AutoCAD Drawing Setup 3

[dik]

I'm using Autocad 2002LT and start a project using a template with layers, units, dimension style and font style in the template.

I then set up dimscale and ltscale.

Onto this template, I load an xRef of the drawing border with text information specific to all drawing sheets for the project. This is imported at the intended drawing scale and on layer 0.

Onto the same template I load a title block with attributes for information specific to the drawing sheet. This is imported at the intended drawing scale and on layer 0.

Is there a better way of doing this?

Dik

 

[Urci]

Hello,
Are you recreating this template on each use, if so you are doing way too much work, once you have done it once save it as a template, maybe start with the xref border, insert the titleblock attribute, import or create appropriate layers and dimstyles, then you can save as .dwg template.

Does 2002 lt have paper space?

 

[dik]

Thanks... I didn't realize that the template could have the addtitional information. Do you create separate templates for different drawing scales? or just scale the template by a scale factor?

2002LT has paper space... I just haven't learned to use it.

thanks, Dik

 

[COEngineeer]

dik, our cad guy created a custom button that will do all that for you. We got a button for starting a new detail (3/4"=1'), plan ((1/4"=1'). We do use a template for our layers. I think he learned how to do all that from auto cad forum if you go to autocad website. They have a lot of examples.

 

[dik]

Thanks COE...

Dik

 

[cfee]

dik-
Everything you listed sounds right. URCI's post is also right on target- Do a really good job of setting up a good starting point as you've described, using the x-ref(s), attributes, layers, scale factor, ltscales, dimscales, etc. just as you've described, and then [save-as] and pick "template" in the file-type drop-down at the bottom of the save dialog. Here's a trick you may want to consider- do this twice- once for the template you plan to use, and a second time for a template you want to update and edit as you find new things you want to do to it. Of course, you'll want to name each appropriately. One maybe something that clearly identifies it as the daily-use template for that scale factor... , and the other as the "for-development-only". They'll start out identical, of course, but only the development template will get your experiments, and as you prove each one, you save-over the daily one...

AutoCAD's save-as will take you to the template area automatically, because you selected that kind of save file type (drawing template) instead of, for instance, dwg file type.

This approach is far better than a button to do this automatically, because the macro called for by the button has to be line-edited for each setting or feature you want to add or change. HOWEVER as you select new features, and develop new approaches you want to incorporate, the button macro becomes an indispensable tool, just as COEngineer posted. Definitely check out that link. Its got some really powerful stuff !

Finally, you may REALLY want to investigate paper-space. Its a truly powerful tool, that goes way beyond simple drawing setup and manipulation. There are some great resources in this forum (search previous posts, etc.) and at the ADESK links provided, and other places, to get ideas how to proceed. If you're interested, post back here, and I'm sure you'll get lots of good input as to how to proceed !

Good luck-

C. Fee

 

[dik]

With the help of COE... I've created a series of buttons on the toolbar to set scale and load templates... I copy the drawing border xref to the project file and then load it... click the button on the toolbar and then save it as the project drawing(s). The following is the script file for my 1/4"=1'-0" scale (sf=48)...

new
aclt
-units
4
16
1
2
0
n
-style
Arial
Arial.ttf
3.75
1
0
n
n
-xref
a
"tde 17x11.dwg"
0,0,0
48
48
0
-insert
"C:/My Documents/Home/My Drawings/Library/Drawings/tb.dwg"
0,0,0
48
48
0
-dimstyle
r
DikDim
ltscale
48
dimscale
48
psltscale
0
zoom
e

 

[dik]

cfee... I've always drawn in model space and have seen many references to paper space. Is there a real merit to working in paper space? Almost everyone I know uses model space. I'm not a CAD operator by training... just started by reading a book.

Dik