whether backgrounds are displayed in the visual style applied to the
current viewport.
0

Off

1

On

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSEDGECOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: BYENTITY
Sets the color of edges in the visual style in the current viewport.

2590 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

Value 0 designates ByBlock, value 256 designates ByLayer, and value 257
designates ByEntity. Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD Color Index (ACI)
color. True Colors and Color Book colors are also available.
Valid values for True Colors are a string of integers each from 0 to 255 separated
by commas and preceded by RGB. The True Color setting is entered as follows:
RGB:000,000,000
If you have a color book installed, you can specify any colors that are defined
in the book.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSEDGEJITTER
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -2
Makes edges on 3D objects appear wavy, as though they were sketched with
a pencil.
The amount of jitter can be set to low, medium, or high. Negative numbers
store the value but turn off the effect. Plot styles are not available for objects
with the Jitter edge modifier applied.

VSEDGEJITTER | 2591

1

Low

2

Medium

3

High

NOTE Plot styles are not available for objects with the Jitter edge modifier applied.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSEDGELEX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Drawing

2592 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

Initial value: -6
Makes edges on 3D objects extend beyond their intersection for a hand-drawn
effect.
The range is 1 to 100 pixels. Turn off the line extensions effect by preceding
the setting with a minus sign (-).
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSEDGEOVERHANG
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -6
Makes edges on 3D objects extend beyond their intersection for a hand-drawn
effect.
The amount of overhang can be set between 1 and 100 pixels. Negative
numbers store the value but turn off the effect.

VSEDGEOVERHANG | 2593

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSEDGES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls the types of edges that are displayed in the viewport.

2594 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

isolines displayed

facet edges displayed

0

No edges are displayed

1

Isolines are displayed

VSEDGES | 2595

2

Facet edges are displayed

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSEDGESMOOTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies the angle at which crease edges are displayed.
The range is 0 to 180.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSFACECOLORMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shade and Color Faces

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0

2596 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

Controls how the color of faces is calculated.
0

Normal: Does not apply a face color modifier

1

Monochrome: Displays all faces in the color that is specified in the VSMONOCOLOR system variable.

2

Tint: Uses the color that is specified in the VSMONOCOLOR system variable to shade all faces by changing the hue
and saturation values of the color.

3

Desaturate: Softens the color by reducing its saturation
component by 30 percent

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSFACEHIGHLIGHT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shade and Color Faces

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -30
Controls the level of transparency for 3D objects.
The range is -100 to 100. The higher the number, the larger the highlight.
Objects with materials attached ignore the setting of VSFACEHIGHLIGHT
when VSMATERIALMODE is on.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSFACEHIGHLIGHT | 2597

VSFACEOPACITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shade and Color Faces

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: -60
Turns on and off a preset level of transparency for 3D objects.
The level of transparency for 3D solids and surfaces can be set between 100
percent opaque and 0 percent opaque. Negative numbers store the value but
turn off the effect.

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

2598 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

VSFACESTYLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shade and Color Faces

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls how faces are displayed in the current viewport.
0

No style applied

1

Real: as close as possible to how the face would appear in
the real world

2

Gooch: uses cool and warm colors instead of dark and
light to enhance the display of faces that might be shadowed and difficult to see in a realistic display

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSHALOGAP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the halo gap in the visual style applied to the current viewport.
The range is 0 to 100.

VSFACESTYLE | 2599

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSHIDEPRECISION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shade and Color Faces

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Controls the accuracy of hides and shades in the visual style applied to the
current viewport.
0

Single precision; uses less memory

1

Double precision; uses more memory

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSINTERSECTIONCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 7

2600 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

Specifies the color of intersection polylines in the visual style applied to the
current viewport.
The initial value is 7, which is a special value that inverts the color (black or
white) based on the background color.
Value 0 designates ByBlock, value 256 designates ByLayer, and value 257
designates ByEntity. Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD Color Index (ACI)
color. True Colors and Color Book colors are also available.
NOTE INTERSECTIONCOLOR controls the color of intersection polylines when
the visual style is set to 2D Wireframe.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSINTERSECTIONEDGES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the display of intersection edges in the visual style applied to the
current viewport.
NOTE INTERSECTIONDISPLAY controls the color of intersection polylines when
the visual style is set to 2D Wireframe.
0

Off

1

On

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSINTERSECTIONEDGES | 2601

VSINTERSECTIONLTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Sets the linetype for intersection lines in the visual style applied to the current
viewport.
The range is 1 to 11.
1

Solid

2

Dashed

3

Dotted

4

Short Dash

5

Medium Dash

6

Long Dash

7

Double Short Dash

8

Double Medium Dash

9

Double Long Dash

10

Medium Long Dash

11

Sparse Dot

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

2602 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

VSISOONTOP
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Displays isolines on top of shaded objects in the visual style applied to the
current viewport.
0

Off

1

On

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSLIGHTINGQUALITY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Sets the lighting quality in the current viewport.
0

Faceted. A single color is computed for each face of a
surface or 3D solid.

VSISOONTOP | 2603

1

Smooth. The colors are computed as a gradient between
the vertices of the faces.

2

Smoothest. If the Per-Pixel Lighting setting is turned on
in the Manual Performance Tuning dialog box, then the
colors are computed for individual pixels. If not, the
Smooth setting is used instead.

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSMATERIALMODE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the display of materials in the current viewport.
Turn off the display of materials and textures to maximize performance during
unrelated operations.
Turn off the display of textures to modify materials, or to increase performance
during unrelated operations.
After turning them off, you can restore the display of materials and textures.
0

No materials are displayed

1

Materials are displayed, textures are not displayed

2

Materials and textures are displayed

2604 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSMAX
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Model Tab Viewport Arrangements

(Read-only)
Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the upper-right corner of the current viewport's virtual screen.
Expressed as a UCS coordinate.

VSMIN
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Save and Restore Model Tab Viewport Arrangements

(Read-only)
Type:
3D-point
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: Varies
Stores the lower-left corner of the current viewport's virtual screen.
Expressed as a UCS coordinate.

VSMAX | 2605

VSMONOCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Shade and Color Faces

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 255,255,255
Sets the color for monochrome and tint display of faces in the visual style
applied to the current viewport.
The initial value is white.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSOBSCUREDCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: BYENTITY
Specifies the color of obscured (hidden) lines in the visual style applied to the
current viewport.
Valid values include ByLayer (256), ByBlock (0), ByEntity (257), and any
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) color (an integer from 1 to 255).
You can also specify a true color or a color book color. Valid values for true
colors are a string of integers each from 1 to 255 separated by commas and
preceded by RGB. The True Color setting is entered as follows:
RGB:000,000,000

2606 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSOBSCUREDEDGES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls whether obscured (hidden) edges are displayed.
0

Off

1

On

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSOBSCUREDLTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies the linetype of obscured (hidden) lines in the visual style applied to
the current viewport.

VSOBSCUREDEDGES | 2607

The range is 1 to 11.
1

Solid

2

Dashed

3

Dotted

4

Short Dash

5

Medium Dash

6

Long Dash

7

Double Short Dash

8

Double Medium Dash

9

Double Long Dash

10

Medium Long Dash

11

Sparse Dot

The initial value of VSOBSCUREDLTYPE varies on the current visual style.
Visual Style (VSCURRENT)

Initial Value

2D Wireframe

1

2608 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

Visual Style (VSCURRENT)

Initial Value

Conceptual

1

Hidden

2

Shaded

1

Shaded with Edges

2

Shades of Gray

1

Sketchy

1

Wireframe

1

X-ray

1

Realistic

1

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSOCCLUDEDCOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
String
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: ByEntity
Specifies the color of occluded (hidden) lines in the visual style applied to the
current viewport.
Valid values include ByLayer (256), ByBlock (0), ByEntity (257), and any
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) color (an integer from 1 to 255).

VSOCCLUDEDCOLOR | 2609

You can also specify a true color or a color book color. Valid values for true
colors are a string of integers each from 1 to 255 separated by commas and
preceded by RGB. The True Color setting is entered as follows:
RGB:000,000,000
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSOCCLUDEDEDGES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls whether occluded (hidden) edges are displayed.
0

Off

1

On

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSOCCLUDEDLTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

2610 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies the linetype of occluded (hidden) lines in the visual style applied to
the current viewport.
The range is 1 to 11.
1

Solid

2

Dashed

3

Dotted

4

Short Dash

5

Medium Dash

6

Long Dash

7

Double Short Dash

8

Double Medium Dash

9

Double Long Dash

10

Medium Long Dash

11

Sparse Dot

VSOCCLUDEDLTYPE | 2611

The initial value of VSOCCLUDEDLTYPE varies on the current visual style.
Visual Style (VSCURRENT)

Initial Value

2D Wireframe

1

Conceptual

1

Hidden

2

Shaded

1

Shaded with Edges

2

Shades of Gray

1

Sketchy

1

Wireframe

1

X-ray

1

Realistic

1

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSSHADOWS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Display Backgrounds and Shadows

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0

2612 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

Controls whether a visual style displays shadows.
0

No shadows are displayed

1

Ground shadows only are displayed

2

Full shadows are displayed

NOTE To display full shadows, hardware acceleration is required. When Geometry
Acceleration is off, full shadows cannot be displayed. (To access these settings,
enter 3dconfig at the Command prompt. In the Adaptive Degradation and
Performance Tuning dialog box, click Manual Tune.)
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSSILHEDGES
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls display of silhouette edges of solid objects in the visual style applied
to the current viewport.
0

Off

1

On

VSSILHEDGES | 2613

The initial value of VSSILHEDGES depends on the current visual style.
Visual Style (VSCURRENT)

Initial Value

2D Wireframe

0

3D Wireframe

0

3D Hidden

1

Realistic

0

Conceptual

1

NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

2614 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

VSSILHWIDTH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Control the Display of Edges

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 5
Specifies the width in pixels of silhouette edges in the current viewport.
The range is 1 to 25.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this
system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates
an unsaved new visual style.

VSSTATE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 0
Indicates whether the Visual Styles window is open or closed.

VSSILHWIDTH | 2615

VTDURATION
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 750
Sets the duration of a smooth view transition, in milliseconds.
The valid range is 0 to 5000.

VTENABLE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 3
Controls when smooth view transitions are used.
Smooth view transitions can be on or off for panning and zooming, for changes
of view angle, or for scripts. The valid range is 0 to 7.
Setting

For pan/zoom

For rotation

For scripts

0

Off

Off

Off

1

On

Off

Off

2

Off

On

Off

3

On

On

Off

2616 | Chapter 47 V System Variables

Setting

For pan/zoom

For rotation

For scripts

4

Off

Off

On

5

On

Off

On

6

Off

On

On

7

On

On

On

VTFPS
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Interface Options

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 7
Sets the minimum speed of a smooth view transition, in frames per second.
When a smooth view transition cannot maintain this speed, an instant
transition is used. The valid range is 1 to 30.

VTFPS | 2617

2618

W System Variables

48

WHIPARC
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Draw Curved Objects

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the display of circles and arcs is smooth.
0

Circles and arcs are not smooth, but rather are displayed
as a series of vectors

1

Circles and arcs are smooth, displayed as true circles and
arcs

WHIPTHREAD
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pan or Zoom a View

2619

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether to use an additional processor to improve the speed of
operations such as ZOOM that redraw or regenerate the drawing.
WHIPTHREAD has no effect on single processor machines.
0

No multithreaded processing; restricts regeneration and
redraw processing to a single processor. This setting restores the behavior of AutoCAD 2000 and previous releases.

1

Regeneration multithreaded processing only; regeneration
processing is distributed across two processors on a multiprocessor machine.

2

Redraw multithreaded processing only; redraw processing
is distributed across two processors on a multiprocessor
machine.

3

Regeneration and redraw multithreaded processing; regeneration and redraw processing is distributed across two
processors on a multiprocessor machine.

When multithreaded processing is used for redraw operations (value 2 or 3),
the order of objects specified with the DRAWORDER command is not
guaranteed to be preserved for display but is preserved for plotting.

WINDOWAREACOLOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Customize Object Selection

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 150
Controls the color of the transparent selection area during window selection.

2620 | Chapter 48 W System Variables

The valid range is 1 to 255. SELECTIONAREA must be on.

WMFBKGND
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import Other File Formats

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Off
Controls the background display when objects are inserted in Windows
metafile (WMF) format.
The objects may be inserted using any of the following methods:
■

Output to a Windows metafile using WMFOUT

■

Copied to the Clipboard and pasted as a Windows metafile

■

Dragged as a Windows metafile

Off

The background color is transparent. The foreground
color depends on the setting of WMFFOREGND.

On

The background color is the same as the current background color in the drawing, whether in model space or
in a layout. The foreground color remains unchanged.

WMFFOREGND
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Import Other File Formats

WMFBKGND | 2621

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Off
Controls the assignment of the foreground color when objects are inserted in
Windows metafile (WMF) format.
The objects may be inserted using any of the following methods:
■

Output to a Windows metafile using WMFOUT

■

Copied to the Clipboard and pasted as a Windows metafile

■

Dragged as a Windows metafile

WMFFOREGND applies only when WMFBKGND is set to Off.
Off

The foreground and background colors are swapped if
necessary to ensure that the foreground color is darker
than the background color

On

The foreground and background colors are swapped if
necessary to ensure that the foreground color is lighter
than the background color

WORLDUCS
Quick Reference
See also:
See also:
■

Understand the User Coordinate System in 3D

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1
Indicates whether the UCS is the same as the WCS.
0

UCS differs from the WCS

2622 | Chapter 48 W System Variables

1

UCS matches the WCS

WORLDVIEW
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Define a 3D View with Coordinate Values or Angles

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1
Determines whether input to the DVIEW and VPOINT commands is relative
to the WCS (default) or the current UCS.
0

UCS remains unchanged

1

UCS changes to the WCS for the duration of the command; the command input is relative to the current UCS

WRITESTAT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of AutoLISP and Visual LISP

(Read-only)
Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: 1
Indicates whether a drawing file is read-only or can be revised.
For developers who need to determine write status through AutoLISP.
0

Can't write to the drawing

WORLDVIEW | 2623

1

Can write to the drawing

WSAUTOSAVE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Task-Based Workspaces

■

Workspace Settings Dialog Box on page 2103

Type:
Switch
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Saves changes you made to a workspace when you switch to another work
space.
0

Autosave on

1

Autosave off

This system variable determines the default setting in the Workspace Settings
dialog box > When Switching Workspaces section on page 2104.

WSCURRENT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create Task-Based Workspaces

Type:
String
Saved in:
Not-saved
Initial value: Name of current workspace
Returns the current workspace name at the Command prompt and sets a
workspace to current.

2624 | Chapter 48 W System Variables

X System Variables

49

XCLIPFRAME
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Update Referenced Drawing Attachments

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 2
Determines whether xref clipping boundaries are visible or plotted in the current
drawing.
The FRAME system variable overrides the XCLIPFRAME setting.Use the
XCLIPFRAME system variable after the FRAME system variable to reset the XCLIP
frame settings
0

The xclip frame is not visible and it is not plotted

1

The xclip frame is displayed and plotted

2

The xclip frame is displayed but not plotted

2625

XDWGFADECTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Drawing References (Xrefs)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 70
Controls the dimming for all DWG xref objects.
The valid XDWGFADECTL system variable value is between -90 and 90. When
XDWGFADECTL is set to a negative value, the Xref Fading feature is not turned
on, but the setting is stored.
0

DWG xref objects are not faded.

>0

When the value is positive, controls the percent of fading
up to 90 percent.

<0

When the value is negative, xref objects are not faded,
but the value is saved for switching to that value by
changing the sign.

XEDIT
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Update Referenced Drawing Attachments

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Drawing
Initial value: 1

2626 | Chapter 49 X System Variables

Controls whether the current drawing can be edited in-place when being
referenced by another drawing.
0

Can't use in-place reference editing

1

Can use in-place reference editing

XFADECTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Attach Drawing References (Xrefs)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 50
Controls the amount of fading within a reference being edited in place. This
setting affects only the objects that are not being edited in the reference.
Valid values are from 0 to 90.
Also controls the fading intensity percentage of alternate object representations
that display in a dimmed state, such as alternate scale representations of
objects.
SELECTIONANNODISPLAY controls whether or not alternate scale
representations of annotative objects are displayed.

XLOADCTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Work with Demand Loading

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Registry

XFADECTL | 2627

Initial value: 2
Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the
referenced drawing or a copy.
0

Turns off demand-loading; the entire drawing is loaded.

1

Turns on demand-loading. Referenced drawings are kept
open and locked.

2

Turns on demand-loading. Copies of referenced drawings
are opened and locked; referenced drawings are not
locked

When XLOADCTL is set to 2, a copy of each referenced drawing file is stored
in the folder specified by the XLOADPATH system variable or the temporary
files folder (set in the Options dialog box). Additionally, xrefs load faster when
you work across a network: the performance enhancement is most pronounced
when you open drawings with many xrefs.

XLOADPATH
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Set Paths for Temporary Xref File Copies

Type:
String
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: Varies
Creates a path for storing temporary copies of demand-loaded xref files.
For more information, see XLOADCTL on page 2627.

2628 | Chapter 49 X System Variables

XREFCTL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Track External Reference Operations (Log File)

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether external reference log (XLG) files are created.
0

Does not write log files

1

Writes log files

XREFNOTIFY
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Update Referenced Drawing Attachments

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls the notification for updated or missing xrefs.
0

Disables xref notification

1

Enables xref notification. Notifies you that xrefs are attached to the current drawing by displaying the xref icon
in the lower-right corner of the application window (the
notification area of the status bar tray). When you open
a drawing, alerts you to missing xrefs by displaying the
xref icon with a yellow alert symbol (!).

XREFCTL | 2629

2

Enables xref notification and balloon messages. Displays
the xref icon as in 1 above. Also displays balloon messages
in the same area when xrefs are modified. The number of
minutes between checking for modified xrefs is controlled
by the system registry variable XNOTIFYTIME.

XREFTYPE
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Nest and Overlay Referenced Drawings

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the default reference type when attaching or overlaying an external
reference.
0

Attachment is the default

1

Overlay is the default

2630 | Chapter 49 X System Variables

Z System Variables

50

ZOOMFACTOR
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pointing Device Buttons

Type:
Integer
Saved in:
Registry
Initial value: 60
Controls how much the magnification changes when the mouse wheel moves
forward or backward.
Accepts an integer between 3 and 100 as a valid value. The higher the number,
the more the change.

ZOOMWHEEL
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Pointing Device Buttons

Type:
Saved in:

Integer
Registry

2631

Initial value: 0
Toggles the direction of transparent zoom operations when you scroll the
middle mouse wheel.
0

Moves wheel forward zooms in; moving wheel backwards
zooms out.

1

Move wheel forward zooms out; moving wheel backwards
zooms in.

2632 | Chapter 50 Z System Variables

Utilities

51

This section describes the AutoCAD LT® utilities. You run these utilities separately from
AutoCAD LT.

Attach Digital Signatures
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Digital Signatures

Attaches a digital signature to files.
Menu: Start menu (Windows) ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤ AutoCAD LT
➤ Attach Digital Signatures
The Attach Digital Signatures dialog box is displayed.

Attach Digital Signatures Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Digital Signatures

Selects the files for attachment of digital signatures.

2633

Files to Be Signed
Lists the names of the files to be signed, the folder in which each file resides,
and the current status of the file.

Add Files
Opens the Select File dialog box, where you select the files for digital signature.

Search Folders
Opens the Search Folders dialog box, where you can search for files in the
folder you specify.

Remove
Removes selected files from the Files to Be Signed list.

Clear List
Removes all files from the Files to Be Signed list.

Number of Files to Sign
Displays the number of files that the Attach Digital Signatures program will
attempt to sign.

Select a Digital ID (Certificate)
Displays a list of digital IDs that you can use to sign files. Includes information
about the organization or individual to whom the digital ID was issued, the
digital ID vendor who issued the digital ID, and when the digital ID expires.

Signature Information
Provides a list of time services you can use to add a time stamp to your digital
signature, the status of the time server connection, and a Comments area (to
include information relevant to the digital signature or to the files you are
signing).

Get Time Stamp From
Provides a list of time servers you can use to time stamp your digital signature
and includes the connection status of the time server.

2634 | Chapter 51 Utilities

Time Service Status
Displays the connection status (Successfully Contacted Time Server or Could
Not Contact Time Server) of the time service.

Comment
Provides a place to include information relevant to the digital signature or to
the files you are signing.

Sign Files
Attaches a digital signature to every file listed in this dialog box.

Search Folders Dialog Box
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Overview of Digital Signatures

Searches for folders that contain files you want to digitally sign.

Start in Folder
Enters the name of the folder where you want to begin the search for files you
want to sign.

Include Subfolders
Searches subfolders of the folder in the Start in Folder box.

Browse
Opens the Browse for Folder dialog box, where you can choose a folder to
search.

Search for Files Named
Searches for the file type you specify.
You can specify DWG, DWS, and DWT files, as well as EXE and ZIP files
generated by eTransmit.

Search Folders Dialog Box | 2635

Batch Standards Checker
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Check Drawings for Standards Violations

Audits a set of drawings for standards violations.
Menu: Start menu (Windows) ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤ AutoCAD ➤
Batch Standards Checker
The Batch Standards Checker Window is displayed.

Batch Standards Checker Window
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Check Drawings for Standards Violations

The Batch Standards Checker audits a series of drawings for standards violations
and creates an XML-based summary report detailing all violations. To use the
Batch Standards Checker, you must first create a standards check file that
specifies the drawings to audit and the standards files used for the audit.
The Batch Standards Checker contains the following tabs:
■

Drawings on page 2637

■

Standards on page 2637

■

Plug-ins on page 2638

■

Notes on page 2638

■

Progress on page 2638

The Batch Standards Checker toolbar contains additional options.

2636 | Chapter 51 Utilities

Drawings Tab (Batch Standards Checker)
Allows you to create a list of drawings to audit for standards violations.
Drawings to Check Lists the drawings to audit for standards violations. To
add a drawing, click Add Drawing. To remove a drawing, click Remove
Drawing. An exclamation mark precedes any drawings that the Batch Standards
Checker can't locate. Drawings are audited in the order in which they are
listed. To reorder drawings in the list, click Move Up or Move Down.
Add Standards File Opens a standard file selection dialog box, where you can
locate and select a drawing to audit.
Remove Drawing Removes a drawing from the list displayed in Drawings to
Check.
Move Up Moves the currently selected drawing up one position in the list
displayed in Drawings to Check.
Move Down Moves a standards file down one position in the list displayed
in Standards Used for Checking All Drawings.
Description Provides summary information about the drawing file currently
selected in Drawings to Check.
Check External References of Listed Drawings Determines if external
references (xrefs) are added to the Drawings to Check list. If checked, external
references are added to the list as soon as you start a batch standards audit.

Standards Tab (Batch Standards Checker)
Allows you to specify what standards files are used to verify named objects
during the batch standards audit.
Check Each Drawing Using Its Associated Standards Files Specifies auditing
each drawing using the standards files that are associated with it. If this option
is selected, the remaining options on the tab are not available.
Check All Drawings Using the Following Standards Files Specifies ignoring
the standards files that are associated with individual drawings and using the
ones you select in Standards Used for Checking All Drawings instead.
Standards Used for Checking All Drawings Lists the standards files used to
audit the drawings. To add a standards file, click Add Standards File. To remove
a standards file, click Remove Standards File. If conflicts arise between multiple
standards in this list (for example, if two standards files specify layers of the
same name but with different properties), the standards file that is shown first

Batch Standards Checker Window | 2637

in the list takes precedence. To change the position of a standards file in the
list, select it and click Move Up or Move Down.
Add Standards File Adds a standards file to the list displayed in Standards
Used for Checking All Drawings.
Remove Standards File Removes a standards file from the list displayed in
Standards Used for Checking All Drawings.
Move Up Moves a standards file up one position in the list displayed in
Standards Used for Checking All Drawings.
Move Down Moves a standards file down one position in the list displayed
in Standards Used for Checking All Drawings.
Description Provides summary information about the standards file currently
selected in the list.

Plug-ins Tab (Batch Standards Checker)
Lists the standards plug-ins that are installed on the current system. A standards
plug-in is installed for each of the named objects for which standards can be
defined (layers, dimension styles, linetypes, and text styles). In the future, it
is expected that third-party applications will be able to install additional
plug-ins.
Plug-ins Used When Checking Standards Displays a list of all the standards
plug-ins on the current system. You specify at least one plug-in to use when
auditing a drawing by selecting from the list. The selected plug-ins are used
when checking standards for the entire series of drawings.
Description Provides summary information about the plug-in currently
selected in the list.

Notes Tab (Batch Standards Checker)
Allows you to add notes to the XML report.
Enter Notes to Include in Report Allows you to enter additional notes for
inclusion in the report.

Progress Tab (Batch Standards Checker)
Provides summary information about the status of the current batch standards
audit.

2638 | Chapter 51 Utilities

Batch Standards Checker Toolbar
New

Creates a new standards
check file with a .chx file
name extension. Standards
check files specify what
drawings and standards
files are used by the batch
audit.

Open

Opens a standard file selection dialog box, where you
can select a standards
check file.

Save

Saves the current standards
check file.

Save As

Opens a standard file save
dialog box, where you can
specify a name and location to save a standards
check file.

Start Check

Begins a batch audit using
the currently loaded standards check file. This button
is available only when you
have added drawings, associated a standards file, and
selected at least one plugin to use when checking for
standards violations.

Stop Check

Stops a previously started
batch audit operation. This
button is available only if a
batch audit is currently in
progress.

View Report

Displays an HTML report
summarizing the results of
the batch audit. This but-

Batch Standards Checker Window | 2639

ton is available when a
batch audit report is available for viewing. The contents of the report are included with the standards
check file.
Export Report

Exports an HTML report
that can be distributed to
other users. This button is
available only when a batch
audit has been completed
and a report is available to
export. This button also allows you to optimize existing XML reports that were
created with a previous
version of the CAD Standards feature, in order to
improve report printing
quality.

SLIDELIB
Quick Reference
See also:
■

Create and View Slide Libraries

Compiles slide files listed in an ASCII file into a slide library file.
You can construct slide library (SLB) files from slide (SLD) files by using the
SLIDELIB utility program supplied in the main program folder. The following
operating system command prompt syntax constructs a slide library:
slidelib library [ < slidelist ]
where

2640 | Chapter 51 Utilities

library specifies the slide library file (extension .slb) into which the slide files
(extension .sld) are added. slidelist specifies a list of slide files. If you want to
specify a file extension, it must be .sld.
SLIDELIB reads a list of slide file names. This list is normally supplied by
redirecting a list of files (one per line in another file created using a text editor
or a user-supplied utility program) to standard input.
The operating system commands shown below will create a slidelist file that
can be used with SLIDELIB. All the slide files you want to compile into a slide
library should be placed in a single directory. At a DOS prompt (version 5.0
or newer), enter the following:
dir *.sld /b > mylist
This creates the mylist file, which you can pass to SLIDELIB. You can also create
the mylist file with a text editor by listing the slide file names (and paths, if
necessary), such as lobby, d:\slides\office, and \aec\slides\stairs. The slide file
name, but not the drive and directory information, is saved in the library file.
Because only the file name is included, a library can contain slides with the
same name from different directories, but only one of the slides can be
accessed.
To generate the slide library mlib from mylist, enter the following:
slidelib mlib < mylist
This entry creates the file mlib.slb, which contains the names and definitions
of the slides listed in mylist.
WARNING Do not delete your original slides. SLIDELIB has no provision for
updating a slide library once it is created. If you want to add or delete a slide,
update the slidelist file and re-create the library with SLIDELIB. All the original slides
must be present in order to do this.

SLIDELIB | 2641

2642

Glossary

52

Commands associated with definitions are shown in parentheses at the end of the definition.
3D mesh primitive Basic mesh forms such as boxes, cones, cylinders, pyramids, wedges,
spheres, and tori.
3D view Any view where the UCS icon appears in rendered colored form; current visual style
is not 2D Wireframe, and the model is being viewed from an isometric view.
3Dconnexion Set of navigation tools used to reorient the current view of a model with a
3Dconnexion device.
absolute coordinates Coordinate values measured from a coordinate system's origin point.
See also origin, relative coordinates, user coordinate system (UCS), world coordinates, and
world coordinate system (WCS).
acquired point In the tracking or object snap tracking methods of locating a point, an
intermediate location used as a reference.
acquisition marker During tracking or object snap tracking, the temporary plus sign displayed
at the location of an acquired point.
action The smallest task or user interaction that can be recorded with the Action Recorder.
Action bar Toolbar-like UI that displays the actions associated with a parameter object.
action macro A series of recorded actions that can be played back in the active drawing.
action macro file A file that stores all the actions contained in an action macro. Action macro
files have the file extension .actm.
Action tree A control used to display the recorded actions in an action macro.
activate Part of the Autodesk software registration process. It allows you to run a product in
compliance with the product's end-user license agreement.
adaptive degradation A method of controlling performance that turns off features in a certain
order when performance falls below a specified level.

2643

adaptive sampling A method to accelerate the anti-aliasing process within the bounds of
the sample matrix size. See also anti-aliasing.
adjacent cell selection A selection of table cells that share at least one boundary with
another cell in the same selection.
affine calibration A tablet calibration method that provides an arbitrary linear
transformation in two-dimensional space. Affine calibration requires three calibration points
to allow a tablet transformation that combines translation, independent X and Y scaling,
rotation, and some skewing. Use affine calibration if a drawing has been stretched differently
in the horizontal or vertical direction. (TABLET)
alias A shortcut for a command. For example, CP is an alias for COPY, and Z is an alias for
ZOOM. You define aliases in the acad.pgp file.
aliasing The effect of discrete picture elements, or pixels, aligned as a straight or curved
edge on a fixed grid appearing to be jagged or stepped. See also anti-aliasing.
aligned dimension A dimension that measures the distance between two points at any
angle. The dimension line is parallel to the line connecting the dimension's definition
points. (DIMALIGNED)
alpha channel Alpha is a type of data, found in 32-bit bitmap files, that assigns transparency
to the pixels in the image.
A 24-bit truecolor file contains three channels of color information: red, green, and blue,
or RGB. Each channel of a truecolor bitmap file is defined by 8 bits, providing 256 levels of
intensity. The intensity of each channel determines the color of the pixel in the image.
Thus, an RGB file is 24-bit with 256 levels each of red, green, and blue.
By adding a fourth, alpha channel, the file can specify the transparency, or opacity, of each
of the pixels. An alpha value of 0 is transparent, an alpha value of 255 is opaque, and values
in between are semi-transparent. An RGBA file (red, green, blue, alpha) is 32-bit, with the
extra 8 bits of alpha providing 256 levels of transparency.
To output a rendered image with alpha, save in an alpha-compatible format such as PNG,
TIFF, or Targa.
ambient color A color produced only by ambient light. Ambient color is the color of an
object where it is in shadow. This color is what the object reflects when illuminated by
ambient light rather than direct light.
ambient light Light that illuminates all surfaces of a model with equal intensity. Ambient
light has no single source or direction and does not diminish in intensity over distance.
angular dimension A dimension that measures angles or arc segments and consists of text,
extension lines, and leaders. (DIMANGULAR)

2644 | Chapter 52 Glossary

angular unit The unit of measurement for an angle. Angular units can be measured in
decimal degrees, degrees/minutes/seconds, grads, and radians.
annotation scale A setting that is saved with model space, layout viewports, and model
views. When you create annotative objects, they are scaled based on the current annotation
scale setting and automatically displayed at the correct size.
annotational constraint Dimensional constraint used to control the size of the geometry
as well as annotate the drawing.
See also parameter constraint, and dynamic constraint
annotations Text, dimensions, tolerances, symbols, notes, and other types of explanatory
symbols or objects that are used to add information to your model.
annotative A property that belongs to objects that are commonly used to annotate drawings.
This property allows you to automate the process of scaling annotations. Annotative objects
are defined at a paper height and display in layout viewports and model space at the size
determined by the annotation scale set for those spaces.
anonymous block An unnamed block created by a number of features, including associative
and nonassociative dimensions.
anti-aliasing A method that reduces aliasing by shading the pixels adjacent to the main
pixels that define a line or boundary. See also aliasing.
application button The button that is displayed in the top-left corner of the application.
If you click the application button, the application menu is displayed.
application menu The menu that is displayed when you click the application button. The
application menu contains common tools for creating, saving, and publishing a file.
approximation points Point locations that a B-spline must pass near, within a fit tolerance.
See also fit points and interpolation points.
array 1. Multiple copies of selected objects in a rectangular or polar (radial) pattern. (ARRAY)
2. A collection of data items, each identified by a subscript or key, arranged so a computer
can examine the collection and retrieve data with the key.
arrowhead A terminator, such as an arrowhead, slash, or dot, at the end of a dimension
line showing where a dimension begins and ends.

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aspect ratio Ratio of display width to height.
associative dimension A dimension that automatically adapts as the associated geometry
is modified. Controlled by the DIMASSOC system variable. See also nonassociative dimension
and exploded dimension.
associative hatch Hatching that conforms to its bounding objects such that modifying the
bounding objects automatically adjusts the hatch. (BHATCH)
associative surfaces Associative surfaces automatically adjust their location and shape when
the geometric objects associated with them are modified. Controlled by the
SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY on page 2537 system variable.
attenuation The diminishing of light intensity over distance.
attribute definition An object that is included in a block definition to store alphanumeric
data. Attribute values can be predefined or specified when the block is inserted. Attribute
data can be extracted from a drawing and inserted into external files. (ATTDEF)
attribute extraction file A text file to which extracted attribute data is written. The contents
and format are determined by the attribute extraction template file. See also attribute
extraction template file.
attribute extraction template file A text file that determines which attributes are extracted
and how they are formatted when written to an attribute extraction file. See also attribute
extraction file.
attribute prompt The text string displayed when you insert a block with an attribute whose
value is undefined. See also attribute definition, attribute tag, and attribute value.
attribute tag A text string associated with an attribute that identifies a particular attribute
during extraction from the drawing database. See also attribute definition, attribute prompt,
and attribute value.
attribute value The alphanumeric information associated with an attribute tag. See also
attribute definition, attribute prompt, and attribute tag.

2646 | Chapter 52 Glossary

AutoCAD LT library search path The order in which looks for a support file: current
directory, drawing directory, directory specified in the support path, and directory containing
the executable file, acad.exe.
AutoCAD LT window The drawing area, its surrounding menus, and the command line.
axis tripod Icon with X, Y, and Z coordinates that is used to visualize the viewpoint (view
direction) of a drawing without displaying the drawing. (VPOINT)
B-spline curve A blended piecewise polynomial curve passing near a given set of control
points. See also Bezier curve. (SPLINE)
back face The opposite side of a front face. Back faces are not visible in a rendered image.
See also front faces.
base point 1. In the context of editing grips, the grip that changes to a solid color when
selected to specify the focus of the subsequent editing operation. 2. A point for relative
distance and angle when copying, moving, and rotating objects. 3. The insertion base point
of the current drawing. (BASE) 4. The insertion base point for a block definition. (BLOCK)
baseline An imaginary line on which text characters appear to rest. Individual characters
can have descenders that drop below the baseline. See also baseline dimension.
baseline dimension Multiple dimensions measured from the same baseline. Also called
parallel dimensions. See also baseline.
basic tooltip Displays a brief description for the tooltip.
basic wheels A reference to the View Object wheel and Tour Building wheel.
Bezier curve A polynomial curve defined by a set of control points, representing an equation
of an order one less than the number of points being considered. A Bezier curve is a special
case of a B-spline curve. See also B-spline curve.
big wheels The large version of the SteeringWheels. Labels are displayed on each wheel
wedge and they are larger than the size of the cursor.
bitmap The digital representation of an image having bits referenced to pixels. In color
graphics, a different value represents each red, green, and blue component of a pixel.
blips Temporary screen markers displayed in the drawing area when you specify a point or
select objects. (BLIPMODE)
block A generic term for one or more objects that are combined to create a single object.
Commonly used for either block definition or block reference. See also block definition and
block reference. (BLOCK)

| 2647

block action Defines how the geometry of a dynamic block reference will move or change
when the custom properties of a block reference are manipulated in a drawing. A dynamic
block definition usually contains at least one action that is associated with a parameter.
(BACTION)
block authoring object A dimensional constraint, parameter, or action that adds intelligence
to a block definition.
block authoring palettes Tool palettes used in the Block Editor to add actions and parameters
to dynamic block definitions.
block authoring tools Actions, parameters, and parameter sets on the tabs of the Block
Authoring Palettes window. Used in the Block Editor to create dynamic blocks.
block constraint parameter A dimensional constraint that has block authoring information
associated with it.
See also: dynamic constraint
See also: annotational constraint
block definition The name, base point, and set of objects that are combined and stored in
the symbol table of a drawing. See also block and block reference.
block definition table The nongraphical data area of a drawing file that stores block
definitions. See also named object.
block instance See block reference.
block properties table A table that enables users to define different values for a set of
properties for the block definition. Replacement for lookup properties in the future.
block reference A compound object that is inserted in a drawing and displays the data
stored in a block definition. Also called instance. See also block and block definition. (INSERT)
bounded area A closed area that consists of a single object (such as a circle) or of multiple,
coplanar objects that overlap. You can insert hatch fills within bounded areas.
Bounded areas are also used to create 3D objects through extrusion by using the PRESSPULL
command.
bump map A map in which brightness values are translated into apparent changes in the
height of the surface of an object.
button menu The menu for a pointing device with multiple buttons. Each button on the
pointing device (except the pick button) can be defined in the customization file (acad.cui).
BYBLOCK A special object property used to specify that the object inherits the color or
linetype of any block containing it. See also BYLAYER.

2648 | Chapter 52 Glossary

BYLAYER A special object property used to specify that the object inherits the color or
linetype associated with its layer. See also BYBLOCK.
callout block A block used as symbol to reference another sheet. Callout blocks have many
industry-specific terms, such as reference tags, detail keys, detail markers, and so on. See
also label block.
camera Defines the current eye-level position in a 3D model. A camera has a location XYZ
coordinate, a target XYZ coordinate, and a field of view or lens length, which determines
the magnification or zoom factor.
camera target Defines the point you are viewing by specifying the coordinate at the center
of the view.
candela The SI unit of luminous intensity (perceived power emitted by a light source in a
particular direction) (Symbol: cd). Cd/Sr
category See view category.
cell The smallest available table selection.
cell boundary The four gridlines surrounding a table cell. An adjacent cell selection can be
surrounded with a cell boundary.
cell style A style that contains specific formatting for table cells.
chain actions In a dynamic block definition, a property of point, linear, polar, XY, and
rotation parameters. When set to Yes, a change in an action that contains the parameter in
the action's selection set triggers any actions associated with that parameter, just as if you
had edited the parameter in the block reference through a grip or custom property.
circular external reference An externally referenced drawing (xref) that references itself
directly or indirectly. The xref that creates the circular condition is ignored.
clipping planes The boundaries that define or clip the field of view.
CMYK For cyan, magenta, yellow, and key color. A system of defining colors by specifying the
percentages of cyan, magenta, yellow, and the key color, which is typically black.
Color bleed scale Increases or decreases the saturation of the reflected color from the
material.
color map A table defining the intensity of red, green, and blue (RGB) for each displayed
color.
column A vertically adjacent table cell selection spanning the height of the table. A single
column is one cell in width.

| 2649

command line A text area reserved for keyboard input, prompts, and messages.
compass
A visual aid that indicates the directions North, South, East, and West in the current model.
composite solid A solid created from two or more individual solids. (UNION, SUBTRACT,
INTERSECT)
constraint bar Displays the geometric constraints associated with objects or with points
on objects.
constraint point Point on an object that can be geometrically and/or dimensionally
constrained (for example, an endpoint or an insertion point).
constraints Form of parametric design.
Rules that govern the position, slope, tangency, dimensions, and relationships among objects
in a geometry.
construction plane See workplane.
contextual ribbon tab
A ribbon tab that is displayed only when a particular type of object or when a particular
command is executed. For example, selecting a hatch or table, or executing the mtext
command brings up the corresponding contextual menu.
continued dimension A type of linear dimension that uses the second extension line origin
of a selected dimension as its first extension line origin, breaking one long dimension into
shorter segments that add up to the total measurement. Also called chain dimension.
(DIMCONTINUE)
control frame A series of point locations used as a mechanism to control the shape of a
B-spline. These points are connected by a series of line segments for visual clarity and to
distinguish the control frame from fit points. The CVSHOW and CVHIDE commands must
be turned on to display and hide control frames.
control point See control frame.
Coons patch In 3D surface meshes, the bicubic surface (one curved in the M direction and
another in the N direction) interpolated between four edges.
coordinate filters Functions that extract individual X, Y, and Z coordinate values from
different points to create a new, composite point. Also called X,Y,Z point filters.
crease A sharpened ridge that defines one or more edges of a mesh face subobject.
(MESHCREASE)

2650 | Chapter 52 Glossary

cross sections Generally, curves or lines that define the profile (shape) of a lofted solid or
surface. Cross sections can be open or closed. A lofted solid or surface is drawn in the space
between the cross sections. (LOFT)
crosshairs A type of cursor consisting of two lines that intersect.

crossing selection A rectangular area drawn to select objects fully or partly within its borders.
CTB file SA color-dependent plot style table.
ctrl-cycle Method for cycling between different behaviors while editing geometry, either
in a command or when grip-editing. Pressing and releasing the CTRL key cycles the behavior.
For constrained geometry, CTRL-cycling switches between enforcing and relaxing constraints.
current drawing A drawing file that is open in the program, and receives any command
or action that you enter.
cursor See pointer and crosshairs.
cursor menu See shortcut menu.
curve-fit A smooth curve consisting of arcs joining each pair of vertices. The curve passes
through all vertices of the polyline and uses any tangent direction you specify.
custom grips In a dynamic block reference, used to manipulate the geometry and custom
properties.
custom object A type of object that is created by an ObjectARX application and that typically
has more specialized capabilities than standard objects. Custom objects include parametric
solids (AutoCAD Mechanical Desktop), intelligently interactive door symbols (AutoCAD
Architecture), polygon objects (AutoCAD Map 3D), and associative dimension objects
(AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT). See also proxy object and object enabler.
customization (CUI) file An XML-based file that stores customization data. You modify a
customization file through the Customize User Interface dialog box. CUI files replace MNU,
MNS, and MNC files that were used to define menus in earlier releases.
data link A connection between a table and an external source of data.
decimal degrees A notation for specifying latitude and longitude. For example, 35.1234°,
100.5678°.
Latitude always precedes longitude

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default drawing See initial environment.
default lighting The lighting in a shaded viewport when the sun and user lights are turned
off. Faces are lighted by two distant light sources that follow the viewpoint as you move
around the model.
default value The value that is accepted when you press ENTER at a sub-prompt. The default
value is displayed in angle brackets <>. See also default.
definition points Points for creating a dimension. The program refers to the points to
modify the appearance and value of a nonassociative dimension when the dimensioned
object is modified. Also called defpoints and stored on the special layer DEFPOINTS.
definition table The nongraphical data area of a drawing file that stores block definitions.
dependency highlighting In a dynamic block definition, how associated objects are
displayed when you select a parameter, grip, or action.
dependent named objects (in xrefs) Named objects brought into a drawing by an external
reference. See also named object and symbol table.
dependent symbols See dependent named objects (in xrefs).
DGN underlay See underlay.
DIESEL For Direct Interpretively Evaluated String Expression Language. A macro language for
altering the status line with the MODEMACRO system variable and for customizing menu
items.
diffuse color An object's predominant color.
dimension line arc An arc (usually with arrows at each end) spanning the angle formed
by the extension lines of an angle being measured. The dimension text near this arc
sometimes divides it into two arcs. See also angular dimension.
dimension style A named group of dimension settings that determines the appearance of
the dimension and simplifies the setting of dimension system variables. (DIMSTYLE)
dimension text The measurement value of dimensioned objects.
dimension variables A set of numeric values, text strings, and settings that control
dimensioning features. (DIMSTYLE)
dimensional constraint Parametric dimensions that control the size, angle, or position of
geometry relative to the drawing or other objects.When dimensions are changed, the object
resizes.

2652 | Chapter 52 Glossary

direct distance entry A method to specify a second point by first moving the cursor to
indicate direction and then entering a distance.
dithering Combining color dots to give the impression of displaying more colors than are
actually available.
dockable window A user interface element that can be either docked, anchored, or floating
in the drawing area. Dockable windows include the command window, tool palettes,
Properties Palette, and so on.
drawing area The area in which your drawings are displayed and modified. The size of the
drawing area varies, depending on the size of the AutoCAD window and on how many
toolbars and other elements are displayed. See also AutoCAD window.
drawing extents The smallest rectangle that contains all objects in a drawing, positioned
on the screen to display the largest possible view of all objects. (ZOOM)

drawing limits See grid limits.
drawing set A collection of drawings assembled using the Publish dialog box.
drawing state A collection of known settings that define the behavioral properties of the
drawing environment and/or drawing at a known period of time, such as when an action
macro was recorded or before the playback of an action macro.
drawing template A drawing file with preestablished settings for new drawings such as
acad.dwtand acadiso.dwt however, any drawing can be used as a template. See also initial
environment.
driven constraint A non-parametric dimension enclosed in parentheses that shows the
current value of geometry. The value is updated when the geometry changes size, but it
does not control geometry.
driving dimension A parametric dimension that determines the size of geometry and resizes
the object when its value changes.
driving property A lookup property is considered invertible when a manual change in the
lookup value for a block reference causes other properties values change.

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DSD For drawing set descriptions. A file format for saving a description of a drawing set that
has been assembled using the Publish dialog box.
DST For sheet set data. The XML file format used to store the associations and information
that define a sheet set.
DWF
An open, published, and secure file format developed by Autodesk, DWF enables you to
combine and publish rich 2D- and 3D-design data and share it with others.
DWF underlay See underlay.
DWFx
A version of DWF based on the XML Paper Specification (XPS) from Microsoft. DWFx enables
DWF files to be viewed using the free Microsoft XPS Viewer. Generically referred to as DWF.
DWG Standard file format for saving vector graphics. See also DWF and DXF.
DXF For drawing interchange format. An ASCII or binary file format of a drawing file for
exporting drawings to other applications or for importing drawings from other applications.
See also DWF and DWG.
dynamic constraint Dimensional constraint (Constraint Form property = "dynamic") that
displays the constraints only when you select the constrained object.
See also: parameter constraint
See also: annotational constraint
dynamic dimension Temporary dimensions that appear on objects, including dynamic
block references, when they are grip edited.
edge The boundary of a face.
edge modifiers Effects such as overhang and jitter that control how edges are displayed in
a shaded model.
electronic drawing set The digital equivalent of a set of plotted drawings. You create an
electronic drawing set by publishing drawings to a DWF file.
elevation The default Z value above or below the XY plane of the current user coordinate
system, which is used for entering coordinates and digitizing locations. (ELEV)

2654 | Chapter 52 Glossary

embed To use object linking and embedding (OLE) information from a source document
in a destination document. An embedded object is a copy of the information from a source
document that is placed in the destination document and has no link to the source
document. See also link.
empty selection set A selection set that contains no objects.
enterprise customization file A CUI file that is typically controlled by a CAD manager. It
is often accessed by many users and is stored in a shared network location. The file is
read-only to users to prevent the data in the file from being changed. A CAD manager creates
an enterprise CUI file by modifying a main CUI file and then saving the file to the support
location defined in the Options dialog box, Files tab.
environment map A bitmap that is used to simulate reflections in materials that have
reflective properties. The map is “wrapped” around the scene and any reflective object will
show the appropriate portion of the map in the reflective parts of its material.
environment variable A setting stored in the operating system that controls the operation
of a program.
expanded panel
An area on the ribbon associated with a ribbon panel. An expanded panel contains additional
tools and controls. See also ribbon panel and ribbon.
explode To disassemble a complex object, such as a block, dimension, solid, or polyline,
into simpler objects. In the case of a block, the block definition is unchanged. The block
reference is replaced by the components of the block. See also block, block definition, and
block reference. (EXPLODE)
exploded dimension Independent objects that have the appearance of a dimension but
are not associated with the dimensioned object or each other. Controlled by the DIMASSOC
system variable. See also associative dimension, nonassociative dimension, and explode.
(EXPLODE)
extended tooltips When hovered over the tooltip for a period of time, displays additional
information.

| 2655

extents See drawing extents.
external reference (xref) A drawing file referenced by another drawing. (XREF)
extrusion A 3D solid created by sweeping an object that encloses an area along a linear
path.
face A triangular or quadrilateral portion of a surface object.
face color mode A setting in the visual style that controls how color is displayed on a face.
face style A setting in the visual style that defines the shading on a face.
facet The underlying structure of the face of a 3D solid, surface, or mesh. Facets can be
quadrilateral or triangular. Smoothing a mesh object increases the number of facets for each
face.
feature control frame The tolerance that applies to specific features or patterns of features.
Feature control frames always contain at least a geometric characteristic symbol to indicate
the type of control and a tolerance value to indicate the amount of acceptable variation.
fence A multisegmented line specified to select objects it passes through.
field A specialized text object set up to display data that may change during the life cycle
of the drawing. When the field is updated, the latest value of the field is displayed. (FIELD)
fill A solid color covering an area bounded by lines or curves. (FILL)
filters See coordinate filters.
final gathering Final gathering is an optional, additional step to calculating global
illumination. Using a photon map to calculate global illumination can cause rendering
artifacts such as dark corners and low-frequency variations in the lighting. You can reduce
or eliminate these artifacts by turning on final gathering, which increases the number of
rays used to calculate global illumination.
Final gathering can greatly increase rendering time. It is most useful for scenes with overall
diffuse lighting, less useful for scenes with bright spots of indirect illumination.
You turn on final gathering on the Advanced Render Settings palette. See also global
illumination.
First Contact balloon The interactive graphical tooltip that is displayed when the
SteeringWheel is pinned during startup.
fit points Locations that a B-spline must pass through exactly or within a fit tolerance. See
also interpolation points and approximation points.

2656 | Chapter 52 Glossary

fit tolerance The setting for the maximum distance that a B-spline can pass for each of the
fit points that define it.
floating panel
A ribbon panel that is not attached to the rest of the ribbon or file window.
floating viewports See layout viewports.
font A character set, made up of letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols of a
distinctive proportion and design.
footcandle The American unit of illuminance (symbol: fc). Lm/ft^2.
footcandle The American unit of illuminance (symbol: fc). Lm/ft^2
frame An individual, static image in an animated sequence. See also motion path.
freeze A setting that suppresses the display of objects on selected layers. Objects on frozen
layers are not displayed, regenerated, or plotted. Freezing layers shortens regenerating time.
See also thaw. (LAYER)
front faces Faces with their normals pointed outward.
general property Properties that are common between a selection of objects. These include
Color, Layer, Linetype, Linetype scale, Plot style, Lineweight, Hyperlink, and Thickness.
generic surface A 3D surface object with no control vertices, history, or analytic information.
Generic surfaces cannot be associative and they are created when associative analytic surfaces
are separated or by using the BREP on page 272 command. See also procedural surface and
NURBS surface.
geographic elevation The relative height along the specified up-direction defined for a
geographic marker.
geographic marker Visual representation of geographic location information.
geometric constraint Rules that define the geometric relationships of objects (or points of
objects) elements and control how an object can change shape or size.
Geometric constraints are coincident, collinear, concentric, equal, fix, horizontal, parallel,
perpendicular, tangent, and vertical.
geometry All graphical objects such as lines, circles, arcs, polylines, and dimensions.
Nongraphical objects, such as linetypes, lineweights, text styles, and layers are not considered
geometry. See also named object.

| 2657

gizmo A tool that permits you to manipulate a 3D object uniformly or along a specified
axis or plane. Examples of gizmos include the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, and 3D Scale gizmos.
They are displayed when you select a 3D object.
global illumination An indirect illumination technique that allows for effects such as color
bleeding. As light hits a colored object in the model, photons bounce to adjacent objects
and tint them with the color of the original object.
Gooch shading A type of shading that uses a transition from cool to warm colors rather
than from dark to light.
graphics area See drawing area.
graphics window See AutoCAD window and drawing area.
grid An area covered with regularly spaced dots or lines to aid drawing. The grid spacing is
adjustable. The grid dots are never plotted. See also grid limits. (GRID)
grid limits The user-defined rectangular boundary of the drawing area covered by dots
when the grid is turned on. Also called drawing limits. (LIMITS)

grip modes The editing capabilities activated when grips are displayed on an object:
stretching, moving, rotating, scaling, and mirroring.
grip tool An icon that you use in a 3D view to easily constrain the movement or rotation
of a selection set of objects to an axis or a plane. (3DMOVE, 3DROTATE)
grips Small squares and triangles that appear on objects you select. After selecting the grip,
you edit the object by dragging it with the pointing device instead of entering commands.
ground plane The XY plane of the user coordinate system when perspective projection is
turned on. The ground plane displays with a color gradient between the ground horizon
(nearest to the horizon) and the ground origin (opposite the horizon). See also sky and
underground.
guide curves Lines or curves that intersect each cross section of a lofted solid or surface and
that define the form by adding additional wireframe information to the object. (LOFT)

2658 | Chapter 52 Glossary

handle A unique alphanumeric tag for an object in the program's database.
HDI For Heidi Device Interface. An interface for developing device drivers that are required
for peripherals to work with the program and other Autodesk products.
heads-up display (HUD) The process of transparently displaying user interface elements
on top of or over the drawing area without obscuring the view of the objects drawn on the
drawing area.
helix An open 2D or 3D spiral. (HELIX)
Help menu The legacy way to access online Help. In the current version of AutoCAD, you
can find Help on the InfoCenter toolbar or by pressing F1.

HLS For hue, lightness, and saturation. A system of defining color by specifying the amount
of hue, lightness, and saturation.
Home view A special view saved with the drawing that is controlled through the ViewCube
tool. The Home view is similar in concept to the default, initial view presented when a
drawing is first opened.
horizontal landing An optional line segment connecting the tail of a leader line with the
leader content.
horizontal ribbon
The ribbon, when it is oriented across the top of the file window.
i-drop A method by which a drawing file can be dragged from a Web page and inserted
into another drawing.
IGES For Initial Graphics Exchange Specification. A standard format for digital representation
and exchange of information between CAD/CAM systems. In AutoCAD-based products, the
commands to import and export IGES files are available only in AutoCAD Mechanical.
Illuminance In photometry, illuminance is the total luminous flux incident on a surface
per unit area.
indirect bump scale Scales the effect of the base material’s bump mapping in areas lit by
indirect light.

| 2659

indirect illumination Illumination techniques such as global illumination and final
gathering, that enhance the realism of a scene by simulating radiosity, or the interreflection
of light between objects in a scene.
initial environment The variables and settings for new drawings as defined by the default
drawing template, such as acad.dwg or acadiso.dwg. See also template drawing.
input property In a dynamic block definition, a parameter property other than that of a
lookup, alignment, or base point parameter that you can add as a column to a lookup table.
When the parameter values in a dynamic block reference match a row of input property
values, the corresponding lookup property values in that table row are assigned to the block
reference. (BLOOKUPTABLE)
interface element A user interface object that can be customized, such as a toolbar,
pull-down menu, shortcut key, dockable window, and so on.
interpolation points Defining points that a B-spline passes through. See also approximation
points and fit points.
island An enclosed area within another enclosed area. Islands may be detected as part of
the process of creating hatches, polylines, and regions. (BHATCH, BOUNDARY)
ISO For International Standards Organization. The organization that sets international standards
in all fields except electrical and electronics. Headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.
isometric snap style A drafting option that aligns the cursor with two of three isometric
axes and displays grid, making 2D isometric drawings easier to create.
key point In a dynamic block definition, the point on a parameter that drives its associated
action when edited in the block reference.
label block A block used to label views and details. Labels contain data, such as a title, view
number, and scale, that is associated with the referenced view. See also callout block.
landing The portion of a leader object that acts as a pointer to the object being called out.
A landing can either be a straight line or a spline curve.
landing gap An optional space between a leader tail and the leader content.
layer A logical grouping of data that are like transparent acetate overlays on a drawing. You
can view layers individually or in combination. (LAYER)
layer index A list showing the objects on each layer. A layer index is used to locate what
portion of the drawing is read when you partially open a drawing. Saving a layer index with
a drawing also enhances performance when you work with external references. The
INDEXCTL system variable controls whether layer and spatial indexes are saved with a
drawing.

2660 | Chapter 52 Glossary

layer translation mappings Assignments of a set of layers to another set of layers that
defines standards. These standards include layer names and layer properties. Also called
layer mappings.
layout The environment in which you create and design paper space layout viewports to
be plotted. Multiple layouts can be created for each drawing.
layout viewports Objects that are created in paper space that display views. See also paper
space. (VPORTS)
leader tail The portion of a leader line that is connected to the annotation.
lens length Defines the magnification properties of a camera's lens. The greater the lens
length, the narrower the field of view.
level of smoothness The property assigned to a mesh object to control how much the edges
of the object are smoothed. Level 0 (zero) represents the least rounded shape for a specified
mesh object. Higher levels result in increased smoothness.
light glyph The graphic representation of a point light or a spotlight.
limits See drawing limits.
line font See linetype.
linetype How a line or type of curve is displayed. For example, a continuous line has a
different linetype than a dashed line. Also called line font. (LINETYPE)
®

lineweight A width value that can be assigned to all graphical objects except TrueType
fonts and raster images.

link To use object linking and embedding (OLE) to reference data in another file. When
data is linked, any changes to it in the source document are automatically updated in any
destination document. See also embed.
LL84 coordinate system Common latitude longitudinal-based coordinate system where
latitude and longitude are both measured from -90 to 90 degrees.
Longitude begins at 0 degrees at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England and is measured
from -180 to 180.
Latitude is 0 degrees at the equator and is measured from -90 to 90.
lofted solid/surface A solid or surface that is drawn through a set of two or more
cross-section curves. The cross sections define the profile (shape) of the resulting solid or
surface. Cross sections (generally, curves or lines) can be open or closed. (LOFT)
lookup property In a dynamic block definition, a lookup parameter that you add to a
lookup table. The lookup parameter label is used as the property name. When the parameter

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values in a dynamic block reference match a row of input property values, the corresponding
lookup property values in that table row are assigned to the block reference.
(BLOOKUPTABLE)
lookup table Defines properties for and assigns property values to a dynamic block. Assigns
property values to the dynamic block reference based on how the block is manipulated in
a drawing. (BLOOKUPTABLE)
lumen The SI unit of luminous flux (Symbol: lm). Cd * Sr
luminaire This refers to the aggregation of a lamp or lamps and its fixture. The fixture may
be a simple can or a complex armature with constrained joints.
luminance Luminance is the value of light reflected off a surface. It is a measure of how
bright or dark we perceive the surface.
luminous flux The perceived power in per unit of solid angle. The total luminous flux for
a lamp is the perceived power emitted in all directions.
lux The SI unit of illuminance (symbol: lx). Lm/m^2
macro-derived selection A selection set of all the objects that have been created during
the playback of an action macro up to the command that is requesting a selection set.
main customization file A writable CUI file that defines most of the user interface elements
(including the standard menus, toolbars, keyboard accelerators, and so on). The acad.cui file
(the default main CUI file) is automatically loaded when you start AutoCAD LT.
markup A single comment or a redline geometry correction inserted into a DWF file using
Autodesk Design Review.
markup set A group of markups contained within a single DWF file.
merge In tables, an adjacent cell selection that has been combined into a single cell.
mesh A tessellated, or subdivided object type that is defined by faces, edges, and vertices.
Mesh can be smoothed to achieve a more rounded appearance and creased to introduce
ridges. Before AutoCAD LT 2010, only the less modifiable polygon and polyface mesh was
available.
mini wheels The small version of SteeringWheels. No labels are displayed on any of the
wedges and they are often the size of the cursor.
mirror To create a new version of an existing object by reflecting it symmetrically with
respect to a prescribed line or plane. (MIRROR)
mode A software setting or operating state.

2662 | Chapter 52 Glossary

model A two- or three-dimensional representation of an object.
model space One of the two primary spaces in which objects reside. Typically, a geometric
model is placed in a three-dimensional coordinate space called model space. A final layout
of specific views and annotations of this model is placed in paper space. See also paper space.
(MSPACE)
model viewports A type of display that splits the drawing area into one or more adjacent
rectangular viewing areas. See also layout viewports, TILEMODE, and viewport. (VPORTS)
motion path Defines the path or target of a camera. A path can be a line, arc, elliptical arc,
circle, polyline, 3D polyline, or spline.
multi-sheet DWF A DWF file that contains multiple sheets.
multileader A leader object that creates annotations with multiple leader lines.
named object Describes the various types of nongraphical information, such as styles and
definitions, stored with a drawing. Named objects include linetypes, layers, dimension styles,
text styles, block definitions, layouts, views, and viewport configurations. Named objects
are stored in definition (symbol) tables.
named objects, dependent See dependent named objects (in xrefs).
named path A saved motion path object that is linked to a camera or target.
named range A tool in Microsoft Excel that provides a method to assign a meaningful name
to a single cell or a range of cells.
named view A view saved for restoration later. (VIEW)
navigation bar Navigation tools that are common across multiple Autodesk programs. The
unified navigation tools include Autodesk® ViewCube®, SteeringWheels®, ShowMotion®,
and 3Dconnexion®.
node An object snap specification to locate points, dimension definition points, and
dimension text origins.
nonassociative dimension A dimension that does not automatically change as the
associated geometry is modified. Controlled by the DIMASSOC system variable. See also
associative dimension and exploded dimension.
normal A normal is a vector that defines which way a face is pointing. The direction of the
normal indicates the front, or outer surface of the face.
noun-verb selection Selecting an object first and then performing an operation on it rather
than entering a command first and then selecting the object.

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NURBS For nonuniform rational B-spline curve. A B-spline curve or surface defined by a series
of weighted control points and one or more knot vectors. See also B-spline curve.
NURBS surface Surfaces that are have control vertices in the U and V directions. NURBS
surfaces cannot be associative. See also procedural surface and generic surface.
object One or more graphical elements, such as text, dimensions, lines, circles, or polylines,
treated as a single element for creation, manipulation, and modification. Formerly called
entity.
object enabler A tool that provides specific viewing and standard editing access to a custom
object when the ObjectARX application that created the custom object is not present. See
also custom object and proxy object.
Object Snap mode Methods for selecting commonly needed points on an object while you
create or edit a drawing. See also running object snap and object snap override.
object snap override Turning off or changing a running Object Snap mode for input of a
single point. See also Object Snap mode and running object snap.
ObjectARX (AutoCAD LT Runtime Extension) A compiled-language programming
environment for developing AutoCAD LT applications.
OLE For object linking and embedding. An information-sharing method in which data from
a source document can be linked to or embedded in a destination document. Selecting the
data in the destination document opens the source application so that the data can be
edited. See also embed and link.
opacity map Projection of opaque and transparent areas onto objects, creating the effect
of a solid surface with holes or gaps.
origin The point where coordinate axes intersect. For example, the origin of a Cartesian
coordinate system is where the X, Y, and Z axes meet at 0,0,0.
Ortho mode A setting that limits pointing device input to horizontal or vertical (relative
to the current snap angle and the user coordinate system). See also snap angle and user
coordinate system (UCS).
orthogonal Having perpendicular slopes or tangents at the point of intersection.
output property A lookup property whose value is determined by input properties (other
parameter properties) through the use of a lookup table.
page setup A collection of plot device and other settings that affect the appearance and
format of the final output. These settings can be modified and applied to other layouts.
pan To shift the view of a drawing without changing magnification. See also zoom. (PAN)

2664 | Chapter 52 Glossary

paper space One of two primary spaces in which objects reside. Paper space is used for
creating a finished layout for printing or plotting, as opposed to doing drafting or design
work. You design your model using the Model tab. See also model space and viewport.
(PSPACE)
parameter In a dynamic block definition, defines custom properties for the dynamic block
by specifying positions, distances, and angles for geometry in the block.
parameter set A tool on the Parameter Sets tab of the Block Authoring Palettes window
that adds one or more parameters and one or more associated actions to the dynamic block
definition.
parametric design Ability to establish relationships between objects, to drive the size and
orientation of geometry with model and user-defined parameters.
parametric drawing Feature in AutoCAD that assigns constraints to objects, establishing
the distance, location, and orientation of objects with respect to other objects.
partial customization file Any CUI file that is not defined as the main CUI file. You can
load and unload partial CUI files as you need them during a drawing session.
path curve Defines the direction and length that a profile curve is lofted, swept, or extruded
to create a solid or surface. (SWEEP, LOFT, EXTRUDE)
PC2 file Complete plotter configuration file. PC2 files contain all plot settings and
device-specific settings that were saved in previous versions. See also PCP file and PC3 file.
PC3 file Partial plotter configuration file. PC3 files contain plot settings information such
as the device driver and model, the output port to which the device is connected, and various
device-specific settings, but do not include any custom plotter calibration or custom paper
size information. See also PMP file, STB file, and CTB file.
PCP file Partial plotter configuration file. PCP files contain basic plot specifications and
pen parameters that were saved in previous versions. Plot settings that are stored in a PCP
file include pen assignments, plotting units, paper size, plot rotation, plot origin, scale factor,
and pen optimization level. See also PC2 file and PC3 file.
performance tuning A method of optimizing 3D graphics performance. The performance
tuner examines your graphics card and 3D display driver and decides whether to use software
or hardware implementation for features that support both.
personalization Customizes the executable file during installation with the user name,
company, and other information.
perspective view Objects in 3D seen by an observer positioned at the viewpoint looking
at the view center. Objects appear smaller when the distance from the observer (at the view
point) to the view center increases. Although a perspective view appears realistic, it does

| 2665

not preserve the shapes of objects. Parallel lines seemingly converge in the view. The program
has perspective view settings for VPORTS table entries as well as viewport objects.
photometric lights Photometric lights are physically-correct lights. Physically correct lights
attenuate as the square of the distance. Photometry is the science of measurement of visible
light in terms of its perceived brightness.
photon map A technique to generate the indirect illumination effects of global illumination
used by the renderer. When it calculates indirect illumination, the renderer traces photons
emitted from a light. The photon is traced through the model, being reflected or transmitted
by objects, until it strikes a diffuse surface. When it strikes a surface, the photon is stored
in the photon map.
photorealistic rendering Rendering that resembles a photograph.
pick button The button on a pointing device that is used to select objects or specify points
on the screen. For example, on a two-button mouse, it is the left button by default.
pick points Clicking and acquiring a point on an object in the drawing.
pick-first The selection of objects before an action macro or command is issued.
pick-first set A selection set of objects that are selected prior to the execution of an action
macro or a command. See also pre-selection set.
plan view A view orientation from a point on the positive Z axis toward the origin (0,0,0).
(PLAN)

planar face A flat face that can be located anywhere in 3D space.
planar projection Mapping of objects or images onto a plane.
planar surface A flat surface that can be located anywhere in 3D space. (PLANESURF)
playback The process of executing the actions stored in a previously recorded action macro.
pline See polyline.

2666 | Chapter 52 Glossary

plot style An object property that specifies a set of overrides for color, dithering, gray scale,
pen assignments, screening, linetype, lineweight, endstyles, joinstyles, and fill styles. Plot
styles are applied at plot time.
plot style table A set of plot styles. Plot styles are defined in plot style tables and apply to
objects only when the plot style table is attached to a layout or viewport.
plug-ins Plug-ins are libraries of reuseable content that extend the functionality of AutoCAD
LT. Plug-ins are created by third party developers and can be accessed from the Featured
Technologies and Content channel of the Communications Center.
PMP file Plot Model Parameter. File containing custom plotter calibration and custom paper
size information associated with plotter configuration file.
point 1. A location in three-dimensional space specified by X, Y, and Z coordinate values.
2. An object consisting of a single coordinate location. (POINT)
point filters See coordinate filters.
pointer A cursor on a video display screen that can be moved around to place textual or
graphical information. See also crosshairs.
polar array Objects copied around a specified center point a specified number of times.
(ARRAY)
Polar Snap A precision drawing tool used to snap to incremental distances along the polar
tracking alignment path. See also polar tracking on page 2667.
polar tracking A precision drawing tool that displays temporary alignment paths defined
by user-specified polar angles. See also Polar Snap.
polyface and polygon mesh Legacy mesh types that were available before AutoCAD LT
2010. Although you can continue to create polygonal and polyface mesh (for example, by
setting MESHTYPE to 0), the newer, more modifiable mesh type is recommended.
polygon window selection A multisided area specified to select objects in groups. See also
crossing selection and window selection.
polyline An object composed of one or more connected line segments or circular arcs treated
as a single object. Also called pline. (PLINE, PEDIT)
polysolid A swept solid that is drawn the same way you draw a polyline or that is based on
an existing line. By default, a polysolid always has a rectangular profile. You can specify the
height and width of the profile. (POLYSOLID)
pre-playback drawing environment The drawing state prior to the playback of an action
macro.

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pre-selection set A selection set of objects that is defined prior to the execution of an action
macro.
primary table fragment The fragment of a broken table that contains the beginning set of
rows up to the first table break.
primitive Basic 3D forms such as boxes, cones, cylinders, pyramids, wedges, spheres, and
tori. You can create primitive meshes and primitive 3D solid objects.
procedural materials Materials that generate a 3D pattern in two or more colors, and apply
it to an object. These include marble and wood. Also called template materials.
procedural surface A 3D surface object that has history and analytic information, but no
control vertices. Procedural surfaces are the only type of surface that can be associative. See
also generic surface and NURBS surface.
profile curve An object that is swept, extruded, or revolved and defines the shape of the
resulting solid or surface. (SWEEP, EXTRUDE, REVOLVE)
prompt A message on the command line or in a tooltip that asks for information or requests
action such as specifying a point.
proxy object A substitute for a custom object when the ObjectARX application that created
the custom object is not available. See also custom object and object enabler.
push pin A push pin-shaped button used on the ribbon and in the application menu. On
the ribbon, push pins are used to keep a ribbon panel expanded. In the application menu,
push pins keep an item in the list of recently opened items.
PWT A template file format used to publish drawings to the Web.
Quick View image A thumbnail image of a drawing, layout or model space that is displayed
using Quick View tools.
Quick View tool A tool to preview and switch between open drawings and layouts in a
drawing.
ray tracing The renderer can generate reflections and refractions. Ray tracing traces the
path of rays sampled from the light source. Reflections and refractions generated this way
are physically accurate.
You turn on ray tracing on the Advanced Render Settings palette.
ray-traced shadows A way that the renderer can generate shadows. Ray tracing traces the
path of rays sampled from the light source. Shadows appear where rays have been blocked
by objects. Ray-traced shadows have sharp edges.
Ray-traced shadows are active when Shadow Map is turned off on the Advanced Render
Settings palette.

2668 | Chapter 52 Glossary

recorded value The input captured during the recording of an action macro for a sub-prompt
of a command.
rectangular break To break a table into multiple parts that are evenly spaced and set at a
user-specified height using the table breaking grips.
redraw To quickly refresh or clean up blip marks in the current viewport without updating
the drawing's database. See also regenerate. (REDRAW)
reference A definition, known as an external reference or block reference, that is used and
stored in the drawing. See also block (BLOCK) and external reference (xref). (XREF)
refine To quadruple the number of faces in a mesh object as you reset the baseline level of
smoothness. (You cannot make a mesh courser than its baseline level.) You can also refine
specified mesh faces without resetting the baseline level of smoothness for the object.
(MESHREFINE)
reflectance scale Increases or decreases the amount of energy the material reflects.
reflection color The color of a highlight on shiny material. Also called specular color.
reflection line In a dynamic block reference, the axis about which a flip action's selection
set flips when the associated parameter is edited through a grip or the Properties palette.
reflection mapping Creates the effect of a scene reflected on the surface of a shiny object.
refraction How light distorts through an object.
regenerate To update a drawing's screen display by recomputing the screen coordinates
from the database. See also redraw. (REGEN)
region Two-dimensional enclosed areas that have physical properties such as centroids or
centers of mass. You can create regions from objects that form closed loops. They area
commonly created in order to apply hatching and shading. (REGION)
relative coordinates Coordinates specified in relation to previous coordinates.
relax constraints Ability to temporarily ignore constraints while editing geometry. After
the geometry is edited, the constraints are either removed or retained based on whether the
constraint is still valid for the edited geometry.
request user input An item that is assigned to an action node that pauses the playback of
an action macro so a user can provide some form of input before playback resumes.
reverse lookup Adds a lookup grip to a dynamic block reference. When you click this grip,
a drop-down list of the lookup values for that lookup property (column in the lookup table)
is displayed. When you select a value from the list, the corresponding input property values

| 2669

are assigned to the block reference. Depending on how the block was defined, this usually
results in a change in the block reference's geometry. (BLOOKUPTABLE)
rewind Restores the previous view or movement path created by the Autodesk® ViewCube®
navigation tool, SteeringWheels, and other navigation tools.
RGB For red, green, and blue. A system of defining colors by specifying percentages of red,
green, and blue.
ribbon A palette that displays buttons and controls used for both 2D drawing and annotation
and 3D modeling, viewing, and rendering. See also ribbon tab and ribbon panel and slide-out
panel. (RIBBON)
ribbon panel
A set of labeled controls, related to a task, grouped together in a ribbon. Multiple ribbon
panels, belonging to one workflow, are grouped together under a ribbon tab.
ribbon tab
Highest level of ribbon grouping, based on an action. A ribbon tab contains groups of
multiple ribbon panels, each belonging to one workflow. A ribbon panel contains buttons
and controls, related to a task.
roll arrows Curved arrows located above the ViewCube tool with which you can rotate the
current view 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.
roughness Value to simulate how light hitting a face is reflected back to the user. A high
roughness value simulates a non-shiny or rough object (sandpaper/carpet). A low roughness
value simulates a very shiny object (metals, some plastics.)
row A horizontally adjacent table cell selection spanning the width of the table. A single
row is one cell in height.
RSS feed Information published by a website to which you subscribe. Usually allows users
to receive notifications when new content (articles) are posted. RSS stands for Rich Site
Summary (or Really Simple Syndication).
rubber-band line A line that stretches dynamically on the screen with the movement of
the cursor. One endpoint of the line is attached to a point in your drawing, and the other
is attached to the moving cursor.
running object snap Setting an Object Snap mode so it continues for subsequent selections.
See also Object Snap mode and object snap override. (OSNAP)
sampling Sampling is an antialiasing technique. It provides a "best guess" color for each
rendered pixel. The renderer first samples the scene color at locations within the pixel or
along the pixel's edge, then uses a filter to combine the samples into a single pixel color.

2670 | Chapter 52 Glossary

save back To update the objects in the original reference (external or block reference) with
changes made to objects in a working set during in-place reference editing.
scale representation The display of an annotative object based on the annotation scales
that the object supports. For example, if an annotative object supports two annotations
scales, it has two scale representations
script file A set of commands executed sequentially with a single SCRIPT command. Script
files are created outside the program using a text editor, saved in text format, and stored in
an external file with the file extension .scr.
search tag A user-defined keyword used to search for commands in the menu browser.
secondary table fragment Any fragment of a broken table that does not contain the
beginning set of rows.
selection node A specific type of action tree node that is used to handle selection activities.
selection sensitivity The ability to define the pivot point for reorienting a model based on
the current selection.
selection set One or more selected objects that a command can act upon at the same time.
In a dynamic block definition, the geometry associated with an action.
shadow maps A shadow map is a bitmap that the renderer generates during a pre-rendering
pass of the scene. Shadow maps don't show the color cast by transparent or translucent
objects. On the other hand, shadow maps can have soft-edged shadows, which ray-traced
shadows cannot.
Shadow mapped shadows provide softer edges and can require less calculation time than
ray-traced shadows, but are less accurate. On the Advanced Render Settings palette, shadow
mapped shadows are active when Shadow Map is turned on.
ShapeManager ShapeManager is the Autodesk technology that provides 3D solid modeling
to AutoCAD and other products.
sheet A layout selected from a drawing file and assigned to a sheet set. See also sheet set.
sheet list table A table listing all sheets in a sheet set. A sheet list table can be generated
automatically with the Sheet Set Manager.
sheet selection A named selection of sheets in a sheet set that can be conveniently recalled
for archiving, transmitting, and publishing operations.
sheet set An organized and named collection of sheets from several drawing files. See also
sheet. (SHEETSET)

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shortcut keys Keys and key combinations that start commands; for example, CTRL+S saves
a file. The function keys (F1, F2, and so on) are also shortcut keys. Also known as accelerator
keys.
shortcut menu The menu displayed at your cursor location when you right-click your
pointing device. The shortcut menu and the options it provides depend on the pointer
location and other conditions, such as whether an object is selected or a command is in
progress.
shot A saved view that can later be restored by name or with ShowMotion. A shot can
contain a static thumbnail of the saved view or camera motion that can be played back as
an animation.
ShowMotion User interface element where you can access named views (shots) that are
stored in the current drawing. The named views (shots) are organized by sequences and can
contain movements.
sky The background color of the drawing area when perspective projection is turned on.
The sky displays with a color gradient between the sky horizon (nearest to the horizon) and
the sky zenith (opposite the horizon). See also ground plane.
slide file A file that contains a raster image or snapshot of the objects displayed in the
drawing area. Slide files have the file extension .sld. (MSLIDE, VSLIDE)
slide library A collection of slide files organized for convenient retrieval and display. Slide
library names have the extension .slb and are created with the slidelib.exe utility.
slide-out panel An area on the ribbon associated with a ribbon panel. A slide-out panel
contains additional tools and controls. See also ribbon panel and ribbon.
smooth shading Smoothing of the edges between polygon faces.
smoothness A property of mesh objects that controls the roundness of the object. Objects
with higher levels of smoothness have more faces, or tessellations.
snap angle The angle that the snap grid is rotated.
snap grid The invisible grid that locks the pointer into alignment with the grid points
according to the spacing set by Snap. Snap grid does not necessarily correspond to the visible
grid, which is controlled separately by GRID. (SNAP)
Snap mode A mode for locking a pointing device into alignment with an invisible rectangular
grid. When Snap mode is on, the screen crosshairs and all input coordinates are snapped
to the nearest point on the grid. The snap resolution defines the spacing of this grid. See
also Object Snap mode. (SNAP)
snap resolution The spacing between points of the snap grid.

2672 | Chapter 52 Glossary

solid history A property of a solid that allows you to see and modify the original forms of
the solid.
solid object An object that represents the entire volume of an object, for example a box.
solid primitive A basic solid form. Solid primitives include: box, wedge, cone, cylinder,
sphere, torus, and pyramid.
spatial index A list that organizes objects based on their location in space. A spatial index
is used to locate what portion of the drawing is read when you partially open a drawing.
Saving a spatial index with a drawing also enhances performance when working with external
references. The INDEXCTL on page 2365 system variable controls whether layer and spatial
indexes are saved with a drawing.
specular reflection The light in a narrow cone where the angle of the incoming beam equals
the angle of the reflected beam.
spline-fit Uses the vertices of the selected polyline as the control points, or frame, of a curve
approximating a B-spline. This curve, called a spline-fit polyline, passes through the first
and last control points unless the original polyline was closed.
split face A mesh face that has been subdivided along a specified vector.
STB file For plot style table file. Contains plot styles and their characteristics.
SteeringWheels Tool set that provides access to 2D and 3D navigation tools.
stretch frame In a dynamic block definition that contains a stretch action or a polar stretch
action, determines how the objects within or crossed by the frame are edited in the block
reference.
sub-prompt A command prompt that instructs for a form of input to complete a command
or alter a property.
subdivision A division, or tessellation in a mesh object. As a mesh object is smoothed, the
number of subdivisions increases.
subobject A part of a composite object.
Subscription Center Subscription members can access the latest releases of Autodesk
software, incremental product enhancements, personalized web support, and self-paced
e-Learning in InfoCenter. To access Subscription Center, go to the InfoCenter toolbar and
click the Key button.
subset A named collection of sheets in a sheet set that is often organized by discipline or
workflow stage. See also view category.

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surface A surface is a 3D object that is a thin shell. Surfaces do not have mass or volume as
3D solids do. There are 3 types of surfaces: analytic, generic, and NURBS.
surface associativity See associative surfaces
surface normal Positive direction perpendicular to the surface of an object.
swept solid/surface A solid or surface created in the shape of the specified profile (the swept
object) swept along the specified path. (SWEEP)
symbol A representation of an item commonly used in drawings. Symbols are inserted in
drawings as blocks.
symbol library A collection of block definitions stored in a single drawing file.
symbol table See definition table and block definition table.
system variable A name that is recognized as a mode, size, or limit. Read-only system
variables, such as DWGNAME, cannot be modified directly by the user.
table A rectangular array of cells that contain annotation, primarily text but also blocks. In
the AEC industry, tables are often referred to as “schedules” and contain information about
the materials needed for the construction of the building being designed. In the
manufacturing industry, they are often referred to as “BOM” (bills of materials). (TABLE)
table break The point at the bottom of a table row where the table will be split into a
supplementary table fragment.
table style A style that contains a specific table format and structure. A table style contains
at least 3 cell styles.
temporary files Data files created during an program session. The files are deleted by the
time you end the session. If the session ends abnormally, such as during a power outage,
temporary files might be left on the disk.
tessellation lines Lines that help you visualize a curved surface.

In a 3D mesh object, tessellations indicate the boundaries of the mesh faces.
text style A named, saved collection of settings that determines the appearance of text
characters—for example, stretched, compressed, oblique, mirrored, or set in a vertical column.

2674 | Chapter 52 Glossary

texture map The projection of an image (such as a tile pattern) onto an object (such as a
chair).
thaw A setting that displays previously frozen layers. See also freeze. (LAYER)
thickness The distance certain objects are extruded to give them a 3D appearance.
(PROPERTIES, CHPROP, ELEV, THICKNESS)
tiled viewports See model viewports.
TILEMODE A system variable that controls whether viewports can be created as movable,
resizable objects (layout viewports), or as nonoverlapping display elements that appear
side-by-side (model viewports). See also viewport.
tool message
A small instructional message that appears over the drawing window and is specific to the
active navigation tool from the SteeringWheels.
toolbar Part of the interface containing icons that represent commands.
tooltip A small box of text that identifies or explains an object or interface element when
the cursor hovers near or over it.
tracking A way to locate a point relative to other points on the drawing.
tracking menu
A cluster of buttons that follows the cursor as you move it over the window.
translucency How light is scattered through an object.
transmittance scale Increases or decreases the amount of energy a transparent material
transmits out to the scene.
transparency A quantity defining how much light is let through an object.
transparent command A command started while another is in progress. Precede transparent
commands with an apostrophe.
two sided material The positive and negative normal of the material will be considered
during the rendering process.
UCS See user coordinate system (UCS).
UCS icon An icon that indicates the orientation of the UCS axes. (UCSICON)

| 2675

underconstrained geometry Objects with unsolved degrees of freedom are underconstrained.
underground The XY plane of the user coordinate system when perspective projection is
turned on and when viewed from below ground. The underground plane displays with a
color gradient between the earth horizon (nearest to the horizon) and the earth azimuth
(opposite the horizon). See also ground plane and sky.
underlay A DWF, or DGN file used to provide visual context in a drawing file. Underlays
cannot be edited, and do not provide the full range of notification. Underlays cannot be
bound to a drawing. See also external reference (xref).
up direction A vector defining what direction is Up. By default this is the positive Z – axis
(0,0,+1).
The up direction and the north direction are always constrained such that they are
perpendicular to each other.
user coordinate system (UCS) A user-defined coordinate system that defines the orientation
of the X, Y, and Z axes in 3D space. The UCS determines the default placement of geometry
in a drawing. See also world coordinate system (WCS).
user parameter Named user-defined variable (real number or an expression) that can be
used in expressions for dimensional constraints or other user parameters.
UVW The material’s coordinate space. Used instead of XYZ because that is usually reserved
for the world coordinate system (WCS). Most material maps are a 2D plane assigned to a
3D surface. The U, V, and W coordinates parallel the relative directions of X, Y, and Z
coordinates. If you look at a 2D map image, U is the equivalent of X, and represents the
horizontal direction of the map. V is the equivalent of Y, and represents the vertical direction
of the map. W is the equivalent of Z and represents a direction perpendicular to the UV
plane of the map.
value node A specific type of action node that is used to handle requests for user input and
hold the recorded value that was captured during the recording of an action macro.
value set In a dynamic block definition, a range or list of values specified for a linear, polar,
XY, or rotation parameter.
vector A mathematical object with precise direction and length but without specific location.
vertex A location where edges or polyline segments meet.

2676 | Chapter 52 Glossary

vertical ribbon
The ribbon when it is oriented vertically, usually on the left or right of the file window.
view A graphical representation of a model from a specific location (viewpoint) in space.
See also viewpoint and viewport. (3DORBIT, VPOINT, DVIEW, VIEW)
view category A named collection of views in a sheet set that is often organized by function.
See also subset.
ViewCube User interface element that displays the current orientation of a model, and
allows you to interactively rotate the current view or restore a preset view.
viewpoint The location in 3D model space from which you are viewing a model. See also
view and viewport. (3DORBIT, DVIEW, VPOINT)
viewport A bounded area that displays some portion of the model space of a drawing. The
TILEMODE system variable determines the type of viewport created. 1. When TILEMODE
is off (0), viewports are objects that can be moved and resized on a layout. (MVIEW) 2.
When TILEMODE is on (1), the entire drawing area is divided into nonoverlapping model
viewports. See also TILEMODE, view, and viewpoint. (VPORTS)
viewport configuration A named collection of model viewports that can be saved and
restored. (VPORTS)
virtual screen display The area in which the program can pan and zoom without
regenerating the drawing.
visibility mode Displays or does not display geometry (in a dimmed state) that is invisible
for a visibility state. (BVMODE)
visibility state In a dynamic block, a custom property that allows only specified geometry
to display in the block reference. (BVSTATE)
visual style A collection of settings that control the display of edges and shading in a
viewport.
volumetric shadows A photorealistically rendered volume of space cast by the shadow of
an object.
watertight A closed 3D solid or mesh that has no gaps.
WCS See world coordinate system (WCS).
wheel
A reference to one of the individual user interface elements that make up SteeringWheels.
See also SteeringWheels.

| 2677

wheel surface
Area of a SteeringWheels that is used to organize wedges and other buttons.
wheel wedge
A section on the surface of a SteeringWheels that is designated for a specific navigation or
orientation tool.
window selection A rectangular area specified in the drawing area to select multiple objects
at the same time. See also crossing selection, polygon window selection.
wipeout object A polygonal area that masks underlying objects with the current background
color. This area is bounded by the wipeout frame, which you can turn on for editing and
turn off for plotting.
wireframe model The representation of an object using lines and curves to represent its
boundaries.
working drawing A drawing for manufacturing or building purposes.
working set A group of objects selected for in-place reference editing.
workplane Another name for the XY plane of the user coordinate system. See also elevation
and user coordinate system (UCS).
workspace A set of menus, toolbars and dockable windows (such as the Properties palette,
DesignCenter, and the Tool palettes window) that are grouped and organized so that you
can work in a custom, task-oriented drawing environment.
world coordinate system (WCS) A coordinate system used as the basis for defining all
objects and other coordinate systems. See also user coordinate system (UCS).
world coordinates Coordinates expressed in relation to the world coordinate system (WCS).
wrap around
Behavior where the cursor wraps around the window and appears on the opposite side to
allow the continuation of a drag operation instead of stopping at the edge of the drawing
area.
X,Y,Z point filters See coordinate filters.
xref See external reference (xref).
zoom To reduce or increase the apparent magnification of the drawing area. (ZOOM)

2678 | Chapter 52 Glossary

Index
3D command 3
3D DWF Publish dialog box 30
3D Edit Bar shortcut menu 36
3D Free Orbit curson icons 42
3D Modeling tab (Options dialog
box) 1346
3D Move Gizmo shortcut menu 48
3D Rotate Gizmo shortcut menu 64
3D Scale Gizmo shortcut menu 67
3D Studio File Import Options dialog
box 70
3DALIGN command 15
3DARRAY command 17
3DCLIP command 19
3DCONFIG command
about 21
Adaptive Degradation and Performace
Tuning dialog box 22
Performance Tuner Log 25
3Dconnexion Settings dialog box
3DCONVERSIONMODE system
variable 2142
3DCORBIT command 28
3DDISTANCE command 29
3DDWF command 30
3DDWFPREC system variable 2142
3DEDITBAR command 32
3DFACE command
3DFLY command
3DFORBIT command 41
3DMESH command 43
3DMOVE command 45
3DORBIT command 49
3DORBIT shortcut menu 50
3DORBITCTR command 53
3DOSMODE system variable 2143
3DOSNAP command 54
3DPAN command 55
3DPOLY command 56
3DPRINT command 58
Create STL File dialog box 61, 1851
3DROTATE command 62

3DSCALE command 65
3DSELECTIONMODE system
variable 2144
3DSIN command 69
3DSWIVEL command 72
3DWALK command
about
Animation panel 74
Animation Settings dialog box 75
Position Locator window 76
Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings
dialog box 78
3DZOOM command 79

A
ABOUT command 81
ACADLSPASDOC system variable 2145
ACADPREFIX system variable 2146
ACADVER system variable 2146
ACISIN command 82
ACISOUT command 82
ACISOUTVER system variable 2147
ACTBASEPOINT command 83
Action Macro dialog box 90
Action Macro Manager dialog box 85
Action Recorder Preferences dialog
box 87
Actions tab (Block Authoring Palettes
window) 236
ACTMANAGER command 84
ACTPATH system variable 2147
ACTRECORD command 86
ACTRECORDERSTATE system
variable 2148
ACTRECPATH system variable 2148
ACTSTOP command 88
ACTUI system variable 2149
ACTUSERINPUT command 92
ACTUSERMESSAGE command 93

2679 | Index

Adaptive Degradation and Performance
Tuning dialog box 22
ADCCLOSE command 94
ADCENTER command
about
DesignCenter window 95
Search dialog box 100
ADCNAVIGATE command 103
ADCSTATE system variable 2149
Add Actions dialog box 1960
Add Angle Value dialog box 1541
Add Custom Property dialog box 713,
1766
Add Distance Value dialog box 1541
Add Folder Options dialog box 426
Add Page Setup dialog box 1473
Add Parameter Properties dialog
box 254, 279
Add Profile dialog box 1372
Add Scale dialog box 1696
Add Scales to Object dialog box 1283
Add-a-Plot-Style-Table wizard 1860
Add-a-Plotter wizard 1495
Add/Modify FTP Locations dialog
box 1308
Additional Format dialog box 438, 1921
ADDSELECTED command 104
Adjust Background Image dialog
box 2041
Adjust Clipping Planes shortcut
menu 19
Adjust Clipping Planes window 19
ADJUST command 105
Adjust Render Exposure dialog box 1644
Adjust Sun & Sky Background dialog
box 2039
Advanced Options dialog box 1484,
1721
Advanced Preview Options dialog
box 1371
Advanced Render Settings palette 1672
Advanced Settings for COM Port dialog
box 1510
Advanced Setup wizard 1275
Advanced tab (Search dialog box) 102

2680 | Index

Aerial View window
about 683
AFLAGS system variable 2150
ALIGN command 107
Alternate Font dialog box 1356
Alternate Units tab (New Dimension Style
dialog box) 637
AMECONVERT command 109
Analysis Options dialog box 113
ANALYSISCURVATURE command 110
ANALYSISDRAFT command 112
ANALYSISOPTIONS command 113
ANALYSISZEBRA command 116
ANGBASE system variable 2150
ANGDIR system variable 2151
Animation panel 74
Animation Preview dialog box 122
Animation Settings dialog box 75
ANIPATH command
about 118
Animation Preview dialog box 122
Motion Path Animation dialog
box 119
ANNOALLVISIBLE system variable 2151
ANNOAUTOSCALE system variable 2153
ANNORESET command 124
Annotation tab (Leader Settings dialog
box) 1579
Annotative Object Scale dialog box 1282
ANNOTATIVEDWG system
variable 2153
ANNOUPDATE command 124
APBOX system variable 2154
APERTURE command 125
APERTURE system variable 2154
Appearance tab (Materials Editor) 1086
APPLOAD command
about 126
Load/Unload Applications dialog
box 127
Startup Suite dialog box 129
APPLYGLOBALOPACITIES system
variable 2155
APSTATE system variable 2155
ARC command 130
Archive - Set Password dialog box 144

Archive a Sheet Set dialog box 135
ARCHIVE command
about 135
Archive - Set Password dialog
box 144
Archive a Sheet Set dialog box 135
Modify Archive Setup dialog
box 139
AREA command 145
AREA system variable 2156
ARRAY command 148
Array dialog box 150
ARX command 157
ATTACH command 159
Attach DGN Underlay dialog box 532
Attach Digital Signatures dialog
box 2633
Attach Digital Signatures utility 2633
Attach DWF Underlay dialog box 696
Attach External Reference dialog
box 2107
Attach PDF Underlay dialog box 1429
Attach Point Cloud dialog box 1516
Attachment tab (Leader Settings dialog
box) 1581
ATTACHURL command 162
ATTDEF command 163
ATTDIA system variable 2156
ATTDISP command 171
ATTEDIT command 172
ATTEXT command 178
ATTIPE system variable 2157
ATTIPEDIT command 181
ATTMODE system variable 2157
ATTMULTI system variable 2158
ATTREDEF command 182
ATTREQ system variable 2158
Attribute Definition dialog box 164
Attribute Extraction dialog box 179
Attribute Order dialog box 213
Attribute tab (Edit Attribute dialog
box) 207
Attribute tab (Enhanced Attribute
Editor) 717
ATTSYNC command 183
AUDIT command

AUDITCTL system variable 2159
AUNITS system variable 2159
AUPREC system variable 2160
Auto Publish Options dialog box 187
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog
box 2011
AUTOCONSTRAIN command 185
Autoconstrain tab (Constraint Settings
dialog box) 354
AUTODWFPUBLISH system
variable 2160
AUTOMATICPUB system variable 2161
AUTOPUBLISH command 186
AUTOSNAP system variable 2162
AutoStack Properties dialog box 1239

B
Background dialog box 2037
Background Mask dialog box 1234
BACKGROUNDPLOT system
variable 2164
BACKZ system variable 2164
BACTION command 189
BACTIONBAR command 194
BACTIONBARMODE system
variable 2165
BACTIONCOLOR system variable 2165
BACTIONSET command 195
BACTIONTOOL command 196
BASE command 202
BASSOCIATE command 202
Batch Standards Checker 2636
Batch Standards Checker toolbar 2639
BATTMAN command
about 204
Block Attribute Manager 204
Block Attribute Settings dialog
box 212
Edit Attribute dialog box 207
BATTORDER command 213
BAUTHORPALETTE command 214
BAUTHORPALETTECLOSE
command 215
BCLOSE command 215

Index | 2681

BCONSTATUSMODE system
variable 2166
BCONSTRUCTION command 216
BCPARAMETER command 217
BCYCLEORDER command 221
BDEPENDENCYHIGHLIGHT system
variable 2166
BEDIT command
about 223
Block Editor 231
Block Editor Ribbon contextual
tab 226
Edit Block Definition dialog box 225
BESETTINGS command 241
BGRIPOBJCOLOR system variable 2167
BGRIPOBJSIZE system variable 2167
BGRIPSET command 244
BHATCH command 245
Bind Xrefs dialog box 2123
BINDTYPE system variable 2168
BLIPMODE command 245
BLIPMODE system variable 2168
Block Attribute Manager
about 204
Block Attribute Settings dialog box 212
Block Authoring Palettes window 231
BLOCK command 246
Block Definition dialog box 247
Block Editor
about 231
Parameters Manager 1408
Block Editor Ribbon contextual tab (Block
Editor) 226
Block Editor Settings dialog box 242
Block Editor toolbar 233
Block Properties Table dialog box 278
Block Template Options dialog box 1562
BLOCKEDITLOCK system variable 2169
BLOCKEDITOR system variable 2169
BLOCKICON command 252
BLOCKTESTWINDOW system
variable 2170
BLOOKUPTABLE command
about 252
Add Parameter Properties dialog
box 254

2682 | Index

Property Lookup Table dialog
box 253
BMP Image Options dialog box 1630
BMPOUT command 256
BOUNDARY command 257
Boundary Creation dialog box 258
BOX command 260
BPARAMETER command 263
BPARAMETERCOLOR system
variable 2170
BPARAMETERFONT system
variable 2171
BPARAMETERSIZE system variable 2171
BPTEXTHORIZONTAL system
variable 2172
BREAK command 270
BREP command 272
BROWSER command 273
BSAVE command 273
BSAVEAS command 274
BTABLE command 276
BTESTBLOCK command 281
BTMARKDISPLAY system variable 2172
Button Editor dialog box 388
Buzzsaw Location Shortcuts dialog
box 1300
BVHIDE command 282
BVMODE system variable 2173
BVSHOW command 283
BVSTATE command
about 284
New Visibility State dialog box 286
Visibility States dialog box 285

C
CAD Standards Settings dialog box 1846
CAL command 289
CALCINPUT system variable 2175
CAMERA command 311
Camera Glyph Appearance dialog
box 1361
Camera Preview dialog box 313
CAMERADISPLAY system variable 2176
CAMERAHEIGHT system variable 2176
CANNOSCALE system variable 2177

CANNOSCALEVALUE system
variable 2177
CAPTURETHUMBNAILS system
variable 2178
Category Definition dialog box 1593
CBARTRANSPARENCY system
variable 2178
CCONSTRAINTFORM system
variable 2178
CDATE system variable 2179
CECOLOR system variable 2180
Cell Border Properties dialog box 1539
Cell shortcut menu 462
CELTSCALE system variable 2180
CELTYPE system variable 2181
CELWEIGHT system variable 2181
CENTERMT system variable 2182
CETRANSPARENCY system
variable 2183
CHAMFER command 314
CHAMFERA system variable 2183
CHAMFERB system variable 2183
CHAMFERC system variable 2184
CHAMFERD system variable 2184
CHAMFEREDGE command 317
CHAMMODE system variable 2184
CHANGE command 319
Change Icon dialog box 1291
Change Profile dialog box 1372
Change to Layer dialog box 1008
Changes to a Printer Configuration File
dialog box 1397, 1473
Character tab (Label Template dialog
box) 484
Check Spelling dialog box 1820
Check Spelling Settings dialog box 1822
Check Standards dialog box 322
Checker Map Property Settings dialog
box 1090
CHECKSTANDARDS command 322
CHPROP command 324
CHSPACE command 325
CIRCLE command 326
CIRCLERAD system variable 2185
CLASSICIMAGE command 329
CLASSICKEYS system variable 2185

CLASSICLAYER command 330
CLASSICXREF command 330
CLAYER system variable 2186
CLEANSCREENOFF command 332
CLEANSCREENON command 331
CLEANSCREENSTATE system
variable 2186
CLIP command 332
CLISTATE system variable 2187
CLOSE command 335
CLOSEALL command 336
CMATERIAL system variable 2187
CMDACTIVE system variable 2188
CMDDIA system variable 2188
CMDECHO system variable 2189
CMDINPUTHISTORYMAX system
variable 2189
CMDNAMES system variable 2190
CMLEADERSTYLE system variable 2190
CMLJUST system variable 2191
CMLSCALE system variable 2191
CMLSTYLE system variable 2192
Color Books tab (Select Color dialog
box) 343
COLOR command 337
Color tab (Modify DGN Mapping Setup
dialog box) 566
Column Label shortcut menu 975
Column Settings dialog box 1233
Column shortcut menu 462
Column Values dialog box 474
Columns menu 1231
Command Line Window Font dialog
box 1359
COMMANDLINE command 345
COMMANDLINEHIDE command 346
Compare Dimension Styles dialog
box 645
COMPASS system variable 2192
COMPILE command 346
CONE command 347
Configure a Data Source dialog box 475
Configure LPT Port dialog box 1508
Configure Standards dialog box 1844
Confirm DWF Password dialog box 1564
Confirm Password dialog box 1720

Index | 2683

Constraint Settings dialog box 353
CONSTRAINTBAR command
CONSTRAINTBARDISPLAY system
variable 2193
CONSTRAINTBARMODE system
variable 2194
CONSTRAINTINFER system
variable 2194
CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT system
variable 2195
CONSTRAINTRELAX system
variable 2196
Constraints tab (Block Authoring Palettes
window) 238
CONSTRAINTSETTINGS command 352
CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE system
variable 2196
Content tab (Modify Multileader Style
dialog box) 1187
CONVERT command 356
Convert dialog box 1290
Convert Mesh panel (Mesh Object
Ribbon) 1131
CONVERTCTB command 357
CONVERTOLDLIGHTS command 358
CONVERTOLDMATERIALS
command 358
CONVERTPSTYLES command 359
CONVTOMESH command 361
CONVTONURBS command 363
CONVTOSOLID command 364
CONVTOSURFACE command 366
Coordinate Filters command
modifier 2133
Coordinate System Already Defined dialog
box 843
COORDS system variable 2197
COPY command 369
Copy Render Preset dialog box 1654
Copy To Layer dialog box 374
COPYBASE command 370
COPYCLIP command 371
COPYHIST command 372
COPYLINK command 372
COPYMODE system variable 2197
COPYTOLAYER command 373

2684 | Index

CPLOTSTYLE system variable 2198
CPROFILE system variable 2199
Crease panel (Mesh Subobject
Ribbon) 1132
Create a Buzzsaw Location Shortcut dialog
box 1303
Create New Cell Style dialog box 1917
Create New Dimension Style dialog
box 615
Create New Drawing dialog box 1270
Create New Multileader Style dialog
box 1190
Create New Multiline Style dialog
box 1205
Create New Table Style dialog box 1910
Create New Visual Style dialog box 2060
Create STL File dialog box 61, 1851
Create Transmittal dialog box
about 732
Files Table tab 734
Files Tree tab 733
Sheets tab 733
CROSSINGAREACOLOR system
variable 2199
CSHADOW system variable 2200
CTAB system variable 2200
CTABLESTYLE system variable 2201
CUI command
about 376
Button Editor dialog box 388
Find and Replace dialog box 392
Image Manager dialog box 390
CUIEXPORT command 393
CUIIMPORT command 394
CUILOAD command 394
CUIUNLOAD command 396
CULLINGOBJ system variable 2201
CULLINGOBJSELECTION system
variable 2202
Current Plot Style dialog box 1490
CURSORSIZE system variable 2203
Curvature tab (Analysis Options dialog
box) 115
Custom tab (Drawing Properties dialog
box) 712
CUSTOMIZE command

Customize dialog box 398
Customize Layer Columns dialog
box 989
Customize tab (Customize User Interface
dialog box) 378
Customize User Interface dialog box
Customize tab 378
Transfer tab 387
CUTCLIP command 400
CVADD command 400
CVHIDE command 402
CVPORT system variable 2203
CVREBUILD command
about 403
Rebuild Curve dialog box 405
Rebuild Surface dialog box 404
CVREMOVE command 406
CVSHOW command 408
CYLINDER command 409

D
Data Extraction wizard
about 414
Data Extraction-Additional Settings dialog
box 428
Data Extraction-Out of Date Table dialog
box 443
Data Link Manager 446
Data Objects shortcut menu 457
Data Sources Node shortcut menu 457
Data View and Query Options dialog
box 476
Data View Grid window 461
Data View Print Preview window 465
Data View window 459
Database Objects shortcut menu 456
DATAEXTRACTION command
about 413
Add Folder Options dialog box 426
Additional Format dialog box 438
Data Extraction - Additional Settings
dialog box 428
Data Extraction - Out of Date Table
dialog box 443
Data Extraction wizard 414

Edit Formula Column dialog
box 440
Filter Column dialog box 442
Insert Formula Column dialog
box 435
New Drawings Found dialog
box 430
Set Cell Format dialog box 437
Sort Columns dialog box 433
DATALINK command
about 445
Data Link Manager 446
New and Modify Excel Link dialog
box 448
DATALINKNOTIFY system variable 2206
DATALINKUPDATE command 451
Date Modified tab (Find dialog
box) 1306
Date Modified tab (Search dialog
box) 102
DATE system variable 2207
DBCONNECT command
about 452
Column Values dialog box 474
Configure a Data Source dialog
box 475
Data View and Query Options dialog
box 476
Data View window 459
dbConnect Manager 454
Export Links dialog box 478
Export Query Set dialog box 479
Export Template Set dialog box 480
Find dialog box 480
Format dialog box 481
Import Query Set dialog box 482
Import Template Set dialog box 483
Label Template dialog box 484
Label Template Properties dialog
box 489
Link Conversion dialog box 490
Link Manager 494
Link Select dialog box 495
Link Template dialog box 498
Link Template Properties dialog
box 500

Index | 2685

New Label Template dialog box 501
New Link Template dialog box 502
New Query dialog box 503
Query Editor 466
Replace dialog box 504
Select a Database Object dialog
box 505
Select Data Object dialog box 506
Sort dialog box 506
Synchronize dialog box 508
dbConnect Manager
about 454
DBCSTATE system variable 2207
DBLCLKEDIT system variable 2208
DBLIST command 509
DBMOD system variable 2208
DCALIGNED command 509
DCANGULAR command 511
DCCONVERT command 513
DCDIAMETER command 514
DCDISPLAY command 515
DCFORM command 516
DCHORIZONTAL command 517
DCLINEAR command 518
DCRADIUS command 519
DCTCUST system variable 2209
DCTMAIN system variable 2210
DCVERTICAL command 520
DDEDIT command
about 521
Edit Attribute Definition dialog
box 523
Edit Text dialog box 522
DDPTYPE command 524
DDVPOINT command 526
Default Scale List dialog box 1375
DEFAULTGIZMO system variable 2211
DEFAULTLIGHTING system
variable 2214
DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE system
variable 2214
Define Geographic Location dialog
box 841
DEFLPLSTYLE system variable 2215
DEFPLSTYLE system variable 2216
DELAY command 528

2686 | Index

DELCONSTRAINT command 529
Delete Layers dialog box 965
DELOBJ system variable 2217
DEMANDLOAD system variable 2218
DesignCenter window 95
DETACHURL command 529
Device and Document Settings tab (Plotter
Configuration Editor) 1499
DGN Mapping Setups dialog box 560
DGN Underlay Ribbon contextual
tab 534
DGNADJUST command 530
DGNATTACH command
about 531
Attach DGN Underlay dialog
box 532
DGN Underlay Ribbon contextual
tab 534
DGNCLIP command 537
DGNEXPORT command 539
DGNFRAME system variable 2218
DGNIMPORT command 548
DGNIMPORTMAX system variable 2219
DGNLAYERS command 558
DGNMAPPING command
about 559
DGN Mapping Setups dialog
box 560
Modify DGN Mapping Setup dialog
box 564
New Mapping Setup dialog box 562
DGNMAPPINGPATH system
variable 2219
DGNOSNAP system variable 2220
DIASTAT system variable 2221
Dictionaries dialog box 1824
Digital Signature Contents dialog
box 1779
Digital Signature tab (Security Options
dialog box) 1719
DIGITIZER system variable 2221
DIM and DIM1 commands 569
DIMADEC system variable 2222
DIMALIGNED command 572
DIMALT system variable 2222
DIMALTD system variable 2223

DIMALTF system variable 2223
DIMALTRND system variable 2224
DIMALTTD system variable 2224
DIMALTTZ system variable 2225
DIMALTU system variable 2226
DIMALTZ system variable 2226
DIMANGULAR command 575
DIMANNO system variable 2227
DIMAPOST system variable 2227
DIMARC command 578
DIMARCSYM system variable 2228
DIMASSOC system variable 2229
DIMASZ system variable 2229
DIMATFIT system variable 2230
DIMAUNIT system variable 2231
DIMAZIN system variable 2231
DIMBASELINE command 579
DIMBLK system variable 2233
DIMBLK1 system variable 2234
DIMBLK2 system variable 2234
DIMBREAK command 582
DIMCEN system variable 2235
DIMCENTER command 583
DIMCLRD system variable 2235
DIMCLRE system variable 2236
DIMCLRT system variable 2236
DIMCONSTRAINT command 584
DIMCONSTRAINTICON system
variable 2237
DIMCONTINUE command 586
DIMDEC system variable 2237
DIMDIAMETER command 588
DIMDISASSOCIATE command 589
DIMDLE system variable 2238
DIMDLI system variable 2238
DIMDSEP system variable 2239
DIMEDIT command 590
Dimension Input Settings dialog
box 680
Dimension Style Manager
about 612
Dimensional tab (Constraint Settings
dialog box) 353
DIMEXE system variable 2239
DIMEXO system variable 2239
DIMFRAC system variable 2240

DIMFXL system variable 2240
DIMFXLON system variable 2241
DIMGAP system variable 2241
DIMINSPECT command 592
DIMJOGANG system variable 2242
DIMJOGGED command 596
DIMJOGLINE command 598
DIMJUST system variable 2242
DIMLDRBLK system variable 2243
DIMLFAC system variable 2244
DIMLIM system variable 2244
DIMLINEAR command 599
DIMLTEX1 system variable 2245
DIMLTEX2 system variable 2245
DIMLTYPE system variable 2245
DIMLUNIT system variable 2246
DIMLWD system variable 2247
DIMLWE system variable 2247
DIMORDINATE command 603
DIMOVERRIDE command 605
DIMPOST system variable 2248
DIMRADIUS command 606
DIMREASSOCIATE command 608
DIMREGEN command 609
DIMRND system variable 2248
DIMSAH system variable 2249
DIMSCALE system variable 2249
DIMSD1 system variable 2250
DIMSD2 system variable 2250
DIMSE1 system variable 2251
DIMSE2 system variable 2251
DIMSOXD system variable 2252
DIMSPACE command 610
DIMSTYLE command
about 611
Compare Dimension Styles dialog
box 645
Create New Dimension Style dialog
box 615
Dimension Style Manager 612
Modify Dimension Style dialog
box 616
New Dimension Style dialog
box 616
Override Dimension Style dialog
box 616

Index | 2687

DIMSTYLE system variable 2252
DIMTAD system variable 2253
DIMTDEC system variable 2254
DIMTEDIT command 649
DIMTFAC system variable 2254
DIMTFILL system variable 2255
DIMTFILLCLR system variable 2255
DIMTIH system variable 2256
DIMTIX system variable 2256
DIMTM system variable 2257
DIMTMOVE system variable 2257
DIMTOFL system variable 2258
DIMTOH system variable 2258
DIMTOL system variable 2259
DIMTOLJ system variable 2259
DIMTP system variable 2260
DIMTSZ system variable 2260
DIMTVP system variable 2261
DIMTXSTY system variable 2261
DIMTXT system variable 2262
DIMTZIN system variable 2263
DIMUPT system variable 2263
DIMZIN system variable 2264
Direct Distance Entry command
modifier 2135
Direction Control dialog box 2004
Display tab (Options dialog box) 1322
DISPSILH system variable 2265
DIST command 651
DISTANCE system variable 2265
DISTANTLIGHT command 653
DIVIDE command 655
DIVMESHBOXHEIGHT system
variable 2266
DIVMESHBOXLENGTH system
variable 2267
DIVMESHBOXWIDTH system
variable 2267
DIVMESHCONEAXIS system
variable 2268
DIVMESHCONEBASE system
variable 2269
DIVMESHCONEHEIGHT system
variable 2270
DIVMESHCYLAXIS system variable 2271
DIVMESHCYLBASE system variable 2272

2688 | Index

DIVMESHCYLHEIGHT system
variable 2273
DIVMESHPYRBASE system variable 2274
DIVMESHPYRHEIGHT system
variable 2275
DIVMESHPYRLENGTH system
variable 2276
DIVMESHSPHEREAXIS system
variable 2277
DIVMESHSPHEREHEIGHT system
variable 2277
DIVMESHTORUSPATH system
variable 2278
DIVMESHTORUSSECTION system
variable 2279
DIVMESHWEDGEBASE system
variable 2280
DIVMESHWEDGEHEIGHT system
variable 2281
DIVMESHWEDGELENGTH system
variable 2282
DIVMESHWEDGESLOPE system
variable 2283
DIVMESHWEDGEWIDTH system
variable 2284
DONUT command 657
DONUTID system variable 2284
DONUTOD system variable 2285
Draft Analysis tab (Analysis Options dialog
box) 116
Draft Angle Handle 1058
Drafting Settings dialog box 664
Drafting tab (Options dialog box) 1343
DRAGMODE command 658
DRAGMODE system variable 2286
DRAGP1 system variable 2286
DRAGP2 system variable 2286
DRAGVS system variable 2287
Drawing Nodes shortcut menu 455
Drawing Properties dialog box 706
Drawing Recovery Manager
about 660
Drawing Units dialog box 2001
Drawing Window Colors dialog
box 1358

DRAWINGRECOVERY command
about 659
Drawing Recovery Manager 660
DRAWINGRECOVERYHIDE
command 661
Drawings tab (Batch Standards
Checker) 2637
DRAWORDER command 662
DRAWORDERCTL system variable 2288
DRSTATE system variable 2288
DSETTINGS command
about 663
Dimension Input Settings dialog
box 680
Pointer Input Settings dialog
box 679
Tooltip Appearance dialog box 682
DSVIEWER command 683
DVIEW command 686
DWF Password dialog box 1563
DWF Underlay Ribbon contextual
tab 699
DWFADJUST command 105, 694
DWFATTACH command
about 695
Attach DWF Underlay dialog
box 696
DWF Underlay Ribbon contextual
tab 699
Substitute DWF Name dialog
box 699
DWFCLIP command 702
DWFFORMAT command 704
DWFFRAME system variable 2289
DWFLAYERS command 704
DWFOSNAP system variable 2290
DWG Options tab (Saveas Options dialog
box) 1688
DWGCHECK system variable 2291
DWGCODEPAGE system variable 2291
DWGNAME system variable 2292
DWGPREFIX system variable 2292
DWGPROPS command
about 705
Add Custom Property dialog
box 713

Drawing Properties dialog box 706
DWGTITLED system variable 2293
DXBIN command 714
DXEVAL system variable 2294
DXF Options tab (Saveas Options dialog
box) 1689
Dynamic Input tab (Drafting Settings
dialog box) 674
DYNCONSTRAINMODE system
variable 2294
DYNDIGRIP system variable 2295
DYNDIVIS system variable 2296
DYNMODE system variable 2297
DYNPICOORDS system variable 2297
DYNPIFORMAT system variable 2298
DYNPIVIS system variable 2298
DYNPROMPT system variable 2299
DYNTOOLTIPS system variable 2299

E
E-mail Address tab (Insert Hyperlink dialog
box) 917
EATTEDIT command 715
EATTEXT command 720
EDGE command 722
EDGEMODE system variable 2302
EDGESURF command 723
Edit a Buzzsaw Location Shortcut dialog
box 1303
Edit Attribute Definition dialog box 523
Edit Attribute dialog box 207
Edit Attributes dialog box 173
Edit Block Definition dialog box 225
Edit Face panel (Mesh Subobject
Ribbon) 1132
Edit Formula Column dialog box 440
Edit Hyperlink dialog box 919
Edit Layer dialog box 1024
Edit Layer State dialog box 1001
Edit Lineweights dialog box 1868
Edit Name and Description dialog
box 2060
Edit Reference Ribbon contextual
tab 1609
Edit Scale dialog box 1697

Index | 2689

Edit Scale List dialog box 1694
Edit Sheet List Table Settings dialog
box 1761
Edit Text dialog box 522
EDITSHOT command 725
ELEV command 726
ELEVATION system variable 2302
ELLIPSE command 727
Enhanced Attribute Editor 716
ENTERPRISEMENU system variable 2302
ERASE command 731
ERHIGHLIGHT system variable 2303
ERRNO system variable 2304
ERSTATE system variable 2304
ETRANSMIT command 732
Create Transmittal dialog box 732
Import Transmittal Setups dialog
box 738
Modify Transmittal dialog box 739
Transmittal - Set Password dialog
box 744
Transmittal Setups dialog box 736
Existing File or Web Page tab (Insert
Hyperlink dialog box) 916
EXPERT system variable 2305
EXPLMODE system variable 2308
EXPLODE command 746
EXPORT command 748
Export DGN Settings dialog box 540
Export Layout to Model Space Drawing
dialog box 765
Export Links dialog box 478
Export Query Set dialog box 479
Export Template Set dialog box 480
Export to DWF/PDF Options palette 753
Export to DWF/PDF ribbon panel 758
EXPORTDWF command
about 751
Export to DWF/PDF Options
palette 753
Export to DWF/PDF ribbon
panel 758
New Precision Preset dialog box 757
Page Setup Override dialog box 755
Precision Presets Manager 756
Save as DWF dialog box 752

2690 | Index

Save as DWFx dialog box 760
EXPORTDWFX command
about 760
EXPORTEPLOTFORMAT system
variable 2306
EXPORTLAYOUT command 764
EXPORTMODELSPACE system
variable 2306
EXPORTPAGESETUP system
variable 2307
EXPORTPAPERSPACE system
variable 2307
EXPORTPDF command
about 762
Save as PDF dialog box 762
EXPORTSETTINGS command 765
EXPORTTOAUTOCAD command 766
EXTEND command 768
External Reference Ribbon contextual
tab 2109
External References palette
about 773
EXTERNALREFERENCES command 771
EXTERNALREFERENCESCLOSE
command 781
EXTMAX system variable 2308
EXTMIN system variable 2309
EXTNAMES system variable 2309
EXTRUDE command

F
FACETERDEVNORMAL system
variable 2311
FACETERDEVSURFACE system
variable 2312
FACETERGRIDRATIO system
variable 2313
FACETERMAXEDGELENGTH system
variable 2313
FACETERMAXGRID system
variable 2314
FACETERMESHTYPE system
variable 2315
FACETERMINUGRID system
variable 2315

FACETERMINVGRID system
variable 2316
FACETERPRIMITIVEMODE system
variable 2316
FACETERSMOOTHLEV system
variable 2317
FACETRATIO system variable 2318
FACETRES system variable 2319
FBX Export Options dialog box 788
FBX Import Options dialog box 792
FBXEXPORT command 787
FBXIMPORT command 791
FIELD command 795
Field dialog box 797
Field Update Settings dialog box 1367
FIELDDISPLAY system variable 2319
FIELDEVAL system variable 2320
FILEDIA system variable 2321
Files tab (Options dialog box) 1316
Files Table tab (Archive a Sheet Set dialog
box) 137
Files Table tab (Create Transmittal dialog
box) 734
Files Tree tab (Archive a Sheet Set dialog
box) 136
Files Tree tab (Create Transmittal dialog
box) 733
FILL command 799
FILLET command 801
FILLETEDGE command 804
FILLETRAD system variable 2321
FILLETRAD3D system variable 2321
FILLMODE system variable 2322
Filter Column dialog box 442
FILTER command 806
Find and Replace dialog box
(commands) 392
Find and Replace dialog box
(mtext) 1235
Find and Replace dialog box (text) 810
FIND command 809
Find dialog box (DBCONNECT) 480
Find dialog box (OPEN) 1305
Find/Replace tab (Label Template dialog
box) 487

Fit tab (New Dimension Style dialog
box) 629
FLATSHOT command 814
Flatshot dialog box 815
FONTALT system variable 2323
FONTMAP system variable 2323
Form View tab (Plot Style Table
Editor) 1864
Format dialog box 481
FRAME system variable 2324
FREESPOT command 817
FREEWEB command 820
FRONTZ system variable 2325
FULLOPEN system variable 2325
FULLPLOTPATH system variable 2325

G
GCCOINCIDENT command 825
GCCOLLINEAR command 827
GCCONCENTRIC command 828
GCEQUAL command 829
GCFIX command 830
GCHORIZONTAL command 832
GCPARALLEL command 834
GCPERPENDICULAR command 834
GCSMOOTH command 835
GCSYMMETRIC command 836
GCTANGENT command 838
GCVERTICAL command 839
General tab (Drawing Properties dialog
box) 707
General tab (Plot Style Table
Editor) 1862
General tab (Plotter Configuration
Editor) 1496
Generate Section / Elevation dialog
box 1717
Geographic Location dialog box 844
GEOGRAPHICLOCATION command
about 840
Coordinate System Already Defined
dialog box 843
Define Geographic Location dialog
box 841
Geographic Location dialog box 844

Index | 2691

Location Already Exists dialog
box 842
Location Picker dialog box 847
GEOLATLONGFORMAT system
variable 2328
GEOMARKERVISIBILITY system
variable 2328
GEOMCONSTRAINT command 848
Geometric tab (Constraint Settings dialog
box) 353
Geometric Tolerance dialog box 1948
GFANG system variable 2329
GFCLR1 system variable 2329
GFCLR2 system variable 2330
GFCLRLUM system variable 2330
GFCLRSTATE system variable 2331
GFNAME system variable 2331
GFSHIFT system variable 2332
GLOBALOPACITY system variable 2333
GOTOURL command 850
GRADIENT command 850
Gradient Property Settings dialog
box 1091
Gradient tab (Hatch and Gradient dialog
box) 878
GRAPHICSCONFIG command 851
GRAPHSCR command 859
GRID command 859
Grid Header shortcut menu 464
GRIDDISPLAY system variable 2333
GRIDMAJOR system variable 2334
GRIDMODE system variable 2334
GRIDSTYLE system variable 2335
GRIDUNIT system variable 2335
Grip Colors dialog box 1353
GRIPBLOCK system variable 2336
GRIPCOLOR system variable 2336
GRIPCONTOUR system variable 2337
GRIPDYNCOLOR system variable 2337
GRIPHOT system variable 2338
GRIPHOVER system variable 2338
GRIPMULTIFUNCTIONAL system
variable 2339
GRIPOBJLIMIT system variable 2339
GRIPS system variable 2340
GRIPSIZE system variable 2341

2692 | Index

GRIPSUBOBJMODE system
variable 2341
GRIPTIPS system variable 2342
GROUP command
about 861
Object Grouping dialog box 862
Order Group dialog box 865
GTAUTO system variable 2342
GTDEFAULT system variable 2343
GTLOCATION system variable 2344

H
HALOGAP system variable 2345
HANDLES system variable 2346
HATCH command
about 869
Hatch Creation ribbon contextual
tab 882
Hatch Pattern Palette dialog
box 888
Hatch Creation ribbon contextual
tab 882
Hatch Edit dialog box 898
Hatch Editor ribbon contextual tab 898
Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box 888
Hatch tab (Hatch and Gradient dialog
box) 875
HATCHEDIT command 897
HATCHGENERATEBOUNDARY
command 906
HATCHSETBOUNDARY command 907
HATCHSETORIGIN command 907
HATCHTOBACK command 908
HELIX command 909
HELP command 911
HELPPREFIX system variable 2346
Hidden Message Settings dialog
box 1374
HIDE command 911
HIDEOBJECTS command 913
HIDEPALETTES command 913
HIDEPRECISION system variable 2347
HIDETEXT system variable 2347
HIGHLIGHT system variable 2348
HLSETTINGS command 914

HPANG system variable 2348
HPANNOTATIVE system variable 2349
HPASSOC system variable 2349
HPBACKGROUNDCOLOR system
variable 2350
HPBOUND system variable 2350
HPBOUNDRETAIN system variable 2351
HPCOLOR system variable 2352
HPDLGMODE system variable 2352
HPDOUBLE system variable 2353
HPDRAWORDER system variable 2354
HPGAPTOL system variable 2354
HPINHERIT system variable 2355
HPISLANDDETECTION system
variable 2355
HPISLANDDETECTIONMODE system
variable 2356
HPLAYER system variable 2356
HPMAXLINES system variable 2356
HPNAME system variable 2357
HPOBJWARNING system variable 2357
HPORIGIN system variable 2358
HPORIGINMODE system variable 2358
HPQUICKPREVIEW system
variable 2359
HPSCALE system variable 2359
HPSEPARATE system variable 2360
HPSPACE system variable 2360
HPTRANSPARENCY system
variable 2361
HYPERLINK command
about 914
Edit Hyperlink dialog box 919
Insert Hyperlink dialog box 915
Select Place in Document dialog
box 920
HYPERLINKBASE system variable 2361
HYPERLINKOPTIONS command 922

I
i-drop Options dialog box 1731
ID command 923
Identity Reference tab (Reference Edit
dialog box) 1610
Image Adjust dialog box 928

IMAGE command 924
Image Manager dialog box 390
Image ribbon contextual tab 934
IMAGEADJUST command 927
IMAGEATTACH command
about 931
Attach Image dialog box 932
Image ribbon contextual tab 934
IMAGECLIP command 935
IMAGEFRAME system variable 2364
IMAGEHLT system variable 2364
IMAGEQUALITY command 937
IMPLIEDFACE system variable 2364
IMPORT command 938
Import DGN Settings dialog box 549
Import Layouts as Sheets dialog
box 1755
Import Page Setups dialog box 1398
Import Query Set dialog box 482
Import Template Set dialog box 483
Import Transmittal Setups dialog
box 738
IMPRINT command 939
In-Place Text Editor
about 1222
Index Color tab (Select Color dialog
box) 338
INDEXCTL system variable 2365
INETLOCATION system variable 2366
Information tab (Materials Editor) 1087
Initial Setup dialog box 1376
INPUTHISTORYMODE system
variable 2367
INSBASE system variable 2367
Insert a Block in a Table Cell dialog
box 1946
INSERT command 940
Insert dialog box 941
Insert Formula Column dialog box 435
Insert Hyperlink dialog box 915
INSERT Object dialog box 947
Insert Sheet List Table dialog box 1756
Insert Table dialog box 1896
Table Ribbon contextual tab 1900
Insertion Cycling Order dialog box 222
INSERTOBJ command 946

Index | 2693

INSNAME system variable 2367
Inspection Dimension dialog box 594
INSUNITS system variable 2369
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE system
variable 2370
INSUNITSDEFTARGET system
variable 2372
INTELLIGENTUPDATE system
variable 2372
INTERFERE command
about 948
Interference Checking dialog
box 952
Interference Settings dialog box 951
INTERFERECOLOR system variable 2373
Interference Checking dialog box 952
Interference Settings dialog box 951
INTERFEREOBJVS system variable 2373
INTERFEREVPVS system variable 2374
INTERSECT command 955
INTERSECTIONCOLOR system
variable 2374
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY system
variable 2375
ISAVEBAK system variable 2375
ISAVEPERCENT system variable 2376
ISOLATEOBJECTS command 956
ISOLINES system variable 2376
ISOPLANE command 957

J
JOGSECTION command
(SECTIONPLANEJOG) 1707
JOIN command 959
JPEG Image Options dialog box 1635
JPGOUT command 961
JUSTIFYTEXT command 962

L
Label Fields tab (Label Template dialog
box) 487
Label Offset tab (Label Template dialog
box) 488
Label Template dialog box 484

2694 | Index

Label Template Properties dialog
box 489
Lamp Color dialog box 1549
Lamp Intensity dialog box 1547
LARGEOBJECTSUPPORT system
variable 2377
LASTANGLE system variable 2378
LASTPOINT system variable 2378
LASTPROMPT system variable 2379
LATITUDE system variable 2379
LAYCUR command 963
LAYDEL command 964
LAYER command
about 966
Customize Layer Columns dialog
box 989
Edit Layer State dialog box 1001
Layer Filter Properties dialog
box 978
Layer Properties Manager 968
Layer Settings dialog box 986
Layer Transparency dialog box 984
Lineweight dialog box 983
New Layer State to Save dialog
box 999
Select Layer States dialog box 1003
Select Layers to Add to Layer State
dialog box 1002
Select Linetype dialog box 982
Layer Filter Properties dialog box 978
Layer Properties Manager
about 968
Layer Settings dialog box 986
Layer shortcut menu 976
Layer States Manager
about 997
Layer tab (Modify DGN Mapping Setup
dialog box) 564
Layer Translator 1020
Layer Transparency dialog box 984
LAYERCLOSE command 993
LAYERDLGMODE system variable 2380
LAYEREVAL system variable 2381
LAYEREVALCTL system variable 2381
LAYERFILTERALERT system
variable 2382

LAYERMANAGERSTATE system
variable 2383
LAYERNOTIFY system variable 2384
LAYERP command 994
LAYERPALETTE command 994
LAYERPMODE command 995
LAYERSTATE command
about 995
Layer States Manager 997
LayerWalk dialog box 1029
LAYFRZ command 1004
LAYISO command 1006
LAYLCK command 1009
LAYLOCKFADECTL system
variable 2385
LAYMCH command 1007
LAYMCUR command 1010
LAYMRG command
about 1011
Merge Layers dialog box 1012
Merge to Layer dialog box 1013
LAYOFF command 1014
LAYON command 1016
LAYOUT command 1016
Layout Wizard
about 1018
LAYOUTREGENCTL system
variable 2386
LAYOUTWIZARD command 1018
LAYTHW command 1019
LAYTRANS command
about 1020
Edit/New Layer dialog box 1024
Layer Translator 1020
Settings dialog box 1023
LAYULK command 1025
LAYUNISO command 1026
LAYVPI command 1027
LAYWALK command 1029
LEADER command 1032
Leader Format tab (Modify Multileader
Style dialog box) 1185
Leader Line & Arrow tab (Leader Settings
dialog box) 1580
Leader Settings dialog box 1578

Leader Structure tab (Modify Multileader
Style dialog box) 1186
LEGACYCTRLPICK system variable 2387
LENGTHEN command 1035
LENSLENGTH system variable 2387–
2388
LIGHT command 1037
Light Glyph Appearance dialog
box 1360
LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY system
variable 2387
Lighting Properties dialog box 1542
LIGHTINGUNITS system variable 2388
LIGHTLIST command 1038
LIGHTLISTCLOSE command 1040
LIGHTLISTSTATE system variable 2389
Lights in Model palette 1039
LIGHTSINBLOCKS system variable 2389
LIMCHECK system variable 2390
LIMITS command 1040
LIMMAX system variable 2390
LIMMIN system variable 2391
LINE command 1041
LINEARBRIGHTNESS system
variable 2391
LINEARCONTRAST system variable 2392
Lines and Arrows tab (New Dimension
Style dialog box) 617, 621
LINETYPE command
about 1043
Linetype Manager 1044
Load or Reload Linetypes dialog
box 1047
Linetype Manager
about 1044
Linetype tab (Modify DGN Mapping Setup
dialog box) 564
Lineweight dialog box 983
Lineweight Settings dialog box 1063
Lineweight tab (Modify DGN Mapping
Setup dialog box) 565
Link Conversion dialog box 490
Link Manager
about 494
Link Select dialog box 495
Link Template dialog box 498

Index | 2695

Link Template Properties dialog box 500
Links dialog box 1289
LIST command 1049
List of Blocks dialog box 1774
List View shortcut menu 975
LIVESECTION command 1050
LOAD command 1051
Load Multiline Styles dialog box 1210
Load or Reload Linetypes dialog
box 1047
Load/Unload Applications dialog
box 127
Load/Unload Customizations dialog
box 395
LOCALE system variable 2392
LOCALROOTPREFIX system
variable 2393
Location Already Exists dialog box 842
Location Picker dialog box 847
LOCKUI system variable 2393
LOFT command 1052
Loft Handle 1058
Loft Settings dialog box 1057
LOFTANG1 system variable 2394
LOFTANG2 system variable 2394
LOFTMAG1 system variable 2395
LOFTMAG2 system variable 2395
LOFTNORMALS system variable 2396
LOFTPARAM system variable 2397
Log In to Buzzsaw dialog box 1302
LOGEXPBRIGHTNESS system
variable 2397
LOGEXPCONTRAST system
variable 2398
LOGEXPDAYLIGHT system
variable 2398
LOGEXPMIDTONES system
variable 2399
LOGEXPPHYSICALSCALE system
variable 2399
LOGFILEMODE system variable 2400
LOGFILENAME system variable 2400
LOGFILEOFF command 1060
LOGFILEON command 1060
LOGFILEPATH system variable 2401
LOGINNAME system variable 2401

2696 | Index

LONGITUDE system variable 2402
LTSCALE command 1061
LTSCALE system variable 2402
LUNITS system variable 2403
LUPREC system variable 2403
LWDEFAULT system variable 2404
LWDISPLAY system variable 2404
LWEIGHT command 1062
LWUNITS system variable 2404

M
Macros dialog box 2017
Magnitude Handle 1058
Manage Cell Content dialog box 1905
Manage Cell Styles dialog box 1918
Manage Custom Dictionaries dialog
box 1826
Manual Performance Tuning dialog
box 853
Map Property Settings dialog box 1089
Marble Property Settings dialog
box 1093
MARKUP command 1067
Markup Set Manager
about 1068
Markup shortcut menu 1070
MARKUPCLOSE command 1073
MASSPROP command 1074
MATBROWSERCLOSE command 1078
MATBROWSEROPEN command 1078
MATBROWSERSTATE system
variable 2405
MATCHCELL command 1080
MATCHPROP command 1081
MATEDITORCLOSE command 1085
MATEDITOROPEN command
about 1086
Map Property Settings dialog
box 1089
Material Tool Property Editor 1099
Materials Editor 1086
Nested Map Navigation
display 1098
Texture Editor 1088
MATEDITORSTATE system variable 2406

Material Attachment Options dialog
box 1101
Material Condition dialog box 1953
Material Tool Property Editor 1099
MATERIALASSIGN command 1100
MATERIALATTACH command
about 1100
Material Attachment Options dialog
box 1101
MATERIALMAP command 1102
Materials Browser
about 1079
MATERIALS command
about 1107
Materials Editor
about 1086
Material Tool Property Editor 1099
Nested Map Navigation 1098
Texture Editor 1088
MATERIALSCLOSE command 1107
MAXACTVP system variable 2407
MAXSORT system variable 2407
MAXTOUCHES system variable 2407
MBUTTONPAN system variable 2408
MEASURE command 1108
MEASUREGEOM command 1110
MEASUREINIT system variable 2409
MEASUREMENT system variable 2409
MENU command 1114
MENUBAR system variable 2410
MENUCTL system variable 2410
MENUECHO system variable 2411
MENUNAME system variable 2411
Merge Layers dialog box 1012
Merge to Layer dialog box 1013
MESH command 1115
Mesh Object Ribbon contextual
panels 1130
Mesh Subobject ribbon contextual
panels 1132
Mesh Object Ribbon contextual
panels 1130
Mesh Primitive Options dialog box 1147
Mesh Subobject ribbon contextual
panels 1132

Mesh Tessellation Options dialog
box 1143
MESHCAP command 1133
MESHCOLLAPSE command 1135
MESHCREASE command 1136
MESHEXTRUDE command 1137
MESHMERGE command 1141
MESHOPTIONS command 1142
MESHPRIMITIVEOPTIONS
command 1146
MESHREFINE command 1157
MESHSMOOTH command 1158
MESHSMOOTHLESS command 1159
MESHSMOOTHMORE command 1160
MESHSPIN command 1161
MESHSPLIT command 1163
MESHTYPE system variable 2412
MESHUNCREASE command 1165
MIGRATEMATERIALS command 1165
MINSERT command 1166
MIRRHATCH system variable 2412
MIRROR command 1170
MIRROR3D command 1172
MIRRTEXT system variable 2413
Missing Texture Maps dialog box 1627
MLEADER command 1175
MLEADERALIGN command 1177
MLEADERCOLLECT command 1179
MLEADEREDIT command 1180
MLEADERSCALE system variable 2413
MLEADERSTYLE command
about 1181
Create New Multileader Style dialog
box 1190
Modify Multileader Style dialog
box 1184
Multileader Style Manager 1182
MLEDIT command 1191
MLINE command 1200
MLSTYLE command
about 1202
Create New Multiline Style dialog
box 1205
Load Multiline Styles dialog
box 1210

Index | 2697

Modify Multiline Style dialog
box 1206
Multiline Style dialog box 1204
New Multiline Style dialog box 1206
MODEL command 1210
Model Views tab (Sheet Set
Manager) 1744
MODEMACRO system variable 2414
Modify Archive Setup dialog box 139
Modify DGN Mapping Setup dialog
box 564
Modify Dimension Style dialog box 616
Modify FTP Locations dialog box 1308
Modify Multileader Style dialog
box 1184
Modify Multiline Style dialog box 1206
Modify Table Style dialog box 1911
Modify Transmittal dialog box 739
More Options tab (Hatch and Gradient
dialog box) 879
Motion Path Animation dialog box 119
MOVE command 1211
MREDO command 1212
MSLIDE command 1213
MSLTSCALE system variable 2414
MSMSTATE system variable 2415
MSOLESCALE system variable 2415
MSPACE command 1214
MTEDIT command 1214
MTEXT command
about 1215
AutoStack Properties dialog
box 1239
Background Mask dialog box 1234
Column Settings dialog box 1233
Columns menu 1231
Find and Replace dialog box 1235
In-Place Text Editor 1222
MTEXT ribbon contextual tab 1216
Paragraph dialog box 1230
Stack Properties dialog box 1237
MTEXT ribbon contextual tab 1216
MTEXTCOLUMN system variable 2416
MTEXTED system variable 2416
MTEXTFIXED system variable 2417
MTEXTTOOLBAR system variable 2418

2698 | Index

MTJIGSTRING system variable 2418
MTP command modifier 2135
Multileader Style Manager 1182
Multiline Edit Tools dialog box 1192
Multiline Style dialog box 1204
MULTIPLE command 1247
MVIEW command 1248
MVSETUP command 1251
MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX system
variable 2419

N
Name and Location tab (Find dialog
box) 1305
Named UCSs tab (UCS dialog box) 1986
Named Viewports tab (Viewports dialog
box) 2072
NAVBAR command 1257
NAVBARDISPLAY system variable 2421
NAVSMOTION command 1259
NAVSMOTIONCLOSE command 1260
NAVSWHEEL command 1261
NAVSWHEELMODE system
variable 2422
NAVSWHEELOPACITYBIG system
variable 2423
NAVSWHEELOPACITYMINI system
variable 2423
NAVSWHEELSIZEBIG system
variable 2424
NAVSWHEELSIZEMINI system
variable 2424
NAVVCUBE command 1265
NAVVCUBEDISPLAY system
variable 2425
NAVVCUBELOCATION system
variable 2425
NAVVCUBEOPACITY system
variable 2426
NAVVCUBEORIENT system
variable 2426
NAVVCUBESIZE system variable 2427
Nested Map Navigation display 1098
NETLOAD command 1268

New and Modify Excel Link dialog
box 448
NEW command
about 1269
Advanced Setup wizard 1275
Create New Drawing dialog
box 1270
Quick Setup wizard 1273
New Dimension Style dialog box 616
New Drawings Found dialog box 430
New Label Template dialog box 501
New Layer dialog box 1024
New Layer Name dialog box 1714
New Layer State to Save dialog box 999
New Link Template dialog box 502
New Mapping Setup dialog box 562
New Multiline Style dialog box 1206
New Page Setup dialog box 1388
New Parameter dialog box 280
New Precision Preset dialog box 757
New Query dialog box 503
New Sheet dialog box 1750
New Sheet Selection dialog box 1770
New Table Style dialog box 1911
New View dialog box
about 2029
Shot Properties tab 2034
View Properties tab 2030, 2032
New Viewports tab (Viewports dialog
box)
New Visibility State dialog box 286
NEWSHEETSET command 1278
NEWSHOT command 1278
NEWVIEW command 1279
Noise Property Settings dialog box 1093
NOMUTT system variable 2428
NORTHDIRECTION system
variable 2428
Notes tab (Batch Standards
Checker) 2638

O
Object Grouping dialog box 862
Object Selection Filters dialog box

806

Object Snap tab (Drafting Settings dialog
box) 669
Object Snaps command modifier 2136
OBJECTISOLATIONMODE system
variable 2430
OBJECTSCALE command
about 1281
Add Scales to Object dialog
box 1283
Annotative Object Scale dialog
box 1282
OBSCUREDCOLOR system variable 2430
OBSCUREDLTYPE system variable 2432
OFFSET command 1286
OFFSETDIST system variable 2432
OFFSETGAPTYPE system variable 2433
OLE Text Size dialog box 1293
OLEFRAME system variable 2433
OLEHIDE system variable 2434
OLELINKS command
about 1288
Change Icon dialog box 1291
Convert dialog box 1290
Links dialog box 1289
OLEQUALITY system variable 2435
OLESCALE command 1292
OLESTARTUP system variable 2435
OOPS command 1294
Open and Save tab (Options dialog
box) 1327
OPEN command
about 1295
Add/Modify FTP Locations dialog
box 1308
Buzzsaw Location Shortcuts dialog
box 1300
Create a Buzzsaw Location Shortcut
dialog box 1303
Edit a Buzzsaw Location Shortcut
dialog box 1303
Find dialog box 1305
Log In to Buzzsaw dialog box 1302
Partial Open dialog box 1310
Select a Buzzsaw Location dialog
box 1304
Open Reference Files dialog box 2119

Index | 2699

OPENDWFMARKUP command 1313
OPENPARTIAL system variable 2436
OPENSHEETSET command 1314
OPMSTATE system variable 2436
OPTIONS command
about 1314
Add Profile dialog box 1372
Advanced Preview Options dialog
box 1371
Alternate Font dialog box 1356
Camera Glyph Appearance dialog
box 1361
Change Profile dialog box 1372
Command Line Window Font dialog
box 1359
Default Scale List dialog box 1375
Drawing Window Colors dialog
box 1358
Field Update Settings dialog
box 1367
Grip Colors dialog box 1353
Hidden Message Settings dialog
box 1374
Initial Setup dialog box 1376
Light Glyph Appearance dialog
box 1360
Options dialog box 1315
Plot Style Table Settings dialog
box 1363
Ribbon Contextual Tab State Options
dialog box 1370
Right-Click Customization dialog
box 1365
Thumbnail Preview Settings dialog
box 1362
Transparency dialog box 1373
Visual Effect Settings dialog
box 1368
Options dialog box 1315
Order Group dialog box 865
ORTHO command 1379
Orthographic UCS Depth dialog
box 1990
Orthographic UCSs tab (UCS dialog
box) 1987
ORTHOMODE system variable 2437

2700 | Index

OSMODE system variable 2438
OSNAP command 1380
OSNAPCOORD system variable 2439
OSNAPNODELEGACY system
variable 2439
OSNAPZ system variable 2440
OSOPTIONS system variable 2440
Output Size dialog box 1680
Override Dimension Style dialog
box 616

P
Page Setup dialog box 1390
Page Setup Manager
about 1384
Page Setup dialog box 1390
Page Setup Override dialog box 755
PAGESETUP command
about 1383
Changes to a Printer Configuration
File dialog box 1397
Import Page Setups dialog box 1398
New Page Setup dialog box 1388
Page Setup dialog box 1390
Page Setup Manager 1384
PALETTEOPAQUE system variable 2442
PAN command 1399
Pan shortcut menu 1402
PAPERUPDATE system variable 2443
Paragraph dialog box 1230
Parameter Sets tab (Block Authoring
Palettes window) 237
PARAMETERCOPYMODE system
variable 2444
PARAMETERS command
about 1403
Parameters Manager (Block
Editor) 1408
Parameters Manager (Drawing
Editor) 1404
Parameters Manager (Block Editor) 1408
Parameters Manager (Drawing
Editor) 1404
Parameters tab (Block Editor Authoring
Palettes) 234

PARAMETERSCLOSE command 1414
PARAMETERSSTATUS system
variable 2444
Partial Load dialog box 1415
Partial Open dialog box 1310
PARTIALOAD command 1414
PARTIALOPEN command 1418
Password tab (Security Options dialog
box) 1719
Paste Special dialog box 1424
PASTEASHYPERLINK command 1420
PASTEBLOCK command 1421
PASTECLIP command 1422
PASTEORIG command 1423
PASTESPEC command 1423
PCINWIZARD command 1425
PCX Image Options dialog box 1631
PDF Underlay ribbon contextual
tab 1432
PDFADJUST command 1426
PDFATTACH command
about 1427
Attach PDF Underlay dialog
box 1429
PDF Underlay ribbon contextual
tab 1432
PDFCLIP command 1433
PDFFRAME system variable 2445
PDFLAYERS command 1434
PDFOSNAP system variable 2446
PDMODE system variable 2446
PDSIZE system variable 2447
PEDIT command 1435
PEDITACCEPT system variable 2447
PELLIPSE system variable 2448
Performance Tuner Log 25
PERIMETER system variable 2448
PERSPECTIVE system variable 2449
PERSPECTIVECLIP system variable 2449
PFACE command 1449
PFACEVMAX system variable 2450
PICKADD system variable 2450
PICKAUTO system variable 2451
PICKBOX system variable 2451
PICKDRAG system variable 2452
PICKFIRST system variable 2452

PICKSTYLE system variable 2453
PLAN command 1451
PLANESURF command 1452
PLATFORM system variable 2453
PLINE command 1454
PLINECONVERTMODE system
variable 2454
PLINEGEN system variable 2454
PLINETYPE system variable 2455
PLINEWID system variable 2456
Plot and Publish Details dialog box 2047
Plot and Publish Status Bar Icon shortcut
menu 2048
Plot and Publish tab (Options dialog
box) 1331
PLOT command
about 1460
Add Page Setup dialog box 1473
Changes to a Printer Configuration
File dialog box 1473
Plot dialog box 1461
Plot Job Progress dialog box 1474
Update PC3 File with New Printer
dialog box 1475
Plot dialog box 1461
Plot Job Progress dialog box 1474
Plot Stamp dialog box 1481
Plot Style Table Editor
about 1861
Form View tab 1864
General tab 1862
Table View tab 1864
Plot Style Table Settings dialog box 1363
PLOTOFFSET system variable 2456
PLOTROTMODE system variable 2457
PLOTSTAMP command
about 1480
Advanced Options dialog box 1484
Plot Stamp dialog box 1481
User Defined Fields dialog box 1483
PLOTSTYLE command
about 1489
Current Plot Style dialog box 1490
Select Plot Style dialog box 1492
Plotter Configuration Editor 1495

Index | 2701

PLOTTERMANAGER command
about 1494
Add-a-Plotter wizard 1495
Advanced Settings for COM dialog
box 1510
Configure LPT Port dialog box 1508
Plotter Configuration Editor 1495
Settings for COM Port dialog
box 1509
PLOTTRANSPARENCYOVERRIDE system
variable 2457
PLQUIET system variable 2458
Plug-ins tab (Batch Standards
Checker) 2638
Plug-ins tab (Configure Standards dialog
box) 1845
PNG Image Options dialog box 1636
PNGOUT command 1511
POINT command 1512
Point Style dialog box 525
POINTCLOUD command 1514
POINTCLOUDATTACH command 1515
POINTCLOUDAUTOUPDATE system
variable 2459
POINTCLOUDDENSITY system
variable 2459
POINTCLOUDINDEX command 1518
POINTCLOUDLOCK system
variable 2460
POINTCLOUDRTDENSITY system
variable 2461
Pointer Input Settings dialog box 679
POINTLIGHT command 1519
Polar Tracking tab (Drafting Settings dialog
box) 668
POLARADDANG system variable 2461
POLARANG system variable 2462
POLARDIST system variable 2462
POLARMODE system variable 2463
POLYGON command 1523
POLYSIDES system variable 2463
POLYSOLID command 1525
POPUPS system variable 2464
Ports tab (Plotter Configuration
Editor) 1497
Position Locator window 76

2702 | Index

Precision Presets Manager 756
PRESSPULL command 1529
PREVIEW command 1531
PREVIEWEFFECT system variable 2464
PREVIEWFACEEFFECT system
variable 2465
PREVIEWFILTER system variable 2466
PREVIEWTYPE system variable 2466
Primary Units tab (New Dimension Style
dialog box) 633
PRODUCT system variable 2467
Profiles tab (Options dialog box) 1354
PROGRAM system variable 2467
Progress tab (Batch Standards
Checker) 2638
PROJECTGEOMETRY command 1533
PROJECTNAME system variable 2468
PROJMODE system variable 2468
PROPERTIES command
about 1535
Add Angle Value dialog box 1541
Add Distance Value dialog box 1541
Cell Border Properties dialog
box 1539
Lamp Color dialog box 1549
Lamp Intensity dialog box 1547
Lighting Properties dialog box 1542
Properties palette 1536
Properties palette
about 1536
general properties 1538
Properties tab (Edit Attribute dialog
box) 210
Properties tab (Enhanced Attribute
Editor) 719
Properties tab (Label Template dialog
box) 486
PROPERTIESCLOSE command 1550
Property Lookup Table dialog box 253
Property Settings dialog box 1082
PROXYGRAPHICS system variable 2469
PROXYNOTICE system variable 2469
PROXYSHOW system variable 2470
PROXYWEBSEARCH system
variable 2470
PSETUPIN command 1550

PSLTSCALE system variable 2471
PSOLHEIGHTsystem variable 2472
PSOLWIDTH system variable 2472
PSPACE command 1551
PSTYLEMODE system variable 2473
PSTYLEPOLICY system variable 2473
PSVPSCALE system variable 2474
Publish Block Template dialog box 1560
PUBLISH command
about 1552
Block Template Options dialog
box 1562
Confirm DWF Password dialog
box 1564
DWF Password dialog box 1563
Publish Block Template dialog
box 1560
Publish dialog box 1553
Publish Job Progress dialog
box 1564
Publish Options dialog box 1558
Publish dialog box 1553
Publish Job Progress dialog box 1564
Publish Options dialog box 1558
Publish Sheets dialog box 1748
Publish to Web wizard 1567
PUBLISHALLSHEETS system
variable 2474
PUBLISHCOLLATE system variable 2475
PUBLISHHATCH system variable 2476
PUBLISHTOWEB command 1566
PUCSBASE system variable 2476
PURGE command 1568
Purge dialog box 1569
PYRAMID command 1572

Q
QCCLOSE command 1575
QCSTATE system variable 2477
QDIM command 1576
QLEADER command
about 1577
Leader Settings dialog box 1578
QNEW command 1583
QPLOCATION system variable 2478

QPMODE system variable 2479
QSAVE command 1584
QSELECT command 1585
QTEXT command 1588
QTEXTMODE system variable 2479
Query Builder tab (Query Editor) 469
Query Editor
about 466
Query Builder tab 469
Quick Query tab 467
Range Query tab 468
SQL Query tab 472
Quick Properties tab (Drafting Settings
dialog box) 675
Quick Query tab (Query Editor) 467
Quick Select dialog box 1586
Quick Setup wizard 1273
QuickCalc calculator
about 1589
Category Definition dialog
box 1593
Variable Definition dialog box 1592
QUICKCALC command 1588
QUICKCUI command 1594
QUIT command 1595
QVDRAWING command 1595
QVDRAWINGCLOSE command 1596
QVDRAWINGPIN system variable 2480
QVLAYOUT command 1597
QVLAYOUTCLOSE command 1597
QVLAYOUTPIN system variable 2480

R
Range Query tab (Query Editor) 468
RASTERDPI system variable 2481
RASTERPERCENT system variable 2482
RASTERPREVIEW system variable 2482
RASTERTHRESHOLD system
variable 2483
RAY command 1599
RE-INIT system variable 2490
Re-initialization dialog box 1618
Rebuild Curve dialog box 405
Rebuild Surface dialog box 404
REBUILD2DCV system variable 2483

Index | 2703

REBUILD2DDEGREE system
variable 2484
REBUILD2DOPTION system
variable 2485
REBUILDDEGREEU system variable 2485
REBUILDDEGREEV system variable 2486
REBUILDOPTIONS system variable 2486
REBUILDU system variable 2487
REBUILDV system variable 2487
Record shortcut menu 463
RECOVER command 1601
RECOVERALL command
RECOVERAUTO system variable 2488
RECOVERYMODE system variable 2489
RECTANG command 1602
REDEFINE command 1604
REDO command 1604
REDRAW command 1605
REDRAWALL command 1606
REFCLOSE command 1606
REFEDIT command
about 1608
Edit Reference Ribbon contextual
tab 1609
Reference Edit dialog box 1609
REFEDITNAME system variable 2489
Reference Edit dialog box 1609
REFSET command 1613
REGEN command 1614
REGENALL command 1615
REGENAUTO command 1616
REGENMODE system variable 2490
REGION command 1617
REINIT command 1618
Reload Linetypes dialog box 1047
REMEMBERFOLDERS system
variable 2491
Rename & Renumber Sheet dialog
box 1752
Rename & Renumber View dialog
box 1754
RENAME command 1619
Rename dialog box 1620
RENDER command
about 1622

2704 | Index

BMP Image Options dialog
box 1630
JPEG Image Options dialog
box 1635
Missing Texture Maps dialog
box 1627
PCX Image Options dialog box 1631
PNG Image Options dialog
box 1636
Render Output File dialog box 1628
Render window 1623
Targa Image Options dialog
box 1632
TIFF Image Options dialog box 1633
Render Environment dialog box 1641
Render Output File dialog box 1628
Render Presets Manager 1646
Render window 1623
RENDERCROP command 1639
RENDERENVIRONMENT
command 1640
RENDEREXPOSURE command 1643
RENDERPREFSSTATE system
variable 2491
RENDERPRESETS command
about 1645
Copy Render Preset dialog box 1654
Render Presets Manager 1646
RENDERUSERLIGHTS system
variable 2492
RENDERWIN command 1655
Replace dialog box (DBCONNECT) 504
Replace tab (Find and Replace dialog
box) 391
REPORTERROR system variable 2493
RESETBLOCK command 1655
Resource Drawing Locations dialog
box 1768
RESUME command 1656
REVCLOUD command 1657
REVERSE command 1658
REVOLVE command
REVSURF command 1662
RIBBON command 1665–1666
Ribbon Contextual Tab State Options
dialog box 1370

RIBBONCONTEXTSELECT system
variable 2493
RIBBONCONTEXTSELLIM system
variable 2494
RIBBONDOCKEDHEIGHT system
variable 2494
RIBBONSELECTMODE system
variable 2495
RIBBONSTATE system variable 2495
Right-Click Customization dialog
box 1365
ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX system
variable 2496
ROLLOVEROPACITY system
variable 2497
ROLLOVERTIPS system variable 2497
ROTATE command 1666
ROTATE3D command 1667
RPREF command
about 1670
Advanced Render Settings
palette 1672
Output Size dialog box 1680
RPREFCLOSE command 1681
RSCRIPT command 1681
RTDISPLAY system variable 2498
RULESURF command 1682

S
Save as DWF dialog box 752
Save as DWFx dialog box 760
Save as PDF dialog box 762
Save Block As dialog box 275
SAVE command 1685
Save Workspace dialog box 2102
SAVEAS command
about 1686
Saveas Options dialog box 1688
Template Options dialog box 1687
Saveas Options dialog box 1688
SAVEFIDELITY system variable 2500
SAVEFILE system variable 2500
SAVEFILEPATH system variable 2500
SAVEIMG command 1691
SAVENAME system variable 2501

SAVETIME system variable 2501
SCALE command 1691
SCALELISTEDIT command
about 1693
Add Scale dialog box 1696
Edit Scale dialog box 1697
Edit Scale List dialog box 1694
SCALETEXT command 1698
SCREENBOXES system variable 2502
SCREENMENU system variable 2502
SCREENMODE system variable 2503
SCREENSIZE system variable 2503
SCRIPT command 1700
Search dialog box 100
Search Folders dialog box 2635
Search tabs (Search dialog box) 101
SECTION command 1700
Section Settings dialog box 1709
SECTIONPLANE command 1704
SECTIONPLANEJOG command 1707
SECTIONPLANESETTINGS command
about 1708
New Layer Name dialog box 1714
Section Settings dialog box 1709
SECTIONPLANETOBLOCK command
about 1715
Generate Section / Elevation dialog
box 1717
Security Options dialog box 1719
SECURITYOPTIONS command
about 1718
Advanced Options dialog box 1721
Confirm Password dialog box 1720
Security Options dialog box 1719
SEEK command 1722
Select a Buzzsaw Location dialog
box 1304
Select a Database Object dialog box 505
Select Block dialog box 1775
Select Color dialog box
about 337
Color Books tab 343
Index Color tab 338
True Color tab 340
SELECT command 1722
Select Data Object dialog box 506

Index | 2705

Select Layer States dialog box 1003
Select Layers to Add to Layer State dialog
box 1002
Select Layout as Sheet Template dialog
box 1749
Select Linetype dialog box 982
Select Place in Document dialog box 920
Select Plot Style dialog box 1492
Select Project dialog box 2019
Select Similar Settings dialog box 1727
Selection Cycling tab (Draft settings dialog
box) 677
Selection Modes command
modifier 2137
Selection tab (Options dialog box) 1349
SELECTIONANNODISPLAY system
variable 2504
SELECTIONAREA system variable 2504
SELECTIONAREAOPACITY system
variable 2505
SELECTIONCYCLING system
variable 2505
SELECTIONPREVIEW system
variable 2506
SELECTSIMILAR command 1727
SELECTSIMILARMODE system
variable 2507
Send to 3D Print Service dialog box 59
Set Cell Format dialog box 437
Set Default i-drop Content Type dialog
box 1731
SETBYLAYER command 1728
SetByLayer dialog box 1729
SETBYLAYERMODE system
variable 2508
SETIDROPHANDLER command
about 1730
i-drop Options dialog box 1731
Set Default i-drop Content Type dialog
box 1731
Settings dialog box 1023
Settings for COM Port dialog box 1509
Settings tab (Reference Edit dialog
box) 1611
Settings tab (UCS dialog box) 1989
SETVAR command 1732

2706 | Index

SHADEDGE system variable 2508
SHADEDIF system variable 2509
SHADEMODE command 1733
SHADOWPLANELOCATION system
variable 2509
SHAPE command 1734
Share with Autodesk Seek dialog
box 1736
SHAREWITHSEEK command 1735
Sheet List tab (Sheet Set Manager) 1739
Sheet Properties dialog box 1769
Sheet Selection dialog box 1771
Sheet Set Custom Properties dialog
box 1765
Sheet Set Manager
about 1738
Model Views tab 1744
Sheet List tab 1739
Sheet Views tab 1743
Sheet Set Properties dialog box 1764
Sheet Views tab (Sheet Set
Manager) 1743
Sheets tab (Archive a Sheet Set dialog
box) 136
Sheets tab (Create Transmittal dialog
box) 733
SHEETSET command
about 1737
Add Custom Property dialog
box 1766
Edit Sheet List Table Settings dialog
box 1761
Import Layouts as Sheets dialog
box 1755
Insert Sheet List Table dialog
box 1756
List of Blocks dialog box 1774
New Sheet dialog box 1750
New Sheet Selection dialog
box 1770
Publish Sheets dialog box 1748
Rename & Renumber Sheet dialog
box 1752
Rename & Renumber View dialog
box 1754

Resource Drawing Locations dialog
box 1768
Select Block dialog box 1775
Select Layout as Sheet Template dialog
box 1749
Sheet Properties dialog box 1769
Sheet Selection dialog box 1771
Sheet Set Custom Properties dialog
box 1765
Sheet Set Manager 1738
Sheet Set Properties dialog box 1764
Subset Properties dialog box 1746
View Category dialog box 1773
SHEETSETHIDE command 1776
SHELL command 1776
SHORTCUTMENU system variable 2510
Shot Properties tab (New View dialog
box) 2034
SHOWHIST system variable 2511
SHOWLAYERUSAGE system
variable 2511
SHOWMOTIONPIN system
variable 2512
SHOWPALETTES command 1777
SHPNAME system variable 2513
SIGVALIDATE command
about 1777
Digital Signature Contents dialog
box 1779
Validate Digital Signatures dialog
box 1778
SIGWARN system variable 2513
SKETCH command 1781
SKETCHINC system variable 2514
SKPOLY system variable 2514–2515
SKYSTATUS system variable 2515
SLICE command 1783
SLIDELIB utility 2640
Smooth panel (Mesh Object
Ribbon) 1131
SMOOTHMESHCONVERT system
variable 2516
SMOOTHMESHGRID system
variable 2516
SMOOTHMESHMAXFACE system
variable 2517

SMOOTHMESHMAXLEV system
variable 2517
Snap and Grid tab (Drafting Settings dialog
box) 664
SNAP command 1789
SNAPANG system variable 2518
SNAPBASE system variable 2518
SNAPISOPAIR system variable 2519
SNAPMODE system variable 2519
SNAPSTYL system variable 2520
SNAPTYPE system variable 2520
SNAPUNIT system variable 2521
SOLDRAW command 1791
SOLID command
SOLIDCHECK system variable 2521
SOLIDEDIT command 1794
SOLIDHIST system variable 2522
SOLPROF command 1811
SOLVIEW command 1813
Sort Columns dialog box 433
Sort dialog box 506
SORTENTS system variable 2523
SPACETRANS command 1818
Speckle Property Settings dialog
box 1095
SPELL command
about 1819
Check Spelling dialog box 1820
Check Spelling Settings dialog
box 1822
Dictionaries dialog box 1824
Manage Custom Dictionaries dialog
box 1826
SPHERE command 1827
SPLDEGREE system variable 2523
SPLFRAME system variable 2524
SPLINE command 1829
SPLINEDIT command 1834
SPLINESEGS system variable 2524
SPLINETYPE system variable 2525
SPLKNOTS system variable 2525
SPLMETHOD system variable 2526
SPOTLIGHT command 1840
SQL Query tab (Query Editor) 472
SSFOUND system variable 2526
SSLOCATE system variable 2527

Index | 2707

SSMAUTOOPEN system variable 2527
SSMPOLLTIME system variable 2528
SSMSHEETSTATUS system variable 2528
SSMSTATE system variable 2529
Stack Properties dialog box 1237
Standard File Selection dialog
boxes 1296
STANDARDS command
about 1843
CAD Standards Settings dialog
box 1846
Configure Standards dialog
box 1844
Standards tab (Batch Standards
Checker) 2637
Standards tab (Configure Standards dialog
box) 1844
STANDARDSVIOLATION system
variable 2530
Startup Suite dialog box 129
STARTUP system variable 2530
Statistics tab (Drawing Properties dialog
box) 710
STATUS command 1848
STATUSBAR system variable 2531
SteeringWheels Settings dialog box 1262
STEPSIZE system variable 2531
STEPSPERSEC system variable 2532
STLOUT command 1850
STRETCH command 1852
STYLE command 1854
STYLESMANAGER command
about 1859
Add-a-Plot-Style-Table wizard 1860
Edit Lineweights dialog box 1868
Plot Style Table Editor 1861
SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE system
variable 2532
Subset Properties dialog box 1746
Subsets and Sheets tab (Insert Sheet List
Table Dialog Box) 1760
Substitute DWF Name dialog box 699
SUBTRACT command 1869
Summary tab (Drawing Properties dialog
box) 708
Sun Properties window 1873

2708 | Index

SUNPROPERTIES command 1871
SUNPROPERTIESCLOSE command 1875
SUNPROPERTIESSTATE system
variable 2536
SUNSTATUS system variable 2537
SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY system
variable 2537
SURFACEASSOCIATIVITYDRAG system
variable 2538
SURFACEAUTOTRIM system
variable 2539
SURFACEMODELINGMODE system
variable 2539
SURFBLEND command 1876
SURFFILLET command 1878
SURFNETWORK command 1879
SURFOFFSET command 1881
SURFPATCH command 1884
SURFSCULPT command 1885
SURFTAB1 system variable 2540
SURFTAB2 system variable 2540
SURFTRIM command 1887
SURFTYPE system variable 2541
SURFU system variable 2541
SURFUNTRIM command 1889
SURFV system variable 2542
SWEEP command 1890
Symbol dialog box 1952
Synchronize dialog box 508
SYSCODEPAGE system variable 2542
System tab (Options dialog box) 1336
SYSWINDOWS command 1893

T
Table Cell Format dialog box 1919
TABLE command
about 1895
Insert Table dialog box 1896
Manage Cell Content dialog
box 1905
Table Data tab (Insert Sheet List Table
Dialog Box) 1758
Table Ribbon contextual tab (Insert Table
dialog box) 1900
Table Style dialog box 1909

Table View tab (Plot Style Table
Editor) 1864
TABLEDIT command 1907
TABLEEXPORT command 1907
TABLEINDICATOR system variable 2543
TABLESTYLE command
about 1908
Additional Format dialog box 1921
Create New Cell Style dialog
box 1917
Create New Table Style dialog
box 1910
Manage Cell Styles dialog box 1918
Modify Table Style dialog box 1911
New Table Style dialog box 1911
Table Cell Format dialog box 1919
Table Style dialog box 1909
TABLET command 1922
TABLETOOLBAR system variable 2544
TABMODE system variable 2545
TABSURF command 1926
Targa Image Options dialog box 1632
TARGET system variable 2545
TARGETPOINT command 1928
TASKBAR command 1931
TBCUSTOMIZE system variable 2546
TDCREATE system variable 2546
TDINDWG system variable 2547
TDUCREATE system variable 2547
TDUPDATE system variable 2547
TDUSRTIMER system variable 2548
TDUUPDATE system variable 2548
Template Options dialog box 1687
TEMPOVERRIDES system variable 2549
TEMPPREFIX system variable 2549
TEXT command 1932
Text Formatting toolbar 1223
Text Options tab (Edit Attribute dialog
box) 209
Text Options tab (Enhanced Attribute
Editor) 718
Text shortcut menu 1936
Text Style dialog box 1855
Text tab (New Dimension Style dialog
box) 624
TEXTED system variable 2550

TEXTEDIT command 1940
TEXTEVAL system variable 2550
TEXTFILL system variable 2551
TEXTOUTPUTFILEFORMAT system
variable 2551
TEXTQLTY system variable 2552
TEXTSCR command 1941
TEXTSIZE system variable 2552
TEXTSTYLE system variable 2553
TEXTTOFRONT command 1941
Texture Editor
about 1088
Map Property Settings dialog
box 1089
THICKEN command 1942
THICKNESS system variable 2553
Thumbnail Preview Settings dialog
box 1362
THUMBSIZE system variable 2554
TIFF Image Options dialog box 1633
TIFOUT command 1943
TILEMODE system variable 2554
Tiles Property Settings dialog box 1095
TIME command
TIMEZONE system variable 2558
TINSERT command 1945
TOLERANCE command
about 1947
Geometric Tolerance dialog
box 1948
Material Condition dialog box 1953
Symbol dialog box 1952
Tolerances tab (New Dimension Style
dialog box) 640
Tool Properties dialog box 1959
TOOLBAR command 1954
TOOLPALETTES command
about 1956
Add Actions dialog box 1960
Tool Properties dialog box 1959
View Options dialog box 1958
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE command 1961
Tooltip Appearance dialog box 682
TOOLTIPMERGE system variable 2559
TOOLTIPS system variable 2559
TORUS command 1961

Index | 2709

TPNAVIGATE command 1963
TPSTATE system variable 2560
TRACE command 1963
TRACEWID system variable 2560
Tracking command modifier 2136
TRACKPATH system variable 2561
Transfer tab (Customize User Interface
dialog box) 387
Transmittal - Set Password dialog
box 744
Transmittal Setups dialog box 736
TRANSPARENCY command 1964
Transparency dialog box 1373
TRANSPARENCYDISPLAY system
variable 2561
Tray Settings dialog box 1966
TRAYICONS system variable 2562
TRAYNOTIFY system variable 2562
TRAYSETTINGS command 1965
TRAYTIMEOUT system variable 2563
Tree View shortcut menu 971
TREEDEPTH system variable 2563
TREEMAX system variable 2564
TREESTAT command 1967
TRIM command 1968
TRIMMODE system variable 2565
True Color tab (Select Color dialog
box) 340
TSPACEFAC system variable 2565
TSPACETYPE system variable 2566
TSTACKALIGN system variable 2566
TSTACKSIZE system variable 2566

U
U command 1973
UCS command 1974
UCS Details dialog box 1991
UCS dialog box 1986
UCS Icon dialog box 1984
UCSAXISANG system variable 2567
UCSBASE system variable 2568
UCSDETECT system variable 2568
UCSFOLLOW system variable 2569
UCSICON command 1981
UCSICON system variable 2570

2710 | Index

UCSMAN command
about 1985
Orthographic UCS Depth dialog
box 1990
UCS Details dialog box 1991
UCS dialog box 1986
UCSNAME system variable 2570
UCSORG system variable 2571
UCSORTHO system variable 2571
UCSVIEW system variable 2572
UCSVP system variable 2572
UCSXDIR system variable 2573
UCSYDIR system variable 2573
ULAYERS command 1992
UNDEFINE command 1993
Underlay Layers dialog box 1993
UNDO command 1995
UNDOCTL system variable 2574
UNDOMARKS system variable 2574
UNION command 1998
UNISOLATEOBJECTS command 1999
UNITMODE system variable 2575
UNITS command
about 2000
Direction Control dialog box 2004
Drawing Units dialog box 2001
Unload Customizations dialog box 395
UOSNAP system variable 2575
Update PC3 File with New Printer dialog
box 1475
UPDATEFIELD command 2006
UPDATETHUMBNAIL system
variable 2576
UPDATETHUMBSNOW command 2007
User Defined Fields dialog box 1483
User Preferences tab (Options dialog
box) 1339
USERI1-5 system variable 2577
USERR1-5 system variable 2577
USERS1-5 system variable 2577

V
Validate Digital Signatures dialog
box 1778
Variable Definition dialog box 1592

VBA Manager
about 2014
VBA Options dialog box 2020
VBAIDE command 2009
VBALOAD command 2010
VBAMAN command 2013
VBARUN command
about 2016
Macros dialog box 2017
Select Project dialog box 2019
VBA Options dialog box 2020
VBASTMT command 2022
VBAUNLOAD command 2022
View Category dialog box 1773
VIEW command
about 2023
Adjust Background Image dialog
box 2041
Adjust Sun & Sky Background dialog
box 2039
Background dialog box 2037
New View dialog box 2029
View Manager 2024
View Manager 2024
View of This Drawing tab (Insert Hyperlink
dialog box) 917
View Options dialog box 1958
View Properties tab (New View dialog
box) 2030, 2032
View Transitions dialog box 2080
VIEWCTR system variable 2579
ViewCube Settings dialog box 1266
VIEWDIR system variable 2580
VIEWGO command 2045
VIEWMODE system variable 2581
VIEWPLAY command 2046
VIEWPLOTDETAILS command
about 2046
Plot and Publish Details dialog
box 2047
Plot and Publish Status Bar Icon
shortcut menu 2048
Viewpoint Presets dialog box 527
Viewports dialog box 2070
VIEWRES command 2049
VIEWSIZE system variable 2581

VIEWTWIST system variable 2581
Visibility States dialog box 285
VISRETAIN system variable 2582
Visual Effect Settings dialog box 1368
Visual Styles Manager 2052
VISUALSTYLES command
about 2050
Create New Visual Style dialog
box 2060
Edit Name and Description dialog
box 2060
Visual Styles Manager 2052
VISUALSTYLESCLOSE command 2062
VLISP command 2062
VPCLIP command 2063
VPLAYER command 2064
VPLAYEROVERRIDES system
variable 2583
VPLAYEROVERRIDESMODE system
variable 2583
VPMAX command 2067
VPMAXIMIZEDSTATE system
variable 2584
VPMIN command 2067
VPOINT command 2068
VPORTS command 2070
VPROTATEASSOC system variable 2584
VSACURVATUREHIGH system
variable 2585
VSACURVATURELOW system
variable 2585
VSACURVATURETYPE system
variable 2586
VSADRAFTANGLEHIGH system
variable 2586
VSADRAFTANGLELOW system
variable 2587
VSAZEBRACOLOR1 system
variable 2588
VSAZEBRACOLOR2 system
variable 2588
VSAZEBRADIRECTION system
variable 2589
VSAZEBRASIZE system variable 2589
VSAZEBRATYPE system variable 2590
VSBACKGROUNDS system variable 2590

Index | 2711

VSCURRENT command 2077
VSEDGECOLOR system variable 2591
VSEDGEJITTER system variable 2592
VSEDGELEX system variable 2593
VSEDGEOVERHANG system
variable 2594
VSEDGES system variable 2596
VSEDGESMOOTH system variable 2596
VSFACECOLORMODE system
variable 2597
VSFACEHIGHLIGHT system
variable 2598
VSFACEOPACITY system variable 2599
VSFACESTYLE system variable 2599
VSHALOGAP system variable 2600
VSHIDEPRECISION system variable 2600
VSINTERSECTIONCOLOR system
variable 2601
VSINTERSECTIONEDGES system
variable 2602
VSINTERSECTIONLTYPE system
variable 2603
VSISOONTOP system variable 2603
VSLIDE command 2079
VSLIGHTINGQUALITY system
variable 2604
VSMATERIALMODE system
variable 2605
VSMAX system variable 2605
VSMIN system variable 2606
VSMONOCOLOR system variable 2606
VSOBSCUREDCOLOR system
variable 2607
VSOBSCUREDEDGES system
variable 2607
VSOBSCUREDLTYPE system
variable 2609
VSOCCLUDEDCOLOR system
variable 2610
VSOCCLUDEDEDGES system
variable 2610
VSOCCLUDEDLTYPE system
variable 2612
VSSAVE command 2079
VSSHADOWS system variable 2613
VSSILHEDGES system variable 2615

2712 | Index

VSSILHWIDTH system variable 2615
VSSTATE system variable 2616
VTDURATION system variable 2616
VTENABLE system variable 2617
VTFPS system variable 2617
VTOPTIONS command 2080

W
Walk and Fly Navigation Mappings dialog
box 78
Walk and Fly Settings dialog box 2084
WALKFLYSETTINGS command
Waves Property Settings dialog box 1096
WBLOCK command 2086
WEBLIGHT command 2090
WEDGE command 2093
WHIPARC system variable 2619
WHIPTHREAD system variable 2620
WHOHAS command 2095
WINDOWAREACOLOR system
variable 2621
WIPEOUT command 2096
WMF In Options dialog box 2100
WMFBKGND system variable 2621
WMFFOREGND system variable 2622
WMFIN command 2097
WMFOPTS command 2100
WMFOUT command 2101
Wood Property Settings dialog box 1097
WORKSPACE command 2101
Workspace Settings dialog box 2103
WORLDUCS system variable 2623
WORLDVIEW system variable 2623
Write Block dialog box 2087
WRITESTAT system variable 2624
WSAUTOSAVE system variable 2624
WSCURRENT system variable 2625
WSSAVE command 2102
WSSETTINGS command 2103

X
XATTACH command
about 2105

Attach External Reference dialog
box 2107
External Reference Ribbon contextual
tab 2109
XBIND command 2110
Xbind dialog box 2111
XCLIP command 2113
XCLIPFRAME system variable 2626
XDWGFADECTL system variable 2626
XEDGES command 2115
XEDIT system variable 2627
XFADECTL system variable 2627
XLINE command 2116
XLOADCTL system variable 2628
XLOADPATH system variable 2629

XOPEN command 2118
XPLODE command 2120
XREF command 2122
XREFCTL system variable 2629
XREFNOTIFY system variable 2630
XREFTYPE system variable 2630

Z
Zebra Analysis tab (Analysis Options dialog
box) 114
ZOOM command 2127
Zoom shortcut menu 2132
ZOOMFACTOR system variable 2631
ZOOMWHEEL system variable 2632

Index | 2713

2714


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Modify Date                     : 2010:05:20 12:16:55
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