We have discussed how we can define wall structure horizontally.

Now the problem is, how can we define the structure vertically? We have discussed how we can add reveals and sweeps to do this. In this article, let us discuss how we can create a vinyl siding wall as example. The common way (and probably most suggested) to do this is simply using horizontal lines pattern, not actually creating real 3D forms. And later, we can use drafting tools to add details for the vinyl siding wall.

The reason why we do this is creating many horizontal sweeps/reveals can take much of your computer resources. When you are modeling a large building, this can be a problem. Of course, there are a downside: you have to take care the details later, manually.

Now, vinyl siding wall commonly used for simple houses, not multi story building. So I guess it is save if we create a real 3D vinyl siding, it would be acceptable.

Creating Reveal Profile

Create a new profile. Use Metric Profile-Reveal.rft (or Profile-Reveal.rft for imperial).

You need to define how your vinyl siding layer will be cut by this profile. Create reveal like below. Pay attention to the wall location. I use 250×80 as the outline. Remember this value, we are going to need it when defining our wall.

Save this file, and load it to your project.

Now why are we using reveal instead of sweep? You will see the difference later in the comparison section.

Applying the Wall Reveal

In your project, choose one of the wall type you want to modify. In this example I use generic 200mm. Duplicate, and add one more layer as your vinyl siding layer. Change the height to match your sweep profile.

To enable us adding reveal, change the view to section. Change it from drop down selection below the preview area.

In the modify vertical structure group, click reveal.

This will open another dialog box. Click add below this dialog to add a reveal definition. Select the reveal profile you created previously in the profile column. If you haven’t loaded it, click load profile.

Define the distance from base. Do it several times until it reach the highest wall in your design.

We are done. Click OK and close all the dialogs.

Now try to create walls and see how it looks like. I think this is quite nice :)

Comparison

Now let us get to (probably) some question you will ask.

Why not creating one reveal profile like below, so we don’t need to create many reveal parameters?

It doesn’t work as expected when we place door. See image below. The wall above the door will loose the reveals. I’m not sure why the window don’t have the same effects. I suspect this has something to do with the opening in the family. If that’s true, then creating the table is much easier than you modify your whole door family.

So why are we using reveal instead of sweep?

If we use reveal, it only remove part of existing wall. No wall, then it’s not showing. Sweep, will remain visible even if you have wall height less than your defined vinyl siding height.

This is unacceptable when we need to attach our wall to roof or having the top side of our wall is not horizontal.

I know there are some major CAD blogs already cover this. However, just in case you miss it I also post about it here.

I consider this is very interesting. AutoCAD has many tools that you can use to achieve the same thing. That is exactly why I had the AutoCAD tips competition at the first place. Sharing your tips, and the others will compare and suggest the other work around. Unfortunately can’t attract many people to get involved.

This plugin work the same way. It will notice and compare your workflow… and suggest other tool that might help you to increase your productivity. It will also help the others suggesting to use your workflow too…

So what are you waiting for? Download it from Autodesk labs now.

AutoCAD Tips competition has reach the deadline. There are many interesting submission, and as promised, the winners will be announce next Monday. These is the list of tips submitted. However, I do feel that the contestant are not trying to submit their favorite post, but their best tips they can write. Nothing wrong with that, but it makes many people are not willing to submit their tips, and feel it’s too hard. You actually can link to any page on internet where you find interesting tips for you, and not necessarily create your own.

However, the competition has ended. And these are the favorite tips submitted and pass to be selected by the judges.

*This tips order is arranged by their submission time.

**If there are macro or AutoLISP codes, you will need to retype them. This site platform will convert the codes to something else that not recognize by programming language.

1. Load AutoLISP Every Time You Start AutoCAD

If you use some AutoLISP frequently in AutoCAD, you will want to have them automatically loaded every time you start AutoCAD and not reload them every time you start AutoCAD. You can do it by using startup suite.

When you load application with APPLOAD, add your frequently used application to startup suite.

This tip was submitted by Puji.

2. Using Your Own Hatch Pattern

One of the frustration for us, metric users, is many AutoCAD pattern don’t work properly with metric unit. Especially ANSI. Using pattern sometimes is the fastest, for example when we want to create 300×300mm ceramic tile. So we need to create our own pattern for 1×1mm.

Load it in custom pattern tab, and you can use the same scale as you wanted without conversion.

This tip was submitted by Murni Kesuma Ayu.

Some explanation from me:

There are also many pattern you can download and probably you also want to create your own :) You need to place the pattern in a folder that’s defined in ‘support file search path’. If you want to create your own folder for better file management, then you will need to add your own folder here.

3. Zoom Extent While Using Tools

When we use a modification command (such as copy, array, etc) sometimes we can’t see the whole drawing and need to REGEN or Zoom Extent. Scrolling your mouse is simply don’t work. Most people will press [esc] quickly, zoom extent, and restart the tool. However, when we use a tool with many properties, this can be frustrating. We need to reset many properties from the start.

We can zoom extent when a tool is active. You can simply click the zoom extent from ribbon (or toolbar).

This Tip is submitted by Setiadi.

Additional Tips From Me

You can also use single quote before Z (‘Z) if you prefer command line.

4. Use Both Hand to Work Faster

It is always faster to work with both hands. That’s why every application has shortcuts. Even many modern web pages has it. So have you used AutoCAD command alias as shortcuts?

This tips was submitted by Halim.

Additional Information From Me

You can see the complete list of these command alias in acad.pgp, and you can also customize them.

5. Switch between Trim and Extend Quickly

While you are working with trim, you can switch to extend quickly, without having to activate other tool and reselect the boundary. You can press [shift] to switch it.

This tip was submitted by Murray Clack

Additional Information from Me

Pressing [shift] when using extend will also switch the command to trim.

6. Use EXTRIM to Trim Quickly

If you need to trim many objects with one boundary (not working for more than one) this is very useful. You only need to select the boundary, then which side you want to trim. All objects crossing that boundary will be trimmed.

This tip was submitted by Ibud Sumardi

7. Setting Grids Within a Limit

I’m not really sure if many people still using limits at the moment. But apparently it is still useful. If you want to draw using grids, and want your grids appear only within a certain paper size, you can set the limits to do that.

Command: limits

Reset Model space limits:
Specify lower left corner or [ON/OFF] <0.0000,0.0000>:

Specify upper right corner <420.0000,297.0000>:

This tip was submitted by Murni Kesuma Ayu

8. Masking in Block Attributes

It was impossible to add masking in your block attributes before. But since Autodesk add multiple line features in block attributes, now we can do that.

This of course will take many advantages from multiline text (not all), not just using simple single line text!

This tips was submitted by Murray Clack

Additional Information:

Murray also mention about using fraction and stacking in attributes, but I still can’t manage to use it. I will update this when I can clarify about this fraction and stacking. Probably it was just me :)

9. Duplicate Block Definition

When we want to create a similar block from existing block, do you know that we can save the block as? I didn’t :)

This is some thing I missed, and probably you miss it too. This is very useful especially when we are working on a dynamic block with many parameters.

This tips was submitted by Murray Clack

10. Using DIMROTATED Instead of DIMALIGNED

Do you ever have problem when dimensioning when the objects are staggered? Using DIMALIGNED can’t do this. A great tip from Murray mention that we can use DIMROTATED.

There is no documentation or toolbar about it, but I’m sure you will find it really useful!

This tips was submitted by Murray Clack

11. Finally Purge “$AUDIT_BAD_LAYER”

$AUDIT_BAD_LAYER is a layer created when you run audit tool. This layer is kind of persistent and looks hard to remove. But actually.. it is very simple:

To finally purge that annoying $AUDIT_BAD_LAYER layer, simply do the following:

1. Run the AUDIT command
2. Run the PURGE command to get rid of the $AUDIT_BAD_LAYER layer
3. SAVE the drawing and QUIT
4. Reopen the drawing, and the $AUDIT_BAD_LAYER layer will be gone!

This tips was submitted by Murray Clack

12. Navigate Between Model Space and Paperspace with Hyperlinks

Below is a step-by-step process that helps you quickly navigate between Modelspace orientations and multiple Layout tabs using Saved Views and Hyperlinks (this tip is lengthy, but so worth the effort).

1. While in a Layout tab, use the VIEW command to save a view name (usually, I would name the view based on whatever the sheet number would be, like “A101”)
2. Then, draw a closed pline around the perimeter of a Viewport (either on Layer “defpoints” or a unique layer set to “no plot”), and then use the CHSPACE command to send the pline into Modelspace through that Viewport.
3. With your cursor still within Modelspace via inside the Viewport, save a new view name to something reflecting what is going on within the viewport and including the sheet number (eg. “Plan 1 – A101”), and then bring your cursor back into the Layout environment (ie. PSPACE command)
4. Enter the command HYPERLINK
5. When prompted to “Select Objects”, select the Viewport boundary that you just saved a view in.
6. When the “Edit Hyperlink” dialog box appears, click on the “View of this Drawing” button
7. Expand the Model tree by clicking on the “+” symbol, select the view name you just created, and then click the OK button

Now, hold down your Ctrl key, and click once on the Viewport boundary with your left mouse button. AutoCAD will then switch to Modelspace and zoom into the area of the saved Modelspace view that you created earlier – and you will also see the closed pline that you sent through the Viewport.

To get back to the Layout tab, repeat steps 4 through 7, but this time, select the closed pline and select the saved view for the Layout.

This tips was submitted by Murray Clack

13. Create a Circular Wipeout

As you may or may not know, you cannot create a wipeout using a circle, only a closed pline without any arcs. Instead, use the POLYGON command.

1. Enter the command POLYGON,
2. When prompted to enter the number of sides, enter a value of 36 which will create a closed pline that looks just like a circle.
3. The use the WIPEOUT command like you normally would, and select the 36-sided pline

I use 36 sides because it looks just like a circle without having too many vertices that make the closed pline too “busy”

This tips was submitted by Murray Clack

14. The Basic of Using AutoCAD Tools

This tips was chosen by Egyherlim, he is referring to a post in CAD Notes: The basic of using AutoCAD tools. He said this is very useful for him when switching from UG NX to AutoCAD. I’m surprised that he was switching to AutoCAD (not Inventor), however it does feel great that I know my simple tips are useful.

Using most AutoCAD drawing tools can be used the same way.

1. Click the tool to activate it.
2. Follow the instructions.
3. Change the options if necessary.
4. Some tools will end after you define points, like rectangle and circle. Some other tools require you to end it manually, press [Enter] to do it.

This tips was submitted by Egyherlim

15. Make use of more then one search folder in the Printer Configuration Search Path

…And how users then can have their own space for managing their PC3 files.

The Printer Configuration Search Path in Options allows you to assign only one folder. But the trick here is that it will search for PC3 files in all sub folders too. All PC3 files will be seen in AutoCAD as if there is only one location.
As a CAD manager you can separate PC3 files into sub folders for maintenace purposes. I.e for several clients or projects.
But what I like most about this that you can add a folder shortcut into this search folder which will point to the user’s (home) folder.

This way the user can create and manage his/her own PC3 files while the ones assigned in the Printer Configuration Search Path are (should be) only managed by the CAD manager. This trick will also work with the Plot Style Table Search Path so users can manage their own Plot Styles aside from the ones configurated by the CAD manager.

This tip was submitted by Edward Winter

16. Removing Datalinks in XREF manager

When we use datalinks in our drawing, the reference datalinks are seen on xref manager. And when we do not need anymore the datalink, we can remove the datalink but not on the xref manager lists. One guy asked this in one forum, here is my workaround tip for him.

1. Rename the dxe file so that it will be not found then save drawing, just to make sure it is not found or not referenced.
2. Copy and Paste the code below to the commandline then press enter, save drawing, close it then reopen again.

Code:
(dictremove (namedobjdict) “ACAD_DATALINK”)

When you open again the Xref Manager, it is now clean

This tip was submitted by Ronald Maneja

17. Using User Defined Fields

Fields are always useful. One of the submission is using user defined fields in file of Sheet Set Manager (DTS file) for automatic fill text field in label of drawings. He also provides sample here.

This tip was submitted by Josef Remes

18. Using Annotation Scaling

Annotation scaling allow us to use different scales for dimensions and viewports in one drawing. Trick is in using annotative dimensions and setup scales in properties dialog of viewport. Sample of a viewport’s properties dialog.

This tip was submitted by Josef Remes

Additional Info: You can see details about annotation scaling here.

19. More About Dimension Properties

Dimension style has so many properties. You probably want to find out more about:

- Set mask as background in dimension style for better view a value of dimension
- Learn more about character for create dimension a openings and use special characters for it.

You can see the screenshots here.

This tip was submitted by Josef Remes

20. Extend/Trim to Edge Using Fillet/Chamfer Tool

Create right angle via command chamfer of fillet with setup values of chamfering to 0. Nice character of this command is possibility to join lines to polylines. You can simply draw first entity as polyline and then use chamfer; first select polyne, then line and result is one polyline.

This tip was submitted by Josef Remes

Additional Tip from me: You can hold [shift] and pick your objects without changing the distance/radius variable. This [shift] tips is also submitted by Vivian Carvalho.

21. Using Text Field to Show Area

Another use of fields. Using text field for get area from polyline… it’s great for counting room places with curved shape.

This tip was submitted by Josef Remes

22. Using Your Own Zoom Shortcuts

As one of the posts here rightly says the use of left hand on the keyboard & the right one on the mouse. I take a little more sharp turn on this. Change your command aliases in such a way that you use only the keys on the left hand of the keyboard.

Zoom in & zoom previous are the commands which we require very frequently. I like to do it with very simple lisp. “zx” for zoom extents & “zs” for zoom previous. As I said earlier both of these command fit on the left side of the keyboard & are very easy to access. Here are the short lisps for your reference,

;FOR ZOOM EXTENTS
(defun c:zx()
(command “zoom” “E”))

;FOR ZOOM PREVIOUS;
(defun c:zs()
(command “zoom” “p”))

This tip was submitted by Vivian Carvalho

23. LISP for Print without Dialog Box

This command is the most favorite in my company. It prints in clicks. Complete the page setup & then just type “pp” & enter while in layout. No need of seeing that print dialog box again & again. Here is the lisp for your reference.

;THIS LISP IS FOR PLOTTING IN ONE CLICK- IN LAYOUTS ONLY
(defun c:pp()
(princ “Prints in one click,provided layout is set.
\n Made easy by Vivian Carvalho”)
(setvar “cmdecho” 0)
(command “plot” “n” “” “” “” “n” “n” “y”))

This tip was submitted by Vivian Carvalho

24. Using Zero Fillet without Changing the radius

We all require to make zero fillets many a times. But the fillet command remembers the last radius we have input which is controlled by a system variable “filletrad”. To make zero fillets we need not change the radius every time. It is easily done by the use of shift key.

Simply activate the fillet command (by toolbar or the shortcut key) then press & hold down the shift key & select the lines you want to fillet. This overrides the “filletrad” variable, while still maintaining it after the command is over.

This tip was submitted by Vivian Carvalho

25. Offsetting an entity to the current layer

When we invoke the offset command the following appears on the command line

“Specify offset distance or [Through/Erase/Layer] : “
On this instance type in “L”
The command line will say
“Enter layer option for offset objects [Current/Source] : “
On this instance type “c” & continue the command as usual. Now all the new entities will be drawn in the current layer.

This tip was submitted by Vivian Carvalho

Thank You

Thank you for all participants. I will announce the winners next week. The judges will select their winners within one week.

MicroStation levels are used to separate and distinguish your drawing objects. When the drawing become complex, you will need to control the object appearances. You will need to show them in different colors, different line weight, and different line style… or you may need to show/hide objects in a certain category. You can use levels and their attributes for this purpose.

You can group object in the same category in a level. This is probably has the same concept with reference files (will be covered later). Imagine you draw in a paper. After you have done, you want to add more objects in different category, but you don’t want to mess your previous drawing. So you take a transparent paper and place it above your previous drawing. You draw on that transparent paper. When you need to see the original drawing, you simply remove the transparent paper. But when you need to see the complete drawing, you place the transparent paper. When your drawing become more complex, you will need more transparent papers. Each paper is level. And unlike the transparent paper, MicroStation levels are much more convenient and virtually unlimited. Not really, but I believe you will never use more than MicroStation has provided.

Managing Levels and Controlling Level Display

MicroStation Level Manager

You can create, delete, and manage your levels in MicroStation level manager. To open level manager, you can access MicroStation menu: Settings>Levels>Manager. You can create a level, rename it, and change its attributes. You can also see whether the levels are used in your drawing or not.

You can only delete level that is not in used. When the level has bullet in used column, then you can’t delete it.

You can rename and change the level attributes by clicking on desired column. In this example, you can choose the line style from the pop up menu.

MicroStation Level Display

If you are an AutoCAD user, you can control the level display on/off in the AutoCAD layer manager (level in MicroStation is layer in AutoCAD). But not in MicroStation. You turn them on/off in MicroStation level display window. You can open it by accessing MicroStation menu: Settings>Levels>Display.

You can see which level is used (has objects on it) in the used column (1). The used levels have bullets in the column. The active level is highlighted in green (2). Active level is where your objects will be placed when you use drawing tools. The hidden levels are shown in white (3), while the shown levels are highlighted in blue.

Changing MicroStation Active Level

There are several ways you can set the active level:

1. From level manager or level display, right click above desired level and choose ‘set active’
2. From key in window, type ‘active level LEVELNAME’. Change the LEVELNAME with the level name you want to use.
3. Choose the level from attributes toolbar.

MicroStation Level Attributes

MicroStation has many level attributes. By default, it will only show you three attributes: color, line style, and line weight. Open level manager, right click above an attributes title bar and you will see the complete list of level attributes. You may not need all of them, but when you do, click the attributes to show it on level manager.

By Level Properties

By default, object attributes will use ‘by level’. It means your object will use the attributes you set for the level. However, you may need to override the attributes when you place your objects. You can do it from attributes toolbar.

Color

The color usage should be clear. When you need to distinguish your objects, color is the easiest attributes to be noticed. And of course, if you want to print in color, you will want your objects to look nice by using colors.

Line Style

MicroStation has two types of line style: standard or custom. The standard line styles are mark by number: 0 to 7. While the custom line style are using names.

The difference between those two is the standard line styles are just symbolic, and the custom line styles act like actual objects.

Take a look at this example, all of them are SmartLine with different line style. The first one is using custom line style: rail road. The second is using standard line style no.4. And the last one is using custom line style: dash dot.

After I zoom in those objects, you can see that the rail are also looks bigger. The 3rd line is now showing dash dot. But take a look the 2nd line. It still maintain the dash dot size. Doesn’t matter if you zoom it very close, you will still see it at that size. Standard line style is very useful for annotation and symbolic lines. For example: object center lines.

Line Weight

Color is probably the best way to distinguish your objects category. But most technical documents are printed in black and white. To distinguish your objects in black and white documents (and we also use it in manual drafting) is using the line weight. There are 32 line weight you can use, from 0-31. The number is just index, not actual weight (just in case you are thinking 31 is 3.1 mm or something, like I was before). You can map the actual pen weight later when you print.

We will try a simple exercise later.