Acad Acr PDF

AutoCAD
Command Reference
2004
February 2003
Copyright 2003 Autodesk, Inc.

All Rights Reserved
This publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose.
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Third Party Software Program Credits

ACIS Copyright 1989-2001 Spatial Corp. Portions Copyright 2002 Autodesk, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Contents
Introduction .
Using AutoCAD Documentation . . . . . .

Using This Reference . . . . . . . . .
Executing Commands . . . . . . .
References to Other Sections . . . . .
Typographical Conventions . . . . . . .
3D . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DARRAY . . . . . . . . . . .
3DCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adjust Clipping Planes Window . . . .
3DCONFIG . . . . . . . . . . .
3DCORBIT . . . . . . . . . . .
3DDISTANCE . . . . . . . . . .
3DFACE . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DMESH
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3DORBIT . . . . . . . . . . .
Cursor Icons . . . . . . . . . .
3DOrbit Shortcut Menu . . . . . . .
3DORBITCTR . . . . . . . . . .
3DPAN . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DPOLY . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DSIN . . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Studio File Import Options Dialog Box .
3DSOUT. . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Studio File Export Options Dialog Box .
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iii
3DSWIVEL . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DZOOM . . . . . . . . . . . .
ABOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ACISIN . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ACISOUT . . . . . . . . . . . .
ADCCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . .
ADCENTER . . . . . . . . . . . .
DesignCenter Window . . . . . . . . .
Search Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
ADCNAVIGATE
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ALIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AMECONVERT . . . . . . . . . . .
APERTURE . . . . . . . . . . . .
APPLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . .
Load/Unload Applications Dialog Box . . . .
Startup Suite Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
ARC. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AREA . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARRAY . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Array Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . .
ARRAY Command Line . . . . . . . . .
ARX. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ASSIST . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Active Assistance Settings Dialog Box . . . .
ATTACHURL . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTDEF. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attribute Definition Dialog Box . . . . . .
ATTDEF Command Line . . . . . . . .
ATTDISP . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Attributes Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
ATTEDIT Command Line . . . . . . . .
ATTEXT. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attribute Extraction Dialog Box . . . . . .
ATTEXT Command Line . . . . . . . .
ATTREDEF . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTSYNC . . . . . . . . . . . .
AUDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BACKGROUND
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Background Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Adjust Background Bitmap Placement Dialog Box
BASE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
iv
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42
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. 45
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.101
BATTMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Block Attribute Manager . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Attribute Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
BHATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Boundary Hatch and Fill Dialog Box . . . . . .
Hatch Pattern Palette Dialog Box . . . . . . .
BHATCH Command Line . . . . . . . . . .
BLIPMODE. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Block Definition Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
BLOCK Command Line . . . . . . . . . .
BLOCKICON . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BMPOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BOUNDARY . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Boundary Creation Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
BOUNDARY Command Line . . . . . . . . .
BOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BREAK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BROWSER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CAL
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding Syntax of Expressions . . . . . .
Formatting Feet and Inches . . . . . . . . .
Formatting Angles . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Points and Vectors . . . . . . . . . .
Using AutoLISP Variables . . . . . . . . . .
Using AutoCAD System Variables . . . . . . .
Converting Units of Measurement . . . . . . .
Using Standard Numeric Functions. . . . . . .
Calculating a Vector from Two Points . . . . . .
Calculating the Length of a Vector . . . . . . .
Obtaining a Point by Cursor . . . . . . . . .
Obtaining the Last-Specified Point . . . . . . .
Using AutoCAD Snap Modes in Arithmetic Expressions
Converting Points between UCS and WCS . . . .
Calculating a Point on a Line . . . . . . . .
Rotating a Point About an Axis . . . . . . . .
Obtaining an Intersection Point . . . . . . . .
Calculating a Distance . . . . . . . . . . .
Obtaining a Radius . . . . . . . . . . . .
Obtaining an Angle. . . . . . . . . . . .
Calculating a Normal Vector . . . . . . . . .
Using Shortcut Functions . . . . . . . . . .
CAMERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAMFER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Contents
CHANGE . . . . . . . . . .
CHECKSTANDARDS . . . . . . .
Check Standards Dialog Box . . . .
CHPROP . . . . . . . . . .
CIRCLE . . . . . . . . . . .
CLOSE . . . . . . . . . . .
CLOSEALL . . . . . . . . . .
COLOR . . . . . . . . . . .
Select Color Dialog Box . . . . . .
COLOR Command Line. . . . . .
COMPILE . . . . . . . . . .
CONE . . . . . . . . . . .
CONVERT . . . . . . . . . .
CONVERTCTB . . . . . . . . .
CONVERTPSTYLES . . . . . . . .
COPY . . . . . . . . . . .
COPYBASE . . . . . . . . . .
COPYCLIP . . . . . . . . . .
COPYHIST . . . . . . . . . .
COPYLINK . . . . . . . . . .
CUSTOMIZE . . . . . . . . .
Customize Dialog Box . . . . . .
New Toolbar Dialog Box . . . . .
Button Editor Dialog Box . . . . .
CUTCLIP . . . . . . . . . .
CYLINDER . . . . . . . . . .
DBCCLOSE . . . . . . . . . .
DBCONNECT . . . . . . . . .
dbConnect Manager . . . . . . .
Data View Window . . . . . . .
Query Editor . . . . . . . . .
Column Values Dialog Box. . . . .
Link Select Dialog Box . . . . . .
Configure a Data Source Dialog Box . .
Data View and Query Options Dialog Box
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 . . . .
vi
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Link Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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 a Data Object Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Sort Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Synchronize Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . .
DBLCLKEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DBLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DDEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Text Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Attribute Definition Dialog Box . . . . . . .
DDPTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Point Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
DDVPOINT
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Viewpoint Presets Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
DELAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DETACHURL . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIM and DIM1
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DIMALIGNED . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMANGULAR
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DIMBASELINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMCENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMCONTINUE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMDIAMETER . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMDISASSOCIATE . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMLINEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMORDINATE . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMOVERRIDE
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DIMRADIUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMREASSOCIATE
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DIMREGEN
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DIMSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dimension Style Manager. . . . . . . . . . .
Create New Dimension Style Dialog Box . . . . . .
New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes
Compare Dimension Styles Dialog Box . . . . . .
DIMSTYLE Command Line . . . . . . . . . .
DIMTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Contents
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241
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244
. 246
. 246
. 247
248
248
. 249
249
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250
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. 268
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288
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309
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. 314
vii
DIVIDE . . . . . . . . . .
DONUT. . . . . . . . . .
DRAGMODE . . . . . . . .
DRAWORDER . . . . . . . .
DSETTINGS. . . . . . . . .
Drafting Settings Dialog Box . . .
DSVIEWER . . . . . . . . .
Aerial View Window . . . . . .
DVIEW . . . . . . . . . .
DWGPROPS
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Drawing Properties Dialog Box . .
DXBIN . . . . . . . . . .
EATTEDIT . . . . . . . . .
Enhanced Attribute Editor . . . .
EATTEXT . . . . . . . . .
Attribute Extraction Wizard . . .
EDGE . . . . . . . . . .
EDGESURF . . . . . . . . .
ELEV . . . . . . . . . .
ELLIPSE . . . . . . . . . .
Arc . . . . . . . . . . .
ERASE . . . . . . . . . .
ETRANSMIT
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Create Transmittal Dialog Box. . .
Password Dialog Box . . . . . .
EXPLODE . . . . . . . . .
EXPORT
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EXTEND . . . . . . . . .
EXTRUDE . . . . . . . . .
FILL . . . . . . . . . . .
FILLET . . . . . . . . . .
FILTER . . . . . . . . . .
Object Selection Filters Dialog Box .
FIND . . . . . . . . . .
Find and Replace Dialog Box . . .
Find and Replace Options Dialog Box
FOG. . . . . . . . . . .
Fog/Depth Cue Dialog Box . . . .
GOTOURL . . . . . . . . .
GRAPHSCR . . . . . . . . .
GRID . . . . . . . . . .
GROUP . . . . . . . . . .
Object Grouping Dialog Box . . .
Order Group Dialog Box . . . .
GROUP Command Line. . . . .
viii
Contents
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.314
.316
.316
.317
.318
. 318
.328
. 328
.331
.342
. 342
.347
.349
. 349
.351
. 351
.355
.357
.358
.359
. 360
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.363
. 363
. 368
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.370
.371
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.377
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.382
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.386
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. 389
.389
. 390
.393
.393
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.394
. 395
. 398
. 399
HATCH
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HATCHEDIT . . . . . . . .
Hatch Edit Dialog Box . . . . .
HATCHEDIT Command Line . .
HELP . . . . . . . . . .
HIDE . . . . . . . . . .
HLSETTINGS . . . . . . . .
Hidden Line Settings Dialog Box .
HYPERLINK . . . . . . . .
Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box . . .
Edit Hyperlink Dialog Box . . .
Select Place in Document Dialog Box
HYPERLINK Command Line . . .
HYPERLINKOPTIONS . . . . . .
ID . . . . . . . . . . .
IMAGE . . . . . . . . . .
Image Manager . . . . . . .
IMAGE Command Line . . . .
IMAGEADJUST
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Image Adjust Dialog Box . . . .
IMAGEADJUST Command Line . .
IMAGEATTACH . . . . . . .
Image Dialog Box . . . . . .
IMAGECLIP . . . . . . . .
IMAGEFRAME . . . . . . . .
IMAGEQUALITY . . . . . . .
IMPORT . . . . . . . . .
INSERT . . . . . . . . . .
Insert Dialog Box . . . . . .
INSERT Command Line . . . .
INSERTOBJ. . . . . . . . .
Insert Object Dialog Box . . . .
INTERFERE. . . . . . . . .
INTERSECT
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ISOPLANE . . . . . . . . .
JPGOUT . . . . . . . . .
JUSTIFYTEXT . . . . . . . .
LAYER . . . . . . . . . .
Layer Properties Manager . . . .
Named Layer Filters Dialog Box . .
Save Layer States Dialog Box . . .
Layer States Manager . . . . .
Select Linetype Dialog Box . . .
Lineweight Dialog Box. . . . .
LAYER Command Line . . . .
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Contents
. 403
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408
410
. 411
. 412
. 413
414
. 416
416
419
419
420
. 421
. 423
. 423
424
427
. 430
431
432
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434
. 436
. 438
. 439
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. 440
441
442
. 448
448
. 450
. 451
. 453
. 455
. 455
. 457
457
464
466
467
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468
469
ix
LAYERP . . . . . . . . . . .
LAYERPMODE . . . . . . . . .
LAYOUT . . . . . . . . . .
LAYOUTWIZARD . . . . . . . .
Layout Wizard . . . . . . . . .
LAYTRANS . . . . . . . . . .
Layer Translator . . . . . . . .
Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . .
Edit/New Layer Dialog Box . . . . .
LEADER. . . . . . . . . . .
LENGTHEN. . . . . . . . . .
LIGHT . . . . . . . . . . .
Lights Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
New or Modify Point Light Dialog Box .
New or Modify Distant Light Dialog Box
New or Modify Spotlight Dialog Box. .
North Location Dialog Box. . . . .
Shadow Options Dialog Box . . . .
Sun Angle Calculator Dialog Box . . .
Geographic Location Dialog Box . . .
LIMITS . . . . . . . . . . .
LINE
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LINETYPE . . . . . . . . . .
Linetype Manager . . . . . . .
Load or Reload Linetypes Dialog Box .
LINETYPE Command Line . . . . .
LIST . . . . . . . . . . . .
LOAD . . . . . . . . . . .
LOGFILEOFF . . . . . . . . .
LOGFILEON . . . . . . . . .
LSEDIT . . . . . . . . . . .
Landscape Edit Dialog Box . . . . .
LSLIB . . . . . . . . . . .
Landscape Library Dialog Box . . . .
Landscape Library Edit Dialog Box . .
LSNEW . . . . . . . . . . .
Landscape New Dialog Box. . . . .
LTSCALE . . . . . . . . . .
LWEIGHT . . . . . . . . . .
Lineweight Settings Dialog Box . . .
LWEIGHT Command Line . . . . .
MASSPROP . . . . . . . . . .
MATCHPROP . . . . . . . . .
Property Settings Dialog Box . . . .
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.475
.475
.475
.477
. 478
.478
. 478
. 480
. 481
.482
.486
.489
. 489
. 492
. 494
. 496
. 498
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. 500
. 501
.502
.504
.506
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. 509
. 510
.513
.514
.514
.515
.515
. 516
.517
. 517
. 518
.520
. 520
.522
.523
. 523
. 525
.527
.531
. 531
MATLIB
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Materials Library Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Reconcile Imported Material Names Dialog Box. . . . . . 535
Reconcile Exported Material Names Dialog Box . . . . . . 536
MEASURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537
MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
MENULOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540
Menu Customization Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 540
MENULOAD Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . 543
MENUUNLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
MINSERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544
MIRROR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553
MIRROR3D
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MLEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556
Multiline Edit Tools Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 556
MLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 564
MLSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566
Multiline Styles Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
Load Multiline Styles Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 569
Element Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 569
Multiline Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 570
MODEL
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
MOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
MREDO
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MSLIDE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
MSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
MTEXT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576
Multiline Text Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577
Indents and Tabs Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
Replace Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582
. . . . . . . . . . . . Stack Properties Dialog Box582
AutoStack Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 584
MTEXT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585
Unicode Strings, Control Codes, and Special Characters . . . 589
MULTIPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590
MVIEW
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591
MVSETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595
Using MVSETUP on the Model Tab . . . . . . . . . . 596
Using MVSETUP on a Layout Tab . . . . . . . . . . 596
NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605
Create New Drawing Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 605
Quick Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608
Advanced Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
NEW Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612
OFFSET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613
Contents
xi
OLELINKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .614
Links Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615
Convert Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616
Change Icon Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617
OLESCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .618
OLE Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618
OOPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .620
OPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .621
Standard File Selection Dialog Boxes . . . . . . . . . . 621
Find Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 626
Add/Modify FTP Locations Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 628
Partial Open Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629
OPEN Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632
OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .633
Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 633
Alternate Font Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 664
Color Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665
Command Line Window Font Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 667
Right-Click Customization Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 667
Add Profile Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669
Change Profile Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670
ORTHO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .670
OSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .671
PAGESETUP
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .675
Page Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 675
User Defined Page Setups Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 682
Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog Box (Page Setup) . 682
PAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .683
Panning in Real Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 683
PAN Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 684
Pan Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 684
PARTIALOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685
Partial Load Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685
PARTIALOAD Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . 687
PARTIALOPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .690
PASTEBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693
PASTECLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693
PASTEORIG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .694
PASTESPEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .694
Paste Special Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695
PCINWIZARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .696
PEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .696
PFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .710
PLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .712
PLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .713
xii
Contents
PLOT
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plot Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog Box (Plot)
Plot Progress Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . .
Update PC3 File with New Printer Dialog Box . . . .
PLOT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . .
PLOTSTAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plot Stamp Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .
User Defined Fields Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Advanced Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
PLOTSTAMP Command Line. . . . . . . . . .
PLOTSTYLE
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Current Plot Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Select Plot Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
PLOTSTYLE Command Line . . . . . . . . . .
PLOTTERMANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add-a-Plotter Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plotter Configuration Editor . . . . . . . . . .
Configure LPT Port Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
Settings for COM Port Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Advanced Settings for COM Port Dialog Box . . . . .
PNGOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
POINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
POLYGON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PREVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PROPERTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Properties Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General Properties of Objects. . . . . . . . . .
Properties Palette with No Objects Selected . . . . .
3D Orbit View Properties . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Face Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3D Solid Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Arc Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attribute Definition Properties . . . . . . . . .
Block Reference Properties . . . . . . . . . .
Body Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Circle Properties
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Dimension Properties . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ellipse Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . .
External Reference Properties . . . . . . . . .
Hatch Properties
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Image Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Leader Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Line Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multiline Properties . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Contents
. 719
719
728
728
729
731
. 735
736
738
739
742
. 744
745
746
747
. 747
747
748
761
761
762
. 763
. 763
. 765
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769
770
771
773
774
774
775
776
777
778
778
779
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
xiii
Multiline Text (Mtext) Properties

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Multiple Insertion Properties . . . . .
Point Properties . . . . . . . . .
Polyline (2D and Lightweight) Properties .
Polyline (3D) Properties
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Polyline (3D Polygon Mesh) Properties . .
Polyline (Polyface Mesh) Properties . . .
Ray Properties . . . . . . . . . .
Region Properties
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Shape Properties . . . . . . . . .
Solid Properties . . . . . . . . .
Spline Properties . . . . . . . . .
Text Properties . . . . . . . . .
Tolerance Properties . . . . . . . .
Trace Properties . . . . . . . . .
Viewport Properties . . . . . . . .
Xline Properties . . . . . . . . .
PROPERTIESCLOSE
. . . . . . . .
PSETUPIN . . . . . . . . . . .
Import User Defined Page Setups Dialog Box
PSETUPIN Command Line . . . . . .
PSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . .
PUBLISH . . . . . . . . . . .
Publish Drawing Sheets Dialog Box . . .
Change Page Setup Dialog Box . . . .
Publishing Complete Dialog Box . . . .
PUBLISH Command Line . . . . . .
PUBLISHTOWEB . . . . . . . . .
Publish to Web Wizard . . . . . . .
PURGE . . . . . . . . . . . .
Purge Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
PURGE Command Line . . . . . . .
QDIM . . . . . . . . . . . .
QLEADER . . . . . . . . . . .
Leader Settings Dialog Box . . . . . .
QNEW . . . . . . . . . . . .
QSAVE . . . . . . . . . . . .
QSELECT . . . . . . . . . . .
Quick Select Dialog Box . . . . . . .
QTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . .
QUIT . . . . . . . . . . . .
RAY . . . . . . . . . . . . .
RECOVER . . . . . . . . . . .
xiv
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785
786
787
787
788
789
790
790
791
791
792
792
793
794
795
796
797
.798
.798
. 798
. 799
.799
.800
. 801
. 805
. 806
. 807
.808
. 808
.809
. 809
. 811
.813
.814
. 816
.819
.820
.820
. 821
.824
.824
.825
.825
RECTANG . . . . . . . . . . . .
REDEFINE . . . . . . . . . . . .
REDO . . . . . . . . . . . . .
REDRAW . . . . . . . . . . . .
REDRAWALL . . . . . . . . . . .
REFCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . .
REFEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reference Edit Dialog Box. . . . . . . .
REFEDIT Command Line . . . . . . . .
REFSET . . . . . . . . . . . . .
REGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . .
REGENALL . . . . . . . . . . . .
REGENAUTO . . . . . . . . . . .
REGION . . . . . . . . . . . .
REINIT . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Re-initialization Dialog Box . . . . . . .
RENAME . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rename Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
RENAME Command Line . . . . . . . .
RENDER . . . . . . . . . . . .
Render Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . .
Render Window . . . . . . . . . . .
Windows Render Options Dialog Box . . . .
RENDSCR . . . . . . . . . . . .
REPLAY
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Image Specifications Dialog Box. . . . . .
RESUME . . . . . . . . . . . .
REVCLOUD . . . . . . . . . . .
REVOLVE . . . . . . . . . . . .
REVSURF . . . . . . . . . . . .
RMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Materials Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
New or Modify Standard Material Dialog Box .
Adjust Material Bitmap Placement Dialog Box .
New or Modify Granite Material Dialog Box . .
New or Modify Marble Material Dialog Box . .
New or Modify Wood Material Dialog Box . .
Attach by AutoCAD Color Index Dialog Box . .
Attach by Layer Dialog Box . . . . . . .
RMLIN . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Map Markup Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
RMLIN Command Line . . . . . . . .
ROTATE . . . . . . . . . . . .
ROTATE3D. . . . . . . . . . . .
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Contents
. 826
. 828
. 828
. 829
. 830
. 830
. 832
832
835
. 837
. 838
. 839
. 840
. 841
. 842
842
. 843
843
844
. 844
845
847
849
. 851
. 852
852
. 854
. 854
. 856
. 858
. 860
860
862
865
868
869
871
873
874
. 875
875
876
. 877
. 878
xv
RPREF . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rendering Preferences Dialog Box . . .
Render Options Dialog Box . . . . .
Photo Real Render Options Dialog Box . .
Photo Raytrace Render Options Dialog Box
File Output Configuration Dialog Box . .
RSCRIPT
. . . . . . . . . . .
RULESURF . . . . . . . . . . .
SAVE . . . . . . . . . . . .
SAVEAS . . . . . . . . . . . .
Save to Earlier Versions . . . . . . .
Template Description Dialog Box . . . .
Saveas Options Dialog Box . . . . . .
SAVEAS Command Line . . . . . .
SAVEIMG . . . . . . . . . . .
Save Image Dialog Box . . . . . . .
TGA Options Dialog Box . . . . . .
TIFF Options Dialog Box . . . . . .
SCALE . . . . . . . . . . . .
SCALETEXT
. . . . . . . . . .
SCENE . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scenes Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
New Scene Dialog Box . . . . . . .
Modify Scene Dialog Box . . . . . .
SCRIPT . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION . . . . . . . . . . .
SECURITYOPTIONS . . . . . . . .
Security Options Dialog Box . . . . .
Confirm Password Dialog Box . . . . .
Advanced Options Dialog Box. . . . .
SELECT . . . . . . . . . . . .
SETIDROPHANDLER . . . . . . . .
SETUV . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mapping Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Adjust Planar Coordinates Dialog Box . .
Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates Dialog Box.
Adjust Spherical Coordinates Dialog Box .
Adjust UVW Coordinates Dialog Box . .
Adjust Object Bitmap Placement Dialog Box
SETVAR . . . . . . . . . . . .
SHADEMODE . . . . . . . . . .
SHAPE . . . . . . . . . . . .
SHELL . . . . . . . . . . . .
SHOWMAT . . . . . . . . . . .
xvi
Contents
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.882
882
885
886
888
891
.893
.893
.897
.897
. 898
. 899
. 899
. 901
.902
. 902
. 904
. 904
.905
.906
.908
. 908
. 909
. 910
.911
.911
.914
. 914
. 916
. 916
.917
.920
.920
. 920
. 922
. 924
. 926
. 927
. 928
.931
.931
.933
.934
.934
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SIGVALIDATE . . . . . . . . . .
Validate Digital Signatures Dialog Box . .
Digital Signature Contents Dialog Box. .
SKETCH . . . . . . . . . . .
SLICE . . . . . . . . . . . .
SNAP . . . . . . . . . . . .
SOLDRAW . . . . . . . . . . .
SOLID . . . . . . . . . . . .
SOLIDEDIT
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SOLPROF . . . . . . . . . . .
SOLVIEW . . . . . . . . . . .
SPACETRANS . . . . . . . . . .
SPELL . . . . . . . . . . . .
Check Spelling Dialog Box . . . . .
Change Dictionaries Dialog Box. . . .
SPHERE
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SPLINE . . . . . . . . . . . .
SPLINEDIT . . . . . . . . . . .
STANDARDS . . . . . . . . . .
Configure Standards Dialog Box. . . .
CAD Standards Settings Dialog Box. . .
STATS . . . . . . . . . . . .
Statistics Dialog Box . . . . . . .
STATUS
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STLOUT . . . . . . . . . . .
STRETCH . . . . . . . . . . .
STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . .
Text Style Dialog Box . . . . . . .
STYLE Command Line . . . . . . .
STYLESMANAGER . . . . . . . . .
Add-a-Plot-Style-Table Wizard . . . .
Plot Style Table Editor . . . . . . .
Edit Lineweights Dialog Box . . . . .
SUBTRACT . . . . . . . . . . .
SYSWINDOWS. . . . . . . . . .
TABLET
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TABSURF . . . . . . . . . . .
TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . .
Special Unicode Characters . . . . .
Control Codes and Special Characters . .
TEXT and the TEXTEVAL System Variable
TEXTSCR . . . . . . . . . . .
TIFOUT
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TIME . . . . . . . . . . . .
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. 935
935
936
. 937
. 939
. 943
. 946
. 947
. 948
. 964
. 966
. 974
. 975
975
977
. 978
. 979
. 981
. 988
988
990
. 991
992
. 993
. 995
. 996
. 997
998
1001
1003
1004
1004
1011
1012
1013
1015
1020
1021
1027
1027
1028
1028
1029
1029
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Contents
xvii
TOLERANCE . . . . . . . . . .
Geometric Tolerance Dialog Box . . . .
Symbol Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Material Condition Dialog Box . . . .
TOOLBAR . . . . . . . . . . .
TOOLBAR Command Line . . . . . .
TOOLPALETTES
. . . . . . . . .
View Options Dialog Box . . . . . .
Tool Properties Dialog Box . . . . . .
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE. . . . . . . .
TORUS . . . . . . . . . . . .
TRACE . . . . . . . . . . . .
TRANSPARENCY . . . . . . . . .
TRAYSETTINGS. . . . . . . . . .
Tray Settings Dialog Box . . . . . .
TREESTAT . . . . . . . . . . .
TRIM . . . . . . . . . . . .
U . . . . . . . . . . . . .
UCS . . . . . . . . . . . . .
UCSICON . . . . . . . . . . .
UCS Icon Dialog Box. . . . . . . .
UCSMAN . . . . . . . . . . .
UCS Dialog Box . . . . . . . . .
UCS Details Dialog Box . . . . . . .
UNDEFINE . . . . . . . . . . .
UNDO . . . . . . . . . . . .
UNION . . . . . . . . . . . .
UNITS . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing Units Dialog Box . . . . . .
Direction Control Dialog Box . . . . .
UNITS Command Line . . . . . . .
VBAIDE . . . . . . . . . . . .
VBALOAD . . . . . . . . . . .
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection Dialog Box
VBAMAN . . . . . . . . . . .
VBA Manager . . . . . . . . . .
VBARUN . . . . . . . . . . .
Macros Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Select Project Dialog Box . . . . . .
VBA Options Dialog Box . . . . . .
VBARUN Command Line . . . . . .
VBASTMT . . . . . . . . . . .
VBAUNLOAD . . . . . . . . . .
xviii
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1030
.1031
.1033
.1035
1035
.1036
1038
.1039
.1040
1041
1042
1043
1044
1045
.1045
1046
1047
1051
1051
1060
.1062
1064
.1064
.1069
1070
1071
1074
1075
.1075
.1077
.1078
1081
1081
.1082
1083
.1083
1085
.1086
.1088
.1088
.1089
1090
1090
VIEW . . . . . . . .
View Dialog Box. . . . .
New View Dialog Box . . .
View Details Dialog Box . .
VIEW Command Line . . .
VIEWRES . . . . . . .
VLISP . . . . . . . .
VPCLIP. . . . . . . .
VPLAYER . . . . . . .
VPOINT . . . . . . .
VPORTS . . . . . . .
Viewports Dialog Box . . .
VPORTS Command Line . .
VSLIDE. . . . . . . .
WBLOCK . . . . . . .
Write Block Dialog Box . .
WBLOCK Command Line. .
WEDGE
. . . . . . .
WHOHAS . . . . . . .
WIPEOUT . . . . . . .
WMFIN
. . . . . . .
WMFOPTS . . . . . . .
WMF In Options Dialog Box .
WMFOUT . . . . . . .
XATTACH . . . . . . .
External Reference Dialog Box
XBIND . . . . . . . .
Xbind Dialog Box . . . .
XBIND Command Line . .
XCLIP . . . . . . . .
XLINE . . . . . . . .
XOPEN. . . . . . . .
XPLODE . . . . . . .
XREF . . . . . . . .
Xref Manager. . . . . .
Bind Xrefs Dialog Box . . .
XREF Command Line . . .
ZOOM . . . . . . . .
Zoom Shortcut Menu . . .
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Contents
1090
1091
1093
1094
1095
1098
1099
1099
1100
1102
1104
1104
1108
1112
1113
1113
1115
1116
1118
1119
1120
1125
1125
1125
1127
1127
1130
1131
1131
1132
1135
1137
1138
1140
1141
1143
1145
1149
1153
xix
Appendix A Command Aliases .
1155
Appendix B System Variables .
1161
Appendix C Dimension Variables Quick Reference
1235
Map of Dimension Variables in Dimension Style Dialog Boxes . .

Dimension Variable Settings for Common Dimensioning Standards
Appendix D Utilities
Appendix E
Attach Digital Signatures . . . . . .

Attach Digital Signatures Dialog Box.
Search Folders Dialog Box . . . .
Batch Standards Checker . . . . .
Batch Standards Checker . . . .
AutoCAD Batch Plot . . . . . .
SLIDELIB . . . . . . . . .
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Standard Libraries.
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AutoCAD Graphical Objects .
Appendix G Unicode
Contents
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.1256
.1257
.1258
.1264
.1265
.1265
.1267
.1268
.1269
1271
1277
Overview of Unicode Fonts . . .

Code Page Independent Format (CIF)
Multibyte Interchange Format (MIF)
Code Page Information . . . . .
xx
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Standard Linetypes . . . . . . . . . . .
Complex Linetypes . . . . . . . . . . .
Standard Hatch Patterns . . . . . . . . .
PostScript Fill Patterns . . . . . . . . . .
Standard Text and Symbol Fonts . . . . . . .
List of Standard Text and Symbol Fonts. . .
Examples of Standard Text and Symbol Fonts .
TrueType Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . .
Geometric Characteristic Symbols . . . . . .
Appendix F
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.1278
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Appendix H Command Modifiers .
Coordinate Filters (Command Modifier) .

Direct Distance Entry (Command Modifier)
FROM (Command Modifier) . . . .
TRACKING (Command Modifier). . .
Object Snaps (Command Modifier) . .
Selection Modes (Command Modifier) .
Index .
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1284
1284
1285
1285
1286
1286
1287
Contents
xxi
xxii
Introduction
The Command Reference, a comprehensive guide to
In this chapter
AutoCAD commands, lists all AutoCAD commands in
Using AutoCAD
Documentation
alphabetical order.
In addition to the command listings, the Command
Using This Reference

Typographical Conventions
Reference covers several topics in the appendixes:

command aliases, system variables, dimension
variables, utilities, standard libraries, graphical
database objects, and Unicode fonts.
The index for the Command Reference is at the end of
Volume II.
Using AutoCAD Documentation

In addition to this Command Reference, several other resources are available to
help you learn and use AutoCAD. The complete documentation set for
AutoCAD is online. You can access it from the Help menu.
Note For the latest documentation corrections and additions, refer to the
Readme file.

The Command Reference provides detailed information on all commands,
command options, and system variables. The explanations reflect the default
AutoCAD system variable settings and the default prototype drawing. If you
change system variable settings, the prompts on your screen might differ
from what you see here. For example, the setting of the FILEDIA system variable governs whether you work in a dialog box or on the command line
when you use certain commands. See appendix B, System Variables.
Executing Commands
The process of executing a command begins by starting the command, using
one of several methods. For some commands, such as REGEN, no further
action is required. For other commands, you must respond by providing
additional information or actions in order to complete the command.
As you work with commands, note that right-clicking in the drawing area
either acts as ENTER or displays a shortcut menu. You can control this behavior in the Options dialog box or with the SHORTCUTMENU system variable.
Starting Commands
You can start a command by doing one of the following:
Select the command from a menu, toolbar, status bar, or shortcut menu.
Enter the command name or command alias at the Command prompt
and press ENTER or SPACEBAR .
For a list of the aliases that correspond to each command, see appendix A,
Command Aliases.
Introduction
In this Command Reference, near the beginning of each command description

is a command access section, listing the specific ways you can start that command. For example, following is the command access section for the PAN
command:
Standard toolbar:
View menu: Pan Realtime
Shortcut menu: With no objects selected, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Pan.
Command line: pan (or 'pan for transparent use)
The availability of certain shortcut menus depends on the current setting of
the SHORTCUTMENU system variable. The instructions in the command
access sections assume that you have made the indicated menu available.
You can exit a command at any time by pressing ESC .
Using Transparent Commands
In many cases, you can start a command while using another command. The
command you start is called a transparent command. For example, to turn on
the grid while drawing a line, you can start the GRID command transparently
by preceding the command with an apostrophe. Two right angle brackets
(>>) precede prompts for transparent commands.
Command: line
Specify first point: 'grid
>>Specify grid spacing(X) or [ON/OFF/Snap/Aspect] <current>: on
Resuming LINE command
Specify first point:
In the Command Reference, the command access sections identify commands
that you can use transparently.
Suppressing Dialog Boxes
Many commands provide both command line and dialog box interfaces. In
most cases, when both a command line and dialog box interface are available, the command line version is preceded with a hyphen character. For
example, the command line version of GROUP is -GROUP.
You can also control the display of file dialog boxes through the FILEDIA
system variable. See appendix B, System Variables.
Responding to Prompts
If a command does not immediately execute, AutoCAD either displays a
dialog box or displays prompts on the command line requesting more
information. Command line prompts are structured as follows:
Command: commandname
Current settings: Setting1 Setting2 Setting3
Instructional text [Option1/oPtion2/opTion3/...] <default option or value>:
The optional current value line displays the current settings for the command or for system variables related to the command. The succeeding
prompts identify the type of input required to complete the command and,
when applicable, list the available options in straight brackets and a default
option or value in angle brackets. In some cases, AutoCAD determines
default options and values based on the option or value that you last specified, or based on the settings of certain system variables.
Typically, the first word of a prompt indicates the type of action you can take.
Most command line prompts begin with the word enter, select, or specify.
These words indicate how you can respond to the prompt.
Terminology in command line prompts
If the prompt starts with...
You can...
Select
Select objects on the screen using your pointing

device.
Enter
Enter text on the command line.
Specify
Use your pointing device or enter text on the

command line to select a point location on the
screen.
Selecting Options on the Command Line

To select one of the options contained within the straight brackets, you can
enter the entire option name or only the capitalized letters, and then press
ENTER or SPACEBAR . To select the default option enclosed in angle brackets
(<>), if available, press ENTER or SPACEBAR .
Introduction
You can also choose command options from a shortcut menu by rightclicking in the drawing area while the command is active. The options available on the command line appear in the shortcut menu. For information
about how to enable or disable this shortcut menu, see Shortcut Menus in
the Users Guide.
Entering Data on the Command Line
Some prompts ask you to enter data, rather than (or as an alternative to)
choosing an option. To do so, enter the text on the command line and press
ENTER or SPACEBAR . However, be aware that when the command line prompt
requests an object name, SPACEBAR inserts a space on the command line
rather than acting as ENTER . This allows for the support of extended symbol
names.
Just as default command options are often provided, prompts may include
default values, enclosed in angle brackets (<>), when data is requested. For
example, the POLYGON command displays the following prompt, suggesting
4 as the number of sides for your polygon:
Command: polygon
Enter number of sides <4>:
To accept the default value, press ENTER or SPACEBAR .
Using Wild-Card Characters on the Command Line
When the prompt directions ask for a name list, such as a block name, variable name, named view, and so on, you can use wild-card characters to
specify names. See the table in Filter and Sort the List of Layers in the Users
Guide.
Repeating Commands
If no command is active, you can repeat the previous command by pressing
ENTER or SPACEBAR or by right-clicking in the drawing area and choosing the
Repeat Command Name option from the shortcut menu.
Accessing Recently Used Commands

You can access the six most recently used commands from a shortcut menu
by right-clicking in the command window and choosing Recent Commands.
References to Other Sections

At the end of most command descriptions, youll find a section called See
Also. This section includes references to chapters in other AutoCAD guides
and other AutoCAD commands and system variables related to the current
command.
Typographical Conventions
To orient you to AutoCAD features as they appear on the screen, specific
terms are set in typefaces that distinguish them from the body text. Throughout AutoCAD documentation, the following conventions are used.
Typographical conventions
Text element
Example
AutoCAD commands
ADCENTER, DBCONNECT, SAVE
AutoCAD system variables
DIMBLK, DWGNAME, LTSCALE
AutoCAD named-objects, such as linetypes and

styles
DASHDOT, STANDARD
Prompts
Select object to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]:
Instructions after prompt sequences
Select objects: Use an object selection method
File names and file name extensions
acad.exe, Readme file, .dwg file extension
Folder or directory names
Sample folder, c:\autocad 2002\support
Text you enter
At the Command prompt, enter shape.
Keys you press on the keyboard
CTRL, F10, ESC, ENTER
Keys you press simultaneously on the keyboard
CTRL + C
AutoLISP variable names, sample code, and text in

ASCII files
The variable pi is preset to a value of pi
AutoLISP and DIESEL function names
command ads_command( )
Formal arguments specified in function definitions
The string and mode arguments
Introduction
***POP1
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 .
For a list of the aliases that correspond to each command, see Command
Aliases.
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.
3D
Creates three-dimensional polygon mesh objects
3D creates three-dimensional polygon mesh objects in common geometric
shapes, including boxes, cones, spheres, tori, wedges, and pyramids.

When you use 3D to construct polygon mesh objects, the resulting objects
are surfaces that can be hidden, shaded, or rendered.
Draw menu: Surfaces 3D Surfaces
Command line: 3d
Enter an option
[Box/Cone/DIsh/DOme/Mesh/Pyramid/Sphere/Torus/Wedge]:
Box
Creates a 3D box polygon mesh.
length
Specify corner point of box:

Specify length of box: Specify a distance
Specify width of box or [Cube]: Specify a distance or enter c
width
Width
Specifies the width of the box. Enter a distance or specify a point relative to
the corner point of the box.
height
Specify height of box: Specify a distance

Specify rotation angle of box about the Z axis or [Reference]: Specify an angle
or enter r
angle
3D
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.
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 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 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.
Specify rotation angle of box about the Z axis or [Reference]: Specify an angle
or enter r
Rotation Angle
3D
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
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 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
1
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
3D
Radius for Top
top radius
height
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
base
radius
Diameter for Top
top diameter = 0
Defines the top of the cone by its diameter. A value of 0

truncated cone.
Specify diameter for top of cone <0>: Specify a distance
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
top diameter
height
Defines the top of the cone by its radius. A value of 0

truncated cone.
base diameter
Diameter for Top
Defines the top of the cone by its diameter. A value of 0

truncated cone.
Specify diameter for top of cone <0>: Specify a distance
10
3D
Dish
Creates the lower half of a spherical polygon mesh.
Specify center point of dish: Specify a point (1)
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
Diameter
Defines the dish by its diameter.

Specify diameter of dish: Specify a distance
Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of dish
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dish
radius
diameter
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
3D
11
Diameter
Defines the dome by its diameter.

Specify diameter of dome: Specify a distance
dome <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dome
radius
diameter
Mesh
3
4
N=8
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
1
M=6
2
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
apex point
Fourth Corner Point
Defines the fourth corner point of the base of a pyramid.

4
The Z value of the point specified determines the height for the pyramids
apex, top, or ridge line.
12
Specify apex point of pyramid or [Ridge/Top]: Specify a point (5) or enter an

option
3D
ridge
points
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
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)
3D
13
top
points
Sphere
3
2
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
radius
Defines the sphere by its radius.

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

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

Specify radius of tube or [Diameter]:
tube
radius
Specify a distance or enter d
The radius of the tube of the torus is measured from the center of the tube to
the outside edge of the tube.
14
3D
Radius
Defines the tube by its radius.

Enter number of segments around tube circumference
Enter number of segments around torus circumference
Diameter
Defines the tube by its diameter.

Specify diameter of tube: Specify a distance
Diameter
torus diameter
tube
diameter
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
The radius of the tube of the torus is measured from the center of the tube to
the outside edge of the tube.
Radius
Defines the tube by its radius.

Diameter
Defines the tube by its diameter.

Specify diameter of tube: Specify a distance
3D
15
Wedge
Creates a right-angle, wedge-shaped polygon mesh with a sloped face
tapering along the X axis.
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
height
1
length
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.
width
See Also
See Create 3D Objects in the Users Guide.
DVIEW establishes a viewpoint from anywhere in space.
HIDE temporarily removes lines that would be hidden
by other objects. PLAN provides a convenient means of
viewing the drawing from plan view. RENDER creates a
Commands
realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional

wireframe model using all the geometry, view, and light
information in the model. SHADEMODE provides shading and wireframe options for objects in the current
viewport. VPOINT sets the viewing position for a 3D
visualization in the current viewport. UCS controls user
coordinate systems.
3DARRAY
Creates a three-dimensional array
Modify menu: 3D Operation 3D Array
object
selected
Command line: 3darray

Select objects:
Use an object selection method
The entire selection set is treated as a single element in the array.

levels
Enter type of array [Rectangular/Polar] <R>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Rectangular Array
columns
rows
16
3DARRAY
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.
Enter the number of rows () <1>: Enter a positive value

or press ENTER
Enter the number of columns ( | | | ) <1>: Enter a positive
value or press ENTER
Enter the number of levels ( . . . ) <1>: Enter a positive
Specifying one row requires that more than one
column be specified, and vice versa. Specifying one
level creates a two-dimensional array.
If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD prompts:
Specify the distance between rows (): Specify a
distance
If you specify more than one column, AutoCAD
prompts:
Specify the distance between columns ( | | | ): Specify a
distance
If you specify more than one level, AutoCAD prompts:
Specify the distance between levels ( . . . ): Specify a
distance
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.

Enter the number of items in the array: Enter a positive
value
Specify the angle to fill (+=ccw, -=cw) <360>: Specify an
angle or press ENTER
3DARRAY
17
The specified angle determines how far AutoCAD arrays

the objects about the axis of rotation. A positive
number produces a counterclockwise array rotation. A
negative number produces a clockwise array rotation.
1
Rotate arrayed objects? [Yes/No] <Y>:

press ENTER
Enter y or n, or
Entering y or pressing ENTER rotates each array

element.
objects rotated
Specify center point of array: Specify a point (1)

Specify second point on axis of rotation: Specify a point
(2)
objects not rotated
See Also
See Create an Array of Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
ARRAY copies the selected objects to a rectangular or cir-
cular pattern. Each object can be independently edited.

COPY duplicates objects. DIVIDE places evenly spaced
point objects or blocks along the length or perimeter of

a selected object. GROUP creates logical groups of
objects. MEASURE measures an object and places markers at specified intervals. MINSERT inserts multiple copies of a block into a single rectangular array. MULTIPLE
causes the next command to repeat until canceled.
System Variables
GRIPS turns on grips, with which you can manipulate
objects directly with the pointing device.
3DCLIP
Starts the interactive 3D view and opens the Adjust Clipping Planes window
3D Orbit toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Start the 3DORBIT command, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose More Adjust Clipping Planes.
Command line: 3dclip
AutoCAD displays the Adjust Clipping Planes window.
18
3DCLIP
Adjust Clipping Planes Window

The Adjust Clipping Planes window displays objects rotated at a 90-degree
angle from the current 3D Orbit view. You set the clipping planes in the
Adjust Clipping Planes window, and the results are displayed in the main 3D
Orbit view. Use the Adjust Clipping Planes toolbar, or right-click in the
Adjust Clipping Planes window and select an option from the shortcut
menu.
Adjust Clipping Planes Shortcut Menu

To choose any of the following options, right-click in the Adjust Clipping
Planes window.
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.
3DCLIP
19
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.
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.
Close the Adjust Clipping Planes window by clicking the Close button in the
upper-right corner of the window. Closing the Adjust Clipping Planes window does not turn the clipping planes off. You can rotate the view in 3DORBIT
and still 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 and choose More
from the shortcut menu. A check mark in front of Front Clipping On or Back
Clipping On indicates that the clipping plane is on. Choose the option that
you want to turn off. Or, choose More Adjust Clipping Planes from the
shortcut menu. Right-click in the Adjust Clipping Planes window, and ensure
that the Front Clipping On and Back Clipping On options arent checked.
See Also
See Adjust Clipping Planes (3D Orbit) in the Users Guide.
3DCONFIG
Provides a command-line interface to the 3D graphics systems configuration settings
If you enter 3dconfig at the Command prompt, the following prompt is displayed on the command line:
Enter option: [Adaptive degradation/Dynamic tessellation/Render options/
Geometry/acceLeration/eXit] <Adaptive degradation>: Enter the configuration
you want to change or press ENTER to change adaptive degradation settings.
You will stay in the 3DCONFIG command until you enter eXit or press ESC.
20
3DCONFIG
Adaptive Degradation
Specifies the display options to which the view can degrade to maintain the
speed of the view manipulation. For example, if a large drawing is currently
Gouraud shaded, you can select Wireframe to allow the drawing to degrade
to a wireframe representation of the view.
You can turn on one or more than one of the available options. If more than
one option is turned on, the display changes to the most detailed option first
and then degrades until it reaches the least detailed option.
Configure: Adaptive Degradation
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want adaptive degradation
turned on or off
If Adaptive Degradation is turned on, you can specify the type. If no type is
specified, then no degradation will occur.
Current display options: Wireframe Bounding Box
Enter option [Flat shaded/Wireframe/Bounding box/Maintain speed fps/eXit]
<Flat shaded>: Specify the type of adaptive degradation you want to use
Configure: Flat shaded
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <OFF>: Specify whether you want flat-shaded display
turned on or off
Configure: Wireframe
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <OFF>: Specify whether you want wireframe display
turned on or off
Configure: Bounding box
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <OFF>: Specify whether you want bounding box display
turned on or off
Configure: Maintain speed fps
Enter speed <5>: Enter a value between 1 and 60 to adjust the frame rate
Flat Shaded
Specifies that the display can change to flat shaded.
Wireframe
Specifies that the display can change to wireframe. This

uses less of the system resources and allows the drawing
to move at a faster speed.
Bounding Box
Specifies that the display can change to a bounding

box. A box is displayed in place of each object in your
view. This choice requires the least amount of system
resources.
Maintain Speed
FPS
Specifies the display speed in frames per second. The

drawing degrades to maintain the specified speed.
3DCONFIG
21
Dynamic Tesselation
Sets the options that determine the smoothness of the objects in a drawing.
AutoCAD draws objects 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.
Configure: Dynamic tessellation
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want dynamic tessellation
turned on or off
If Dynamic Tessellation is turned on, you can specify the number of surface
tessellations, curve tessellations, or tessellations to cache.
Configure: Dynamic tessellation
Enter option [Surface tessellation/Curve tessellation/Tessellations to cache/eXit]
<Surface tessellations>: Specify the type of dynamic tessellation you want to use
Configure: Surface tessellation
Enter tolerance <88>: Enter a value between 0 and 100
Configure: Curve tessellation
Enter tolerance <88>: Enter a value between 0 and 100
Configure: Tessellations to cache
Enter number of tessellations to cache <3>: Enter a value between 1 and 10
Surface
Tessellation
Determines the amount of detail for surfaces in your

drawing. The lower numbers provide less detail; the
higher numbers provide more detail but use more
tessellation lines and more memory.
Curve
Tessellation
Determines the amount of detail for curves in your

drawing. The lower numbers provide less detail; the
higher numbers provide more detail but use more
tessellation lines and more memory.
Number of
Tessellations to
Cache
Configures your system according to memory and

performance requirements. A cache is a special memory
subsystem that stores frequently accessed information.
The 3D cache always stores at least one tessellation.
When the number of tessellations to cache is set to 1,
the tessellation for all viewports is the same and may
cause some objects in the drawing to be regenerated as
you zoom in and out.
22
3DCONFIG
Setting the number of tessellations to cache to 2 or

more is useful when you have more than one viewport
with different views. Increasing the number requires
more memory.
Render Options
Makes settings available for enhancing the display of lights, materials, textures, and transparency in 3D views. This includes objects in the 3D Orbit
view and objects shaded using the SHADEMODE command.
Configure: Render options
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want to turn on render options
Configure: Render options
Enter option [Lights/Materials/eXit] <Lights>: Specify whether you want to
configure lights or materials
Configure: Lights
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want lights turned on or off
Configure: Materials
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want materials turned on or
off
If Render Options is turned on, you can specify if you want lights and materials turned on or off.
Lights
In 3D views, illuminates objects and attached materials

by lights that were defined with the LIGHT command. If
this option is not selected, or if the LIGHT command has
not been used for the drawing, then the default lighting
for 3D views is used.
Enable Materials
In 3D views, displays materials for objects that have

materials that were attached using the RMAT command.
If the object has no attached material, the default global
material is used. If this option is not selected, or if the
RMAT command has not been used in the drawing, then
no materials are displayed.
Configure: Textures
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want textures turned on or off
Configure: Transparency
Enter mode [Low/Medium/High] <Low>: Select a transparency level
If Materials is turned on, you can also configure textures and transparency.
3DCONFIG
23
Enable Textures
In 3D views, shows textures attached to objects using

the RMAT and SETUV commands. Materials must also be
turned on for textures to be visible.
Transparency
Adjusts the transparency quality to improve image

quality, but at the expense of redraw time. At the lowquality setting, a screen-door effect achieves
transparency without sacrificing speed. At the mediumquality setting, blending improves image quality. At the
high-quality setting, blending and extra processing
produce an image free of visual artifacts, but at the cost
of drawing speed. Materials must also be turned on for
transparency to be visible.
Geometry
Determines how to display isolines in 3D and whether to display back faces
in 3D.
Configure: Geometry
Enter option [Isolines on top/Discard backfaces] <Isolines on top>: Specify an
option to configure
Configure: Isolines on top
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want isolines on top
Configure: Discard backfaces
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want back faces to be
discarded
24
Isolines on Top
Displays isolines for front and back faces in all shade

modes except Hidden. Isolines for the back faces are
displayed on top of the shading for the objects in 3D.
Turning this option off hides the isolines for the back
faces.
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 dont have
a top. Discarding back faces enhances performance.
3DCONFIG
Acceleration
Specifies whether you want to use software or hardware acceleration in 3D.
Configure: Acceleration
Enter option [Hardware/Software/eXit] <Hardware>: Specify whether you want
to configure hardware or software
Configure: Hardware
Enter option [Driver name/Geometry acceleration/Antialias lines/eXit] <Driver
name>: Specify an option to configure
Available drivers: wopengl8.hdi
Enter driver name <wopengl8.hdi>: Enter a driver name
Configure: Geometry acceleration
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want geometry acceleration
turned on or off
Configure: Antialias lines
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want anti-alias lines turned
on or off
If you select Hardware, you can also specify whether geometry acceleration
and anti-alias lines are turned on or off.
Hardware
Specifies hardware acceleration. Select to use the

hardware graphics card to perform most of the drawing
tasks in 3D. This speeds up the drawing time.
When you select Hardware, the default driver is set to
the wopengl8.hdi driver that is included with AutoCAD.
If you select the Driver Name option, you can select a
driver from a list of available hardware-accelerated
drivers found in the AutoCAD drv directory. If you want
to use a hardware driver from another vendor, it must
be supported by the Heidi Graphics System.
Software
Specifies software acceleration. Select to use the

software graphics system to perform all of the drawing
tasks in 3D.
Geometry
Acceleration
Specifies whether to use geometry acceleration.

Geometry acceleration must be supported by your
graphics card. See your vendor documentation for
information on your graphics card.
3DCONFIG
25
Using geometry acceleration makes more efficient use

of the graphics card. With this option turned on, you
are drawing in single precision. Use this option only if
you know that your drawing is within the singleprecision limit.
Anti-alias Lines
Specifies using anti-aliasing lines. Lines appear

smoother and less gradient.
Exit
Exits the 3DCONFIG command.
3DCORBIT
Starts the interactive 3D view and enables you to set the objects in the 3D view into
continuous motion
3D Orbit toolbar:
and choose More Continuous Orbit.
Command line: 3dcorbit
3DCORBIT changes the cursor to a sphere with two continuous lines encir-
cling it. Click in the drawing area and drag the pointing device in any
direction to start the objects moving in the direction that youre dragging.
Release the button on the pointing device and the objects continue their
orbit in the direction that you specified. The speed of 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.
See Also
See Use 3D Orbit Commands in the Users Guide.
26
3DCORBIT
3DDISTANCE
Starts the interactive 3D view and makes objects appear closer or farther away
3DDISTANCE simulates the effect of moving the camera closer to the objects
or farther away. Unlike 3DZOOM, 3DDISTANCE does not exaggerate the per-
spective with which you view the objects or make them appear distorted.
3D Orbit toolbar:
and choose More Adjust Distance.
Command line: 3ddistance
3DDISTANCE changes the cursor to a line with one arrow pointing up and one
pointing down. Clicking and dragging the cursor vertically toward the top of
the screen moves the camera closer to the objects, making them appear
larger. Clicking and dragging the cursor vertically toward the bottom of the
screen moves the camera away from the objects, making them appear
smaller.
See Also
See Specify 3D Views Interactively (3D Orbit) in the Users Guide.
3DFACE
Creates a three-dimensional face
3DFACE creates a three- or four-sided surface anywhere in 3D space. You can
specify different Z coordinate values for each corner point of a 3D face, but
if you do, the 3D face cannot be extruded. 3DFACE differs from SOLID, which
creates a three- or four-sided surface that is parallel to the current user coordinate system (UCS) and cannot use different Z coordinate values for each
corner point. Also, 3DFACE creates a surface that is not filled in; SOLID creates
a filled-in surface.
Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces 3D Face
Command line: 3dface
3DDISTANCE
27
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,
AutoCAD creates a planar face 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.
visible edges
invisible edges
Specify second point or [Invisible]: Specify a point (2) or enter i

Specify third point or [Invisible] <exit>: Specify a point (3), enter i, or press
5
6
4
ENTER
Specify fourth point or [Invisible] <create three-sided face>: Specify a point (4),
enter i, or press ENTER
3
1
2
AutoCAD repeats the Third Point and Fourth Point prompts until you press
ENTER . Specify points 5 and 6 at these repeating prompts. When you finish
entering points, press ENTER .
See Also
Commands
28
3DFACE
HIDE eliminates hidden lines in a wireframe. PFACE

creates a single polygon mesh containing many faces.
SOLID draws a solid-filled area. PROPERTIES and EDGE

change the visibility of edges.
System Variables
SPLFRAME controls the display of invisible edges in
faces.
3DMESH
Creates a free-form polygon mesh
Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces 3D mesh
Command line: 3dmesh
Enter size of mesh in M direction: Enter a value between 2 and 256
Enter size of mesh in N direction: Enter a value between 2 and 256
Note 3DMESH is designed primarily for programmers. Other users should use
M
the 3D command.
AutoCAD defines a polygon mesh by a matrix, the size of which is determined by M and N size values. M N equals the number of vertices that you
must specify.
Specify location for vertex (0, 0): Enter a 2D or 3D coordinate
AutoCAD defines the location of each vertex in the mesh 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.
open mesh
3DMESH polygon meshes are always open in both M and N directions. You
can close a mesh with PEDIT.
See Also
See Construct Meshes for Smooth Shading in the Users Guide.
closed mesh
3DMESH
29
Commands
EDGESURF, REVSURF, RULESURF, and TABSURF create

polygon meshes. PEDIT opens and closes a mesh, moves
selected vertices of a mesh, or fits a smooth surface to

mesh vertices. PFACE creates a general polygon mesh
called a polyface mesh. PROPERTIES edits edge visibility.
3D creates three-dimensional polygon mesh objects.
System Variables
SURFU and SURFV control the accuracy of surface
approximation in the M and N direction when you use

surface fitting. SURFTYPE controls the type of surface fitted by the Smooth option of the PEDIT command.
3DORBIT
Controls the interactive viewing of objects in 3D
3DORBIT enables you to manipulate the view of 3D objects by clicking and
dragging your pointing device.

You can view your entire drawing or select one or more objects before starting the command. Viewing the entire drawing may degrade the video
display.
You can display ambient, point, distant, and spot lights defined with the
LIGHT command in 3D Orbit view. To display these lights, you must set
SHADEMODE to Flat Shaded, Gouraud Shaded, Flat Shaded Edges On, or
Gouraud Shaded Edges On. The Wireframe and Hidden SHADEMODE options
do not display lights. To turn on lights, from the Tools menu, choose
Options. In the Options dialog box, choose the System tab. On the System
tab under Current 3D Graphics Display, choose Properties.
View menu: 3D Orbit
Command line: 3dorbit, 3do
3DORBIT activates a 3D 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.
The 3D Orbit view displays an arcball, which is a circle divided into four
quadrants by smaller circles. When 3DORBIT is active, the target of the view
stays stationary and the camera location, or point of view, moves around the
target. The center of the arcball, not the center of the objects youre
viewing, is the target point.
Note You cannot edit objects while the 3DORBIT command is active.
30
3DORBIT
Moving your cursor over different parts of the arcball changes the cursor
icon, indicating the direction in which the view rotates.
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 Orbit toolbar. See 3DOrbit Shortcut Menu on page 32.
Cursor Icons
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 were
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.
If you drag the cursor into the arcball it changes to a
sphere encircled by two lines and the view moves freely.
If you move the cursor back outside the arcball, you
revert to 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.
3DORBIT
31
3DOrbit Shortcut Menu

When the 3DORBIT command is active, you can change the view using one
or more of the options on the 3D Orbit shortcut menu. To access the 3D Orbit
shortcut menu, right-click in the 3D Orbit view.
Pan
Moves objects in the view horizontally and vertically. See 3DPAN.
Zoom
Simulates the effect of a cameras zoom lens. See 3DZOOM.
Orbit
Returns the view to Orbit mode after use of the other menu commands, such
as Zoom, Pan, or Continuous Orbit.
More
Accesses one of the following view options:
32
Adjust Distance
Simulates the effect of moving the camera closer to the

object or farther away. See 3DDISTANCE.
Swivel Camera
Changes the cursor to an arched arrow and simulates

the effect of turning the camera. See 3DSWIVEL.
Continuous Orbit
Changes the cursor to a sphere with two continuous

lines encircling it and enables you to set the objects into
continuous motion. See 3DCORBIT.
Zoom Window
Changes the cursor to a window icon so you can select

a specific area that you want the zoom to focus on.
When the cursor changes, click and drag the cursor to
draw a window around the area you want to select.
When you release the pick button, the drawing is
zoomed in and focused on the area you selected.
Zoom Extents
Centers the view and sizes it to display all objects.
Orbit Maintains Z
Keeps the Z axis in its current orientation when

dragging horizontally within the arcball circle, or when
dragging from the small circles on the left or right side
of the arcball. When using 3D Orbit, use this option to
keep the object from tumbling end-over-end. This
option is useful for changing the view of such drawings
as buildings, cars, and maps. This setting is saved with
the user profile.
3DORBIT
Orbit Uses
AutoTarget
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.
Adjust Clipping
Planes
Opens the Adjust Clipping Planes window. See 3DCLIP.
Front Clipping
On
Turns the front clipping plane on or off. A check mark

in front of this option indicates that the front clipping
plane is on and you can see the results of moving the
line that adjusts the front clipping plane. See 3DCLIP.
Back Clipping On
Turns the back clipping plane on or off. A check mark

in front of this option indicates that the back clipping
plane is on and you can see the results of moving the
line that adjusts the back clipping plane. See 3DCLIP.
Projection
Provides the projection options. A check mark displayed in front of an option
indicates that the option is selected.
Parallel
Displays objects so that two parallel lines in a drawing

never converge at a single point. 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 eye sees.
Shading Modes
Provides methods for shading objects.
Wireframe
Displays the objects in the 3D Orbit view using lines

and curves to represent boundaries.
Hidden
Displays the objects in the 3D Orbit view as wireframes

with the lines representing the back faces hidden.
Flat Shaded
Shades the objects in the 3D Orbit view between the

polygon faces. This gives the objects a faceted, less
smooth appearance.
3DORBIT
33
Gouraud Shaded
Shades the objects in the 3D Orbit view and smooths

the edges between polygon faces. This gives the objects
a smoother, more realistic appearance.
Flat Shaded,
Edges On
Combines the Flat Shaded and Wireframe options. The

objects are flat shaded with the wireframe showing.
Gouraud Shaded,
Edges On
Combines the Gouraud Shaded and Wireframe options.

The objects are Gouraud Shaded with the wireframe
showing.
Visual Aids
Provides aids to visualizing the objects.
Compass
Draws a 3D sphere within the arcball 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.
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.
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.
See Also
See Overview of 3D Orbit in the Users Guide.
34
3DORBIT
3DORBITCTR
Sets the center of rotation in 3D Orbit view
3DORBITCTR 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 feature of the 3DORBIT command.
Command line: 3dorbitctr
3DPAN
Starts the interactive 3D view and enables you to drag the view horizontally and vertically
3D Orbit toolbar:
and choose Pan.
Command line: 3dpan
3DPAN changes the cursor to a hand cursor. When you click and drag the
cursor, the view moves in the direction that you drag. You can drag the view
vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
You can view your entire drawing, or select one or more objects before
entering 3DPAN. Viewing the entire drawing may degrade video performance.
See Also
See Use 3D Orbit Commands in the Users Guide.
3DORBITCTR
35
3DPOLY
Creates a polyline of line segments in 3D space
new point
Draw menu: 3D Polyline
previous
point
Command line: 3dpoly

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
closing
segment
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.
See Also
Commands
PEDIT edits polylines and 3D polygon meshes. SPLINE

creates an ACIS-based quadratic or cubic spline curve.
3DSIN
Imports a 3D Studio (3DS) file
3DSIN reads 3D Studio geometry and rendering data (3DS files), including
meshes, materials, mapping, lights, and cameras. 3DSIN cannot import 3D
Studio procedural materials or smoothing groups.

Imported objects are assigned an AutoCAD color as close as possible to the
objects 3D Studio color.
3D Studio lights are converted to the nearest AutoCAD equivalent. Ambient
light loses its color. Omni lights become point lights. Spotlights become
AutoCAD spotlights. 3D Studio cameras become AutoCAD named views.
If the name of any 3D Studio object conflicts with a name already in the
AutoCAD drawing, the 3D Studio name is assigned a sequence number to
resolve the conflict. The name might be truncated to resolve the conflict.
Insert menu: 3D Studio
36
3DPOLY
Command line: 3dsin

AutoCAD displays the 3D Studio File Import dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). After you choose a file to import, AutoCAD displays the
3D Studio File Import Options dialog box.
3D Studio File Import Options Dialog Box

Lists available and selected 3D objects, saves 3D objects to layers, and handles objects that use multiple materials.
Available Objects
Displays the names of all objects in the 3D Studio 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 3D Studio objects to import.
Object Name
and Type
Displays the type and assigned name of each object.
3DSIN
37
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 3D Studio objects are assigned to layers in the AutoCAD
drawing.
By Object
Creates a layer for each object in the 3D Studio file and

places the object on that layer. The name of the layer is
the same as the name of the object.
By Material
Creates a layer for each material in the 3D Studio 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 3D Studio

file. AutoCAD places each 3D Studio object on the layer
corresponding to its color. The name of the layer is
COLORnn, where nn is the 3D Studio color index. If the
3D Studio file contains objects with no color, AutoCAD
places these objects on a layer called COLORNONE.
Single Layer
Creates a single layer called AVLAYER and places all

objects on that layer.
Multiple Material Objects

3D Studio assigns materials by face, element, or object. AutoCAD assigns
materials by object only. When AutoCAD encounters a 3D Studio 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
Materials
38
3DSIN
Splits the object into multiple objects, one for each

material. This preserves the material assignments that
were made in the 3D Studio file. It also increases the
complexity of the drawing geometry.
Assign First
Material
Assigns the first material assigned to each multiplematerial object to the entire object. See the 3D Studio
documentation for an explanation of how the firstassigned material is determined.
Select a Material
Assigns one of the materials that was assigned to the

object in the 3D Studio 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 3D
Studio 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 3D Studio documentation for an explanation of how
the first-assigned material is determined.
Dont Assign a Material
Assigns no material to each multiple-material object. This option loses all
material assignment information but preserves the 3D Studio geometry. The
object reverts to the AutoCAD default material.
See Also
See Work with Data in Other Formatsin the Users Guide.
3DSOUT
Exports to a 3D Studio (3DS) file
You can use AutoCAD geometry and rendering data with 3D Studio by converting a drawing to the 3DS file format with 3DSOUT.
3DSOUT exports only those AutoCAD objects with surface characteristics. A
line or an arc must have a nonzero thickness. A trace or a polyline must have
a nonzero width or thickness. Circles, polygon meshes, and polyface meshes
are always exported. Solids and 3D faces must have at least three unique
vertices. Geometry is tessellated on export, as necessary. AME (Advanced
Modeling Extension ) and AutoSurf objects must be converted to meshes
before you use 3DSOUT.
3DSOUT converts AutoCAD named views to 3D Studio cameras and Photo
Real or Photo Raytrace lights to the nearest 3D Studio equivalent. Point lights
become omni lights. Spotlights and distant lights become 3D Studio
spotlights.
3DSOUT
39
If the name of any AutoCAD object conflicts with a name already in the 3D
Studio drawing, the AutoCAD name is assigned a sequence number to resolve
the conflict. The name may have to be truncated to accommodate the
sequence number.
Command line: 3dsout
Select objects:
AutoCAD displays the 3D Studio Output File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box). After you enter a name for the new file, AutoCAD displays
the 3D Studio File Export Options dialog box.
3D Studio File Export Options Dialog Box

Defines the source of 3D objects, converts blocks into 3D objects, and
performs smoothing and welding during the export process.
Note 3DSOUT cannot convert a selection set containing more than 65,535
vertices. If necessary, simplify the geometry using the Auto-Welding option (see
Welding on page 41).
Derive 3D Studio Objects From

Specifies how to group AutoCAD objects into 3D Studio objects.
Layer
40
3DSOUT
Creates an object from the objects on each AutoCAD

drawing layer. The name of the new object is based on
the AutoCAD layer name.
AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI)
Creates an object from the objects that share an ACI

number. The name of the new object is based on the
color.
AutoCAD Object
Type
Creates an object from all AutoCAD objects of the same

type. The name of the object is based on the AutoCAD
object type.
AutoCAD Blocks
Splits a block into its components and converts them to 3D Studio objects
according to the mode set under Derive 3D Studio Objects From.
Override (Each
Block Is One
Object)
Overrides the current Derive setting and converts each

block into a single 3D Studio object.
Smoothing
Assigns 3D Studio smoothing groups based on the controls set in this area.
Auto-Smoothing
Creates 3D Studio smoothing groups. If this option is

cleared, AutoCAD assigns no smoothing to new 3D
Studio objects.
Degrees
Specifies the threshold angle for smoothing. If the

angle between two face normals is greater than this
value, AutoCAD does not smooth the face normals.
Welding
Simplifies the geometry and improves rendering time by welding congruent
or nearby vertices into a single vertex.
Auto-Welding
Welds vertices. If this option is cleared, vertices remain

unchanged upon export.
Threshold
Specifies a distance in WCS coordinates of the

AutoCAD drawing. If the distance between two vertices
is less than or equal to this value, AutoCAD welds the
vertices into a single vertex. The default value is 0.001.
You can enter any positive value up to eight characters
in length. The decimal point can be in any location.
See Also
See Work with Data in Other Formats, especially 3D Studio Files, in the
Users Guide.
Commands
3DSIN imports a 3D Studio file.
3DSOUT
41
3DSWIVEL
Starts the interactive 3D view and simulates the effect of turning the camera
3D Orbit toolbar:
and choose More Swivel Camera.
Command line: 3dswivel
3DSWIVEL changes the cursor to an arched arrow and simulates the effect of
turning a camera on a tripod. This command changes the target of the view.
For example, if you were pointing a camera at an object and then turned the
camera to the right, the object would move to the left in your viewing area.
Or, if you pointed the camera up, the objects would move down in your
viewing area. Swivel simulates this motion by using the cursor as the
cameras viewfinder.
3DZOOM
Starts the interactive 3D view so you can zoom in and out on the view
3D Orbit toolbar:
and choose Zoom.
Command line: 3dzoom
3DZOOM simulates the effect of a cameras zoom lens. It makes objects appear
closer and farther away but does not change the position of the camera.
Zooming in magnifies the image. This also exaggerates the perspective with
which you view the objects if youre using perspective projection. It may
slightly distort the shape of some objects.
Zoom changes the cursor to a magnifying glass with plus (+) and minus ()
signs. Clicking and dragging the cursor vertically toward the top of the screen
zooms in on the image, making the objects appear larger or closer. Clicking
and dragging the cursor vertically toward the bottom of the screen zooms out
and makes the object appear smaller or farther away.
42
3DSWIVEL
ABOUT
Displays information about AutoCAD
Help menu: About
Command line: about (or 'about for transparent use)
AutoCAD displays copyright information and product information.
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.
ACISIN
Imports an ACIS file
ACIS (a solid modeler produced by Spatial Technology, Inc.) provides a solid
modeling file format that AutoCAD can use. AutoCAD reads the model
stored in the ACIS file format and creates a body object, solid, or region in
the AutoCAD drawing.
Insert menu: ACIS File
Command line: acisin
AutoCAD displays the Select ACIS File dialog box. Select the file to import
in the File Name list. AutoCAD imports the SAT (ASCII) ACIS file into your
AutoCAD drawing.
See Also
See Overview of Object Linking and Embedding in the Users Guide.
Commands
ACISOUT exports AutoCAD solid objects to an ACIS file.

AMECONVERT converts Advanced Modeling Extension
(AME) solid models to AutoCAD solid objects.
ABOUT
43
ACISOUT
Exports AutoCAD solid objects to an ACIS file
ACIS provides a solid modeling file format that AutoCAD can use to store
solid objects. An AutoCAD solid, a body, or a region can be stored as an SAT
(ASCII) file.
Note When exchanging SAT files to earlier versions of AutoCAD, you need to
set the ACISOUTVER system variable to the ACIS version used for that release. For
example, to export SAT files to AutoCAD Release 14 set ACISOUTVER to 16.
Command line: acisout
Select objects:
AutoCAD ignores selected objects that are not solids or regions and displays
the Create ACIS File dialog box. Enter the name of the file you want to create.
AutoCAD exports the selected objects to an ASCII file.
See Also
See ACIS Files in the Users Guide.
Commands
ACISIN imports an ACIS file. AMECONVERT converts

Advanced Modeling Extension (AME) solid models to
AutoCAD solid objects. EXPORT saves objects to other
file formats.
ADCCLOSE
Closes DesignCenter
Command line: adcclose
Closes the DesignCenter window.
See Also
Commands
44
ACISOUT
ADCENTER opens DesignCenter.
ADCENTER
Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns
Standard toolbar:
Tools menu: DesignCenter
Command line: adcenter
DesignCenter is displayed.
DesignCenter Window
Browses, finds, and previews content, and inserts content, which includes
blocks, hatches, and external references (xrefs).
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)

Tree view (left pane)
content area
tree view
content preview
content description
ADCENTER
45
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, and text styles
Images or icons representing blocks or hatch patterns
Web-based content
Custom content developed by third-party applications
From the content area, you can insert blocks, hatch patterns, or attach
external references in a drawing by dragging, by double-clicking, or by rightclicking 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.
46
ADCENTER
Search
Displays the Search dialog box (see page 49), 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 AutoCAD automatically adds the DesignCenter folder 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.
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.
ADCENTER
47
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.
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.
Note The sample\designcenter folder contains drawings containing disciplinespecific 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.
Open Drawings
48
ADCENTER
Displays all drawings currently open in the AutoCAD

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 displays on the right-side and can be downloaded
into your drawing.
Search Dialog Box

Searches for content such as drawings, hatch patterns, and blocks.
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.
ADCENTER
49
Browse
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 Name box and places the
cursor in the box.
Search Results
Panel
Displays the results of the search in resizable columns.

Double-click an item to load it into DesignCenter.
Search Tabs (Search Dialog Box)

Displays 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 following 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. To search all the

fields, select All Fields. For drawings, all fields other
than File Name are derived from the information
entered in the Drawing Properties dialog box
(DWGPROPS).
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.
50
ADCENTER
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.
ADCENTER
51
See Also
See DesignCenter in the Users Guide.
Commands
ADCCLOSE closes DesignCenter on the command line.

ADCNAVIGATE directs the Desktop tree view in Design-
Center to the file name, directory location, or network

path you specify. BLOCK creates blocks and saves them
with preview images and text descriptions. OPTIONS
sets the INSUNITSDEFSOURCE and INSUNITSDEFTARGET
system variables.
System Variables
INSUNITS specifies the Autoscale setting AutoCAD uses

when inserting blocks into drawings.
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE sets the units value for the source
content. INSUNITSDEFTARGET sets the units value for the
target drawing.
ADCNAVIGATE
Loads a specified DesignCenter drawing file, folder, or network path
Command line: adcnavigate
Enter pathname <current>:
The path or drawing file name you specify is loaded in the tree view of the
DesignCenter Folders tab.
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 network path: \\server1\campus_project
AutoCAD automatically displays DesignCenter, switches to the Folder tab,

and loads the path or drawing file name that you specified.
ADCNAVIGATE supports remote domains or workgroups if you have the target
domain or workgroup mapped to a drive letter.
See Also
Commands
ADCCLOSE closes DesignCenter. ADCENTER opens
DesignCenter.
52
ADCNAVIGATE
ALIGN
Aligns objects with other objects in 2D and 3D
Use ALIGN to move, rotate, or scale objects into alignment with other objects.
Add source points to the objects you want to align, and add destination points
to the objects to which you want the source objects to align. You can add up
to three pairs of source and destination points to align an object.
Modify menu: 3D Operation Align
Command line: align
Select objects:
Select the objects you want to align and press ENTER
ALIGN Using One

Pair of Points
Specify first source point: Specify a point (1)

Specify first destination point: Specify a point (2)
Specify second source point: Press ENTER
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).
1
2
two points specified
ALIGN Using Two

Pairs of Points
result

Specify second source point: Specify a point (3)
Specify second destination point: Specify a point (4)
Specify third source point: Press ENTER
Scale objects based on alignment points [Yes/No] <No>:
Enter y or press ENTER
ALIGN
53
3
2
4
objects selected
four points specified
result
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, AutoCAD
prompts you to scale the object. AutoCAD uses the
distance between the first and second destination
points (2, 4) 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
54
ALIGN

Specify second source point: Specify a point (3)
Specify second destination point: Specify a point (4)
Specify third source point: Specify a point (5)
Specify third destination point: Specify a point (6)
3
5
1
2
4
objects selected
six points specified
result
When you select three point pairs, you can move and
rotate the selected objects in 3D to align with other
objects.
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).
See Also
Commands
MOVE displaces objects a specified distance in a specified direction. ROTATE moves objects about a base
point.
System Variables
GRIPS turns on grips, with which you can manipulate
objects directly using the pointing device.
AMECONVERT
Converts AME solid models to AutoCAD solid objects
Command line: ameconvert
Select objects:
The objects you select must be Advanced Modeling Extension (AME) Release
2 or 2.1 regions or solids. AutoCAD ignores all other objects.
Because of increased accuracy in the new AutoCAD solid modeler, AME
models may look slightly different after conversion. This difference is noticeable where the previous version of the AutoCAD solid modeler identified the
surfaces of two different shapes as so close as to be considered in the same
AMECONVERT
55
plane. The new AutoCAD solid modelers 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.
APERTURE
Controls the size of the object snap target box
Command line: aperture (or 'aperture for transparent use)
Object snap target height (150 pixels) <current>: Enter a value (150) or press
ENTER
Object snap applies only to objects inside or crossing the object snap target
box. The APBOX 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.
target
box
target
box
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.
See Also
Commands
OSNAP sets running object snap modes and changes the

target box size. OPTIONS (the Selection tab) sets object
selection modes and changes the pickbox size.

System Variables
56
APERTURE
APERTURE controls the object snap target box, not the

pickbox displayed at the Select Objects prompt. PICKBOX controls the object selection pickbox size.
APPLOAD
Loads and unloads applications and defines which applications to load at startup
If you need to use applications that are not automatically loaded when you
start AutoCAD, you can use APPLOAD to load applications, unload applications, store a history list of applications youve loaded, and create a start-up
list of applications to be loaded each time you start AutoCAD.
You can load applications of the following file types:
AutoLISP (.lsp)
ObjectARX (.arx)
VBA (.dvb)
ObjectDBX (.dbx)
Fast Load AutoLISP (.fas)
Visual LISP executables (.vlx)
Some ObjectARX applications require user interaction upon loading the

application and may not load properly with APPLOAD. Use the ARX command
to load these applications.
Tools menu: Load Application
Command line: appload
AutoCAD displays the Load/Unload Applications dialog box.
APPLOAD
57
Load/Unload Applications Dialog Box

Loads and unloads applications and specifies applications to be loaded at
start-up.
The options at the top of this dialog box are derived from the standard file
selection dialog box (see page 621). 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 in either the files list or on the History List tab.
Load is unavailable until you select a file that you can
load. AutoCAD loads ObjectARX, VBA, and DBX
applications 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.
58
APPLOAD
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 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 applications temporary location is emptied.
Unload
Unloads the selected applications. Unload is available

only when you select a file that you can unload on the
Loaded Applications tab. LISP applications cannot be
unloaded, nor can ObjectARX applications that are not
registered for unloading.
APPLOAD
59
Remove
Removes the selected applications from the history list.

Remove is available only when you select a file on the
History List tab. Note that 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 AutoCAD loads 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.
Click the Start-up Suite icon or Contents to display the
Startup Suite dialog box. You can also add files to the
Startup Suite by right-clicking an application on the
History List tab and choosing Add to Startup Suite from
the shortcut menu.
You cannot add applications that you load with the
AutoCAD Web Browser to the Startup Suite.
Status Line
Displays messages that indicate the status of loading

and unloading operations.
Startup Suite Dialog Box

Adds and removes application files from the Startup Suite. These are the
applications that AutoCAD loads each time you start AutoCAD.
List of
Applications
60
APPLOAD
Displays an alphabetical list (by file name) of the

application files to load at startup.
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.
See Also
See Use AutoLISP Applications in the Customization Guide.
Commands
ARX loads, unloads, and provides information about
ObjectARX applications.
ARC
Creates an arc
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Arc
Command line: arc
Specify start point of arc or [CEnter]: Specify a point, enter ce, or press ENTER to
start tangent to last line, arc, or polyline
Start Point
Specifies the starting point of the arc.
Note If you press ENTER without specifying a point, AutoCAD uses the endpoint of the last drawn line or arc and immediately prompts you 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
2
3
1
Draws an arc using three specified points on the arcs 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.
ARC
61
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
3
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.
included
angle
Angle
1
2
Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1)

using a center point (2) with a specified included angle.
If the angle is negative, AutoCAD draws a clockwise arc.
Specify included angle: Specify an angle
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, AutoCAD draws the
minor arc counterclockwise from the start point. If the
chord length is negative, AutoCAD draws the major arc
counterclockwise.
length of
chord
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]:
imaginary
ray
Center Point

to an endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn
from the center point (3) through the second point
specified (2).
Angle

to an endpoint (2), with a specified included angle. If
the angle is negative, AutoCAD draws a clockwise arc.
2
1
3
center point
Specify included angle: Enter an angle in degrees or specify

an angle by moving the pointing device counterclockwise
62
ARC
Direction
2
angle
2
1
1
direction
Begins the arc tangent to a specified direction. It creates

any arc, major or minor, clockwise or counterclockwise,
beginning with the start point (1), and ending at an
endpoint (2). AutoCAD determines the direction from
the start point.
Specify tangent direction for the start point of arc:
Radius
1
radius
Draws the minor arc counterclockwise from the start

point (1) to the endpoint (2). If the radius is negative,
AutoCAD draws the major arc.
Specify radius of arc:
Center
Specifies the center of the circle of which the arc is a part.
Specify start point of arc:
Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]:
End Point

to an endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn
from the center point (1) through a specified point (3).
Angle

using a center point (1) with a specified included angle.
If the angle is negative, AutoCAD draws a clockwise arc.
1
included angle
Specify included angle:
1 2
Chord Length
1
length
of chord
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, AutoCAD draws the
minor arc counterclockwise from the start point. If the
chord length is negative, AutoCAD draws the major arc
counterclockwise.
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.
1
ARC
63
See Also
See Draw Arcs in the Users Guide.
Commands
ELLIPSE creates an ellipse or an elliptical arc.
AREA
Calculates the area and perimeter of objects or of defined areas
Total area and perimeter are saved in the AREA and PERIMETER system
variables.
Inquiry toolbar:
Tools menu: Inquiry Area
Command line: area
Specify first corner point or [Object/Add/Subtract]: Specify a point (1) or enter
an option
First Corner Point

5
3
4
2
defining an area
and perimeter
Calculates the area and perimeter you define by specifying points. All points
must lie in a plane parallel to the XY plane of the current user coordinate
system (UCS).
Specify next corner point or press ENTER for total: Specify a point (2)
Continue to specify points to define a polygon and then press ENTER to
complete the definition of the perimeter.
If you do not close the polygon, AutoCAD calculates the area as if a line were
drawn from the last point entered to the first. When calculating the perimeter, AutoCAD adds in that line length.
area defined
Object
Calculates the area and perimeter of the selected object. You can calculate the
area of circles, ellipses, splines, polylines, polygons, regions, and solids.
Note 2D solids (created with the SOLID command) do not have an area
reported.
64
AREA
Select objects:
If you select an open polyline, AutoCAD calculates the area as if a line were
drawn from the last point entered to the first. When calculating the perimeter, however, AutoCAD ignores that line.
open polyline
selected
area defined
The centerline of a wide polyline is used to make area and perimeter (or
length) calculations.
Add
wide ployline
Turns on Add mode and keeps a running balance of the total area as you continue to define areas. The Add option calculates the individual areas and
perimeters of defined areas and objects as well as the total area of all defined
areas and objects. You can use the Subtract option to subtract specified areas
from the total area.
Specify first corner point or [Object/Subtract]:
option
First Corner Point
2
1
defined area to
be added
new area
Specify a point (1) or enter an
Calculates the area and perimeter you define by

selecting points. All points must lie in a plane parallel
to the XY plane of the current UCS.
Specify next corner point or press ENTER for total (ADD
mode): Specify a point (2)
Specify points to define a polygon (3). Press ENTER and
AutoCAD calculates the area and perimeter.
Furthermore, AutoCAD 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, AutoCAD calculates
the area as if a line were drawn from the last point
entered to the first. When calculating the perimeter,
AutoCAD adds that line length.
AREA
65
Object
Calculates the area and perimeter of the selected object.

(ADD mode) Select objects:
AutoCAD calculates the area and perimeter.
Furthermore, AutoCAD returns the total area of all the
areas defined by selecting points or objects since Add
mode was turned on.
If you select an open polyline, AutoCAD calculates the
area as if a line were drawn from the last point entered
to the first. When calculating the perimeter, however,
AutoCAD ignores that line.
The centerline of a wide polyline is used to make area
and perimeter calculations.
Subtract
selected area to
be subtracted
Turns on Subtract mode and keeps a running balance of

the total area as you subtract specified areas.
Subtract
Similar to the Add option, but subtracts areas and perimeters.
remaining area
See Also
See Obtain Area Information in the Users Guide.
Commands
BOUNDARY calculates and displays the area associated

with the selected objects. MASSPROP calculates and displays the mass of selected solids. LIST displays database
information for the selected objects.
System Variables
AREA stores the sum of areas collected. PERIMETER displays the perimeter of the object last found by AREA.
ARRAY
Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern
Each object in an array can be manipulated independently. If you select multiple objects from which to construct the array, AutoCAD counts the objects
as one item to be copied and arrayed.
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Array
Command line: array
66
ARRAY
The Array dialog box is displayed. You can create rectangular or polar arrays
by choosing the appropriate option.
If you enter -array at the Command prompt, ARRAY displays prompts on the
command line (see page 72).
Array Dialog Box

Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern. Use the Rectangular Array
option to create an array defined by a number of rows and columns of copies
of the selected object. Use the Polar Array option to create an array by copying the selected objects around a center point.
Rectangular Array
Creates an array defined by a number of rows and columns of copies of the
selected object.
distance
between rows
object selected
distance between columns
ARRAY
67
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, AutoCAD 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, AutoCAD 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 arrays
offset.
68
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.
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. The ANGBASE and ANGDIR 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.
ARRAY
Pick Row Offset

use the pointing device to specify the distance between
rows. AutoCAD 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

use the pointing device to specify the distance between
columns. AutoCAD 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

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. The ANGBASE and ANGDIR system variables affect
the angle of arrays.
Polar Array
Creates an array by copying the selected objects around a center point.
1
1
2
polar array with

objects rotated
polar array angle to

fill=180; objects not
rotated
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 AutoCAD drawing area.
ARRAY
69
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
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

define the included angle between the base points of
the first and last elements in the array. AutoCAD
prompts you to select a point relative to another point
in the AutoCAD drawing area.
Pick Angle
Between Items

define the included angle between the base points of
the arrayed objects and the center of the array.
AutoCAD prompts you to select a point relative to
another point in the AutoCAD 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.
70
ARRAY
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, AutoCAD determines the distance
from the arrays 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
Region
Grip point
Set to Objects
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.
ARRAY
71
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.
Choose Modify to return to the Array dialog box to make changes.
ARRAY Command Line

If you enter -array at the Command prompt, ARRAY displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter the type of array [Rectangular/Polar] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
Rectangular
Creates an array defined by a number of rows and columns of copies of the
selected objects.
distance
between rows
object selected
distance between columns
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.
AutoCAD assumes the selected object, or cornerstone element, to be in the
lower-left corner, and generates the array up and to the right.
72
ARRAY
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. AutoCAD skips the next prompt if you specify two points for the opposite corners of a rectangle.
Specify the distance between columns (|||):
To add columns to the left, specify a negative value for the distance between
columns. AutoCAD constructs rectangular arrays 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 command changes the angle and creates a rotated array. The
SNAPANG system variable stores the snap rotation angle.
If you specify a large number of rows and columns for the array, AutoCAD
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 defined by specifying a center point or base point about
which AutoCAD replicates the selected objects.
1
1
2
polar array with

objects rotated
polar array angle to

fill=180; objects not
rotated
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.
ARRAY
73
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.
Specify the base point of objects: Specify a point
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
AutoCAD sees 0 as no response. You can enter 0 for 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 , AutoCAD prompts for the angle between items:
Angle between items: Specify an angle
If you specified the number of items and entered 0 as the angle to fill or
pressed ENTER , AutoCAD 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
AutoCAD determines the distance from the arrays center point to a reference
point on the last object selected. AutoCAD uses 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? <Y>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
In a polar array, AutoCAD uses the reference point of the last object in the
selection set 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.
See Also
See Create an Array of Objects in the Users Guide.
74
ARRAY
Commands
BLOCK creates blocks from a group of objects. SNAP
locks points entered by a pointing device into alignment with an imaginary rectangular grid, the rotation
and X and Y spacing of which can be changed.
System Variables
SNAPANG stores the current UCS-relevant snap and grid
rotation for the current viewport.
ARX
Loads, unloads, and provides information about ObjectARX applications
ObjectARX applications can be third-party programs or internal applications
such as Render or the Multiline Text Editor.
Command line: arx
Enter an option [?/Load/Unload/Commands/Options]:
?List Applications
Lists the currently loaded ObjectARX applications.
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 Developers Guide).
Options
Presents developer-related ObjectARX application options. These options are
explained in greater detail in the ObjectARX Developers Guide.
Enter an option [Group/CLasses/Services]: Enter an option or press ENTER
ARX
75
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.
ASSIST
Opens the Active Assistance window, which provides either automatic or on-demand
context-sensitive information
Help menu: Active Assistance
Command line: assist (or 'assist for transparent use)
When you open the Active Assistance window, the Active Assistance icon is
added to your Windows system tray at the lower edge of your screen.
Active Assistance continually monitors your actions in AutoCAD and displays information directly related to the active command or dialog box in the
Active Assistance window. You can manually hide and show the Active Assistance window at any time. You can also control how and when the window
is automatically opened. For example, you may prefer to open the Active
Assistance window only while you work in a dialog box.
Active Assistance options are available through the Active Assistance icon
shortcut menu and the Active Assistance window shortcut menu.
Active Assistance Icon Shortcut Menu

Provides options for closing Active Assistance and controlling when and how
Active Assistance displays information. Right-click the Active Assistance icon
in the Windows system tray, located on the Windows taskbar.
Active Assistance icon
76
ASSIST
Show Active
Assistance
Displays the Active Assistance window, which contains

information relevant to the active command or dialog
box. You can also display the Active Assistance window
by double-clicking the icon in the system tray. When
you display the window using either of these methods,
the Activation option specified in the Active Assistance
Settings dialog box is ignored until you close the
window.
Settings
Displays the Active Assistance Settings dialog box (see

page 78), in which you can specify when and how
Active Assistance displays information.
Exit
Closes Active Assistance. Use the ASSIST command to

restart Active Assistance.
Active Assistance Window Shortcut Menu

Provides options for working in the Active Assistance window and controlling when and how Active Assistance displays information. Right-click inside
the Active Assistance window.
Home
Displays the Active Assistance topic that describes how

to use the Active Assistance window.
Back
Moves backward through the history of Help topics

that you have viewed.
Forward
Moves forward through the history of Help topics that

you have viewed.
Print
Prints the current Help topic.
Settings
Displays the Active Assistance Settings dialog box, in

which you can specify when and how Active Assistance
displays information.
ASSIST
77
Active Assistance Settings Dialog Box

Specifies when and how Active Assistance displays information.
Show On Start
Starts Active Assistance when AutoCAD starts. If you clear this option and
close all AutoCAD sessions, use the ASSIST command to restart Active
Assistance.
Activation
Specifies the conditions in which the Active Assistance window is automatically displayed.
All Commands
Automatically opens the Active Assistance window

when any command is activated.
New and
Enhanced
Commands

when any new or enhanced commands are activated.
Dialogs Only

when a dialog box is displayed. You cannot close the
Active Assistance window while a dialog box is
displayed.
On Demand
Suppresses automatic display of the Active Assistance

window. To open the window, double-click the Active
Assistance icon in the system tray, or right-click the
icon and choose Show Active Assistance.
See Also
Commands
78
ASSIST
HELP opens the standard AutoCAD Help.
ATTACHURL
Attaches hyperlinks to objects or areas in a drawing
Command line: attachurl
Enter hyperlink insert option [Area/Object] <Object>:
Enter a or press ENTER
Area
Creates the URLLAYER layer, draws a polyline on that layer, and attaches a
URL to the polyline.
First corner: Click in the drawing to indicate the lower-left corner of the area
Other corner: Click to indicate the upper-right corner of the area
Enter hyperlink <current drawing>: Enter a URL
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.
Select objects: Use an object selection method, and press ENTER to end selection
Enter hyperlink <current drawing>: Enter a URL
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.
See Also
See Add Hyperlinks to a Drawing in the Users Guide.
Commands
DETACHURL removes hyperlinks from drawings. HYPERLINK displays a dialog box to attach URLs to objects and
offers additional options.
ATTACHURL
79
ATTDEF
Creates an attribute definition
An attribute is informational text associated with a block. An attribute definition is a template for creating an attribute; it specifies the properties of an
attribute and the prompts displayed when the block is inserted.
When you finish defining the attribute, the attribute tag that you specified
is displayed in the drawing.
When you later include the attribute tag in a block definition using the
BLOCK command, AutoCAD erases the attribute tag from the drawing if you
have selected the Delete option in the Block Definition dialog box. When
you insert the block, AutoCAD displays the attribute value at the same location in the block, with the same text style and alignment.
Draw menu: Block Define Attributes
Command line: attdef
The Attribute Definition dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -attdef at the Command prompt, ATTDEF displays prompts on
the command line (see page 82).
Attribute Definition Dialog Box

Defines the mode; attribute tag, prompt, and value; insertion point; and text
options for an attribute.
80
ATTDEF
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 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 overrides
Invisible mode.
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.
Attribute
Sets attribute data. 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.
Tag
Identifies each occurrence of an attribute in the

drawing. Enter the attribute tag using any combination
of characters except spaces. AutoCAD changes
lowercase letters 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.
Value
Specifies the default attribute value.
Insertion Point
Specifies the location for the attribute. Enter coordinate values or choose Pick
Point and use the pointing device to specify the placement of the attribute
in relation to the objects that it will be associated with.
Text Options
Sets the justification, style, height, and rotation of the attribute text.
ATTDEF
81
Justification
Specifies the justification of the attribute text. See TEXT

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.
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.
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 Command Line

If you enter -attdef at the Command prompt, ATTDEF displays prompts on
the command line.
Current attribute modes: Invisible=current Constant=current Verify=current
Preset=current
Enter an option to change [Invisible/Constant/Verify/Preset] <done>:
Enter attribute tag name: Enter any characters except spaces or exclamation
points
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)
Enter attribute value: Enter the appropriate text or press ENTER (this prompt is
only displayed if you turned on Constant mode)
82
ATTDEF
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, or p toggles the modes on or off.
Press ENTER when you have finished adjusting the mode settings. The
AFLAGS 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 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.
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 (!). AutoCAD changes lowercase letters to uppercase.
Attribute Prompt
Specifies the prompt that is displayed when you insert a block containing
this attribute definition. If you press ENTER , AutoCAD uses the attribute tag
as the prompt. If you turn on Constant mode, this prompt does not display.
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, AutoCAD skips this prompt and displays the
Attribute Value prompt instead.
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
For a description of each option, see TEXT.
Attribute Value
Specifies the value for a constant attribute. This prompt is displayed only if
you turn on Constant mode.
ATTDEF
83
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
For a description of each option, see TEXT.
See Also
Commands
ATTDISP globally controls the visibility of attributes.

ATTEDIT edits attributes independently of the block definition with which theyre associated. ATTEXT extracts
attribute data. ATTREDEF redefines a block and updates
associated attributes.
System Variables
AFLAGS stores the current mode settings for attribute

definitions. ATTDIA causes -INSERT to use dialog boxes
for the entry of attribute values. ATTMODE controls the
attribute display mode. ATTREQ determines whether
INSERT uses default attribute settings during the inser-
tion of blocks.
ATTDISP
Globally controls attribute visibility
An attribute is informational text associated with a block. ATTDISP controls
whether the attributes in your drawing are visible.
attribute
View menu: Display Attribute Display

Command line: attdisp (or 'attdisp for transparent use)
Enter attribute visibility setting [Normal/ON/OFF] <current>:
ATTDISP on
ATTDISP off
84
AutoCAD regenerates the drawing after you change the visibility unless
REGENAUTO, which controls automatic regeneration, is off. AutoCAD stores
the current visibility of attributes in the ATTMODE system variable.
Normal
Retains the current visibility of each attribute. Visible

attributes are displayed. Invisible attributes are not
displayed.
On
Makes all attributes visible.
Off
Makes all attributes invisible.
ATTDISP
See Also
Commands
System Variables
ATTDEF creates an attribute definition for text to be

associated with a block. ATTEDIT edits attributes independently of the block definition with which theyre
associated. ATTEXT extracts attribute data. ATTREDEF
redefines a block and updates associated attributes. The
Mode option of ATTDEF determines the visibility of
newly created attribute definitions.
ATTDIA causes -INSERT to use dialog boxes for the entry
of attribute values. ATTMODE controls the attribute display mode. ATTREQ determines whether INSERT uses
default attribute settings during the insertion of blocks.
ATTEDIT
Changes attribute information
An attribute is informational text associated with a block. In the Edit
Attributes dialog box, you can edit individual, nonconstant attribute values
associated with a specific block. To change attribute properties such as position, height, and style, use -ATTEDIT and edit attribute values and properties
individually or globally, independent of the block.
Use the following access methods to edit attribute values for a specific block:
Modify menu: Object Attribute Single
Command line: attedit
Select block reference: Select a block with attributes
The Edit Attributes dialog box is displayed.
Use the following access methods to edit attribute values and properties independent of a block:
Modify menu: Object Attribute Global
Command line: -attedit
AutoCAD displays prompts on the command line (see page 82).
ATTEDIT
85
Edit Attributes Dialog Box

Displays the first eight attribute values 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.
To change attribute properties such as position, height, and style, use
-ATTEDIT.
ATTEDIT Command Line

If you enter -attedit at the Command prompt, ATTEDIT displays prompts on
the command line.
Edit attributes one at a time? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or press ENTER to edit
attributes one at a time, or enter n to edit attributes globally
86
ATTEDIT
Yes
Edits attributes one at a time. Attributes to be edited one at a time must be
visible and parallel to the current UCS.
Enter block name specification <*>: Press ENTER , or enter a block name or a
partial block name with wild-card characters (? or *) to narrow the selection to
specific blocks
Enter attribute tag specification <*>: Press ENTER , or enter a tag or a partial tag
with wild-card characters (? or *) to narrow the selection to specific attributes
Enter attribute value specification <*>: Press ENTER , or specify a value or a value
name with wild-card characters (? or *) to narrow the selection to specific attribute
values
Attribute values are case sensitive.
Select Attributes: Select only attributes parallel to the current UCS
AutoCAD marks the first attribute in the selection set with an X. You can
change any properties of the attribute you select.
attributes selected
Enter an option [Value/Position/Height/Angle/Style/Layer/Color/Next] <N>:

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, AutoCAD prompts for a new value. The X remains
on the current attribute until you move to the next attribute.
X on first 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.

Enter string to change: Enter string to change or press
X on next attribute
ENTER
Enter new string:
Enter replacement string or press ENTER
Either string can be null. AutoCAD interprets the ? and

* characters literally, not as wild-card characters.
ATTEDIT
87
Replace
Substitutes a new attribute value for the entire attribute

value.
Enter new attribute value: Enter a new attribute value or
press ENTER
If you press ENTER , the attribute value is empty (null).
Position
Changes the text insertion point.
Specify new text insertion point: Specify a point or press ENTER
position changed
If the attribute is aligned, AutoCAD prompts for both ends of a new text
baseline.
Height
Changes the text height.
Specify new height <current>: Enter a value, specify a point, or press ENTER
height changed
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.
Specify new rotation angle <current>: Enter a value, specify a point, or press
ENTER
angle changed
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.
Enter new text style: Enter a style name or press ENTER
style changed
Layer
Changes the layer.
Enter new layer name <current>: Enter a layer name or press ENTER
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.
Enter new color name or value [Truecolor/Colorbook]<BYLAYER>:
enter t, enter c, or press ENTER
88
ATTEDIT
Enter a color,
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.

Red, Green, Blue: 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 Color Book name: Enter the name of a color book
that has been installed, such as PANTONE
If you enter a color book name, AutoCAD prompts you
to enter the color name in the color book.
Enter color name: Enter the name of a color included in
the selected color book, such as PANTONE573
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.
Performing global editing of attribute values.
Edit only attributes visible on screen? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or press ENTER to
edit only visible attributes, or enter n to edit all attributes
Yes
Edits only visible attributes.

Enter block name specification <*>: Press ENTER , or specify a block name or a partial block name with wild-card
characters (? or *) to narrow the selection to specific blocks
Enter attribute tag specification <*>: Press ENTER , or
specify a tag or a partial tag with wild-card characters (? or
*) to narrow the selection to specific attributes
Enter attribute value specification <*>: Press ENTER , or
specify a value or a partial value with wild-card characters
(? or *) to narrow the selection to specific attribute values
ATTEDIT
89
Attribute values are case sensitive. To select empty

(null) attributes, which normally are not visible and
cannot be selected, enter a backslash (\).
Select Attributes: Select only attributes parallel to the
current UCS
Select the attribute you want to change.
Enter string to change: Enter string to change or press
ENTER
Enter new string:
Enter replacement string or press ENTER
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. AutoCAD
regenerates the drawing at the end of the command
unless REGENAUTO, which controls automatic
regeneration, is off.
Enter block name specification <*>: Enter a full block
name or a partial block name with wild-card characters (? or
*), or press ENTER to select attributes in all blocks
Enter attribute tag specification <*>: Enter a full attribute
tag name or a partial name with wild-card characters (? or
*), or press ENTER to select attributes in all attribute tags
Enter attribute value specification <*>: Enter a full
attribute value or a partial value with wild-card characters
(? or *), or press ENTER to select all attributes
Attribute values are case sensitive. To select empty
(null) attributes, which normally are not visible, enter a
backslash (\).
AutoCAD selects the attributes that match the specified
block name, attribute tag, and attribute value.
Enter string to change: Enter the attribute value you want
to change, or press ENTER to append a new value to the
existing value(s)
Enter new string: Enter the new value to replace the specified value or to append to selected values
Either string can be empty (null). The ? and * characters
are interpreted literally, not as wild-card characters.
90
ATTEDIT
See Also
See Modify Blocks in the Users Guide.
Commands

associated with a block. ATTDISP globally controls the
visibility of attributes. ATTEXT extracts attribute data.
ATTREDEF redefines a block and updates associated
attributes. DDEDIT edits text and attribute definitions.
REGENAUTO controls automatic regenerations of a
drawing.
System Variables
ATTDIA causes -INSERT to use dialog boxes for entry of

attribute values. ATTMODE controls the attribute display
mode. ATTREQ determines whether INSERT uses default
attribute settings during insertion of blocks.
ATTEXT
Extracts attribute data
An attribute is informational text associated with a block. Use ATTEXT to
extract the data stored in the attribute into a file.
Command line: attext
The Attribute Extraction dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -attext at the Command prompt, ATTEXT displays prompts on
Attribute Extraction Dialog Box

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.
ATTEXT
91
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)

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.
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.
92
ATTEXT
For information about creating a template file, see Attach Data to Blocks
(Block Attributes) in the Users Guide.
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.
AutoCAD appends the .txt file name extension for CDF or SDF files and the
.dxx file name extension for DXF files.
ATTEXT Command Line

If you enter -attext at the Command prompt, ATTEXT displays prompts on
the command line.
Enter extraction type or enable object selection [Cdf/Sdf/Dxf/Objects] <C>:
Enter an option or press ENTER
CDF: CommaDelimited File

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 files file name extension is
.txt for CDF or SDF format.
SDF: SpaceDelimited File

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.
.txt for CDF or SDF format.
ATTEXT
93
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.
.dxx for DXF format.
Objects
Selects objects whose attributes you want to extract.

Select object: Use an object selection method
Enter attribute extraction type [Cdf/Sdf/Dxf] <C>:
an option or press ENTER
Enter
See Also
For information about working with attributes, see Attach Data to Blocks
(Block Attributes) in the Users Guide.
Commands
ATTEDIT edits individual, nonconstant attribute values

associated with a specific block. -ATTEDIT edits both
attribute values and attribute properties individually or
globally, independent of a block. ATTREDEF redefines a
block and updates associated attributes. ATTDEF creates
an attribute definition for text to be associated with a
block. ATTDISP controls attribute visibility. DDEDIT edits
text and attribute definitions. EXPORT saves objects to
other file formats.
System Variables

ATTREDEF
Redefines a block and updates associated attributes
Command line: attredef
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
94
ATTREDEF
New attributes assigned to existing block references use their default values.
Old attributes in the new block definition retain their old values. AutoCAD
deletes any old attributes that are not included in the new block definition.
See Also
Commands
System Variables

associated with a block. ATTDISP globally controls the
visibility of attributes. ATTEDIT edits attributes independently of the block definition with which theyre
associated. ATTEXT extracts attribute data.
ATTSYNC
Updates all instances of a specified block with the current attributes defined for the block
Modify II toolbar:
Command line: attsync
Enter an option [?/Name/Select] <Select>:
You are prompted for the names of blocks you want to update with the
current attributes defined for the blocks. ATTSYNC does not change any
values assigned to attributes in existing blocks.
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.
AUDIT
Evaluates the integrity of a drawing
AUDIT is a diagnostic tool for examining the current drawing and correcting
errors. For every error detected, AutoCAD provides a description of the error
and recommends corrective action.
ATTSYNC
95
File menu: Drawing Utilities Audit

Command line: audit
Fix any errors detected? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
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 system variable to 1, AUDIT creates an ASCII file
describing problems and the action taken and places this report in the same
directory as the current drawing, with the file extension .adt.
If a drawing contains errors that AUDIT cannot fix, use RECOVER to retrieve
the drawing and correct its errors.
See Also
Commands
System Variables
OPTIONS reconfigures AutoCAD. RECOVER fixes a damaged drawing. OPEN alerts you if a drawing is damaged
and optionally uses RECOVER to attempt to fix it.
AUDITCTL controls whether AUDIT generates a report
file.
96
AUDIT
BACKGROUND
Sets up the background for your scene
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Background
Command line: background
AutoCAD displays the Background dialog box.
Background Dialog Box

Defines the type, color, effects, and position of the background for your
drawing.
Solid
Selects a one-color background. Use the color controls to specify the color.
Gradient
Specifies a two- or three-color gradient background. Use the color controls
and Horizon, Height, and Rotation to define the gradient.
A three-color gradient is the default. To create a two-color gradient, set
Height to 0 so that Render uses only the Top and Bottom colors.
BACKGROUND
97
Image
Uses a bitmap file for the background.
Merge
Uses the current AutoCAD image as the background. This option is available only when Viewport is selected as Destination in the Render dialog box.
See RENDER.
Colors
Sets color for a solid or gradient background.
Top/Middle/
Bottom
Sets colors. For a solid background, set the Top color;

the others are not available. For a two-color gradient,
set the Top and Bottom colors and set Height to 0. For
a three-color gradient, set the Top, Middle, and Bottom
colors. All three colors are available (by clicking the
corresponding color tiles) when you select Gradient.
None of the colors is available when you select Image.
Only Top is available when you select Solid.
Color Controls
Controls whether AutoCAD uses the red, green, blue

(RGB) color system or the hue, lightness, saturation
(HLS) color system. Select RGB to adjust the individual
red, green, and blue components of the selected color.
Select HLS to adjust the individual hue, lightness, and
saturation components of the selected color.
Select Custom
Color
Displays the Select Color dialog box. To define the color

of the background, you can select from the 255
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and
color book colors.
AutoCAD
Background
Uses the current AutoCAD background color. Available

only with a solid background. This option is on by
default.
Preview
Displays a preview of the current Background settings.
Image
Specifies the image file name. You can use the following file types for background images: BMP, JPG, PCX, TGA, and TIFF.
Name
98
BACKGROUND
Specifies the name of the image file to use. You can also
use Find File to select a file.
Find File
Displays a standard file selection dialog box. Use this

dialog box to select the background image file to use.
Adjust Bitmap
Displays the Adjust Background Bitmap Placement

dialog box (see page 100).
Environment
Defines an environment in which you can create additional reflection and
refraction effects on objects with reflective, raytraced materials. With the
Photo Real renderer, the result is a mirrored effect; with the Photo Raytrace
renderer, the result is a raytraced environment.
Name
Specifies the image file name to create the raytraced

environment.
Use Background
Specifies that the selected objects in the current

drawing reflect the background you specify. If you use
an image file, the objects reflect that image rather than
the background image. You can use the following file
types for environment images: BMP, JPG, PCX, TGA,
and TIFF.
The program maps the environment onto a sphere
surrounding the scene, and the Photo Raytrace renderer
uses it in addition to the geometry to determine
reflections and refraction.
Find File
Displays a standard file selection dialog box, in which

you can select the background image file to use.
Horizon
Represents the percentage of unrotated height. Use the box or scroll bar to
set the value. Only available for gradient backgrounds.
Height
Represents a percentage of the second color in a three-color gradient. Use the
box or scroll bar to set the value. The start point of the second color is determined by the Horizon setting. If the value is 0, the result is a two-color
gradient that uses the Top and Bottom colors.
Rotation
Sets an angle at which you can rotate a gradient background. Rotation is not
available with a solid or image background. Use the box or scroll bar to set
the value.
BACKGROUND
99
Adjust Background Bitmap Placement Dialog

Box
Controls options that apply to the background image. The Offset, Scale, and
Tiling controls all work the same as they do in the Adjust Material Bitmap
Placement dialog box (see page 865), except that they apply to the background image instead of a mapped material image. Offset and Scale refer to
X,Y coordinates, not U,V coordinates.
Offset and Scale

Sets the offset and scale. Offset values can range from 1 to 1 on either axis
(X or Y). Adjust a value by using the scroll bars to the right and below the
diagram (enclosed by the outer box labeled Offset), or by entering values in
X and Y Offset.
Scale values can range from 0.1 to 10 on either axis (X or Y). Adjust a value
by using the scroll bars to the left and above the diagram (enclosed by the
inner box labeled Scale), or by entering values in X and Y Scale.
Maintain Aspect Ratio

Locks the X and Y coordinates together. When Maintain Aspect Ratio is
turned on, moving one scroll bar moves the other, and a value you enter in
X or Y Scale changes the other.
Fit to Screen
Fits the image to your screen. If you select Use Image Aspect Ratio, the program fits the larger dimension to the screen while maintaining the images
aspect ratio.
Use Image Aspect Ratio

Uses the aspect ratio of the image file. You can still change Offset and Scale,
but the Maintain Aspect Ratio option is locked to the On setting.
Tiling
Controls how the bitmap is tiled with two radio buttons.
Tile
Tiles the bitmap (the default).
Crop
Does not tile the bitmap.
If you select Tile and you change the offset so the bitmap rectangle appears
outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap is not centered within the drawing area when you render it. (During tiling, the offset acts as a displacement,
not an absolute position.) However, if you select Crop, the bitmap is rendered
only where you place it, as indicated by the diagram (enclosed by the inner
100
BACKGROUND
box labeled Scale) in the Adjust Background Bitmap Placement dialog box. If
the diagram shows the bitmap outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap
does not appear in a rendering.
Center
Sets the Offset coordinates to 0 (centers the image).
See Also
See Use Materials in Rendering in the Users Guide.
Commands

ObjectARX applications. RMAT attaches and manages
rendering materials. RENDER creates a photorealistic or
realistically shaded image of a 3D wireframe or solid

model using geometry, lighting, and materials
information.
BASE
Sets the insertion base point for the current drawing
Use BASE if you plan to insert the current drawing into, or externally reference the drawing from, other drawings and you need a base point other than
0,0,0. When you insert or externally reference the current drawing into other
drawings, ACAD uses this base point as the insertion base point.
Note The BASE command and the INSBASE system variable report values in the
current UCS units.
Draw menu: Block Base
Command line: base (or 'base for transparent use)
Enter base point <current>: Specify a point or press ENTER
See Also
Commands
INSERT inserts a drawing into the current drawing.

BLOCK creates a block definition from a set of points
and requires that you set BASE first. XREF links another
drawing to the current drawing by creating an external

reference.
System Variables
INSBASE stores the insertion base point.
BASE
101
BATTMAN
Edits attribute properties of a block definition
Modify II toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Attribute Block Attribute Manager
Command line: battman
The Block Attribute Manager is displayed.
If the current drawing does not contain any blocks with attributes, a message
is displayed.
Block Attribute Manager

Manages the attribute definitions for blocks in the current drawing. 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.
Attributes of the selected block are displayed in the attribute list. By default,
Tag, Prompt, Default, and Mode 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.
Select Block
Allows you to 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 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.
102
Block
Lists all block definitions in the current drawing that

have attributes. Select the block whose attributes you
want to modify.
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.
BATTMAN
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 Settings dialog box, where you can

customize how attribute information is listed in the
Block Attribute Manager.
Apply
Updates the drawing with the attribute changes you

have made and leaves the Block Attribute Manager
open.
Edit Attribute Dialog Box

Allows you to edit attributes for a block definition.
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.
The Edit Attribute dialog box contains the following tabs:
Attribute
Text Options
Properties
BATTMAN
103
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.
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 attributes default value
and prompts you to enter a value when inserting the
block.
Data
Data options set the attribute text that is displayed.
Tag
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 attributes text is displayed in the
drawing. Change the color of attribute text on the Properties tab.
Text Style
104
BATTMAN
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.
Backwards
Specifies whether or not the text is displayed

backwards.
Upside Down
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 attributes 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 attributes 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.

Changes you make to this option are not displayed if
the LWDISPLAY system variable is off.
Settings Dialog Box

Controls the appearance of the attribute list in the Block Attribute Manager.
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.
BATTMAN
105
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.
BHATCH
Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern or gradient fill
BHATCH first defines the boundaries of the area you want to hatch or fill,
either by computing a region or polyline boundary from a specified point
within an enclosed area, or by using selected objects as boundaries. It then
fills the boundaries with a hatch pattern, a solid color, or a gradient. BHATCH
creates an associative hatch or fill, which is updated when its boundaries are
modified, or a nonassociative hatch or fill, which is independent of its
boundaries. You can preview any hatch or fill and adjust the definition.
Due to the large number of combinations of geometry that you can hatch or
fill, editing hatched or gradient-filled geometry can produce unexpected
results. In this event, delete the object containing the hatch or fill and redo
the hatch or fill.
Note By default, AutoCAD wont create a hatch pattern that consists of over
10,000 segments. The limit is set by the MaxHatch setting in the registry. To
reset the limit to 50,000, for example, enter (setenv "MaxHatch" "50000") at
the Command prompt. The limit can be reset to any value between 100 and
10,000,000.
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Hatch
106
BHATCH
Command line: bhatch

The Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -bhatch at the Command prompt, BHATCH displays prompts on
Boundary Hatch and Fill Dialog Box

Defines the boundary, pattern type, pattern properties, and attributes for
hatch and gradient fill objects.
The Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box includes the following tabs:
Pick Points
Determines a boundary from existing objects visible on the screen. The
objects must form an enclosed area. How AutoCAD detects objects using this
option depends on which island detection method is selected on the
Advanced tab. For example, if the island detection method is Flood,
AutoCAD detects objects within the outermost boundary as islands and
includes them in the boundary definition. The island detection style (which
you also set on the Advanced tab) then determines how to hatch the detected
islands.
When you select Pick Points, the dialog box closes temporarily, and
AutoCAD displays a prompt.
Select internal point: Specify a point within the area to be hatched or filled
Select internal point: Specify a point, enter u or undo to undo the last selection,
or press ENTER to end point specification and return to the dialog box
While specifying points, you can right-click in the drawing area at any time
to display a shortcut menu. You can undo the last or all point specifications,
change the selection method, change the island detection style, or preview
the hatch or gradient fill.
internal point selected
hatch boundary
result
BHATCH
107
Select Objects
Specifies objects for hatching or filling. The dialog box closes temporarily,
and AutoCAD prompts you to select objects.
object selected
hatch boundary
result
When you use the Select Objects option, AutoCAD does not detect interior
objects automatically. You must select the objects within the selected boundary to hatch or fill those objects according to the current Island Detection
Style (which you set on the Advanced tab).
object selected
text selected
result
Each time you choose Select Objects, AutoCAD clears the previous selection
set.
While selecting objects, you can right-click at any time in the drawing area
to display a shortcut menu. You can undo the last selection or all selections,
change the selection method, change the island detection style, or preview
the hatch or gradient fill.
Remove Islands
Removes from the boundary definition any of the objects that AutoCAD
detects as islands when you use the Pick Points option. You cannot remove
the outer boundary.
108
BHATCH
internal point selected
object removed
result
View Selections
Temporarily dismisses the dialog box and displays the currently defined
boundaries with the hatch or fill settings that you last previewed. This option
is unavailable when no boundary has been defined.
Inherit Properties
Hatches or fills specified boundaries using the hatch or fill properties of one
object. After selecting the associative hatch or fill object whose properties
you want the hatch or fill to inherit, you can right-click in the drawing area
and use the shortcut menu to toggle between the Select Objects and Pick
Points options to create boundaries.
See Pick Points on page 107 and Select Objects on page 108.
Double
For user-defined patterns, draws a second set of lines positioned at 90 degrees
to the original lines, creating a crosshatch. AutoCAD stores this information
in the HPDOUBLE system variable. This option is available only if you set Type
to User Defined on the Hatch tab.
This option is not available for gradient fills.
Composition
Controls whether the hatch or gradient fill is associative or nonassociative.
Associative
Creates a hatch or fill that is updated when you modify

its boundaries.
Nonassociative
Creates a hatch or fill that is independent of its

boundaries.
Preview
Temporarily dismisses the dialog box and displays the currently defined
boundaries with the current hatch or fill settings. This option is not available
when you have not yet specified points or selected objects to define your
boundaries.
BHATCH
109
HatchTab (Boundary Hatch and Fill Dialog Box)

Defines the appearance of the hatch pattern to be applied.
Type
Sets the pattern type.
Predefined
Specifies a predefined AutoCAD pattern. These patterns

are stored in the acad.pat and acadiso.pat files. You can
control the angle and scale of any predefined pattern.
For predefined ISO patterns, you can also control the
ISO pen width.
Note When you use the Solid predefined pattern, the
boundary must be closed and must not intersect itself. In
addition, if the hatch area contains more than one loop,
the loops must not intersect. These limitations do not
apply to standard hatch patterns.
110
User Defined
Creates a pattern of lines based on the current linetype

in your drawing. You can control the angle and spacing
of the lines in your user-defined pattern.
Custom
Specifies a pattern that is defined in any custom PAT file

that you have added to the AutoCAD search path. (To
use the patterns in the supplied acad.pat and acadiso.pat
files, choose Predefined.) You can control the angle and
scale of any custom pattern.
BHATCH
Pattern
Lists the available predefined patterns. The six most recently used predefined
patterns appear at the top of the list. AutoCAD stores the selected pattern in
the HPNAME system variable. The Pattern option is available only if you set
Type to Predefined.
The [...] button displays the Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box (see page 116),
in which you can view preview images for all predefined patterns at once to
help you make a selection.
Swatch
Displays a preview of the selected pattern. You can click the swatch to display
the Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box (see page 116). When the SOLID pattern
is selected, you can click the right arrow to display a list of colors or the Select
Color dialog box (see page 169).
Custom Pattern
Lists the available custom patterns. The six most recently used custom patterns appear at the top of the list. AutoCAD stores the selected pattern in the
HPNAME system variable. The Custom Pattern option is available only if you
set Type to Custom.
The [...] button displays the Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box (see page 116),
in which you can view preview images for all custom patterns at once to help
you make a selection.
Angle
Specifies an angle for the hatch pattern relative to the X axis of the current
UCS. AutoCAD stores the angle in the HPANG system variable.
Scale
Expands or contracts a predefined or custom pattern. AutoCAD stores the
scale in the HPSCALE system variable. This option is available only if you set
Type to Predefined or Custom.
Relative to Paper Space
Scales the hatch pattern relative to paper space units. Using this option, you
can easily display hatch patterns at a scale that is appropriate for your layout.
This option is available only from a layout.
Spacing
Specifies the spacing of lines in a user-defined pattern. AutoCAD stores the
spacing in the HPSPACE system variable. This option is available only if you
set Type to User Defined.
BHATCH
111
ISO Pen Width

Scales an ISO predefined pattern based on the selected pen width. This
option is available only if you set Type to Predefined and set Pattern to one
of the available ISO patterns.
Advanced Tab (Boundary Hatch and Fill Dialog Box)

Defines how AutoCAD creates and hatches or fills boundaries.
Island Detection Style

Specifies the method used to hatch or fill objects within the outermost
boundary. If no internal boundaries exist, specifying an island detection style
has no effect. Because you can define a precise set of boundaries, its often
best to use the Normal style.
112
BHATCH
.
.
Normal
Hatches or fills inward from the outer boundary. If

AutoCAD encounters an internal intersection, it turns
off hatching or filling until it encounters another
intersection. Thus, areas separated from the outside of
the hatched or filled area by an odd number of
intersections are hatched or filled, and areas separated
by an even number of intersections are not. You can
also set the Normal style by adding ,N to the pattern
name in the HPNAME system variable.
Outer
Hatches or fills inward from the outer boundary.

AutoCAD turns hatching or filling off if it encounters
an internal intersection. Because this process starts
from both ends of each hatch or fill line, AutoCAD
hatches or fills only the outermost level of the structure
and leaves the internal structure blank. You can also set
the Outer style by adding ,O to the pattern name in the
HPNAME system variable.
Ignore
Ignores all internal objects and hatches or fills through

them. You can also set the Ignore style by adding ,I to
the pattern name in the HPNAME system variable.
Note Hatching concave curves with the Outer and Ignore styles can cause
hatching discrepancies.
The Normal, Outer, and Ignore options are also available from a shortcut
menu by right-clicking in the drawing area while you specify points or select
objects to define your boundaries.
Object Type
Specifies whether to retain boundaries as objects, and the object type that
AutoCAD applies to those objects.
BHATCH
113
Retain
Boundaries
Adds the temporary boundary objects to the drawing.
Object Type
Controls the type of the new boundary object.

AutoCAD creates the boundary as a region or a
polyline. This option is available only if you select
Retain Boundaries.
For more information about regions, see Create and
Combine Areas (Regions) in the Users Guide.
Boundary Set
Defines the set of objects AutoCAD analyzes when defining a boundary from
a specified point. The selected boundary set has no effect when you use Select
Objects to define a boundary.
By default, when you use Pick Points to define a boundary, AutoCAD
analyzes all objects visible in the current viewport. By redefining the boundary set, you can disregard certain objects when defining boundaries without
having to hide or remove those objects. For large drawings, redefining the
boundary set can also produce the boundary faster because AutoCAD
examines fewer objects.
Current Viewport
Defines the boundary set from everything visible in the

current viewport. Selecting this option discards any
current boundary set and uses everything visible in the
current viewport.
Existing Set
Defines the boundary set from the objects that you

selected with New. If you have not created a boundary
set with New, the Existing Set option is not available.
New
Prompts you to select the objects that define the

boundary set. AutoCAD includes only the hatchable or
fillable objects you select when it constructs the new
boundary set. AutoCAD discards any existing boundary
set, replacing it with the new boundary set defined by
the objects you select. If you dont select any objects,
AutoCAD retains any current set.
Until you exit BHATCH or create a new boundary set,
AutoCAD ignores objects that do not exist in the
boundary set when you define your boundaries by
using Pick Points.
Island Detection Method

Specifies whether to include objects within the outermost boundary as
boundary objects. These internal objects are known as islands.
114
BHATCH
Flood
Includes islands as boundary objects.
Ray Casting
Runs a line from the point you specify to the nearest

object and then traces the boundary in a
counterclockwise direction, thus excluding islands as
boundary objects.
Gradient Tab (Boundary Hatch and Fill Dialog Box)

Defines the appearance of the gradient fill to be applied.
One Color
Specifies a fill that uses a smooth transition between darker shades and
lighter tints of one color. When One Color is selected, AutoCAD displays a
color swatch with Browse button and a Shade and Tint slider. (GFCLRSTATE
system variable)
Two Color
Specifies a fill that uses a smooth transition between two colors. When Two
Color is selected, AutoCAD displays a color swatch with a Browse button for
color 1 and for color 2. (GFCLRSTATE system variable)
Color Swatch
Specifies the color for the gradient fill. Click the Browse button [...] to display
the Select Color dialog box, where you can select an AutoCAD Index color,
true color, or color book color. The default color displayed is the current color
in the drawing.
BHATCH
115
Shade and Tint Slider

Specifies the tint (the selected color mixed with white) or shade (the selected
color mixed with black) of a color to be used for a gradient fill of one color.
(GFCLRLUM system variable)
Centered
Specifies a gradient configuration that is symmetrical. If this option is not
selected, the gradient fill is shifted up and to the left, creating the illusion of
a light source to the left of the object. (GFSHIFT system variable)
Angle
Specifies the angle of the gradient fill. The specified angle is relative to the
current UCS. This option is independent of the angle specified for hatch patterns. (GFANG system variable)
Gradient Patterns
Displays nine fixed patterns for gradient fills. These patterns include linear
sweep, spherical, and parabolic. (GFNAME system variable)
Hatch Pattern Palette Dialog Box

Displays preview images for all predefined and custom patterns. The dialog
box organizes patterns on four tabs with images arranged alphabetically on
each tab. Click an image to select a pattern and click OK.
ANSI
116
BHATCH
Displays all ANSI patterns shipped with AutoCAD.
ISO
Displays all ISO patterns shipped with AutoCAD.
Other Predefined
Displays all patterns other than ANSI and ISO shipped

with AutoCAD.
Custom
Displays all patterns defined in any custom PAT file that

you have added to the search path, which is set in the
Options dialog box, Files tab.
BHATCH Command Line

If you enter -bhatch at the Command prompt, BHATCH displays prompts on
the command line.
Specify internal point or [Properties/Select/Remove islands/Advanced]:
a point or enter an option
Specify
Internal Point
Determines a boundary from existing objects visible on the screen that form
an enclosed area. If you turn on Island Detection, ACAD detects objects
within the outermost boundary as islands. Hatching applied is associative
and in the current style.
Properties
Specifies new hatch pattern properties to apply.
Enter a pattern name or [?/Solid/User defined] <current>: Enter a predefined or
custom pattern name, enter s, enter u, enter ?, or press ENTER
Pattern Name
Predefined or
Custom
Specifies a predefined pattern in the acad.pat or

acadiso.pat file or a custom pattern in its own PAT file.
Enter the pattern name followed by an optional hatch
style code. Precede the pattern name with an asterisk (*)
to fill the area with individual lines instead of a hatch
block.
Specify a scale for the pattern <current>: Specify a scale or
press ENTER
Specify an angle for the pattern <current>: Specify an
?List Pattern
Names
Lists and describes the hatch patterns defined in the

acad.pat file.
Pattern(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER
BHATCH
117
Solid
Specifies a solid fill and redisplays the first BHATCH

command line prompt, where you can define a
boundary.
Note The boundary of a solid-fill hatch must be closed
and must not intersect itself. In addition, if the hatch area
contains more than one loop, the loops must not intersect.
These limitations do not apply to standard hatch patterns.
User Defined
Specifies a user-defined pattern. Enter u, followed by an

optional hatch style code. Precede the u with an asterisk
(*) to fill the area with individual lines instead of a
hatch block.
Specify angle for crosshatch lines <current>: Specify an
angle for the pattern or press ENTER
Specify spacing between the lines <current>: Specify the
distance between pattern lines or press ENTER
Double hatch area? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y to specify
a second set of lines to be drawn at 90 degrees to the original
lines, or press ENTER
Select
Selects objects for hatching.
Select objects:
Remove Islands
Removes from the boundary set objects defined as islands by the Internal
Point option.
Select island to remove: Select an island
Advanced
Sets the method AutoCAD uses to create the hatch boundary.
Enter an option [Boundary set/Retain boundary/Island detection/Style/
Associativity]: Enter an option or press ENTER to return to the previous prompt
Boundary Set
Defines the set of objects that AutoCAD analyzes when defining a boundary
from a specified internal point.
Specify candidate set for boundary [New/Everything] <current>: Enter an option
or press ENTER
118
BHATCH
New
Creates a boundary set from a selection set you define.

Everything
Creates a boundary set from everything visible in the

current viewport. Selecting this option discards any
current boundary set and uses everything visible in the
drawing or in the current viewport.
Retain Boundary
Specifies whether to add the temporary boundary objects to the drawing
after hatching is completed.
Retain derived boundaries? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
Island Detection
Specifies whether to use objects within the outermost boundary as boundary
objects.
Do you want island detection? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
Specifying no island detection prompts for the ray casting method.
Enter type of ray casting [Nearest/+X/-X/+Y/-Y/Angle] <current>: Enter an
option or press ENTER
Nearest
Runs a line from the point you specify to the nearest

object and then traces the boundary in a
counterclockwise direction.
+X
Runs a line in the positive X direction from the point

you specify to the first object encountered and then
traces the boundary in a counterclockwise direction.
-X
Runs a line in the negative X direction from the point

+Y
Runs a line in the positive Y direction from the point

-Y
Runs a line in the negative Y direction from the point

ray casting
direction (+X)
ray casting
direction (-X)
ray casting
direction (+Y)
BHATCH
119
Angle
Runs a line at the specified angle from the point you

specify to the first object encountered and then traces
the boundary in a counterclockwise direction.
Specify ray casting angle: Specify an angle
ray casting
direction (-Y)
Style
Specifies the method used to hatch objects within the outermost hatch
boundary. If you have selected no internal objects, a hatching style has no
effect. Because you can define a precise set of boundaries, its often best to use
the Normal style.
Enter hatching style [Ignore/Outer/Normal] <current>:
Enter an option or press
ENTER
Ignore
Ignores all internal objects and hatches through them.

AutoCAD stores the Ignore style code by adding, I to the
pattern name in the HPNAME system variable.
Outer
Hatches inward from the outer boundary. AutoCAD

turns hatching off if it encounters an internal
intersection and doesnt turn it back on. Because this
process starts from both ends of each hatch line,
AutoCAD hatches only the outermost level of the
structure and leaves the internal structure blank.
AutoCAD stores the Outer style code by adding ,O to
Normal
Hatches inward from the outer boundary. If AutoCAD

encounters an internal intersection, it turns off
hatching until it encounters another intersection.
Thus, areas separated from the outside of the hatched
area by an odd number of intersections are hatched,
while areas separated by an even number of
intersections are not. AutoCAD stores the Normal style
code by adding ,N to the pattern name in the HPNAME
system variable.
Associativity
Specifies that the new hatch pattern is updated when its boundaries are modified. Hatching created with BHATCH is, by default, associative.
Do you want associativity? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
See Also
See Standard Libraries and Hatches, Fills, and Wipeouts in the Users
Guide. For information about the acad.pat file and creating your own hatch
patterns, see Custom Hatch Patterns in the Customization Guide.
120
BHATCH
Commands
CONVERT converts 2D polylines and associative hatches

created in AutoCAD Release 13 or earlier to an optimized format. HATCH fills a specified boundary.
HATCHEDIT modifies an existing hatch block.
BOUNDARY creates a region or a polyline from an
enclosed area. EXPLODE breaks a compound object into
its component objects.
System Variables
HPANG sets the hatching angle. HPBOUND specifies the

type of boundary object that BHATCH creates.
HPDOUBLE specifies whether a user-defined hatch is
double-hatched. HPNAME sets the hatch pattern name.
HPSCALE sets the hatch pattern scale. HPSPACE sets the
spacing of a user- defined hatch pattern. PICKSTYLE con-
trols group selection and associative hatch selection.

SNAPBASE specifies the start point for the hatch pattern.
FILLMODE controls the display of all hatch objects
created using AutoCAD Release 14 or later.
BLIPMODE
Controls the display of marker blips
Command line: blipmode (or 'blipmode for transparent use)
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter on or off, or press ENTER
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.
objects drawn with

BLIPMODE on
objects drawn with

BLIPMODE off
To remove marker blips, use REDRAW, REGEN, ZOOM, PAN, or other

commands that redraw or regenerate the drawing.
See Also
System Variables
BLIPMODE stores the Blip mode setting.
BLIPMODE
121
BLOCK
Creates a block definition from objects you select
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Block Make
Command line: block
The Block Definition dialog box is displayed.
If you enter block at the Command prompt, BLOCK displays prompts on the
Block Definition Dialog Box

Defines and names a 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 AutoCAD for other purposes, if the system
variable EXTNAMES is set to 1.
122
BLOCK
The block name and definition are saved in the current drawing.
Note You cannot use DIRECT, LIGHT, AVE_RENDER, RM_SDB, SH_SPOT, and
OVERHEAD as valid block names.
Base Point
Specifies an insertion base point for the block. The default value is 0,0,0.
X
Specifies the X coordinate value.
Specifies the Y coordinate value.
Specifies the Z coordinate value.
Pick Insertion
Base Point
Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can

specify an insertion base point in the current drawing.
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.
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 (see page 821),

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.
Objects Selected
Displays the number of selected objects.
Preview Icon
Determines whether to save a preview icon with the block definition and
specifies the source of the icon.
Do Not Include
an Icon
Specifies that no icon is created.
BLOCK
123
Create Icon from

Block Geometry
Creates a preview icon to be saved with the block

definition from the geometry of the objects in the
block.
Preview Image
Displays an image of the preview icon youve specified.
Drag and Drop Units

Specifies the units to which the block is scaled when it is dragged into a drawing using DesignCenter or i-drop.
Description
Specifies the text description associated with the block.
Hyperlink
Opens the Insert Hyperlink dialog box (see page 416), which you can use to
associate a hyperlink with the block definition.
BLOCK Command Line

If you enter -block at the Command prompt, BLOCK displays prompts on the
command line.
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 AutoCAD for other purposes if the system variable
EXTNAMES is set to 1.
If you enter the name of an existing block, AutoCAD prompts you as follows:
Block "NAME" already exists. Redefine it? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press
ENTER
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: Specify a point (1)
1
AutoCAD uses the point specified as the base point 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
124
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.
Select objects:
AutoCAD 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.
objects selected
as a block
The insertion base point becomes the origin of the blocks 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 block(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER
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.
See Also
See Overview of Blocks in the Users Guide.
BLOCK
125
Commands
-WBLOCK writes selected objects to a new drawing file

using the command line. WBLOCK writes selected
objects to a drawing file. ATTDEF creates an attribute
definition for text that you can associate with a block.
ATTREDEF redefines a block and updates associated
attributes. INSERT places a previously defined block or
drawing in the current drawing. XPLODE breaks a block,
dimension, or polyline into its constituent objects.
MINSERT inserts multiple instances of a block in an
array that is a single block reference. OOPS restores
erased objects. XREF controls xrefs.
System Variables
EXTNAMES sets the parameters for nongraphical names
(such as linetypes and layers) stored in symbol tables.
BLOCKICON
Generates preview images for blocks displayed in DesignCenter
File menu: Drawing Utilities Update Block Icons
Command line: blockicon
Enter block names <*>: Specify block names, or press ENTER to update all blocks
Use this command to generate icons for blocks created with an earlier release
of AutoCAD. You can enter a series of comma-delimited block names or wildcard 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, AutoCAD displays a message describing the
process as it proceeds. Press ESC at any time to stop.
See Also
See Overview of Blocks in the Users Guide.
Commands
BLOCK creates a block definition from objects you
select.
126
BLOCKICON
BMPOUT
Saves selected objects to a file in device-independent bitmap format
Command line: bmpout
The Create Raster File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed. Enter the file name in the dialog box.
Select objects or <all objects and viewports>: Press ENTER to select all objects
and viewports or use an object selection method and press ENTER
AutoCAD creates a bitmap file that contains the objects you select. The file
reflects what is displayed on the screen.
Note When the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0 (Off), prompts are displayed
on the command line.
BOUNDARY
Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area
Draw menu: Boundary
Command line: boundary
The Boundary Creation dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -boundary at the Command prompt, BOUNDARY displays
prompts on the command line (see page 128).
Boundary Creation Dialog Box

Defines the object type, boundary set, and island detection method for defining boundaries from points you specify. The Boundary Creation dialog box
is a limited version of the Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box. To access the
other options in this dialog box, use BHATCH.
BMPOUT
127
For information about all options in this dialog box, see Boundary Hatch and
Fill Dialog Box.
For information about all options in this dialog box, see Boundary Hatch
and Fill Dialog Box on page 107.
Once you set the available options, choose Pick Points to specify points in
your drawing to create the boundaries.
BOUNDARY Command Line

If you enter -boundary at the Command prompt, BOUNDARY displays
prompts on the command line.
Specify internal point or [Advanced options]:
Specify a point or enter a
Internal Point
Creates a boundary from existing objects that form an enclosed area. Specify
a point inside the area.
Advanced Options
Sets the method AutoCAD uses to create the boundary.
Enter an option [Boundary set/Island detection/Object type]:
press ENTER to return to the previous prompt
128
BOUNDARY
Enter an option or
Boundary Set
Defines the set of objects AutoCAD analyzes when it

creates a boundary from a specified point. For
information about defining a boundary set on the
command line, see the BHATCH command line option
Advanced on page 118.
Island Detection
Specifies whether AutoCAD uses objects within the

outermost boundary as boundary objects. For
information about specifying island detection on the
command line, see the BHATCH command line option
Advanced on page 118.
Object Type
Specifies the type of object AutoCAD creates as the

boundary.
Enter type of boundary object [Region/Polyline] <current>:
See Also
Commands
PLINE creates 2D polylines. REGION creates a region

object from a selection set. BHATCH fills an enclosed
area or selected objects with a hatch pattern.

System Variables
HPBOUND controls the object type created by BHATCH

and BOUNDARY.
BOX
Creates a three-dimensional solid box
Once you create a box, you cannot stretch it or change its size. However, you
can extrude the faces of a box with SOLIDEDIT.
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Box
Command line: box
Specify corner of box or [CEnter]<0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER for
corner of box, or enter c for center
BOX
129
Corner of Box
Defines the first corner of the box.
Specify corner or [Cube/Length]:
1
Specify a point (2) or enter an option
Corner
Specifies the other corner of the box.

Specify height: Specify a distance
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.
height
Cube
Creates a box with sides of equal length.

Specify length: Specify a distance
Entering a positive value draws the length along the
positive X, Y, and Z axes of the current UCS. Entering a
negative value draws the length along the negative X,
Y, and Z axes.
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.
Specify width: Specify a distance
height
length
width
Entering a positive value draws the length, width, or

height along the positive X, Y, and Z axes of the current
UCS. Entering a negative value draws the length, width,
or height along the negative X, Y, and Z axes.
Center
Creates the box by using a specified center point.
1
Specify center of box <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER

Specify corner or [Cube/Length]: Specify a point or enter an option
130
BOX
Corner
Specifies a point for the corner of the box.

value draws the height along the negative Z axis.
Cube
Creates a box with sides of equal length.

positive X, Y, and Z axes of the current UCS. Entering a
negative value draws the length along the negative X,
Y, and Z axes.
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.
Specify width: Specify a distance
height
Entering a positive value draws the length, width, or

UCS. Entering a negative value draws the length, width,
or height along the negative X, Y, and Z axes.
length
width
See Also
See Create 3D Solids in the Users Guide.
Commands
3D creates three-dimensional surface objects.
BREAK
Breaks the selected object between two points
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Break
Command line: break
Select object: Use an object selection method, or specify the first break point (1)
on an object
BREAK
131
The prompts that are displayed next depend on how you select the object. If
you select the object by using your pointing device, AutoCAD 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.
before break
Specify second break point or [First point]: Specify the second break point (2) or
enter f
after break
Second Break
Point
Specifies the second point for AutoCAD 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:
AutoCAD erases the portion of the object between the two points that you
specify. If the second point is not on the object, AutoCAD selects the nearest
point on the object; 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.
AutoCAD converts a circle to an arc by removing a piece of the circle starting
counterclockwise from the first to the second point.
2
1
1
See Also
See Create Breaks in the Users Guide.
132
BREAK
BROWSER
Launches the default web browser defined in your systems registry
Web toolbar:
Command line: browser
Enter Web location (URL) <current>: Press ENTER or enter a new location; you
dont need to enter http:// before the location
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.
Note BROWSER requires that you have Netscape Navigator 3.0 (or later) or
Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 (or later) installed.
See Also
To specify the default Internet location launched by your browser, see
Menu, Help, and Miscellaneous File Names on page 635.
System Variables
INETLOCATION stores default URL that is opened when

you issue the BROWSER command.
BROWSER
133
134
CAL
Evaluates mathematical and geometric expressions
Command line: cal (or 'cal for transparent use)
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 AutoCAD command that expects points, vectors, or
numbers.
Understanding Syntax of Expressions

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
CAL
135
The following are examples of numeric expressions:

3
3 + 0.6
(5.8^2) + PI
Vector Expressions
A vector expression is a collection of points, vectors, numbers, and functions
combined with 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 positioned [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 in
spherical coordinates.
Formatting Feet and Inches

Enter feet and inches using the following format:
feet'-inches" or feet'inches"
The expression converts to a real number based on inches, as shown in the
following examples:
136
CAL
2'-5" converts to 2*12+5 = 29

5" converts to 0*12+5 = 5
2' converts to 2*12+0 = 24
Formatting Angles
The default units for angles are decimal degrees. Enter angles using the
following format:
degdmin'sec"
You must enter 0 and d (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:
124.6r
14g
5d10'20"
0d10'20"
AutoCAD converts angles entered in any format to decimal degrees.
Pi radians is equal to 180 degrees, and 100 grads is equal to 90 degrees.
Using Points and Vectors

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
137
CAL supports points expressed in all AutoCAD formats.
Point formats
Coordinate system
Point format
Polar
[dist<angle]
Cylindrical
[dist<angle,z]
Spherical
[dist<angle1<angle2]
Relative
Uses the @ prefix [@x,y,z]
WCS (instead of UCS)
Uses the * prefix [*x,y,z]
You can omit the following components of a point or vector: coordinate

values of zero and comma(s) immediately preceding the right bracket (]).
The following are valid points:
[1,2] is the same as [1,2,0]
[,,3] is the same as [0,0,3]
[ ] is the same as [0,0,0]
In the following example, the point is entered in the relative spherical coordinate system with respect to the WCS. The distance is 1+2=3; the angles are
10+20=30 degrees and 45 degrees, 20 minutes.
[@*1+2<10+20<45d20"]
The following is a valid point that contains arithmetic expressions as its
components:
[2*(1.0+3.3),0.41.1,2*1.4]
The following example uses the Endpoint object snap and the vector [2,0,3]
to calculate a point that is offset from a selected endpoint.
end + [2,,3]
The calculated point is offset two units in the X direction and three units in
the Z direction relative to the selected endpoint.
138
CAL
Using AutoLISP Variables

You can use AutoLISP variables within arithmetic expressions. The variables
must be one of the following types: real, integer, or 2D or 3D point (vector).
This example defines a point positioned 5 units in the X direction and 1 unit
in the Y direction from the point stored in AutoLISP variable A.
A+[5,1]
If you enter an AutoLISP variable with a name containing a character with
special meaning in CAL, such as +, , *, or /, enclose the variable name in
apostrophes ('), for example:
'number-of-holes'
Assigning Values to AutoLISP Variables

To assign a value to an AutoLISP variable, precede the arithmetic expression
with the variable name and the equal sign (=). Later, you can use the value of
this variable for other calculations.
This example saves the values of two expressions in AutoLISP variables P1
and R1.
Command: cal
>> 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)]:
>> Expression: P1+[0,1]
Specify radius of circle or [Diameter] <last>: 'cal
>> Expression: R1+0.5
'cal
Using AutoCAD System Variables

You can use the getvar AutoLISP function to read the value of an AutoCAD
system variable.
The syntax is
(getvar "variable_name")
CAL
139
The following example uses getvar to obtain the point that is the center of
the view in the current viewport.
(setq c (getvar "viewctr"))
Converting Units of Measurement

The cvunit AutoLISP function converts either a number or a point from one
unit of measurement to another. See the Support/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)
Using Standard Numeric Functions

CAL supports the standard numeric functions in the following table.
Numeric functions
140
CAL
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
Numeric functions (continued)

Function
Description
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 constant pi 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 the constant pi
pi
The constant pi
Calculating a Vector from Two Points

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 three 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 <use first point as displacement>:
Specify a point or press ENTER
CAL
141
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 positioned 5 units away from point a under

the angle of 20 degrees. Note that [5<20] is a vector in polar
coordinates.
vec(a,b)
vec1(a,b)
L*vec1(a,b)
b
a
a+v
142
CAL
b
a
a+[5<20]
Calculating the Length of a Vector

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<ang<ang), the dist is the
length of the vector.
The following example calculates the length of the
vector [1,2,3]:
abs([1,2,3])
Obtaining a Point by Cursor

To enter a point using the pointing device, use the cur function. AutoCAD
prompts you to specify a point and uses the coordinate values of the point in
the expression. The point coordinate values are expressed in terms of the
current UCS. The cur function sets the value of the AutoCAD variable
LASTPOINT.
The following example adds the vector [3.6,2.4,0]the result of 1.2*[3,2]
to the point you select. This expression produces a point that is offset from
the selected point.
cur+1.2*[3,2]
Obtaining the Last-Specified Point

Use the @ character in the expression to obtain the coordinate of the last
point, as shown in the following example:
Command: line
Specify first point: 'cal
>> 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 one unit in the Y direction from the center of the
first selected circle. The second point of the line is three 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.
CAL
143
Using AutoCAD Snap Modes in Arithmetic

Expressions
You can use the AutoCAD Snap modes as parts of arithmetic expressions.
AutoCAD 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.
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.
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CAL
Using the Midpoint Snap mode, in the following example CAL prompts for
an object and returns a point one 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
Converting Points between UCS and WCS

Normally, AutoCAD 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
CAL
145
Point-filter functions (continued)

Function
Description
ryof(p1)
Y component of a point
rzof(p1)
Z component of a point
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)
Calculating a Point on a Line

The plt and pld functions return a point on a given line. You can specify the
position 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 position
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
Rotating a Point About an Axis

The rot function rotates a point about an axis and returns the resulting point.
rot(p,origin,ang)
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CAL
Rotates point p through angle ang about the Z axis

passing through the point origin, as shown in the
following example:
ang
origin
p
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.
AxP2
ang
p
AxP1
Obtaining an Intersection Point

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). AutoCAD considers all points
three-dimensional.
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).
Calculating a Distance
dist(p1,p2)
Determines the distance between two points, p1 and p2.

This is the same as the vector expression abs(p1p2).
dpl(p,p1,p2)
Determines the shortest distance between point p and

the line passing through points p1 and p2.
CAL
147
p1
p2
shortest distance
90
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(p1p2).
p
p2
90
p3
p1
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)
148
CAL
Obtaining a Radius
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] <last>: 'cal
>> Expression: 2/3*rad
>> Select circle, arc or polyline segment for RAD
function: Select the circle
arc
new circle
center
Obtaining an Angle
The ang function determines the angle between two lines. Angles are
measured counterclockwise with respect to either the X axis, in the twodimensional 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.
CAL
149
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.

Y
p2
v
p1
0,0
ang(p1, p2)
p
p2
0,0
ang(v)
p2
apex
apex
p1
0,0
X
ang(p1,p2)
ang (apex,p1,p2,p)
p1
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.
Calculating a Normal Vector

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.
150
CAL
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:
nor
nor(v)
p3
p2
p2
p1
p1
nor (p1,p2)
nor (p1,p2,p3)
CAL
151
The following example sets the view direction perpendicular to a selected

object. AutoCAD 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] <display compass and tripod>: 'cal
>> Expression: nor
>> Select circle, arc or polyline for NOR function:
Using Shortcut Functions

The following functions are shortcuts for commonly used expressions. These
functions combine some of the previously defined functions 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
vee
vec(end,end)
Vector from two endpoints
vee1
vec1(end,end)
Unit vector from two endpoints
See Also
See Use the Geometry Calculator in the Users Guide.
152
CAL
CAMERA
Sets a different camera and target location
Setting the camera and target locations gives you a different view of objects
in your drawing.
camera at A, target at B
camera location and target point
camera at B, target at A
View toolbar:
Command line: camera
Current camera position is: current
Current camera target is: current
Specify new camera position <current>: Enter a value or specify a point
Sets the point from which you view the objects in your model.
Specify new camera target <current>: Enter a value or specify a point
Sets the point in your model that you are viewing.
To set the camera and target locations for a 3D Orbit view, enter the CAMERA
command before starting 3DORBIT.
CAMERA
153
CHAMFER
Bevels the edges of objects
If both objects you want to chamfer are on the same layer, AutoCAD creates
the chamfer on that layer. Otherwise, AutoCAD creates the chamfer line on
the current layer. This is also true for color, linetype, and lineweight.
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Chamfer
Command line: chamfer
(TRIM mode) Current chamfer Dist1 = current, Dist2 = current
Select first line or [Polyline/Distance/Angle/Trim/Method/mUltiple]:
first selected line
second selected line
result
Note Chamfering an associative hatch whose boundary was defined from line
segments removes hatch associativity. If you defined the boundary from a
polyline, associativity is maintained.
First Line
Specifies the first of two edges required to define a two-dimensional chamfer,
or the edge of a three-dimensional solid to chamfer.
Select second line:
If the two lines you select are polyline segments, they must be adjacent to
each other or separated by no more than one segment. If theyre separated
by one line or arc segment, AutoCAD deletes the segment and replaces it with
a chamfer line.
154
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.
Base surface selection...
Enter surface selection option [Next/OK (current)] <OK>: Enter n or o, or press
ENTER
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.
Specify base surface chamfer distance <current>:
Specify other surface chamfer distance <current>:
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.
Select an edge or [Loop]:
first edge selected
Select an edge, enter l, or press ENTER
first base surface
second base surface
Edge
Selects an individual edge to chamfer.
select edge
edge selected
chamfered edge
Loop
Switches to Edge Loop mode.
Select an edge loop or [Edge]: Select an edge, enter e, or press ENTER
Edge Loop
Selects all edges on the base surface.
CHAMFER
155
selecting edge loop
Edge
edge selected
chamfered
edge loop
Switches to Edge mode.
Polyline
Chamfers an entire 2D polyline.
Select 2D polyline:
AutoCAD chamfers the intersecting line segments at each vertex of the
polyline. Chamfers become new segments of the polyline.
If the polyline includes segments that are too short to accommodate the
chamfer distance, those segments are not chamfered.
selected polyline
result
Distance
Sets the distance of the chamfer from the endpoint of the selected edge.
Specify first chamfer distance <current>:
Specify second chamfer distance <current>:
equal distances
unequal distances
If you set both distances to zero, AutoCAD extends or trims the two lines so
they end at the same point.
156
CHAMFER
Angle
Sets the chamfer distances using a chamfer distance for the first line and an
angle for the second line.
Specify chamfer length on the first line <current>:
Specify chamfer angle from the first line <current>:
chamfer distance
first
selected
second
selected
angle
Trim
Controls whether AutoCAD trims the selected edges to the chamfer line
endpoints.
Enter Trim mode option [Trim/No trim] <current>:
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, AutoCAD extends or trims them so that they do. If TRIMMODE is set to
0, AutoCAD creates the chamfer without trimming the selected lines.
Method
Controls whether AutoCAD uses two distances or a distance and an angle to
create the chamfer.
Enter trim method [Distance/Angle] <current>:
Multiple
Bevels the edges of more than one set of objects. AutoCAD displays the main
prompt and the Select Second Object prompt repeatedly until you press
ENTER to end the command.
CHAMFER
157
If you enter an option other than First Object at the main prompt, the
prompts for that option are displayed and then the main prompt is displayed
again.
All the chamfers you created with the Multiple option are removed if you
click Undo.
See Also
See Create Chamfers in the Users Guide.
Commands
FILLET rounds and fillets the edges of objects.
System Variables
CHAMFERA sets the first chamfer distance. CHAMFERB

sets the second chamfer distance. CHAMFERC sets the
chamfer length. CHAMFERD sets the chamfer angle.
CHAMMODE controls whether CHAMFER uses two distances or a distance and an angle to create a chamfer.
TRIMMODE controls whether selected edges are
trimmed to the endpoints of the chamfer line.
CHANGE
Changes the properties of existing objects
Command line: change
Select objects:
Except for zero-thickness lines, the objects selected must be parallel to the
current user coordinate system (UCS).
If you select lines and other changeable objects in the same selection set, you
get varying results depending upon 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.
Specify change point or [Properties]: Specify a new point, or press ENTER to enter
new values
158
CHANGE
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, AutoCAD
modifies the selected lines so that they become parallel
to either the X or the Y axis rather than moving their
endpoints to the specified coordinate.
2
1
1
Ortho off
Circles
Ortho on
Changes the circle radius. If you selected more than one

circle, AutoCAD moves on to the next circle and repeats
the prompt.
Specify new circle radius <no change>:
Text
Changes text position and other properties.

Specify new text insertion point <no change>:
Specifying a new location repositions the text. Pressing
ENTER leaves the text in its original position.
Enter new text style <current>:
If the text has a fixed height, AutoCAD skips the next
prompt.
Specify new height <current>:
Specify new rotation angle <current>:
Enter new text <current>:
AutoCAD highlights the next object and displays the
prompts relating to it.
CHANGE
159
Attribute
Definitions
Changes the text and text properties of an attribute that

is not part of a block.
Specify new text insertion point:
Specifying a new location repositions the text. Pressing
ENTER leaves the text at its original position.
Enter new text style <current>:
If the text has a fixed height, AutoCAD skips the next
prompt.
Specify new height <current>:
Specify new rotation angle <current>:
Enter new text <current>:
Enter new tag <current>:
Enter new prompt <current>:
Enter new default value <current>:
Blocks
Changes the location or rotation of a block.

Specify new block insertion point:
press ENTER
Specify a point (1), or
Specifying a new location repositions the block.

Pressing ENTER leaves the block in its original position.
Specify new block rotation angle <current>:

AutoCAD rotates the block about its insertion point to
the specified angle.
Properties
Modifies properties of existing objects.
Enter property to change [Color/Elev/LAyer/LType/ltScale/LWeight/Thickness/
PLotstyle]:
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, AutoCAD displays varies as the current value.
160
CHANGE
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.
Enter new color [Truecolor/COlorbook]<current>: Enter a color name or a
number from 1 through 255, enter t, enter co, enter bylayer or byblock, or press
ENTER
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

Color Book
Specifies a color from a loaded color book to used for

Enter Color Book name: Enter the name of a color book that
has been installed such as PANTONE
Enter color name: Enter the name of a color included in the
selected color book such as Pantone573
Elev
Changes the Z-axis elevation of 2D objects.
Specify new elevation <current>:
You can change the elevation of an object only if all its points have the same
Z value.
CHANGE
161
Layer
Changes the layer of the selected objects.

y
Enter new layer name <current>:
Ltype
x
x
Elev = 0
Elev = 2
Changes the linetype of the selected objects.

Enter new linetype name <current>:
If the new linetype is not loaded, AutoCAD 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.
Specify new linetype scale <current>:
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.
Enter new lineweight <current>:
Thickness
Changes the Z-direction thickness of 2D objects.
Specify new thickness <current>:
Changing the thickness of a 3D polyline, dimension, or layout viewport
object has no effect.
Plotstyle
Changes the plot style of the selected objects. A plot style is a collection of
property settings that is saved in a plot style table.
Enter Plot Style or [?] <current>: Enter a name or enter ?
Plot Style
162
CHANGE
Assigns the plot style to the selected objects. When you

plot the drawing, objects are plotted with the properties
defined in the designated plot style. Plot styles assigned
to objects can be overridden by other plot style
assignments.
?List Plot Styles

See Also
Commands
Lists all the plot style names defined in the drawing.
CHPROP and PROPERTIES perform the property functions of CHANGE without requiring the selected objects
to be parallel to the current UCS.
CHECKSTANDARDS
Checks the current drawing for standards violations
CAD Standards toolbar:
Tools menu: CAD Standards Check
Command line: checkstandards
The Check Standards dialog box is displayed.
Check Standards Dialog Box

Analyzes the current drawing for standards violations.
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
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 AutoCAD

object that will be changed if the fix currently selected
in the Replace With list is applied.
Fix
Fixes the nonstandard AutoCAD 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 AutoCAD object in

the current drawing without applying a fix.
CHECKSTANDARDS
163
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
Changes the color, layer, linetype, linetype scale factor, lineweight, thickness, and plot style
of an object
Command line: chprop
Select objects:
Enter property to change [Color/LAyer/LType/ltScale/LWeight/Thickness/
PLotstyle]:
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, AutoCAD displays varies as the current value.
Color
Changes the color of the selected objects.
Enter new color [Truecolor/COlorbook]<current>: Enter a color name or a
number from 1 through 255, enter t, enter co, enter bylayer or byblock, or press
ENTER
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.
164
CHPROP
True Color

Color Book

selected color book such as PANTONE 573
Layer
Changes the layer of the selected objects.
Enter new layer name <current>:
Ltype
Changes the linetype of the selected objects.
Enter new linetype name <current>:
If the new linetype is not loaded, AutoCAD 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.
Specify new linetype scale <current>:
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.
Enter new lineweight <current>:
CHPROP
165
Thickness
Changes the Z-direction thickness of 2D objects.
Specify new thickness <current>:
Changing the thickness of a 3D polyline, dimension, or layout viewport
object has no effect.
Plotstyle
Changes the plot style of the selected objects. A plot style is a collection of
property settings that is saved in a plot style table. This option is displayed
only when you are using named plot styles.
Enter Plot Style or [?] <current>: Enter a name or enter ?
Plot Style
Assigns the plot style to the selected objects. When you

plot the drawing, objects are plotted with the properties
defined in the designated plot style. Plot styles assigned
to objects can be overridden by other plot style
assignments.
?List Plot Styles
Lists all the plot styles defined in the drawing.
See Also
Commands
PROPERTIES displays the Properties palette, in which

you can view or modify properties of the selected
objects. CHANGE changes object properties from the
command line for objects that are parallel to the current UCS.
CIRCLE
Creates a circle
You can create a circle by beginning with the center point or one of three
points on the circumference, or you can select objects to which the circle is
tangent.
166
CIRCLE
Note To draw an isometric circle, use the Isocircle option of the ELLIPSE command. The Isocircle option is available for ELLIPSE only when the Style option of
Snap mode is set to Isometric (see DSETTINGS).
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Circle
Command line: circle
Specify center point for circle or [3P (Three Points)/2P (Two Points)/Ttr (tan tan
radius)]: Specify a point or enter an option
Center Point
Draws a circle based on a center point and a diameter or a radius.
Specify radius of circle or [Diameter]: Specify a point, enter a value, enter d, or
press ENTER
Radius
radius
Diameter
1
2
diameter
Defines the radius of the circle. Enter a value, or specify

a point (2). The distance between this point and the
center point determines the radius of the circle.
Draws a circle using the center point and a specified
distance for the diameter.
Specify diameter of circle <current>: Specify a point (2),
enter a value, or press ENTER
3P (Three Points)
Draws a circle based on three points on the circumference.

2
Specify first point on circle: Specify a point (1)

Specify second point on circle: Specify a point (2)
Specify third point on circle: Specify a point (3)
3P
CIRCLE
167
2P (Two Points)
1
Draws a circle based on two endpoints of the diameter.

Specify first endpoint of circles diameter: Specify a point (1)
Specify second endpoint of circles diameter: Specify a point (2)
2
2P
TTR (Tangent, Tangent, Radius)

Draws a circle with a specified radius tangent to two objects.
Specify point on object for first tangent of circle: Select a circle, arc, or line
Specify point on object for second tangent of circle: Select a circle, arc, or line
Specify radius of circle <current>:
Sometimes more than one circle matches the specified criteria. AutoCAD
draws the circle of the specified radius whose tangent points are closest to the
selected points.
tan, tan, radius
See Also
See Draw Circles in the Users Guide.
Commands
The Isocircle option of the ELLIPSE command draws an

isometric circle.
System Variables
CIRCLERAD stores the default value for the circle radius.
CLOSE
Closes the current drawing
File menu: Close
Command line: close
AutoCAD closes the current drawing. If you modified the drawing since it
was last saved, AutoCAD prompts you to save or discard the changes.
168
CLOSE
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.
CLOSEALL
Closes all currently open drawings
Window menu: Close All
Command line: closeall
Closes all open drawings. A message box is displayed for each unsaved drawing, in which you can save any changes to the drawing before closing it.
See Also
Commands
CLOSE closes the current drawing if there have been no
changes since the drawing was last saved.
COLOR
Sets the color for new objects
Format menu: Color
Command line: color (or 'color for transparent use)
The Select Color dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -color at the Command prompt, COLOR displays prompts on the
Select Color Dialog Box

You can use the Select Color dialog box to define the color of objects by
selecting from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, True Colors, and
Color Book colors.
CLOSEALL
169
color numbers
10249
color numbers 19
color numbers
250255
color BYBLOCK or
BYLAYER
color name
or number
current color
preview tile
Index Color Tab (Select Color Dialog Box)

Specifies color settings using the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors.
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI)
Specifies a color for new objects using the AutoCAD Color Index. This palette
contains colors 1 through 255. If you select an ACI color, the name or number of the color is displayed in the Color box as the current color.
Index Color
Indicates the ACI color value for the selected color.
Red, Green, Blue
Indicates the RGB color value for the selected color.
Bylayer
Specifies that new objects assume the color assigned to the layer on which
you create them. The colors being used in available layers are displayed next
to the BYLAYER button. When you click this button, the color assigned to the
objects layer is selected.
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. The colors being used in available blocks are
displayed next to the BYBLOCK button. Once the new object is part of a block,
the color assigned to the block is selected.
170
COLOR
Note The BYLAYER and BYBLOCK options do not apply to the LIGHT command.
Color
Specifies a color name, the BYLAYER and BYBLOCK colors, or an ACI number
of 1 through 255. The New color swatch shows the object's current color.
Old
Displays the previously selected color of the object.
New
Displays the currently selected color of the object.
True Color Tab (Select Color Dialog Box)

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.
HSL Color Model
Specifies to use the HSL 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.
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, move the crosshairs (from side to side)
over the color spectrum or specify a value in the Hue
box. Adjusting this value effects 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,
move the crosshairs (from top to bottom) over the color
spectrum or specify a value in the Saturation box.
Adjusting this value effects the RGB value. Valid
saturation values are from 0 to 100%.
COLOR
171
Luminance
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. 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.
RGB Color Model

Specifies to use 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.
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
New
172
COLOR
Color Books Tab (Select Color Dialog Box)

Specifies colors using third-party color books (such as PANTONE) or userdefined color books. Once a color book is selected, the Color Books tab will
display the name of the selected color book.
Color Book
Specifies the color book to be used when selecting colors. You can select a
color book from the drop-down list. This list consists of all the color books
that are found in the Color Book Locations specified in the Options dialog
box.
To load a color book, use the Color Book Locations option in the Options dialog box, on the Files tab. The default location for color books is
\support\color. If there are no color books installed, the Color Book dropdown list is unavailable.
When you select a color book, the colors and the assigned color names are
displayed. AutoCAD supports color books containing up to 10 colors per
page. If a color book is not paginated, AutoCAD organizes the colors into
pages containing 7 colors per page.
To navigate through color book pages, select an area on the color slider or use
the up and down arrows to browse the color book. The corresponding colors
and color names are displayed by page as you navigate through the color
book.
RGB Equivalent
Indicates the value for each RGB color component.
Color
Indicates the currently selected color book color.
Old
New
COLOR Command Line

If you enter -color at the Command prompt, COLOR displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter default object color [Truecolor/COlorbook]<BYLAYER>: Enter a color, enter
t, enter co, or press ENTER
COLOR
173
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, AutoCAD draws
all new objects 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.
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.
True Color
Red, Green, Blue: 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 Color Book name: Enter the name of a color book that has been installed
such as Pantone
If you enter a color book name, AutoCAD prompts you to enter the color
name in the color book.
Enter color name: Enter the name of a color included in the selected color book
such as Pantone 573
See Also
See Set the Current Color in the Users Guide. Also, see Control the Properties of Objects in the Users Guide.
174
Commands
CHANGE, CHPROP, and PROPERTIES set the color of

existing objects.
System Variables
CECOLOR sets the color for new objects.
COLOR
COMPILE
Compiles shape files and PostScript font files
Before you can use AutoCAD shape files as fonts or shapes in a drawing, you
must compile or convert them into SHX files. You can then use LOAD to
insert the SHX files into a drawing. Compiling PostScript font PFB files
improves the loading speed of drawings that use them.
Command line: compile
AutoCAD displays the Select Shape or Font File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). Enter the SHP or PFB file name in the dialog box.
AutoCAD compiles it into a file with this name, and automatically adds the
file name extension .shx.
See Also
For information about compiling PostScript font (PFB) files, see Assign Text
Fonts in the Users Guide. Also see Shapes and Shape Fonts in the Customization Guide.
Commands
LOAD loads symbols from a compiled shape (SHX) file.

STYLE associates a style name with a font (SHX or PFB)
file. SHAPE inserts symbols from a previously loaded
shape file.
CONE
Creates a three-dimensional solid cone
A cone is a solid primitive with a circular or elliptical base tapering symmetrically to a point perpendicular to its base.
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Cone
Command line: cone
Current wire frame density: ISOLINES=current

Specify center point for base of cone or [Elliptical] <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1),
enter e, or press ENTER
COMPILE
175
Center Point for Base

Defines the center of the circular base of the cone.
Specify radius for base of cone or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d
Radius for Base

Defines the radius of the circle.
Specify height of cone or [Apex]:
Specify a distance or enter a
Height
Defines the height of the cone. 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.
Apex
Specifies the apex of the cone, which defines the height

of the cone and the orientation with respect to the Z
axis.
height
radius
Specify apex point:
Diameter
2
Defines the diameter of the circular base of the cone.

Specify diameter for base of cone: Specify a distance
Specify height of cone or [Apex]: Specify a distance or enter a
Height

Apex
Specifies the apex of the cone, which defines the height

of the cone and the orientation with respect to the Z
axis.
diameter
Specify apex point: Specify a point (2)
176
CONE
Elliptical
Creates a cone with an elliptical base.
1
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cone or [Center]:

or enter c
Specify a point (1)
Axis Endpoint
Creates the elliptical base of the cone using its axes. Specify a second point
to define the diameter of one axis and a third point to specify the radius of
the other axis.
height
Specify second axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cone: Specify a point (2)
Specify length of other axis for base of cone: Specify a point (3)
Height

Apex
Specifies the apex, which defines the height and

orientation of the cone with respect to the axis.
Center
Creates the elliptical base of the cone using its center point and the radius of
each axis.
Specify center point of ellipse for base of cone <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or
press ENTER
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cone: Specify a point (2)
Specify length of other axis for base of cone: Specify a point (3)
Height

Apex
Specifies the apex, which defines the height and

orientation of the cone with respect to the first axis
specified.
height
CONE
177
See Also
Commands
The Cone option of the 3D command creates a conical

shape that is displayed as a wireframe until you hide,
shade, or render it. CIRCLE creates a circle from which
you can produce a cone using EXTRUDE and specifying
an extrusion taper angle.
CONVERT
Optimizes 2D polylines and associative hatches created in AutoCAD Release 13 or earlier
Since Release 14, AutoCAD creates 2D polylines and associative hatches
using an optimized format that saves memory and disk space. Use CONVERT
to update hatches or polylines created in releases earlier than AutoCAD R14
or AutoCAD LT 97.
Command line: convert
Enter type of objects to convert [Hatch/Polyline/All] <All>: Enter h for hatches,
p for polylines, or a for both
Hatch
Converts all hatches in the drawing.

Enter object selection preference [Select/All] <All>: Enter
s to select specific objects to convert or a to convert all objects
in the drawing
Polyline
Converts all polylines in the drawing.

in the drawing
All
Converts all polylines and hatches in the drawing.

in the drawing
AutoCAD displays one or both of the following messages:

number hatch objects converted
number 2d polyline objects converted
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
178
CONVERT
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,
the PLINETYPE 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.
AutoCAD editing commands make no distinction between the two formats.
See Also
Commands
BHATCH fills an enclosed area with a hatch pattern.

HATCH fills a specified boundary with a pattern. PEDIT
edits polylines and three-dimensional polygon meshes.

PLINE creates two-dimensional polylines.
System Variables
PLINETYPE specifies whether AutoCAD uses optimized

2D polylines.
CONVERTCTB
Converts a color-dependent plot style table (CTB) to a named plot style table (STB)
Command line: convertctb
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 AutoCAD 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.
CONVERTCTB
179
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 colordependent plot style table. However, suppose 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 the Plot Style Table Editor. Click the Edit button on the Plot
Device 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.
CONVERTPSTYLES
Converts the current drawing to either named or color-dependent plot styles
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.
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.
When you convert a drawing, CONVERTPSTYLES sets the PSTYLEMODE system
variable to the appropriate setting (1 = named, 0 = color-dependent).
Command line: convertpstyles
180
Converting drawings from color-dependent plot styles to named plot

styles
Converting drawings from named plot styles to color-dependent plot
styles
CONVERTPSTYLES
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.
AutoCAD displays the Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box), 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 colordependent 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 colordependent 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 ColorDependent 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.
CONVERTPSTYLES
181
COPY
Duplicates objects
Modify toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to copy, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Copy Selection.
Command line: copy
Select objects: Select objects and press ENTER
Specify base point or displacement, or [Multiple]: Specify a point for a single
copy or enter m for multiple copies
Base Point or
Displacement
Makes a single copy.

Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as
displacement>: Specify a point or press ENTER
If you specify two points, AutoCAD uses the first point
as a base point and places a single copy relative to that
base point. The two points you specify define a
displacement to determine how far the selected objects
are moved and in what direction.
object selected
If you press ENTER at the Specify Second Point of

Displacement 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 object moves 2 units in the X direction and
3 units in the Y direction from its current position. In
this case, the first point is usually entered at the
keyboard.
2
single copy
Note The @ symbol should not be entered as part of this

displacement coordinate.
Multiple
Makes multiple copies using one COPY command.

AutoCAD prompts for an insertion base point for the
selection object.
Specify base point:
Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as
displacement>: Specify a point or press ENTER
If you specify a point, AutoCAD places a copy at that
point relative to the base point. The Specify Second
Point of Displacement prompt is repeated for
182
COPY
placement of multiple copies of the object. If you press

ENTER , the command ends.
See Also
Commands
ARRAY creates multiple copies of objects in a rectangular

or polar pattern. 3DARRAY creates three-dimensional
rectangular or polar arrays. MINSERT inserts copies of a
block into a rectangular array.
multiple copies
System Variables
GRIPS controls the use of grips to manipulate objects.
COPYBASE
Copies objects with a specified base point
Use COPYBASE to specify a base point when copying objects. The base point
enables you to position the copied objects precisely when pasting them
within the same drawing or into another drawing.
Edit menu: Copy with Base Point
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Copy with Base Point.
Command line: copybase
Specify base point:
Select objects:
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. When you paste an object copied with COPYBASE,
AutoCAD places it relative to the specified base point.
COPYCLIP
Copies objects to the Clipboard
Use COPYCLIP to copy objects or command line text from an AutoCAD drawing to another Windows application.
Standard toolbar:
Edit menu: Copy
and choose Copy.
COPYBASE
183
Command line: copyclip

Select objects:
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, AutoCAD copies the selected objects to the Clipboard. If the cursor is on
the command line or in the text window, AutoCAD copies the selected text to
the Clipboard.
See Also
See Use Windows Cut, Copy, and Paste in the Users Guide. Also see Link
and Embed Data (OLE) in the Users Guide.
Commands
COPYLINK copies the current viewport so that you can

link it into other OLE applications. CUTCLIP copies
objects to the Clipboard and erases the objects from the
drawing. PASTECLIP inserts data from the Clipboard.
PASTESPEC inserts data from the Clipboard and controls
the format of the data.
System Variables
WMFBKGND controls whether the background for the
Windows metafile format of objects placed on the Clipboard and pasted into other applications is transparent.
COPYHIST
Copies the text in the command line history to the Clipboard
The command line history is above the command line. Use scroll bars or
open the text window to see the whole history. You can use the Display tab
in the Options dialog box to change the number of lines that are displayed
in the command line window, or you can drag the top edge of the window
to change its size.
Command line: copyhist
AutoCAD copies the text to the Clipboard.
See Also
See Navigate and Edit Within the Command Window in the Users Guide.
Commands
OPTIONS customizes the AutoCAD LT environment set-
tings.
184
COPYHIST
COPYLINK
Copies the current view to the Clipboard for linking to other OLE applications
Edit menu: Copy Link
Command line: copylink
COPYLINK copies the current view to the Clipboard. You can paste the contents of the Clipboard into a document as an OLE object.
See Also
See Link and Embed Data (OLE) in the Users Guide.
Commands
COPYCLIP copies objects to the Clipboard. CUTCLIP copies objects to the Clipboard and erases the objects from
the drawing. OLELINKS edits links, updates objects, and
changes source files. PASTESPEC inserts data from the
Clipboard and controls the format of the data.
CUSTOMIZE
Customizes toolbars, buttons, and shortcut keys
Tools menu: Customize
Shortcut menu: Right-click any toolbar and choose Customize.
Command line: customize
The Customize dialog box is displayed.
Note You can use -TOOLBAR to display, close, or position a toolbar from the
command line.
Customize Dialog Box

Provides an interface for customizing toolbars, buttons, and shortcut keys.
Commands Tab (Customize Dialog Box)

Adds buttons to the default AutoCAD toolbars, removes buttons you use
infrequently, and creates toolbars.
COPYLINK
185
Categories
Displays a list of all the AutoCAD menus that you can

use to filter the Commands list. You can filter this list
by selecting a menu name.
Commands
Displays a list of the commands associated with the

menu you selected under Categories. To add a
command (button) to a toolbar, drag the command
from the Commands list to a toolbar in the AutoCAD
window. To remove a command from a toolbar, drag its
button from the toolbar to the drawing area while the
Customize dialog box is displayed. To create a new
toolbar, drag a command from the Commands list to
the drawing area.
Show Image and

Name
Displays the button image and name in the Commands

list. When Show Image and Name is clear, only the
button images are displayed.
Toolbars Tab (Customize Dialog Box)

Displays, creates, renames, and removes toolbars. Button size and tooltip
controls are also provided.
186
CUSTOMIZE
Toolbars
Displays or hides toolbars. A check mark next to its

name indicates that a toolbar is displayed. To hide a
toolbar, click its check box to clear its check mark.
Menu Group
Displays a list of AutoCAD menu groups. The toolbars

that belong to the selected menu group are displayed in
the Toolbars list. If the toolbars you want to display,
hide, or edit belong to a menu group other than
AutoCAD, select that menu group.
Menu groups are listed in the order that they were
installed. The menu group that was installed first has
precedence regarding shortcut keys.
New
Displays the New Toolbar dialog box, in which you can

create a new toolbar.
Rename
Renames the toolbar selected in the Toolbars list.
Delete
Removes the toolbar selected in the Toolbars list.
Large Buttons
Displays buttons in a larger format at 32 by 30 pixels.

The default display size is 16 by 15 pixels.
Show Tooltips on
Toolbars
Displays tooltips when you move the cursor over

buttons on the toolbar.
Show Shortcut
Keys in Tooltip
Displays shortcut keys when you move the cursor over

buttons on the toolbar.
CUSTOMIZE
187
Properties Tab (Customize Dialog Box)

Displays or modifies the properties of any button on a toolbar. Select a button
or flyout from a toolbar to view or modify its properties. If you select a
button, the Button Properties tab is displayed. See Button Properties Tab
(Customize Dialog Box). If you select a flyout, the Flyout Properties tab is
displayed. See Flyout Properties Tab (Customize Dialog Box).
Button Properties Tab (Customize Dialog Box)
Displays or modifies the properties of any button on a toolbar. To access this
tab, select a button on a toolbar while the Properties tab of the Customize
dialog box is displayed.
188
Name
Displays the tooltip for the selected button.
Description
Displays the status bar help message for the command

associated with the selected button.
Button Image
Displays an enlarged bitmap image of the selected

button.
Edit
Opens the Button Editor dialog box.
Macro Associated
with This Button
Displays the AutoCAD menu macro that runs the

command associated with the selected button.
CUSTOMIZE
List of Button
Images
Displays a scrollable list of all button images from

which you can select an image to replace the one for the
selected toolbar button.
Apply
Applies specified changes to the button you selected

from the toolbar. This button is unavailable until you
make modifications to a toolbar button.
Reset
Discards any changes you made to a toolbar buttons

properties and restores its original settings.
Flyout Properties Tab (Customize Dialog Box)

Displays or modifies the properties of any flyout button on a toolbar. To
access this tab, select a flyout button on a toolbar while the Properties tab of
the Customize dialog box is displayed.
Toolbar
Associated with
This Flyout
Displays a list of available toolbars with the current

flyout toolbar selected. To substitute a different toolbar
with the flyout, select a toolbar from the list and choose
Apply.
Toolbar Preview
Displays the buttons of the currently selected toolbar.
CUSTOMIZE
189
Apply
Substitutes a new toolbar for the selected flyout. This

button is unavailable until you select a new toolbar
from the Toolbar Name list.
Reset
Discards any changes you made to a flyout button and

restores its original toolbar settings.
Keyboard Tab (Customize Dialog Box)

Assigns keyboard shortcuts to commands.
190
Categories
Lists all standard menus, custom menus, and toolbars.

When you select a menu or toolbar from the list, the
associated menu or toolbar items are displayed in the
Commands list.
Commands
Specifies the command you want to customize. If the

selected command has a shortcut key or access key
assigned to it, the key combination is displayed under
Current Keys.
Menu Group
Specifies the current menu (MNU) file. AutoCAD has a

standard menu group called AutoCAD.
CUSTOMIZE
Menu groups are listed in the order that they were

installed. The menu group that was installed first has
precedence regarding shortcut keys. For example, if you
assign CTRL+B to insert blocks in the first menu file and
then assign CTRL+B to insert external references in the
second menu file, CTRL+B inserts blocks.
Current Keys
Displays the key combination defined as a shortcut key

for the selected menu or toolbar item.
Press New
Shortcut Key
Specifies a key combination to be used as the keyboard

shortcut for the selected menu or toolbar item. To
specify a value, simultaneously press CTRL and a letter
on the keyboard. You can also simultaneously press
CTRL+SHIFT and a letter.
You cannot reassign shortcut keys that are internally
assigned to Windows, for example, F10, CTRL+F4,
CTRL+F6, or CTRL+ALT+DEL. If you use an invalid key
combination, AutoCAD does not show the
combination in the edit box. Try using another key
combination.
If the keyboard shortcut you specify is already assigned
to another AutoCAD command, the Currently
assigned to message is displayed.
Assign
Assigns the new shortcut key to the selected command.
Remove
Removes the shortcut key assignment from the selected

command.
Note AutoCAD automatically assigns many commands
to shortcut keys. You can reassign these shortcut keys to
perform different actions, but you cannot remove them.
Show All
Shows shortcut key assignments for all menu groups.

The Shortcut Keys dialog box lists the command, menu
group, and category associated with each shortcut key.
CUSTOMIZE
191
Tool Palettes Tab (Customize Dialog Box)

Creates and modifies tool palettes. Imports and exports tool palette files.
192
Tool Palettes
Lists all tool palettes in the Tool Palettes window.
Up
Moves highlighted tool palette higher on the list and its

tab higher in the Tool Palettes window.
Down
Moves highlighted tool palette lower on the list and its

tab lower in the Tool Palettes window.
New
Creates a new tool palette.
Rename
Displays the Rename Tool Palette dialog box so you can

rename the highlighted tool palette.
Delete
Permanently deletes the highlighted tool palette.
Import
Adds a saved tool palette file to the Tool Palettes

window.
Export
Saves the highlighted tool palette to a file with an .xlt

extension.
CUSTOMIZE
New Toolbar Dialog Box

Creates a new toolbar. For information about adding buttons to the toolbar,
see Commands Tab (Customize Dialog Box).
Toolbar Name
Specifies a name for the new toolbar.
Save Toolbar in Menu Group

Specifies a menu group for the new toolbar.
Button Editor Dialog Box

Modifies or creates buttons.
Button Image
Displays the button at its actual size.
CUSTOMIZE
193
Editing Tools
Provides tools for editing the button image.
Pencil
Edits one pixel at a time using the current color. Click

and drag the pointing device to edit several pixels
simultaneously.
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.
Color Palette
Sets the current color used by the editing tools.
More
Opens the True Color tab in the Select Color dialog box. If you select a true
color, it is displayed in the color swatch above the button.
Editing Area
Provides a close-up view of the button image for editing.
Grid
Displays a grid in the editing area. Each grid square represents a single pixel.
Clear
Clears the editing area.
Open
Opens an existing button image for editing. Button images are stored as
bitmap (BMP) files.
Undo
Undoes the last action.
Save
Saves the customized button image.
194
CUSTOMIZE
Save As
Saves the customized button image using a different name or a different
location.
Reset
Resets the button image to its default appearance.
See Also
See Toolbars or Tool Palettesin the Users Guide.
Commands
TOOLBAR modifies toolbars. CUSTOMIZE modifies tool
palettes.
System Variables
PALETTEOPAQUE turns transparency on and off for the
Tool Palettes window and the floating Command Line

window.
CUTCLIP
Copies objects to the Clipboard and removes the objects from the drawing
Standard toolbar:
Edit menu: Cut
and choose Cut.
Command line: cutclip
Select objects:
CUTCLIP moves the 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.
See Also
See Use Windows Cut, Copy, and Paste in the Users Guide. Also see Link
and Embed Data (OLE)in the Users Guide.
Commands
COPYCLIP copies objects to the Clipboard, retaining the

original object in the drawing. COPYLINK copies the current view to the Clipboard for linking to other OLE
applications.
CUTCLIP
195
CYLINDER
Creates a three-dimensional solid cylinder
A cylinder is a solid primitive similar to an extruded circle or ellipse but without a taper.
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Cylinder
Command line: cylinder
Specify center point for base of cylinder or [Elliptical] <0,0,0>: Specify a center
point (1), enter e, or press ENTER
Center Point
1
Defines the center of the circular base of the cylinder.

Specify radius for base of cylinder or [Diameter]:
Radius
Defines the radius of the circular base of the cylinder.
Specify height of cylinder or [Center of other end]: Specify a distance or enter c
Height
Defines the height of the cylinder. Entering a positive

current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the
cylinder along the negative Z axis.
Center of Other
End
Defines the center point of the other end of the

cylinder.
Specify center of other end of cylinder:
Specify a point (2)
Specifying the center of the other end also specifies the

Z orientation of the cylinder.
196
CYLINDER
2
height
radius
Diameter
Defines the diameter of the circular base of the cylinder.
Specify diameter for base of cylinder:
Height

cylinder along the negative axis.
Center of Other
End

cylinder.
Specify center of other end of cylinder: Specify a point (2)
Specifying the center of the other end also specifies the
Z orientation of the cylinder.
2
height
diameter
Elliptical
Creates a cylinder with an elliptical base.
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cylinder or [Center]: Specify a point
(1) or enter c
CYLINDER
197
Axis Endpoint
Defines the axes of the elliptical base of the cylinder.
Specify second axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cylinder: Specify a point (2)
Specify length of other axis for base of cylinder: Specify a point (3)
The second point defines the diameter of one axis. A third point defines the
radius of the other axis.
Height

Center of Other
End

cylinder.
Specify center of other end of cylinder:
(4) or enter c
Specify a distance
4
height
Center
Defines the elliptical base of the cylinder by its center point and the radius
of each axis.
Specify center point of ellipse for base of cylinder <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or
press ENTER
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cylinder: Specify a point (2)
Specify length of other axis for base of cylinder: Specify a point (3)
Specify height of cylinder or [Center of other end]: Specify a distance (4) or
enter c
1
3
198
CYLINDER
Height

Center of Other
End

cylinder.
Specify center of other end of cylinder: Specify a point (4)
4
height
See Also
See Create 3D Solids and Create Surfaces in the Users Guide.
Commands
3D creates three-dimensional surface objects. EXTRUDE

creates tapered cylinders.
CYLINDER
199
200
DBCCLOSE
Closes the dbConnect Manager
Tools menu: Choose dbConnect when the dbConnect Manager is open.
Command line: dbcclose
DBCLOSE closes the dbConnect Manager and removes the dbConnect menu
from the menu bar.

See Also
Commands
DBCONNECT opens the dbConnect Manager.
DBCONNECT
Provides an AutoCAD interface to external database tables
DBCONNECT starts the dbConnect Manager, from which you can view and
edit database tables, execute Structured Query Language (SQL) queries, and
link table records to graphical objects.
DBCONNECT replaces the ASE commands that were available in previous
releases of AutoCAD.
Tools menu: dbConnect
Command line: dbconnect
AutoCAD displays the dbConnect Manager and adds the dbConnect menu
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 (see page 202)

Data View window (see page 207)
Query Editor (see page 215)
Link Select dialog box (see page 222)
Configure a Data Source dialog box (see page 225)
Data View and Query Options dialog box (see page 225)
Export Links dialog box (see page 227)
Export Query Set dialog box (see page 228)
Export Template Set dialog box (see page 229)
DBCCLOSE
201
Find dialog box (see page 229)

Format dialog box (see page 230)
Import Query Set dialog box (see page 230)
Import Template Set dialog box (see page 231)
Label Template dialog box (see page 231)
Label Template Properties dialog box (see page 233)
Link Conversion dialog box (see page 234)
Link Manager (see page 237)
Link Template dialog box (see page 238)
Link Template Properties dialog box (see page 239)
New Label Template dialog box (see page 240)
New Link Template dialog box (see page 240)
New Query dialog box (see page 241)
Replace dialog box (see page 241)
Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 242)
Select a Data Object dialog box (see page 243)
Sort dialog box (see page 243)
Synchronize dialog box (see page 244)
dbConnect Manager
Provides the primary interface for the connectivity feature. By default, the
dbConnect Manager opens as a docked window on the left side of the AutoCAD
drawing area.
drawing node
link template
label template
query
data sources
node
table
data source
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.
202
DBCONNECT
dbConnect Manager Buttons

Let you view and manipulate database objects.
View Table
Edit Table
New Label
Template
Execute Query
New Link
Template
New Query
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.
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 (see page 241). 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 (see
page 215), in which you can edit the query.
New Link
Template
Displays the New Link Template dialog box (see page

240). 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 (see page 238), 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 (see page

240). 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 (see page 231), in which
you can edit the label template.
dbConnect Manager Tree View

Contains nodes for each drawing thats currently open and a Data Sources
node that contains all available data sources configured on your system.
DBCONNECT
203
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 (see page

229), 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 (see page

231), 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 (see page 228),
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 (see page 230),
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.
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.
204
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.

DBCONNECT
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 (see page 241).

Link Select
Opens the Link Select dialog box (see page 222).

New Label
Template
Opens the New Label Template dialog box (see page

240). 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.
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 (see page 244). Available only for link
templates.
DBCONNECT
205
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 (see page

225) 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.
206
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 (see page 244).

Available only for connected data sources.
Configure
Opens the Configure a Data Source dialog box (see page

225) 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.

New Link
Template
Opens the New Link Template dialog box (see page

240). Available only for tables.
DBCONNECT
New Label
Template
Opens the New Label Template dialog box (see page

240). Available only for tables.
New Query
Opens the New Query dialog box (see page 241).

Data View Window

Provides the primary interface for viewing and editing external database
tables from within AutoCAD. You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
View Table
Edit Table
dbConnect Manager buttons: Select a link template, a label template, or a

table from the dbConnect Manager and choose View Table or Edit Table.
dbConnect menu: View Data View External Table, Edit External Table,
View Linked Table, or Edit Linked Table. (AutoCAD displays a dialog box in
which you can select a table to open.)
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template or a table in the dbConnect Manager and choose View Table or Edit Table.
Pointing device: Double-click a table or a link template in the dbConnect
Manager. Double-clicking a link template that has no links created in the
drawing its associated with opens the Link Template dialog box (see page
238). The 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.
The Data View window displays records from the selected database table. The
Data View comprises 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. By default, the Data View is opened undocked with the Allow
Docking option turned off. To enable docking, right-click over one of the
Data View buttons, and then choose Allow Docking from the shortcut menu.
The appearance of the Data View window is governed by your computers
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 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 system selected
items background and text colors.
DBCONNECT
207
Link and Label Settings
Data View Buttons

Let you create links and view linked records and graphical objects.
Link
Links the currently selected table row or rows to one or more graphical
objects. AutoCAD creates the link and, if desired, the label from the currently
selected link and label templates 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:
208
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
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 isnt 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.
DBCONNECT
View Linked Objects in Drawing

Selects graphical objects in the current AutoCAD 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 AutoCAD drawing.
Print Data View
Prints the contents of the Data View window to the current Windows
system printer.
Data View and Query Options
Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box (see page 225), 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 AutoCAD drawing.
Query, Return to Query, and Return to Link Select
Opens either the New Query dialog box (see page 241), the Query Editor (see
page 215), or the Link Select dialog box (see page 222), 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 buttons 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 buttons 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 Select operation, this
buttons 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.
DBCONNECT
209
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 table in the
current drawing, the New Link Template dialog box is displayed (see page
240).
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.
column headers
grid cells
grid headers
record headers
Column Shortcut Menu

Displays the following options when you right-click one or more selected
column headers.
210
Sort
Opens the Sort dialog box (see page 243), in which you
can select a combination of up to five columns to use in
specifying a sort order for the Data View.
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.
DBCONNECT
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 (see page 229), 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 (see page 241), 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 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 AutoCAD

drawing that are linked to the selected database record.
Link
Links the current row to a graphical object. AutoCAD

creates the link and, if desired, the label from the
currently selected link and label templates 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.
Find
Opens the Find dialog box (see page 229), 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.
DBCONNECT
211
Replace
Opens the Replace dialog box (see page 241), 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 tables that are
opened in Edit mode.
Edit
Enables you to change the value of the currently

selected cell. Available only for tables that are opened in
Edit mode.
Cut
Clears the current cell and copies its value to the

Clipboard. Available only for 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 tables that are
opened in Edit mode.
Clear
Deletes the value in the current cell. Available only for

tables that are opened in Edit mode.
Record Shortcut Menu

Displays the following options when you right-click one or more selected
record headers.
212
View Linked
Objects
Indicates graphical objects in the current AutoCAD

drawing that are linked to the selected database records.
Link
Links the selected row or rows to one or more graphical

objects. AutoCAD creates the link and, if desired, the
label from the currently selected link and label
templates 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 tables

that are opened in Edit mode.
DBCONNECT
Add New Record
Adds a new record with blank field values to the end of

the record set. Available only for tables that are opened
in Edit mode.
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 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 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 (see page 230), 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.
DBCONNECT
213
First button
Last button
Previous button
Next button
record
number
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 menu: Print Preview
Shortcut menu: Right-click the grid header in the Data View window and
choose Print Preview.
214
Print
Opens the default system Print dialog box.
Next Page
Presents a preview image of the next page of the table.
Prev Page
Restores the preview image of the previous page of the

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.
DBCONNECT
Zoom Out
Shrinks the preview page to display a larger region of

the table.
Close
Closes the Data View Print Preview window and

restores the default Data View window display.
Query Editor
Consists of a series of four tabs that you can use to build and execute queries.
If you are creating a new query, the New Query dialog box (see page 241) is
displayed first. You can open the Query Editor using the following methods:
dbConnect buttons: Select a table or a link template in the dbConnect Manager and choose the New Query button.
Data View buttons: Choose the Query or Return to Query button in the Data
View window.
dbConnect menu: Queries New Query on an External Table, New Query
on a Link Template, or Edit Query. (AutoCAD displays a dialog box in which
you can select a database object to query.)
Shortcut menu: Right-click a table or link template in the dbConnect
Manager and choose New Query, or right-click a query and choose Edit.
Quick Query Tab (Query Editor)

Develops simple queries based on a single database field, single operator, and
single value.
Field
Lists the fields from the current table, from which you
can select one to apply to the query.
DBCONNECT
215
Operator
Displays a list of available operators that can be applied

to the query. For information about operators, see
Construct Simple Queries in the Users Guide.
Value
Specifies a value for the field that you are using to

construct your query.
Look Up Values
Returns a list of all values for the specified field from the
database table in the Column Values dialog box (see
page 222), 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 AutoCAD 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

(see page 225).
Range Query Tab (Query Editor)

Constructs a query that returns all records or AutoCAD objects that fall
within a given range of values.
216
DBCONNECT
Field
Lists the fields from the current 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.
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 (see
page 222), 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 AutoCAD drawing.
Execute
Close
Store
Options

(see page 225).
Query Builder Tab (Query Editor)

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.
DBCONNECT
217
Query Builder Grid

Provides a space for you to construct queries based on multiple search
parameters.
218
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 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.
DBCONNECT
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 (see page 222).
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.
Fields in Table
Displays a list of available fields from the current table, from which you can
specify the fields to display in the Data View window when the query is executed. If you dont specify any fields to display, the query displays all fields
from the 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.
DBCONNECT
219
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
AutoCAD drawing.
Execute
Close
Store
Options
Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box (see page 225).
SQL Query Tab (Query Editor)

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 systems documentation
to see what SQL commands are valid for your particular database.
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SQL Text Editor
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 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 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 doubleclicking 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 (see page 222), 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 AutoCAD drawing.
Execute
Close
Store
Check
Checks your SQL query for proper syntax without

actually executing it. This function helps you isolate
syntax errors before you issue your query.
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Options

(see page 225).
Column Values Dialog Box

Lists values for the selected database column; you can select a value to apply
to the current operation.
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.
Link Select Dialog Box

Constructs iterative selection sets of AutoCAD graphical objects and database
records. The Link Select dialog box, known as ASE Select in previous releases
of AutoCAD, 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:
dbConnect menu: Links Link Select
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Link Select.
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The Link Select dialog box contains the Quick Query, Range Query, and
Query Builder tabs from the Query Editor (see page 215), and the following
additional controls.
Do
Applies a Link Select operator to the current query or selection set. The
following operators are available:
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.
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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.
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 AutoCAD 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 AutoCAD 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.
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Configure a Data Source Dialog Box

Configures an external database so it can be accessed from AutoCAD. For
detailed information about configuring a particular database system, refer to
the acad_asi.hlp file in AutoCAD Help. You can open this dialog box using the
following methods:
dbConnect menu: Data Sources Configure
Shortcut menu: Right-click the Data Sources node and choose Configure
Data Source.
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

AutoCAD 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

Controls a number of settings related to the display of linked records and
objects and the processing of SQL queries. You can open this dialog box using
the following methods:
Data View buttons:
Data View menu: Options. (The Data View menu is available only if you
currently have a database table open in the Data View window.)
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AutoPan and Zoom

Controls how linked objects are displayed in the current AutoCAD drawing
when you select their corresponding records in the Data View window.
Automatically
Pan Drawing
Pans the AutoCAD drawing automatically to display

objects that are associated with the current selection set
of Data View records.
Automatically
Zoom Drawing
Zooms the AutoCAD 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.
Record Indication Settings

Controls the appearance of linked records in the Data View window when
their corresponding objects are selected in the current drawing.
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Show Only
Indicated Records
Displays in the Data View window only the record set

that is associated with the current AutoCAD 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.
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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
Specifies 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
Controls 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
Adds additional records to the record set as you select

additional AutoCAD 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

Exports a set of links that are associated with a selection set of AutoCAD
graphical objects. You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Links Export Links
If more than one link template exists for the set of graphical objects that you
select, the Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 242) is displayed, in
which you can select a link template whose links you want to export.
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Include Fields
Specifies the table fields to export. The key fields for the
selected link template are included automatically.
AutoCAD also exports the handle of the object that
each link is associated with.
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
table or as a comma-delimited or space-delimited text
file.
Link Template
Name
Displays the name of the link template whose links

youre exporting.
Export Query Set Dialog Box

Exports a set of queries that are associated with the current drawing. You can
open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: 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.
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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.
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Export Template Set Dialog Box

Exports a set of link templates and label templates that are associated with
the current drawing. You can open this dialog box using the following
methods:
dbConnect menu: 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.
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

Searches for specified text or a numeric value in the currently loaded Data
View table. 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. You can open this
Data View menu: Find. (The Data View menu is available only if you
Shortcut menu: Right-click a record header or a single cell in the Data View
window and choose Find.
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,
AutoCAD searches for the value regardless of case.
Find Next
Finds the next occurrence of the value that youre

searching for.
Direction
Toggles the direction that AutoCAD searches for the

specified value in the Data View window.
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Format Dialog Box

Controls how database table records are displayed in the Data View window.
You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
Data View menu: Format. (The Data View menu is available only if you
Shortcut menu: Right-click the grid header in the Data View window and
choose Format.
Font
Specifies the font style that is applied to the current

Data View table.
Outline
Specifies a style to apply to the current font. The

available options are Normal, Italic, Bold, Bold Italic, Not
Bold, and Not Italic.
Size
Specifies the size in points that is applied to the current

font.
Effects
Applies additional formatting to the Data View window

display. Strikeout draws a line through the center of all
column data. Underline applies an underline to all
column data.
Textcolor
Specifies the color that is applied to the Data View table

records.
Preview
Displays how the current Format option values look

when applied to the Data View window.
Import Query Set Dialog Box

Imports a set of queries into the current AutoCAD drawing. If the query set
contains a name that matches a query in the current drawing, AutoCAD displays an alert box where you can enter a different name for the query. You
can open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Queries Import Query Set
Shortcut menu: Right-click a drawing node in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Import Query Set.
Look In
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Specifies the directory where the query set is located.
File Name
Specifies the name of the query set to import.
Files of Type
Specifies the file extension of the query set that youre

importing. Query sets always have the .dbq extension.
Import Template Set Dialog Box

Imports a set of link templates and label templates into the current AutoCAD
drawing. If the template set contains a link or label template with a name
that matches a template in the current drawing, AutoCAD displays an alert
box where you can enter a different name for the template. You can open this
dbConnect menu: Templates Import Template Set
Shortcut menu: Right-click a drawing node in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Import Template Set.
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

youre importing. Template sets always have the .dbt
extension.
Label Template Dialog Box

Applies formatting to labels. The Label Template dialog box is a modified
version of the Multiline Text Editor that provides two additional tabs for
applying formatting to labels. The options on the primary Multiline Text
Editor tabs can be used to apply additional formatting to the multiline text
label objects. For more information about the Multiline Text Editor, see
MTEXT.
Before the Label Template dialog box opens, AutoCAD displays the New
Label Template dialog box (see page 240), in which you can name the label
template. You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect Manager buttons: Select a table, link template, or label template
in the dbConnect Manager, and choose the New Label Template button. If a
label template is selected, AutoCAD opens the Label Template dialog box
without first displaying the New Label Template dialog box.
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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 table in the current drawing, the New Link Template dialog box (see
page 240) is displayed.
dbConnect menu: Templates New Label Template. Select a link template
in the Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 242) and choose
Continue.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template or a 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.
Label Fields Tab (Label Template Dialog Box)

Specifies which table fields are displayed when you create labels based on this
template.
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 table.
Label Offset Tab (Label Template Dialog Box)

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.
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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 the tip of the leader object. The
Leader Offset settings only apply 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

Displays the full data source path to a label templates 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, AutoCAD displays the
Select a Database Object dialog box, from which you can select a label
template.
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You can open this dialog box using the following method:
dbConnect menu: Templates Label Template Properties
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.
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 table specified for the selected

label template. You can select a new table from this list
to apply to the label template.
Fields
Displays the fields specified for the selected label

template.
Link Conversion Dialog Box

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 methods:
dbConnect menu: Link Conversion
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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.
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.
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Old Link Format (R12)

Specifies the path to the database table used by the link that youre
converting.
DBMS
Specifies the database management system used by the

link that youre converting.
Database
Specifies the database used by the link that youre

converting.
Table
Specifies the table used by the link that youre

converting.
Old Link Format (R13/R14)

Specifies the path to the database table used by the link that youre
converting.
Environment
Specifies the environment used by the link that youre

converting.
Catalog
Specifies the catalog used by the link that youre

converting.
Schema
Specifies the schema used by the link that youre

converting.
Table
Specifies the table used by the link that youre

converting.
Link Path Name
Specifies the link path name used by the link that

youre converting.
New Link Format

Specifies the path to the database table used by the converted link.
236
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.
Table
Lists available tables that you can select for the

converted link.
Link Template
Lists available link templates that you can select for the
converted link.
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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
Edits the values of the key fields for a selected linked object. You can open
the Link Manager using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: 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.
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.
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237
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 its associated with.
Link Template Dialog Box

Specifies the key fields that are used by a link template.
Before the Link Template dialog box opens, AutoCAD displays the New Link
Template dialog box (see page 240), in which you can name the link template. You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect Manager buttons: Select a table in the dbConnect Manager and
choose the New Link Template button.
Data View buttons: Choose New Link Template from the Link Template list,
and then choose the Link button flyout.
Link
dbConnect menu: Templates New Link Template. Navigate to and select a

table from the Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 242) and choose
Continue.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a 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.
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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

table, as well as the field type and, in the case of
character fields, the field length. You specify the link
templates key fields by selecting the check box to the
left of the field name.
Link Template Properties Dialog Box

Displays the full data source path to a link templates table. You can use this
dialog box to update a link template with new data source information.
Before the Link Template Properties dialog box opens, AutoCAD displays the
Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 242), from which you can select
a link template.
You can open this dialog box using the following method:
dbConnect menu: Templates Link Template Properties
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
Schema
Displays the name of the schema specified for the

selected link template. You can select a new schema
Table
Displays the name of the 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.
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New Label Template Dialog Box

Creates a new label template.You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
choose the New Label Template button.
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 table in the current drawing, the New Link Template dialog box (see
page 240) is displayed.
dbConnect menu: Templates New Label Template. Select a link template
from the Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 242) and choose
Continue.
New Label Template.
After you enter a name for the label template and choose Continue, the Label
Template dialog box (see page 231) opens, in which you specify the fields to
display in your label and how to format them.
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

Creates a new link template. You can open this dialog box using the
following methods:
choose the New Link Template button.
Data View buttons: Choose New Link Template from the Link Template list,
and then choose the Link button flyout.
Link
dbConnect menu: Templates New Link Template. Navigate to and then

select a table in the Select Data Object dialog box (see page 243) and choose
Continue.
New Link Template.
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After you enter a name for the link template and choose Continue, the Link
Template dialog box (see page 238) opens, in which you specify the key fields
that the link uses.
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

Creates a new query and opens the Query Editor. You can open this dialog
box using the following methods:
dbConnect Manager buttons: Select a link template, table, or existing query
in the dbConnect Manager and choose the New Query button.
dbConnect menu: Queries New Query on an External Table, New Query
on a Link Template. (AutoCAD displays a dialog box in which you can select
a database object to query.)
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template, table, or existing query in the
dbConnect Manager and choose New Query.
After you enter a name for the query and choose Continue, the Query Editor
(see page 215) is displayed, in which you can construct a new query.
New Query
Name
Specifies a name for the query.
Existing Query
Names
Lists all available queries from the current drawing.
Replace Dialog Box

Searches for specified text or a numeric value in the currently loaded Data
View table. You can specify a replacement value that overwrites the value
that youre searching for. 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.
Data View menu: Replace. (This menu is available only if you have a database
table open in the Data View window.)
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Shortcut menu: Right-click a single cell or column header in the Data View
window and choose Replace.
Find What
Specifies the value to search for.
Replace With
Specifies a replacement value for the value that youre

searching for.
Match Case
Searches for exact value, including case, of what you

enter in Find What. If this option is cleared, AutoCAD
searches for the value regardless of case.
Find Next
Finds the next occurrence of the value that youre

searching for.
Replace
Replaces the next occurrence of the value that youre

searching for with the value specified in Replace With.
Replace All
Replaces all occurrences of the value that youre

searching for with the value specified in Replace With.
Select a Database Object Dialog Box

Displays a list of the database objects, such as link templates, label templates,
or queries, that are associated with the current drawing. You can select a database object from this list to apply to the current operation. You can open this
dbConnect menu: 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
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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.
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Select a Data Object Dialog Box

Displays the Data Sources node of the dbConnect Manager, from which you
can navigate to and select a table that the current operation is applied to. You
can open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Data Sources Connect; Templates New Link Template; Queries New Query on an External Table; View Data View External
Table, Edit External Table
Tree View
Window
Lists the available data sources, from which you can

select a 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

Specifies a sort order that is applied to the table records displayed in the Data
View window. You can select a combination of up to five columns to apply
to the sort order. You can open this dialog box using the following method:
Shortcut menu: Right-click a column header in the Data View window and
choose Sort.
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.
DBCONNECT
243
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

Updates links that AutoCAD is unable to resolve. Links can become invalid
if you change the underlying structure of their source 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.
dbConnect menu: Synchronize
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Synchronize.
244
DBCONNECT
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.
See Also
Commands
DBCCLOSE closes the dbConnect Manager.
DBCONNECT
245
DBLCLKEDIT
Controls double-click behavior
Command line: dblclkedit
Enter double-click editing mode [ON/OFF] <ON>:
If double-click editing is turned on, one of several dialog boxes may be displayed, depending on the object type that is double clicked.
When you double-click most objects, the Properties palette is displayed.
Double-clicking some types of objects displays specialized editors that are
more powerful, convenient, or frequently used. Objects that display
specialized editors when double-clicked include
Attribute: Displays the Edit Attribute Definition dialog box (DDEDIT).

Attribute within a block: Displays the Enhanced Attribute Editor (EATTEDIT).
Block: Displays the Reference Edit dialog box (REFEDIT).
Hatch: Displays the Hatch Edit dialog box (HATCHEDIT).
Leader text: Displays the Multiline Text Editor (DDEDIT).
Multiline: Displays the Multiline Edit Tools dialog box (MLEDIT).
Multiline text: Displays the Multiline Text Editor (DDEDIT).
Text: Displays the Edit Text dialog box (DDEDIT).
Xref: Displays the Reference Edit dialog box (REFEDIT).
DBLIST
Lists database information for each object in the drawing dblist
The text window displays information about each object in the current drawing. AutoCAD pauses when the window fills with information. Press ENTER
to resume output, or press ESC to cancel.
246
DBLCLKEDIT
DDEDIT
Edits text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames
An attribute is informational text associated with a block. An attribute
definition is a template for creating an attribute. A feature control frame is a
container for the tolerance information for a single dimension.
Text toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Select a text object, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose Mtext Edit or Text Edit.
Command line: ddedit
Select an annotation object or [Undo]:
Object Selection
Displays one of four dialog boxes, depending on the

type of text you select:
Text created using TEXT or DTEXT displays the Edit

Text dialog box (see page 248).
Text created using MTEXT displays the Multiline Text
Editor (see page 577).
Attribute definitions (not part of a block definition)
display the Edit Attribute Definition dialog box (see
page 248).
Feature control frames display the Geometric
Tolerance dialog box (see page 1031).
DDEDIT repeats the prompt until you press ENTER to
end the command.
DDEDIT
247
Undo
Returns the text or attribute definition to its previous

value. You can use this option immediately after
editing.
Edit Text Dialog Box

Modifies text created with TEXT or DTEXT. Enter the new text and choose OK
to update the object.
Edit Attribute Definition Dialog Box

Modifies an attribute definitions tag, prompt, and default value.
248
Tag
Specifies the attribute tag, which identifies the attribute

in the drawing. The tag can contain any characters
except spaces or exclamation marks (!). AutoCAD
changes lowercase letters to uppercase.
Prompt
Specifies the attribute prompt that displays when you

insert a block containing this attribute definition. If
you need leading blanks in the prompt, start the string
with a backslash (\). If you need a backslash as the first
character, start the string with two backslashes.
Default
Specifies the default attribute value. If you need leading

blanks in the default value, start the string with a
backslash (\). If the first character must be a backslash,
start the string with two backslashes.
DDEDIT
See Also
See Change Text in the Users Guide.
Commands
ATTEDIT edits individual, nonconstant attribute values

associated with a specific block. -ATTEDIT edits both
attributes values and attribute properties individually
or globally, independent of the block. MTEXT creates a
multiline text object that fits within a specified area.
TEXT creates text on the screen as you enter it. TOLERANCE creates geometric tolerances.
DDPTYPE
Specifies the display style and size of point objects
Format menu: Point Style
Command line: ddptype (or 'ddptype for transparent use)
The Point Style dialog box is displayed.
Point Style Dialog Box

Shows the current point style and size. Change the point style by selecting
an icon.
Point Display Images

Specifies the image used to display point objects. The point style is stored in
the PDMODE system variable.
DDPTYPE
249
Point Size
Sets the point display size. The value you enter can be relative to the screen
or in absolute units. AutoCAD stores the point display size 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. AutoCAD displays points larger or
smaller when you zoom in or out.
See Also
See Draw Reference Points in the Users Guide.
Commands
POINT creates point objects. DIVIDE uses points as markers in an object divided into equal parts. MEASURE
places markers on an object at specified intervals.
System Variables
PDMODE sets the Point Display mode. PDSIZE sets the

point display size.
DDVPOINT
Sets the three-dimensional viewing direction
View menu: 3D Views Viewpoint Presets
Command line: ddvpoint
The Viewpoint Presets dialog box is displayed.
Viewpoint Presets Dialog Box

Defines 3D view settings.
250
DDVPOINT
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.
You can also use the sample image to specify viewing angles. The black arm
indicates the new angle. The red 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.
Set to Plan View

Sets the viewing angles to display the plan view (XY plane) relative to the
selected coordinate system.
DDVPOINT
251
See Also
See View a Parallel Projection in 3D in the Users Guide.
Commands
VPOINT is the command line equivalent of DDVPOINT.

VIEW saves and restores named views. PLAN displays the
plan view of a specified UCS.
DELAY
Provides a timed pause within a script
Command line: delay (or 'delay for transparent use)
Enter delay time (in milliseconds):
milliseconds
Enter a value from 0 through 32,767
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.
See Also
See Create Command Scripts in the Customization Guide.
DETACHURL
Removes hyperlinks in a drawing
Command line: detachurl
Select objects: Use an object selection method, and press ENTER to end selection
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.
See Also
See Add Hyperlinks to a Drawing in the Users Guide.
Commands
252
DELAY
ATTACHURL attaches hyperlinks to objects and areas in

a drawings. HYPERLINK displays a dialog box to attach
and detach URLs to objects and offers additional
options.
DIM and DIM1

Accesses Dimensioning mode
DIM and DIM1 start Dimensioning mode, in which you can use the dimensioning subcommands from earlier releases of AutoCAD. (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.
Command line: dim or dim1
Dim: Enter a Dimensioning mode command
The Dim prompt indicates that youre in Dimensioning mode. In Dimensioning mode, you can use a special set of dimensioning commands instead
of the main dimension commands. To exit Dimensioning mode, enter e or
exit, or press ESC .
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.
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.
DIM and DIM1
253
The following table shows which AutoCAD commands are equivalent to the
rest of the Dimensioning mode commands. For information about these
Dimensioning mode commands, see the equivalent AutoCAD command.
Dimensioning mode command equivalents
254
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
NEWTEXT
DIMEDIT New
OBLIQUE
DIMEDIT Oblique
ORDINATE
DIMORDINATE
OVERRIDE
DIMOVERRIDE
RADIUS
DIMRADIUS
RESTORE
-DIMSTYLE Restore
ROTATED
DIMLINEAR Rotated
SAVE
-DIMSTYLE Save
STATUS
-DIMSTYLE Status
TEDIT
DIMTEDIT
TROTATE
DIMEDIT Rotate
DIM and DIM1
Dimensioning mode command equivalents (continued)

Dimensioning mode
command
Equivalent
command
UPDATE
-DIMSTYLE Apply
VARIABLES
-DIMSTYLE Variables
VERTICAL
DIMLINEAR Vertical
DIMALIGNED
Creates an aligned linear dimension
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Aligned
Command line: dimaligned
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). AutoCAD prompts you to specify
the second one.
Specify second extension line origin: Specify a point (2)
DIMALIGNED
255
2
point specification
dimension line
location designated
Object Selection
Automatically determines the origin points of the first and second extension
lines after you select an object.
Select object to dimension:
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).
AutoCAD stores this value in the DIMEXO system variable.
offset from origin
(stored in DIMEXO)
object selected
dimension line location

designated
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.
256
DIMALIGNED
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 Multiline Text Editor (see page 577), which you can use to edit
the dimension text. AutoCAD represents the generated measurement 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 1027.
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 about formatting dimension text, see
Dimensions and Tolerances, in the Users Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.
Text
Customizes the dimension text at the command line. AutoCAD displays the
generated dimension measurement within angle brackets.
Enter dimension text <current>:
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.
DIMALIGNED
257
Angle
Changes the angle of the dimension text.
Specify angle of dimension text:
Enter an angle. For example, to rotate the text 45 degrees, enter 45.
After you specify the angle, AutoCAD redisplays the Dimension Line
Location prompt.
before Angle
See Also
See Create Aligned Dimensions in the Users Guide.
Commands
DIMSTYLE creates and manages dimension styles, which

define dimension properties. MTEXT controls how text
is displayed in multiline paragraphs.
System Variables
DIMEXO stores the offset between extension lines and
origin points.
after Angle
DIMANGULAR
Creates an angular dimension
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Angular
Command line: dimangular
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]:
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.
AutoCAD draws the dimension line as an arc between the extension lines.
AutoCAD draws the extension lines from the angle endpoints to the
intersection of the dimension line.
angle vertex
258
DIMANGULAR
Circle Selection
Uses the selection point (1) as the origin of the first extension line. The center
of the circle is the angle vertex.
Specify second angle endpoint: Specify a point (2)

angle
vertex
The second angle endpoint is the origin of the second extension line and
does not have to lie on the circle.
Line Selection
Defines the angle using two lines.
Select second line:
angle displayed
depends on
cursor position
AutoCAD 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, AutoCAD adds extension lines 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.
2
3
Specify angle vertex: Specify a point (1)

Specify first angle endpoint: Specify a point (2)
Specify second angle endpoint: Specify a point (3)
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.
AutoCAD draws the dimension line 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. After you specify the location, DIMANGULAR
ends.
DIMANGULAR
259
Mtext
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 1027.
measurements.
Text
brackets ([ ]).
Angle
See Also
See Create Angular Dimensions in the Users Guide.
260
DIMANGULAR
Commands
DIMSTYLE controls dimension styles, which set

dimension format. DDEDIT controls the appearance of
single- line text.
DIMBASELINE
Creates a linear, angular, or ordinate dimension from the baseline of the previous
dimension or a selected dimension
DIMBASELINE creates a series of related dimensions measured from the same
baseline. AutoCAD uses a baseline increment value to offset each new dimension line and to avoid overlaying the previous dimension line. The baseline
increment value is specified in Baseline Spacing on the Lines and Arrows tab
of the New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes (see page
290). AutoCAD stores this value in the DIMDLI system variable. Baseline
dimensioning is also called parallel dimensioning.
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Baseline
Command line: dimbaseline
If no dimension was created in the current session, AutoCAD prompts you to
select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the base for the baseline dimension.
Select base dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension
Otherwise, AutoCAD 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] <Select>: Specify a
point, enter an option, or press ENTER to select a base dimension
If the base dimension is ordinate, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify feature location or [Undo/Select] <Select>:
To end the command, press ENTER twice, or press ESC . The current dimension style determines the appearance of the text.
DIMBASELINE
261
Second Extension Line Origin

By default, AutoCAD uses the first extension line of the base dimension 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, AutoCAD draws the baseline dimension and redisplays the Specify a Second Extension Line Origin
prompt. 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 .
Select a base dimension, or press ESC to end the command.
angular baseline dimensioning
linear baseline dimensioning
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, AutoCAD draws the baseline dimension and redisplays the
Specify Feature Location prompt. 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 .
Undo
Undoes the last baseline dimension entered during this command session.
262
DIMBASELINE
Select
Prompts you to select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the
base for the baseline dimension. After you select a base dimension, AutoCAD
redisplays the Specify Second Extension Line Origin prompt or the Specify
Feature Location prompt.
See Also
See Create Baseline and Continued Dimensions in the Users Guide.
Commands
DIMSTYLE controls dimension styles, which set dimension format. MTEXT controls how paragraph text is
displayed.
System Variables
DIMDLI specifies spacing between dimension lines of a
baseline dimension.
DIMCENTER
Creates the center mark or the centerlines of circles and arcs
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Center Mark
Command line: dimcenter
center mark
Select arc or circle: Use an object selection method

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.
centerlines
See Also
See Create Radial Dimensions in the Users Guide.
Commands

dimension format.
System Variables
DIMCEN controls the generation of center marks or
centerlines.
DIMCENTER
263
DIMCONTINUE
Creates a linear, angular, or ordinate dimension from the second extension line of the
previous dimension or a selected dimension
DIMCONTINUE draws a series of related dimensions, such as several shorter
dimensions that add up to the total measurement. Continued dimensioning
is also known as chain dimensioning.
When you create linear continued dimensions, the first extension line is
suppressed and the placement of text and arrowheads might include a leader
line. These appear as overrides for the continued dimension (the DIMSE1
system variable is on, and the DIMTMOVE system variable is 1).
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Continue
Command line: dimcontinue
If no dimension was created in the current session, AutoCAD prompts you to
select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the base for the
continued dimension.
Select continued dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension
Otherwise, AutoCAD 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] <Select>: Specify a
point, enter an option, or press ENTER to select a base dimension
If the base dimension is ordinate, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify feature location or [Undo/Select] <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.
264
DIMCONTINUE
After you select a continued dimension, AutoCAD redisplays the Specify a

Second Extension Line Origin prompt. 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 .
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, AutoCAD draws the continued dimension and redisplays
the Specify Feature Location prompt. 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 .
Undo
Undoes the last continued dimension entered during the command session.
Select
Prompts you to select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the
continued dimension. After you select a continued dimension, AutoCAD
redisplays the Specify a Second Extension Line Origin prompt or the Specify
Feature Location prompt. To end the command, press ESC .
See Also
See Create Baseline and Continued Dimensionsin the Users Guide.
Commands

dimension format.
DIMCONTINUE
265
DIMDIAMETER
Creates diameter dimensions for circles and arcs
DIMDIAMETER draws different types of diameter dimensions depending on
the size of the circle or arc, the options set for the dimension style (see
DIMSTYLE), and the position of the cursor. The dimension style controls
center marks and centerlines. AutoCAD does not draw a center mark or a
centerline when a dimension line is drawn inside the arc or circle. AutoCAD
stores the setting for center marks and centerlines in the DIMCEN system
variable.
For horizontal dimension text, if the angle of the diameter line is greater than
15 degrees from horizontal and is outside the circle or arc, AutoCAD draws a
hook line one arrowhead long next to the dimension text, as shown in the
first two illustrations.
Different types of diameter dimensions
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Diameter
Command line: dimdiameter
Select arc or circle:
AutoCAD measures the diameter and displays the text with a diameter
symbol () in front of it. The position of the cursor determines the location
of the dimension line. As you move the cursor, the dimension moves around
or inside the circle or arc.
an option

Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension line. After you specify the
location, AutoCAD draws the dimension.
266
DIMDIAMETER
Mtext
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the dimension
text.
Text
brackets ([ ]).
Angle
After you specify the angle, AutoCAD redisplays the Dimension Line
Location prompt.
DIMDIAMETER
267
See Also
Commands
DIMSTYLE controls dimension styles, which set dimension format.
System Variables
DIMCEN controls the creation of center marks and

centerlines. DIMATFIT controls how text fits within the
extension lines. DIMJUST controls the horizontal justification of dimension text. DIMTAD controls the vertical
position of text in relation to the dimension line.

DIMTIH and DIMTOH control the position of dimension
text inside and outside the extension lines. DIMTOFL
controls drawing of a dimension line between the
extension lines even when the text is placed outside the
extension lines. DIMUPT controls user-positioned text.
DIMDISASSOCIATE
Removes associativity from selected dimensions
DIMDISASSOCIATE converts selected dimensions that are associated with
geometric objects into non-associative dimensions.
Command line: dimdisassociate

Select dimensions to disassociate:
Select one or more dimensions and then press
ENTER
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 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.
See Also
See Associative Dimensions in the Users Guide.
268
Commands
DIMDISASSOCIATE removes the associativity from

selected dimensions. DIMREASSOCIATE associates
selected dimensions to geometric objects.
System Variables
DIMASSOC controls the associativity property of

dimensions and leaders.
DIMDISASSOCIATE
DIMEDIT
Edits dimensions
DIMEDIT affects dimension text and extension lines on one or more dimension objects. The Home, New, and Rotate options affect dimension text. The
Oblique option controls the angle of extension lines.
Dimension toolbar:
Command line: dimedit
Enter type of dimension editing [Home/New/Rotate/Oblique] <Home>: Enter
Home
Moves rotated dimension text back to its default

position.
Select objects: Use an object selection method to select
dimension objects
before Home
after Home
The selected dimension text is returned to its default

position and rotation as specified in its dimension style.
New
Changes dimension text using the Multiline Text Editor

(see page 577).
before New
after New
AutoCAD represents the generated measurement 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
DIMEDIT
269
Unicode character strings to enter special characters or

symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters
on page 1027.
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 about
formatting dimension text, see Dimensions and
Tolerances, in the Users Guide.
Rotate
Rotates dimension text. This option is similar to the

Angle option of DIMTEDIT.
Enter text angle:
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.
rotated text

dimension objects
Oblique
Adjusts the oblique angle of the extension lines for

linear dimensions. AutoCAD creates linear dimensions
with extension lines perpendicular to the direction of
the dimension line. The Oblique option is useful when
extension lines conflict with other features of the
drawing.
dimension objects
Enter oblique angle (press ENTER for none):
270
DIMEDIT
Enter an
See Also
See Modify Dimension Text in the Users Guide.
Commands
DIMTEDIT repositions and rotates text in a dimension
without affecting other parts of the dimension.

System Variables
DIMTIH and DIMTOH control the position of dimension

text inside and outside the extension lines.
DIMLINEAR
Creates linear dimensions
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Linear
Command line: dimlinear
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
DIMLINEAR
271
First Extension Line Origin

Prompts for the origin point of the second extension line after you specify
the origin point of the first.
Specify second extension line origin: Specify a point (2)
1
2
point specification

Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension line and determines the
direction to draw the extension lines. After you specify the location,
AutoCAD draws the dimension.
dimension line
location designated
Mtext
272
DIMLINEAR

measurements.
Text
Customizes the dimension text on the command line. AutoCAD displays the
brackets ([ ]).
Angle
before Angle
after Angle
DIMLINEAR
273
Horizontal
Creates horizontal linear dimensions.
an option
Dimension Line
Location
Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension line.

After you specify the location, AutoCAD draws the
dimension.
Mtext, Text,
Angle
These text editing and formatting options are identical

in all dimension commands. See the option
descriptions provided earlier in this command.
Vertical
Creates vertical linear dimensions.
an option
Dimension Line
Location

dimension.
Mtext, Text,
Angle
These text editing and formatting options are identical

in all dimension commands. See the option
descriptions provided earlier in this command.
Rotated
Creates rotated linear dimensions.
Specify angle of dimension line <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
274
DIMLINEAR
Object Selection
Automatically determines the origin points of the first and second extension
lines after you select an object.
Select object to dimension:
For polylines and other explodable objects, AutoCAD dimensions only the
individual line and arc segments. You cannot select objects in a nonuniformly scaled block reference.
If you select a line or an arc, AutoCAD uses the line or arc endpoints 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. AutoCAD stores this value in the DIMEXO system variable.
offset from origin
(DIMEXO system
variable)
object selected

designated
If you select a circle, AutoCAD uses the diameter endpoints as the origins of
the extension line. When the point used to select the circle is close to the
north or south quadrant point, AutoCAD draws a horizontal dimension.
When the point used to select the circle is close to the east or west quadrant
point, AutoCAD draws a vertical dimension.
See Also
See Create Linear Dimensions in the Users Guide.
Commands
DIMSTYLE controls dimension styles, which set dimension format and behavior. MTEXT controls how
AutoCAD displays text in multiline paragraphs.
System Variables
DIMEXO stores the offset of the extension lines from the

origin points.
DIMLINEAR
275
DIMORDINATE
Creates ordinate point dimensions
Ordinate dimensions display the X or Y ordinate of a feature along with a
simple leader line. These dimensions are also known as datum dimensions.
AutoCAD uses the current user coordinate system (UCS) to determine the
measured X or Y ordinate and draws the leader line in a direction orthogonal
to the axes of the current UCS. The absolute value of the coordinate is used
according to the prevailing standards for ordinate dimensions.
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Ordinate
Command line: dimordinate
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.
Xdatum
Measures the X ordinate and determines the

orientation of the leader line and dimension text.
AutoCAD displays the Leader Endpoint prompt, where
you can specify the endpoint.
Ydatum
Measures the Y ordinate and determines the orientation

of the leader line and dimension text. AutoCAD
displays the Leader Endpoint prompts, where you can
specify the endpoint.
Xdatum
Ydatum
276
DIMORDINATE
Mtext
Displays the Multiline Text Editor (see page 577), which

you can use to edit the dimension text. AutoCAD
represents the generated measurement with angle
brackets (< >). To add a prefix or a suffix to the
on page 1027.
Tolerances, in the Users Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance
of the generated measurements. After you choose OK,
AutoCAD redisplays the Leader Endpoint prompt.
Text
Customizes the dimension text on the command line.

AutoCAD displays the generated dimension
measurement within angle brackets.
Enter dimension text <current>: 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. After you press ENTER , AutoCAD redisplays the
Leader Endpoint prompt.
DIMORDINATE
277
Angle

Enter an angle. For example, to rotate the text 45
degrees, enter 45.
After you specify the angle, AutoCAD redisplays the
Leader Endpoint prompt.
See Also
See Create Ordinate Dimensions in the Users Guide.
Commands
DIMSTYLE controls dimension styles, which set dimension format and behavior. MTEXT controls how
AutoCAD displays text in multiline paragraphs. ORTHO
constrains cursor movement to the horizontal or vertical directions or aligns movement with the current grid
rotation angle.
DIMOVERRIDE
Overrides dimensioning system variables
DIMOVERRIDE overrides dimensioning system variable settings that are asso-
ciated with a dimension object but doesn't affect the current dimension style.
You can also use the command to clear overrides from dimensions.
Dimension menu: Override
Command line: dimoverride
Enter dimension variable name to override or [Clear overrides]: Enter the name
of a dimension variable, or enter c
Dimension
Variable Name
to Override
278
DIMOVERRIDE
Overrides the value of the dimensioning system

variable you specify.
Enter new value for dimension variable <current>: Enter a
If you enter a new value, AutoCAD redisplays the

Dimension Variable Name to Override prompt. If you
press ENTER , AutoCAD prompts you to select the
dimensions.
Select objects: Use an object selection method to select the
dimensions
AutoCAD applies the overrides to the selected
dimensions.
Clear Overrides
Clears any overrides on selected dimensions.

Select objects: Use an object selection method to select the
dimensions
AutoCAD clears the overrides, and the dimension
objects return to the settings defined by their
dimension style.
See Also
See Override a Dimension Style in the Users Guide.
Commands
DIMSTYLE controls dimension styles, which set dimension format and behavior.
System Variables
For a list of dimension system variables, see Dimension Variables Quick Reference.
DIMRADIUS
Creates radial dimensions for circles and arcs
A radial dimension consists of a radius dimension line with an arrowhead at
the arc or circle end. AutoCAD draws a center mark if the DIMCEN system
variable is not set to 0.
DIMRADIUS draws different types of radial dimensions depending on the size
of the circle or arc, the options in the New, Modify, and Override Dimension
Style dialog boxes (see DIMSTYLE), and the position of the cursor. AutoCAD
stores the values of the options in the DIMUPT, DIMTOFL, DIMATFIT, DIMTIH,
DIMTOH, DIMJUST, and DIMTAD system variables.
For horizontal dimension text, if the angle of the radial dimension line is
greater than 15 degrees from horizontal, AutoCAD draws a hook line, also
called a dogleg or landing, one arrowhead long, next to the dimension text.
DIMRADIUS
279
AutoCAD measures the radius and displays the text with the letter R in front
of it.
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Radius
Command line: dimradius
Select arc or circle:
an option
280
Dimension Line
Location

dimension.
Mtext
Displays the Multiline Text Editor (see page 577), which

you can use to edit the dimension text. AutoCAD
represents the generated measurement with angle
brackets (< >). To add a prefix or a suffix to the
on page 1027.
DIMRADIUS

Tolerances in the Users Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance
of the generated measurements. After you choose OK,
AutoCAD redisplays the Dimension Line Location
prompt.
Text
Customizes the dimension text on the command line.

AutoCAD displays the generated dimension
measurement within angle brackets.
Enter dimension text <current>: 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.
After you press ENTER , the Dimension Line Location
prompt is displayed.
Angle

DIMRADIUS
281
Enter an angle. For example, to rotate the text 45

degrees, enter 45.
After you specify the angle, AutoCAD displays the
Dimension Line Location prompt.
See Also
Commands
DIMSTYLE controls dimension styles, which set dimension format and behavior.
System Variables
DIMCEN controls the creation of center marks and
centerlines.
DIMREASSOCIATE
Associates selected dimensions to geometric objects
With DIMREASSOCIATE, a nonassociative dimension can be associated to geometric objects, or the existing associations in an associative dimension can
be changed.
Dimension menu: Reassociate Dimensions
Command line: dimreassociate
Select dimensions to reassociate: Select dimension objects
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; but 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.
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
282
DIMREASSOCIATE
Linear
Specify first extension line origin or [Select object]

<next>: 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 <next>: 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]

<next>: 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 <next>: 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] <next>: 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 <next>: Specify an object
snap location or press ENTER to skip to the next prompt
Specify second angle endpoint <next>: Specify an object
snap location or press ENTER to skip to the next dimension
object, if any
Angular (Two
Line)
Select first line <next>: Select a line, or press ENTER to

skip to the next prompt
Select second line <next>: Select another line, or press
ENTER to skip to the next dimension object, if any
Diameter
Select arc or circle <next>: Select an arc or a circle, or press

Leader
Specify leader association point <next>: Specify an object

snap location, or press ENTER to skip to the next dimension
object, if any
Ordinate
Specify feature location <next>: Specify an object snap

location, or press ENTER to skip to the next dimension
object, if any
Radius
Select arc or circle <next>: Select an arc or a circle, or press

DIMREASSOCIATE
283
Note DIMREASSOCIATE does not change the setting of DIMLFAC in a dimension.

Use DIMOVERRIDE to clear dimension linear factors in legacy drawings.
See Also
See Modify Dimension Geometry in the Users Guide.
Commands
DIMREASSOCIATE associates selected dimensions to

geometric objects, DIMDISASSOCIATE removes the
associativity from selected dimensions.
System Variables
DIMASSOC controlsthe associativity property of

DIMREGEN
Updates the locations of all associative dimensions
Command line: dimregen
The locations of all associative dimensions in the current drawing are
updated.
Associative dimensions need to be updated manually with DIMREGEN in
three 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 that has been modified with a previous version
of AutoCAD, update associative dimensions if the dimensioned objects
have been modified.
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.
See Also
See Associative Dimensions in the Users Guide.
284
Commands
DIMREGEN removes the associativity from selected

dimensions.
System Variables
DIMASSOC controls the associativity property of

DIMREGEN
DIMSTYLE
Creates and modifies dimension styles
A dimension style is a saved set of dimension settings that determines the
appearance of the dimension. By creating dimension styles, you can set all
relevant dimensioning system variables and control the layout and appearance of any dimension.
Dimension styles can have multiple secondary styles with varying settings.
For example, within a dimension style, you can create a secondary style for
radius dimensions and another secondary style for angular dimensions.
AutoCAD uses the appropriate secondary style for the type of dimension you
create. If there are no differences in settings for a dimension type, the
primary dimension-style settings are used.
Styles toolbar:
Format menu: Dimension Style
Dimension menu: Style
Command line: dimstyle
The Dimension Style Manager is displayed.
If you enter -dimstyle at the Command prompt, AutoCAD presents options
on the command line (see page 309).
Dimension Style Manager

Creates new styles, sets the current style, modifies styles, sets overrides on the
current style, and compares styles.
DIMSTYLE
285
Current Dimstyle
Displays the current dimension style. AutoCAD assigns styles to all dimensions. If you do not change the current style, AutoCAD assigns the default
STANDARD style to dimensions.
Styles
Displays all dimension styles in the drawing. The current style is highlighted.
The item selected in List controls the dimension styles displayed. To make a
style current, select it and choose Set Current.
Unless you select Dont List Styles in Xrefs, AutoCAD displays dimension
styles in externally referenced drawings using the syntax for externally
referenced named objects. (See Overview of External References in the
Users Guide.) While you cannot change, rename, or make current externally
referenced dimension styles, you can create new styles based on them.
Right-click in the Styles list to display a shortcut menu that you can use 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.
286
DIMSTYLE
List
Provides options that control which dimension styles are displayed.
All Styles
Displays all dimension styles.
Styles in Use
Displays only the dimension styles that are referenced

by dimensions in the drawing.
Dont List Styles in Xrefs

Suppresses display of dimension styles in externally referenced drawings
under Styles.
Set Current
Sets the style selected under Styles to current.
New
Displays the Create New Dimension Style dialog box, in which you can
define new dimension styles. See New, Modify, and Override Dimension
Style Dialog Boxes on page 288.
Modify
Displays the Modify Dimension Styles dialog box, in which you can modify
dimension styles. Dialog box options are identical to those in the New
Dimension Style dialog box. See New, Modify, and Override Dimension
Style Dialog Boxes on page 288.
Override
Displays the Override Current Style dialog box, in which you can set temporary overrides to dimension styles. Dialog box options are identical to those
in the New Dimension Style dialog box. See New, Modify, and Override
Dimension Style Dialog Boxes on page 288. AutoCAD displays overrides as
unsaved changes under the dimension in the Styles list.
Compare
Displays the Compare Dimension Styles dialog box (see page 308), which
compares the properties of two dimension styles or lists all the properties of
one style.
DIMSTYLE
287
Create New Dimension Style Dialog Box

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.
New Style Name
Names the new style.
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.
Use For
Creates a style that applies only to specific dimension

types. For example, suppose the text color for the
STANDARD style is black, but you want the text to be
blue only for diameter dimensions. Under Start With,
select STANDARD, and under Use For, select Diameter.
New Style Name becomes unavailable because you are
defining a substyle of STANDARD. After you change the
text color to blue in the New Dimension Style dialog
box, Diameter is displayed as a substyle under
STANDARD in the Dimension Style Manager. Whenever
you use the STANDARD style for diameter dimensions,
the text is blue. When you use STANDARD for all other
dimension types, the text is black.
Continue
Displays the New Dimension Style dialog box, in which

you define the new style properties.
New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style

Dialog Boxes
Set properties for dimension styles. After 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.
288
DIMSTYLE
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.
Lines and Arrows Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style

Dialog Boxes)
Sets the format and properties for dimension lines, extension lines, arrowheads, and center marks.
Dimension Lines
Sets the dimension line properties.
Color
Sets the color for the dimension line. You can select
colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors,
True Colors, and Color Book colors. If you click Select
Color (at the bottom of the Color list), the Select Color
dialog box is displayed (see page 169). You can also
enter the color name or number in the text box.
(DIMCLRD system variable)
DIMSTYLE
289
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)
extension
Baseline Spacing
Sets the spacing between the dimension lines of a

baseline dimension. Enter a distance. This value is
stored in the DIMDLI system variable. For information
about baseline dimensions, see DIMBASELINE.
Suppress
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)
spacing
first dimension line

suppressed
second dimension line

suppressed
Extension Lines
Controls the appearance of the extension lines.
290
Color
Sets the color for the extension line. You can select
(DIMCLRE system variable.)
Lineweight
Sets the lineweight of the extension line. (DIMLWE

system variable)
Extend Beyond
Dim Lines
Specifies a distance to extend the extension lines above

the dimension line. (DIMEXE system variable)
DIMSTYLE
extension
Offset From
Origin
Sets the distance to offset the extension lines from the

points on the drawing that define the dimension.
(DIMEXO system variable)
offset
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)
first extension line

suppressed
second extension line

suppressed
Arrowheads
Controls the appearance of the dimension arrowheads.
1st
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)
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.)
2nd
Sets the arrowhead for the second dimension line.

(DIMBLK2 system variable)
DIMSTYLE
291
Leader
Sets the arrowhead for the leader line. (DIMLDRBLK

system variable)
Arrow Size
Sets the size of arrowheads. (DIMASZ system variable)
Center Marks for Circles

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,
AutoCAD draws the center mark only if you place the dimension line outside
the circle or arc.
Type
Provides three center mark type options:
Size
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.
None: Creates no center mark or centerline. The
value is stored as 0 in the DIMCEN system variable.
Sets the size of the center mark or centerline. (DIMCEN

system variable)
Text Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style Dialog

Boxes)
Sets the format, placement, and alignment of dimension text.
292
DIMSTYLE
Text Appearance
Controls the dimension text format and size.
Text Style
Displays and sets the current style for dimension text.

Select a style from the list. To create and modify styles
for dimension text, choose the [...] button next to the
list. (DIMTXSTY system variable)
Text Style Button
Displays the Text Style dialog box (see page 998), in

which you can define or modify text styles.
Text Color
Sets the color for the dimension text. You can select
(DIMCLRT system variable)
DIMSTYLE
293
Text Height
Sets the height of the current dimension text style. 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
Draws a frame around dimension text. Selecting this

option changes the value stored in the DIMGAP system
variable to a negative value.
Text Placement
Controls the placement of dimension text.
Vertical Position
Controls the vertical placement of dimension text in

relation to the dimension line. The vertical setting is
stored in the DIMTAD system variable. Vertical position
options include the following:
294
DIMSTYLE
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 Offset from Dim Line on page
296.
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.
Centered
Horizontal
Position
Above
Outside
JIS
Controls the horizontal placement of dimension text in

relation to the dimension line and the extension lines.
The horizontal setting is stored in the 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 on page 291 and Offset from Dim
Line on page 296.
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 on page 291 and Offset from Dim
Line on page 296.
centered
1
2
first extension
line
1
2
second extension
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.
DIMSTYLE
295
1
2
text over first extension line
Offset from Dim

Line
1
2
text over second extension 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.
AutoCAD also uses this value as the minimum length
required for dimension line segments.
AutoCAD positions text 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 placed
inside only if the arrowheads, dimension text, and a
margin leave enough room for the text gap. (DIMGAP
system variable)
DIMGAP = 0
DIMGAP = 0.1
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.
Fit Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes)

Controls the placement of dimension text, arrowheads, leader lines, and the
dimension line.
296
DIMSTYLE
Fit Options
Controls the placement of text and arrowheads based on the space available
between the extension lines.
When space is available, AutoCAD places text and arrowheads between the
extension lines. Otherwise, text and arrowheads are placed according to the
Fit options. (DIMATFIT, DIMTIX, and DIMSOXD system variables)
Either the Text
or the Arrows,
Whichever Fits
Best
Places text and arrowheads as follows:
When enough space is available for text and

arrowheads, places both between the extension
lines. Otherwise, AutoCAD moves either the text or
the arrowheads 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.
DIMSTYLE
297
Arrows
Text
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.
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.
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, places both outside the extension lines.
Always Keep Text

Between Ext
Lines
Always places text between extension lines. This value

is stored in the DIMTIX system variable.
Suppress Arrows
If They Dont 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)
298
Beside the
Dimension Line
Places dimension text beside the dimension line.
Over the
Dimension Line,
with a Leader
If text is moved away from the dimension line, creates

a leader connecting the text to the dimension line.
AutoCAD omits the leader when text is too close to the
dimension line.
DIMSTYLE
Over the
Dimension Line,
Without a Leader
Keeps the dimension line in the same place when text

is moved. Text that is moved away from the dimension
line is not connected to the dimension line with a
leader.
Scale for Dimension Features

Sets the overall dimension scale value or the paper space scaling.
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. This value is stored in the
DIMSCALE system variable.
Scale Dimension
to Layout (Paper
Space)
Determines a scale factor based on the scaling between

the current model space viewport and paper space. This
value is stored as 0 in the DIMSCALE system variable.
When you work in paper space, but not in a model
space viewport, or when TILEMODE is set to 1, AutoCAD
uses the default scale factor of 1.0 for the DIMSCALE
system variable.
Fine Tuning
Sets additional fit options.
Place Text
Manually When
Dimensioning
Ignores any horizontal justification settings and places

the text at the position you specify at the Dimension
Line Location prompt. This value is stored in the
DIMUPT system variable.
Always Draw Dim

Line Between Ext
Lines
Draws dimension lines between the measured points

even when AutoCAD places the arrowheads outside the
measured points. This value is stored in the DIMTOFL
system variable.
Primary Units Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style

Dialog Boxes)
Sets the format and precision of primary dimension units and sets prefixes
and suffixes for dimension text.
DIMSTYLE
299
Linear Dimensions
Sets the format and precision for linear dimensions.
Unit Format
Sets the current units format for all dimension types

except Angular. This value is stored in the 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
Fraction Format
Sets the number of decimal places in the dimension

text. This value is stored in the DIMDEC system variable.
Sets the format for fractions. This value is stored in the
DIMFRAC system variable.
Decimal
Separator
Sets the separator for decimal formats. This value is

stored in the 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. Similarly, if you enter a value of
1.0, AutoCAD rounds all dimension distances to the
300
DIMSTYLE
nearest integer. This value is stored in the DIMRND

system variable.
The number of digits displayed after the decimal point
depends on the Precision setting.
Prefix
Indicates a prefix for the dimension text. You can enter

text or use control codes to display special symbols (see
Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1027).
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 (R) dimensioning. This value is
stored in the DIMPOST system variable.
If you specify tolerances, AutoCAD adds the prefix to
the tolerances as well as to the main dimension.
Suffix
Indicates a suffix for the dimension text. You can enter

text or use control codes to display special symbols (see
Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1027).
For example, entering the text mm results in dimension
text similar to that shown in the illustration. When you
enter a suffix, it overrides any default suffixes. This
value is stored in DIMPOST.
If you specify tolerances, AutoCAD adds the suffix to
the tolerances as well as to the main dimension.
Measurement
Scale
Defines measurement scale options as follows:
Scale Factor: Sets a scale factor for linear dimension

measurements. AutoCAD multiplies the dimension
measurement by the value entered here. For
example, if you enter 2, AutoCAD displays a oneinch dimension 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. This value is stored in the DIMLFAC system
variable.
Apply to Layout Dimensions Only: Applies the linear
scale value only to dimensions created in layouts.
This sets the length scale factor to reflect the zoom
scale factor for objects in a model space viewport.
When you select this option, the length scaling
value is stored as a negative value in the DIMLFAC
system variable.
DIMSTYLE
301
Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros,

and of feet and inches that have a value of zero. Zero
suppression settings also affect real-to-string
conversions performed by the AutoLISP rtos and
angtos functions. AutoCAD stores this value in the
DIMZIN 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-andinches 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-andinches dimension when the distance is an integral
number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.
Angular Dimensions
Sets the current angle format for angular dimensions.
Units Format
Sets the angular units format. This value is stored in the

DIMAUNIT system variable.
Precision
Sets the number of decimal places for angular

dimensions. This value is stored in the DIMADEC system
variable.
Zero Suppression
Suppresses leading and trailing zeros. This value is

stored in DIMAZIN.
Leading: Suppresses leading zeros in angular decimal

Trailing: Suppresses trailing zeros in angular decimal
Alternate Units Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style

Dialog Boxes)
Specifies display of alternate units in dimension measurements and sets their
format and precision.
302
DIMSTYLE
Display Alternate Units

Adds alternate measurement units to dimension text. AutoCAD sets the
DIMALT system variable to 1.
Alternate Units
Sets the current alternate units format for all dimension types except
Angular.
Unit Format
Sets the alternate units format. This value is stored in

the 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 in the alternate units.

This value is stored in the DIMALTD system variable.
Multiplier for
Alternate Units
Specifies a multiplier to use as the conversion factor

between primary and alternate units. To determine the
value of alternate units, AutoCAD multiplies all linear
distances (measured by dimensions and coordinates) by
the current linear scale value.
DIMSTYLE
303
The length scaling value changes the generated

measurement value. The value has no effect on angular
dimensions, and AutoCAD does not apply it to the
rounding value or the plus or minus tolerance values.
This value is stored in the 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. Similarly, if you
enter a value of 1.0, AutoCAD rounds all dimension
measurements to the nearest integer.
The number of digits displayed after the decimal point
depends on the Precision setting. The alternate
rounding value is stored in the DIMALTRND system
variable.
Prefix
Indicates a prefix for the alternate dimension text. You

can enter text or use control codes to display special
symbols (see Control Codes and Special Characters
on page 1027). For example, entering the control code
%%c displays the diameter symbol. This value is stored
in the DIMAPOST system variable.
Suffix
Includes the suffix in the alternate dimension text. You

can enter text or use control codes to display special
symbols (see Control Codes and Special Characters
on page 1027). 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. This value is stored in the DIMAPOST
system variable.
Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros, and of feet and inches
that have a value of zero. This value is stored in the DIMALTZ system variable.
304
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.
DIMSTYLE
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'.
Placement
Controls the placement of alternate units. These values are stored in the
DIMAPOST system variable.
After Primary
Units
Places alternate units after the primary units.
Below Primary
Units
Places alternate units below the primary units.
Tolerances Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style Dialog

Boxes)
Controls the display and format of dimension text tolerances.
DIMSTYLE
305
Tolerance Format
Controls the tolerance format.
Method
Sets the method for calculating the tolerance.
306
None: Does not add a tolerance. The DIMTOL system

variable is set to 0.
Symmetrical: Adds a plus/minus expression of
tolerance in which AutoCAD applies a single value
of variation to the dimension measurement. A
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.
AutoCAD applies different plus and minus values of
variation 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 in which AutoCAD
displays a maximum and a minimum value, 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.
Basic: Creates a basic dimension in which AutoCAD
draws 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. This value is stored

in the DIMTDEC system variable.
Upper Value
Sets the maximum or upper tolerance value. When you

select Symmetrical in Method, AutoCAD uses this value
for the tolerance. This value is stored in the DIMTP
system variable.
Lower Value
Sets the minimum or lower tolerance value. This value

is stored in the DIMTM system variable.
DIMSTYLE
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.
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.
Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros, and of feet and inches
that have a value of zero. Zero suppression settings also affect real-to-string
conversions performed by the AutoLISP rtos and angtos functions. This
value is stored in the DIMTZIN 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.
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".
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

Sets the precision and zero suppression rules for alternate tolerance units.
Precision
Sets the number of decimal places. This value is stored

in the DIMALTTD system variable.
DIMSTYLE
307
Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros,

and of feet and inches that have a value of zero. This
value is stored in the DIMALTTZ system variable.
Leading: Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal

Trailing: Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal
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".
Inches: Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-andinches dimension when the distance is an integral
number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.
Compare Dimension Styles Dialog Box

Compares the properties of two dimension styles or displays all properties of
one style. You can print the results of the comparison to the Clipboard, and
then paste to other Windows applications.
Print to Clipboard
button
Compare
308
DIMSTYLE
Sets the first dimension style to compare.
With
Sets the second dimension style to compare. If you set

With to <none> or to the same style as Compare,
AutoCAD displays all properties for the style.
Comparison results display automatically under the
following headings:
Print to Clipboard
button
Description of the dimension style property

System variable that controls the property
System variable values of style properties that differ
for each dimension style.
Prints results of the style comparison to the Windows

Clipboard. You can then paste the results to other
Windows applications, such as word processors and
spreadsheets.
DIMSTYLE Command Line

If you enter -dimstyle at the Command prompt, DIMSTYLE displays prompts
on the command line:
Current dimension style: <current>
Enter a dimension style option
[Save/Restore/STatus/Variables/Apply/?] <Restore>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
Save
Saves the current settings of dimensioning system variables to a dimension
style.
Enter name for new dimension style or [?]: Enter a name or enter ?
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, AutoCAD prompts:
That name is already in use, redefine it? <N>:
If you enter y, AutoCAD regenerates associative dimensions that use the

redefined dimension style.
DIMSTYLE
309
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. AutoCAD displays only settings that differ, with the current setting in the first column, and the setting
of the compared style in the second column. After displaying the differences,
AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.
?List Dimension Styles
Lists the named dimension styles in the current drawing.
Enter dimension style(s) to list <*>: Enter a name, a partial name with wild-card
characters, or press ENTER to list all dimension styles
After listing the named dimension styles, AutoCAD returns to the previous
prompt.
Restore
Restores dimensioning system variable settings to those of a selected dimension style.
Enter dimension style name, [?] or <select dimension>: Enter a name, enter ?, or
press ENTER to select a dimension
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. AutoCAD displays only settings
that differ, with the current setting in the first column, and the setting of the
compared style in the second column. After displaying the differences,
Enter dimension style(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER
After listing the dimension styles, AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.
Select Dimension
Makes the dimension style of the selected object the current dimension style.
Select dimension:
310
DIMSTYLE
Status
Displays the current values of all dimension system variables. After listing the
variables, DIMSTYLE ends.
Variables
Lists the dimension system variable settings of a dimension style or selected
dimensions without modifying the current settings.
Enter a dimension style name, [?] or <select dimension>: Enter a name, enter ?,
or press ENTER to select dimensions
Name
Lists the settings of dimension system variables for the dimension style name
you enter. After listing the variables, DIMSTYLE ends.
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. AutoCAD displays only settings that differ, with the
current setting in the first column, and the setting of the compared style in
the second column. After displaying the differences, AutoCAD returns to the
previous prompt.
Enter dimension style(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER
After listing the dimension styles, AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.
Select Dimension
Lists the dimension style and any dimension overrides for the dimension
object you select.
Select dimension:
Apply
Applies the current dimensioning system variable settings to selected dimension objects, permanently overriding any existing dimension styles applied
to these objects.
Select objects:
Use an object selection method to select a dimension object
AutoCAD does not update the dimension line spacing between existing baseline dimensions (see the DIMDLI system variable), nor do dimension text
variable settings update existing leader text.
DIMSTYLE
311

Enter dimension style(s) to list <*>: Enter a name, a partial name with wild-card
characters, or press ENTER
See Also
See Apply a New Dimension Style to Existing Dimensions in the Users
Guide.
System Variables
DIMSTYLE stores the name of the current dimension

style. You must use the SETVAR command to access DIMSTYLE.
DIMTEDIT
Moves and rotates dimension text
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Align Text
Command line: dimtedit
Select dimension: Select a dimension object
AutoCAD prompts you 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
dimension text with left

and right justification
Location for
Dimension Text
312
DIMTEDIT
dimension text
positioned by cursor
dimension text
positioned by angle
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, radial, and
diameter dimensions.
before Left
Right
after Left
Right-justifies the dimension text along the dimension

line. This option works only with linear, radial, and
diameter dimensions.
before Right
after Right
Center
Centers the dimension text on the dimension line.
Home
Moves dimension text back to its default position.
before Home
Angle
after Home

Enter text angle:
before Angle
after Angle 90
The center point of the text does not change. If the text
moves or the dimension is regenerated, AutoCAD keeps
the orientation set by the text angle. Entering an angle
of 0 degrees puts the text in its default orientation.
See Also
See Modify Dimension Text in the Users Guide.
Commands
DIMSTYLE controls dimension styles, which control

dimension format and behavior.
System Variables
DIMSHO controls redefinition of dimensions while
dragging.
DIMTEDIT
313
DIST
Measures the distance and angle between two points
Inquiry toolbar:
Tools menu: Inquiry Distance
Command line: dist (or 'dist for transparent use)
Specify first point: Specify a point
Specify second point: Specify a point
Distance = calculated distance, Angle in XY plane = angle,
Angle from XY plane = angle
Delta X = change in X, Delta Y = change in Y, Delta Z = change in Z
AutoCAD reports the true 3D distance between points. The angle in the XY
plane is relative to the current X axis. The angle from the XY plane is relative
to the current XY plane. DIST assumes the current elevation for the first or
second point if you omit the Z coordinate value.
AutoCAD displays the distance using the current units format.
angle from
XY plane
delta Z
angle in
XY plane
delta X
delta Y
See Also
See Obtain Distances, Angles, and Point Locations in the Users Guide.
Commands
UNITS sets drawing units.
System Variables
DISTANCE stores the last distance measured by the DIST

command.
DIVIDE
Places evenly spaced point objects or blocks along the length or perimeter of an object
DIVIDE marks off a specified number of equal lengths on a selected object by
placing point objects or blocks along the length or perimeter of the object.
Objects that you can divide include arcs, circles, ellipses and elliptical arcs,
polylines, and splines.
314
DIST
Draw menu: Point Divide

Command line: divide
Select object to divide: Use an object selection method
Enter number of segments 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.
The illustration shows a polyline divided into five parts. Point Display mode
(PDMODE) has been set such that the points can be seen.
select polyline
divided into five parts
Block
Places blocks at equal intervals along the selected object.
Enter name of block to insert: Enter the name of a block currently defined in the
drawing
Align block with object? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n or press ENTER
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.
Enter number of segments: Enter a value from 2 through 32,767

The illustration shows an arc divided into five equal parts using a block consisting of a vertically oriented ellipse.
block not aligned
block aligned
DIVIDE
315
See Also
See Divide an Object into Equal Segments in the Users Guide.
Commands
POINT creates a point object.
System Variables
PDMODE and PDSIZE values control the appearance of
point objects.
DONUT
Draws filled circles and rings
inside
diameter
A donut is constructed of a closed polyline composed of wide arc segments.

How AutoCAD fills the interior of a donut depends on the current setting of
the FILL command.
Draw menu: Donut
Command line: donut
outside
diameter
Specify inside diameter of donut <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

If you specify an inside diameter of 0, the donut is a filled circle.
2
Specify outside diameter of donut <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

Specify center of donut or <exit>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER to end the
command
AutoCAD sets the location of the donut based on the center point. After you
specify the diameters, AutoCAD prompts you for the locations at which to
draw donuts. AutoCAD draws a donut at each point specified (2).
See Also
See Draw Donuts in the Users Guide.
Commands
FILL controls the filling of traces, solids, and wide
polylines.
System Variables
FILLMODE stores the FILL command setting.
DRAGMODE
Controls the way AutoCAD displays dragged objects
You can draw new objects dynamically and drag them into position on the
screen. You can also drag existing objects with many editing commands.
With some computer configurations, dragging can be time consuming. Use
DRAGMODE to suppress dragging.
316
DONUT
Command line: dragmode (or 'dragmode for transparent use)

Enter new value [ON/OFF/Auto] <current>:
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.
DRAGMODE on
DRAGMODE off
See Also
System Variables
DRAGMODE stores the current Drag mode setting. You

must use the SETVAR command to access the
DRAGMODE system variable.
DRAWORDER
Changes the display order of images and other objects
DRAWORDER changes the drawing and plotting order of any object in the
AutoCAD drawing database. In addition to moving objects to the front or

back of the sort order, you can order objects relative to another object (that
is, above or below a selected object).
Modify II toolbar:
Tools menu: Display Order
Command line: draworder
Enter object ordering option [Above object/Under object/Front/Back] <Back>:
Above Object
Moves the selected object above a specified reference

object.
Select reference object: Use an object selection method
Under Object
Moves the selected object below a specified reference

object.
Select reference object: Use an object selection method
DRAWORDER
317
Front
Moves the selected object to the top of the order of

objects in the drawing.
Back
Moves the selected object to the bottom of the order of

objects in the drawing.
When you select multiple objects for reordering, AutoCAD maintains the
relative display order of the objects selected. The selection method has no
impact on drawing order.
The command terminates once you reorder an object. The command does
not continue to prompt for additional objects to reorder.
Note DRAWORDER automatically turns on all Object Sort Method options on

the User Preferences tab in the Options dialog box. This can result in slower
regeneration and redrawing times. See SORTENTS.
See Also
See Control the Display Order of Overlapping Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
OPTIONS sets object selection modes.
System Variables
SORTENTS controls object sort order operations.
DSETTINGS
Specifies settings for Snap mode, grid, and polar and object snap tracking
DSETTINGS specifies the settings for a number of drafting aids to help you
draw more quickly and precisely. Settings include Snap mode, the grid, object
snaps, and polar and object snap tracking.
Tools menu: Drafting Settings

Shortcut menu: Right-click Snap, Grid, Polar, Osnap, or Otrack on the status
bar and choose Settings.
Command line: dsettings (or 'dsettings for transparent use)
The Drafting Settings dialog box is displayed.
Drafting Settings Dialog Box

Specifies drafting settings organized for drawing aids in three categories:
Snap and Grid, Polar Tracking, and Object Snap.
318
DSETTINGS
Snap and Grid Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box)

Specifies Snap and Grid settings.
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
Controls an invisible grid that restricts cursor movement to specified
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)
Angle
Rotates the snap grid by the angle specified. (SNAPANG

system variable)
X Base
Specifies an X base coordinate point for the grid.

(SNAPBASE system variable)
DSETTINGS
319
Y Base
Specifies a Y base coordinate point for the grid.

(SNAPBASE system variable)
Polar Spacing
Controls the PolarSnap increment distance.
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)
Grid On
Turns the grid dots on or off. You can also turn grid dots mode on or off by
clicking Grid on the status bar, by pressing F7 , or by using the GRIDMODE
system variable.
Grid
Controls the display of a dot grid that helps you visualize distances.
Note The limits of the dot grid are controlled by the LIMITS command.
Grid X Spacing
Specifies the dot 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 dot spacing in the Y direction. If this value

is 0, the grid assumes the value set for Snap Y Spacing.
(GRIDUNIT system variable)
Snap Type & Style

Controls Snap mode settings.
Grid Snap
Sets the snap type to Grid. (SNAPTYPE system variable)
320
DSETTINGS
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 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. This value is also controlled by the POLARDIST
system variable. 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.
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 angles used with polar tracking.
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,
and 5 degrees from the list. (POLARANG system variable)
DSETTINGS
321
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.
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
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. This setting is also
controlled by the POLARMODE system variable.
Track Using All

Polar Angle
Settings
Permits the cursor to track along any polar angle

tracking path for acquired osnap points when object
snap tracking is on while specifying points. This setting
is also controlled by the 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.
322
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.
DSETTINGS
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, AutoCAD applies the
selected snap modes to return a point closest to the center of the aperture
box. Press TAB to cycle through the options.
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
Specifies the running object snap modes. Select one or more options.
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.
DSETTINGS
323
selection point
snap point
Midpoint
Snaps to the midpoint of an arc, ellipse, elliptical arc,

line, multiline, polyline segment, region, solid, spline,
or xline.
selection point
snap point
Center
Snaps to the center of an arc, circle, ellipse, or elliptical

arc.
selection point
snap point
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.
snap point
selection point
Intersection
Snaps to the intersection of an arc, circle, ellipse,

elliptical arc, line, multiline, polyline, ray, region,
spline, or xline.
Extended Intersection snaps to the potential
intersection of two objects that would intersect if the
objects were extended along their natural paths.
324
DSETTINGS
AutoCAD automatically turns on Extended Intersection

when you select the Intersection object snap mode.
Intersection and Extended Intersection work with edges
of regions and curves, but not with edges or corners of
3D solids.
selection point
snap point
Note You might get varying results if you have both the
Intersection and Apparent Intersection running object
snaps turned on at the same time.
Extension
Causes a temporary extension line to display when you

pass the cursor over the endpoint of objects, so you can
draw objects to and from points on the extension line.
Insertion
Snaps to the insertion point of an attribute, a block, a

shape, or text.
selection point
snap point
Perpendicular
selection point
Snaps to a point perpendicular to an arc, circle, ellipse,

elliptical arc, line, multiline, polyline, ray, region,
solid, spline, or xline. AutoCAD automatically turns on
Deferred Perpendicular snap mode 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, AutoCAD
displays an AutoSnap tooltip and marker.
snap point
DSETTINGS
325
Tangent
selection point
Snaps to the tangent of an arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical

arc, or spline. AutoCAD automatically turns on
Deferred Tangent snap mode when the object you are
drawing requires that you complete more than one
tangent snap. For example, you can use Deferred
Tangent to draw a line that is tangent to two arcs,
polyline arcs, or circles. When the aperture box passes
over a Deferred Tangent snap point, AutoCAD displays
a marker and an AutoSnap tooltip.
snap point
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
Apparent Intersection includes two separate snap

modes: Apparent Intersection and Extended Apparent
Intersection. You can also locate Intersection and
Extended Intersection snap points while running
Apparent Intersection object snap mode is on.
Apparent Intersection snaps to the apparent

intersection of two objects (arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical
arc, line, multiline, polyline, ray, spline, or xline) that
do not intersect in 3D space but may appear to intersect
in the current view. Extended Apparent Intersection
snaps to the imaginary intersection of two objects that
would intersect if the objects were extended along their
326
DSETTINGS
natural paths. Apparent and Extended Apparent

Intersection work with edges of regions and curves but
not 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
Draws a vector parallel to another object whenever

AutoCAD prompts you for the second point of a
vector. After specifying the first point of a vector, if
you move the cursor over a straight line segment of
another object, AutoCAD acquires the point. When the
path of the object you create is parallel to the line
segment, AutoCAD displays an alignment path, which
you can use to create the parallel object.
Select All
Turns on all object snap modes.
Clear All
Turns off all object snap modes.
Options
Displays the Drafting tab in the Options dialog box (see page 633). You
cannot access the Options dialog box from the Drafting Settings dialog box
if you are running DSETTINGS transparently.
See Also
For more information, see Restrict Cursor Movement and Snap to Locations on Objects (Object Snaps) in the Users Guide.
Commands
ISOPLANE selects the current isometric plane. ORTHO
constrains cursor movement to the horizontal or

vertical directions. SNAP restricts cursor movement to
specific intervals.
System Variables
APBOX turns the AutoSnap aperture box on or off.

AUTOSNAP controls the display of the AutoSnap marker
and Snaptip, and turns the AutoSnap magnet on or off.

OSMODE sets object snap modes using bitcodes.
DSETTINGS
327
DSVIEWER
Opens the Aerial View window
The Aerial View window is a navigation tool. It displays a view of the entire
drawing in a separate window so that you can quickly locate and move to a
specific area. With the Aerial View window open, you can zoom and pan
without choosing a menu option or entering a command.
In paper space, the Aerial View window shows only paper space objects,
including viewport borders. Real-time updating of the AutoCAD window
from the Aerial View window is not available in paper space.
View menu: Aerial View
Command line: dsviewer
The Aerial View window is displayed.
Aerial View Window

Displays the entire drawing; AutoCAD marks the current view with a wide
outline box.
Global
Zoom In
Zoom Out
View box
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.
328
DSVIEWER
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
are also available from a shortcut menu you can access by right-clicking 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.
Global
Displays the entire drawing and the current view in the

Aerial View window.
DSVIEWER
329
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, AutoCAD does not update
the Aerial View window to match the current viewport.
Dynamic Update
Updates the Aerial View window while you edit the

drawing. When Dynamic Update is off, AutoCAD does
not update the Aerial View window 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.
See Also
See Pan and Zoom with the Aerial View Window in the Users Guide.
330
DSVIEWER
DVIEW
Defines parallel projection or perspective views
To help you view a model from any point in space, DVIEW uses a camera-target metaphor. The line of sight, or viewing direction, is the line between the
camera and the target.
DVIEW uses objects you select or a special block named DVIEWBLOCK to display a preview image. The preview image shows the changes you make in the
view. When you end the command, AutoCAD regenerates the drawing based
on the view you set.
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.
target
camera
plan view
3D perspective view
Command line: dview

Select objects or <use DVIEWBLOCK>:
Enter option
[CAmera/TArget/Distance/POints/PAn/Zoom/TWist/CLip/Hide/Off/Undo]:
Specify a point 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.
DVIEW
331
DVIEWBLOCK
If you press ENTER at the Select Objects prompt, AutoCAD uses DVIEWBLOCK
for the preview image. You can create your own DVIEWBLOCK block in a
111-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).
graphics cursor
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.
Enter direction and magnitude angles: Enter angles between 0 degrees and 360
degrees, or specify a point with your pointing device
Enter both angles, separated by a comma. The angles must be positive. The
direction angle indicates the front of the view, and the magnitude angle
determines how far the view rolls.
332
DVIEW
Camera
Specifies a new camera position by rotating the camera about the target
point. Two angles determine the amount of rotation.
Specify camera location, or enter angle in XY plane <from X axis>,
or [Toggle (angle current)] <current>: Specify an XYZ point, enter t, enter an
Camera Location
Sets the cameras position based on the specified point.
Enter Angle from

the XY Plane
Sets the cameras 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 UCS.
After you toggle the angle input mode or specify the
angle from the XY plane, AutoCAD returns to the
previous prompt.
Toggle (Angle In)
Switches between two angle input modes. Entering an

angle on the command line 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.
Enter Angle in XY
Plane from X Axis
Sets the cameras position at an angle in the XY plane

relative to the X axis of the current user coordinate
system (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.
DVIEW
333
camera at A
plan view
camera rotated to B
The illustration shows the camera rotating to the left

from its initial position, leaving its angle from the XY
plane unchanged.
Toggle (Angle
From)

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.
Specify camera location, or enter angle in XY plane <from X axis>,
or [Toggle (angle current)] <current>: Specify an XYZ point, enter t, enter an
334
DVIEW
Enter Angle from

the XY Plane
Sets the target'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
target angle of 0 degrees means that the target is parallel
to the XY plane of the UCS.
After you toggle the angle input mode or specify the
angle from the XY plane, AutoCAD returns to the
previous prompt.
Toggle (Angle In)

you can use the cursor to rotate the target.
Enter Angle in XY
Plane from X Axis
Sets the targets 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 means you look down the X axis of the UCS
toward the origin.
target at A
camera
plan view
target at B
The illustration shows the effect of moving the target

point from left to right, leaving its angle from the XY
plane unchanged.
DVIEW
335
Toggle (Angle
From)

you can use the cursor to rotate the target.
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. AutoCAD prompts for the new
camera-to-target distance.
Specify new camera-target distance <current>: Enter a distance or press ENTER
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, choose the Off
option from the main DVIEW prompt.
If the target and camera points are close together, or if you specify a longfocal-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 (see page
338).
336
DVIEW
camera at A
plan view
camera at B
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. You must specify these points in a nonperspective view. If
perspective viewing is on, AutoCAD turns it off while you specify new
camera and target locations, and then redisplays the preview image in
perspective view.
Specify target point <current>: Specify a point or press ENTER
To help you define a new line of sight, AutoCAD draws a rubber-band line
from the current camera position to the crosshairs. AutoCAD prompts you
for a new camera location.
Specify camera point <current>: Specify a point, enter direction and magnitude
angles, or press ENTER
DVIEW
337
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.
camera at A, target at B
camera location and target point

camera at B, target at A
For information about entering direction and magnitude angles, see Point
Specification on page 332.
Pan
Shifts the image without changing the level of magnification.
Specify displacement base point: Specify a point
Specify second point: Specify a point
Zoom
If perspective viewing is off, dynamically increases or decreases the apparent
size of objects in the current viewport.
Specify zoom scale factor <current>: Specify a scale or press ENTER
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.
338
DVIEW
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 youd 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.
Specify lens length <50.000mm>: Specify a value or press ENTER
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.
lens length = 50mm
plan view
lens length = 25mm
Twist
Twists or tilts the view around the line of sight. AutoCAD measures the twist
angle counterclockwise, with 0 degrees to the right.
Specify view twist angle <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
DVIEW
339
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.
Enter clipping option [Back/Front/Off] <Off>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Back
Obscures objects located behind the back clipping plane.
Specify distance from target or [ON/OFF] <current>: Specify a distance, enter an
option, or press ENTER
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.
Front
Obscures objects located between the camera and the front clipping plane.
Specify distance from target or [set to Eye (camera)/ON/OFF] <current>: Specify
a distance, enter e, or press ENTER
340
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.
DVIEW
back clip
front clip
camera
position of clipping planes
view resulting from

camera position
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.
AutoCAD considers circles, solids, traces, regions, wide polyline segments,
3D faces, polygon meshes, and the extruded edges of objects with nonzero
thickness 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.
See Also
See Overview of Specifying a 3D View in the Users Guide.
DVIEW
341
Commands
With 3DORBIT, you can manipulate the view of 3D

objects by clicking and dragging your pointing device.
BLOCK creates a block definition from a group of
objects. You can use it to create an alternate DVIEWBLOCK. HIDE regenerates a 3D model with hidden lines
removed. PAN moves the drawing display in the current
viewport. ZOOM increases or decreases the apparent size
of objects in the current viewport. DSVIEWER opens the
Aerial View window.
DWGPROPS
Sets and displays the properties of the current drawing
File menu: Drawing Properties
Command line: dwgprops
The Drawing Properties dialog box is displayed.
Drawing Properties Dialog Box

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.
General Tab (Drawing Properties Dialog Box)

Displays read-only information about the drawing file. This data is derived
from the operating system.
342
DWGPROPS
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. AutoCAD

uses this setting to determine which files should be
backed up.
DWGPROPS
343
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. An AutoCAD

drawing cannot have the System attribute set.
Summary Tab (Drawing Properties Dialog Box)

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.
344
Title
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.
DWGPROPS
Keywords
Specifies the keywords you want to use to locate the

drawing.
Comments
Specifies the comments you want to use to locate the

drawing.
Hyperlink Base
Specifies the base address that AutoCAD uses 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)

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 AutoCAD detects that the drawing was last saved using an application
other than Autodesk software, a warning message is displayed. This value is
stored in the DWGCHECK system variable.
Created
Displays the date and time the drawing was created.

This value is stored in the TDCREATE system variable.
DWGPROPS
345
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.
Revision Number
Displays the revision number.
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)

Provides ten custom fields for assigning names and values. For example, you
could create a custom field called Project and assign the actual project
name as the value. To ensure that all your drawings use the same custom field
names, you could create the custom fields in your drawing templates. The
custom fields can be used in searches to help locate a drawing, such as when
you use the Find dialog box in DesignCenter. AutoCAD also provides access
to the properties data using programming interfaces, such as AutoLISP.
346
DWGPROPS
Custom
Properties
Lists names and values for custom fields for the current
drawing. Enter text in the Name column. To enter a value
for a custom field, enter text in the Value column.
See Also
See Add Identifying Information to Drawings in the Users Guide.
Commands
ADCENTER displays DesignCenter.
DXBIN
Imports specially coded binary files
Insert menu: Drawing Exchange Binary
Command line: dxbin
The Select DXB File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Enter the name of the file to import.
DXBIN
347
348
EATTEDIT
Edits attributes in a block reference
Modify II toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Attribute Single
Command line: eattedit
Select a block:
You are prompted to select a block in the drawing area. After you select a
block with attributes, the Enhanced Attribute Editor is displayed.
If the block you select does not contain attributes, or you select something
that is not a block, an error message is displayed, and you are prompted to
select another block.
Enhanced Attribute Editor

Lists the attributes in a selected block instance and displays the properties of
each attribute. You can change the attribute properties and values.
Select Block
Allows you to 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 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.
Apply
Updates the drawing with the attribute changes you

have made, and leaves the Enhanced Attribute Editor
open.
The Enhanced Attribute Editor contains the following tabs:
Attribute
Text Options
Properties
Attribute Tab (Enhanced Attribute Editor)

Displays the tag, prompt, and value assigned to each attribute. You can
change only the attribute value.
EATTEDIT
349
Value
The value assigned to the selected attribute.
Text Options Tab (Enhanced Attribute Editor)

Sets the properties that define the way an attributes 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.
Backwards
Specifies whether or not the attribute text is displayed

backwards.
Upside down
Specifies whether or not the attribute text is displayed

upside down.
Width Factor
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.
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.

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.
350
EATTEDIT
EATTEXT
Exports block attribute information to an external file
Modify II toolbar:
Tools menu: Attribute Extraction
Command line: eattext
The Attribute Extraction wizard is displayed.
Attribute Extraction Wizard

Specifies the set of blocks from which to extract block attribute information,
the types of block attribute information you want, and the block attributes
to be extracted.
The Attribute Extraction wizard includes the following pages:
Select Drawing
Settings
Use Template
Select Attributes
View Output
Save Template
Export
Select Drawing Page

Allows you to select drawing files from which to extract block attribute
information.
Select Objects
Makes the Select Objects button available.
Select Objects
Button
Allows you to close the wizard temporarily while you

select the set of blocks in the drawing area from which
you want to extract block attribute information.
Current Drawing
Specifies that block attribute information is extracted

from all blocks in the current drawing.
Select Drawings
Makes the [...] button available.
[...] Button
Displays the Select File dialog box, where you can locate
and select drawing files from which to extract block
attribute information.
EATTEXT
351
Drawing Files
Displays the selected drawing files that contain the

block attributes you want to extract.
Next
Displays the Settings page.
Settings Page
Allows you to specify whether to extract block attribute information from
external reference files and nested blocks.
Include Xrefs

from external references (xrefs).
Include Nested
Blocks

from blocks nested in other blocks.
Next
Displays the Use Template page.
Use Template Page

Allows you to use the block attribute settings from ones previously saved in
a template file with the .blk file name extension.
No Template
Specifies that block attribute settings from a template

file are not used.
Use Template
Makes the Use Template button available.
Use Template
Button
Displays the Select File dialog box, where you can locate
and select a block attribute template file to use.
Next
Displays the Select Attributes page.
Select Attributes Page

Allows you to select blocks and attributes.
352
Blocks
Displays the list of blocks in the selected drawings.

Select the box next to a block name to display that
blocks attributes in the Attributes for Block list. In the
Block Alias column, you can assign an alias to the block.
The Number column displays the number of instances
of the block that are present in the selected drawings.
Attributes for
Block
Displays a list of block attributes corresponding to the

block or blocks selected. Select the box next to an
attribute name to extract the information for that
attribute. The Value column displays the value of the
block attribute. In the Alias column, you can assign an
alias to the block attribute.
EATTEXT
Check All
Selects all blocks or block attributes for extraction.
Uncheck All
Clears the selection of all blocks or block attributes.
Next
Displays the View Output page.
View Output Page

Allows you to preview the block attributes to be extracted. The list displays
the attributes currently selected for extraction.
Two different views of the information can be displayed:
Attributes for each block by block name. The Block Name column displays
the names of blocks selected for attribute extraction. The Attribute
column displays the name of the attribute. The Value column displays the
value of the attribute. The Count column displays the number of
attributes in the drawing with the same name and value.
Values for each block attribute by block name. The Block Name column
displays the names of the blocks selected for attribute extraction; other
columns display names of attributes associated with each block. The rows
display the values for each attribute.
In exported files, Enhanced Attribute Extract renames blocks of the same

name but that have different attributes that are found in multiple drawings
or xrefs. For each instance after the first one of duplicate-named blocks with
different attributes, Enhanced Attribute Extract renames the block by
appending to the block name a tilde character (~) and the path name and file
in which the block was found. For example, a block named WND is in both
c:\drawings\offic.dwg and c:\drawings\adminoffice.dwg, but the block has different attributes in each file. When you use Enhanced Attribute Extract, the
instance of WND in the first file is shown with the block name WND; the
instance of WND in the second file is shown with the block name
WND~c:\drawings\adminoffice.dwg.
Alternate View
Switches between the two views of the information in

the table.
Copy to
Clipboard
Copies all or selected portions of the table to the

Clipboard.
Next
Displays the Save Template page.
EATTEXT
353
Save Template Page

Allows you to save the attribute extraction settings you have made to a template file with the .blk file name extension.
Save Template
Displays the Save As dialog box, where you can specify

a location and name for a template file of the current
block attribute settings.
Next
Displays the Export page.
Export Page
Allows you to specify the attribute extraction file name and format and
export the attribute information to the specified file.
In attribute names that will be field names in files exported to Microsoft
Access file format, Enhanced Attribute Extract substitutes an underscore
character (_) for the characters shown in the following table.
Restricted characters in Microsoft Access fields
Character
Character name
Period
Exclamation mark
Left square bracket
Right square bracket
For example, attribute tag names that appear as column headings will be field
names in Microsoft Access, and any instance of the restricted characters will
be replaced by an underscore.
354
File Name
Specifies the file name for the extracted block attribute

information.
[...] Button
Allows you to specify the file by locating it with the

standard file dialog box.
EATTEXT
File Type
Specifies the format for the attribute extraction file. File

formats that are displayed in the list depend on the
applications installed on the computer. If Microsoft
Excel and Microsoft Access are installed, the XLS and
MDB file formats are available. The comma-separated
file format (CSV) and tab-separated file format (TXT)
are always available.
The delimiter used in the comma-separated file format
(.csv) is based on the locale; the list separator for the
locale separates the exported data.
Finish
Extracts the block attribute information and exports it

to the file specified.
EDGE
Changes the visibility of three-dimensional face edges
Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces Edge
Command line: edge
Specify edge of 3dface to toggle visibility or [Display]: Select an edge or enter d
Edge
Controls the visibility of the edges you select.
Specify edge of 3d face to toggle visibility or [Display]:
AutoCAD repeats the prompt until you press ENTER .
If the edges of one or more 3D faces are colinear, AutoCAD alters the visibility
of each colinear edge.
EDGE
355
Display
Selects invisible edges of 3D faces so that you can redisplay them.
Enter selection method for display of hidden edges [Select/All] <All>:
All
Enter an
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.
This prompt continues until you press ENTER .
Select
Selects hidden edges of a partially visible 3D face and

displays them.
Select objects:
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.
This prompt continues until you press ENTER .
356
See Also
Commands
3DFACE creates a 3D triangular or quadrilateral surface.
System Variables
SPLFRAME turns on or off the display of invisible edges.
EDGE
EDGESURF
Creates a three-dimensional polygon mesh
EDGESURF constructs a three-dimensional (3D) polygon mesh approximating
a Coons surface patch mesh from four adjoining edges. A Coons surface
patch mesh is a bicubic surface interpolated between four adjoining edges
(which can be general space curves). The Coons surface patch mesh not only
meets the corners of the defining edges, but also touches each edge, providing control over the boundaries of the generated surface patch.
Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces Edge Surface
Command line: edgesurf
Current wire frame density: SURFTAB1=current SURFTAB2=current
Select object 1 for surface edge:
3
2
You must select the four adjoining edges that define the surface patch. The
edges can be lines, arcs, splines, or open 2D or 3D polylines. The edges must
touch at their endpoints to form a topologically rectangular closed path.
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.
See Also
See Overview of 3D Objects, in the Users Guide.
System Variables
SURFTAB1 and SURFTAB2 control the number of divisions
along the M and N directions of a polygon mesh.
EDGESURF
357
ELEV
Sets elevation and extrusion thickness of new objects
The current elevation is the Z value that AutoCAD uses whenever it expects
a 3D point but receives only X and Y values. AutoCAD maintains separate
current elevations in model space and paper space. Specifying an elevation
setting in one viewport makes that elevation current in all viewports regardless of whether viewports are set up to retain their own user coordinate
systems (UCSs). AutoCAD resets the elevation to 0.0 whenever you change
the coordinate system.
Command line: elev (or 'elev for transparent use)
Specify new default elevation <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
Specify new default thickness <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
The thickness sets the distance to which AutoCAD extrudes a 2D object
above or below its elevation. A positive value extrudes along the positive Z
axis; a negative value extrudes along the negative Z axis.
z
y
y
x
with elevation
x
with thickness
ELEV controls only new objects; it does not affect existing objects.
See Also
Commands
UCS and UCSMAN control construction plane orientation, elevation, and extrusion direction. VPORTS creates
tiled viewports; new viewports inherit the settings of

the current viewport.
System Variables
ELEVATION sets the current elevation. THICKNESS sets
the current extrusion thickness.
358
ELEV
ELLIPSE
Creates an ellipse or an elliptical arc
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Ellipse
Command line: ellipse
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse or [Arc/Center/Isocircle]: Specify a point or enter
an option
The Isocircle option is available only when you set the Style option of SNAP
to Isometric.
Axis Endpoint
3
2
1
ellipse by 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.
Specify other endpoint of axis: Specify a point (2)
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: Specify a distance by entering a value
or locating a point (3), or enter r
Distance to Other
Axis
Rotation
Defines the second axis using the distance from the

midpoint of the first axis to the endpoint of the second
axis (3).
Creates the ellipse by appearing to rotate a circle about
the first axis.
Specify rotation around major axis: Specify a point (3), or
enter an angle value between 0 and 89.4
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.
ELLIPSE
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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 of
the elliptical arc.
ellipse by rotation
Specify axis endpoint of elliptical arc or [Center]:
Specify a point or enter c
Axis Endpoint
Defines the start point of the first axis.
Specify other endpoint of axis:
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: Specify a distance or enter r
The descriptions of the Distance to Other Axis and Rotation options match
those of the corresponding options under Center.
Center
Creates the elliptical arc using a center point you specify.
Specify center of elliptical arc:
Specify endpoint of axis:
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: Specify a distance or enter r
Distance to Other Axis
Defines the second axis as the distance from the center of the elliptical arc,
or midpoint of the first axis, to the point you specify.
1
Specify start angle or [Parameter]: Specify a point (1), enter a value, or enter p
The descriptions of the Start Angle and Parameter options match those of the
corresponding options under Rotation.
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. Entering 0 defines a circle.
Specify rotation around major axis: Specify a rotation angle
Specify start angle or [Parameter]: Specify an angle or enter p
Start Angle
Defines the first endpoint of the elliptical arc. The Start

Angle option toggles from Parameter mode to Angle
mode. The mode you are in determines how AutoCAD
calculates the ellipse.
Specify end angle or [Parameter/Included angle]: Specify
a point (2), enter a value, or enter an option
360
ELLIPSE
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.
Specify start parameter or [Angle]: Specify a point, enter a
value, or enter a
Specify end parameter or [Angle/Included angle]: Specify
a point, enter a value, or enter an option
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 you are in determines
how AutoCAD calculates the ellipse.
Angle: Defines the end angle of the elliptical arc. The
Angle option toggles from Parameter mode to Angle
mode. The mode you are in determines how
AutoCAD calculates the ellipse.
Included Angle: Defines an included angle beginning
at the start angle.
Center
Creates the ellipse by a center point you specify.
3
1
Specify center of ellipse: Specify a point (1)

Specify endpoint of axis: Specify a point (2)
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: Specify a distance by entering a value
or locating a point (3), or enter r
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.
ELLIPSE
361
Rotation
Creates the ellipse by appearing to rotate a circle about

the first axis.
Specify rotation around major axis: Specify a point, or
enter an angle value between 0 and 89.4
Specify start angle or [Parameter]: Specify an angle or
enter p
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.
Specify center of isocircle:

Specify radius of isocircle or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d
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
See Also
See Draw Ellipses in the Users Guide.
ERASE
Removes objects from a drawing
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Erase
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to erase, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Erase.
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ERASE
Command line: erase

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
selecting objects
AutoCAD removes the objects from the drawing.
object selected
object erased
See Also
See Remove Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
OOPS restores previously erased objects. U reverses the

effect of the previous command. UNDO reverses the
effect of multiple commands and provides control over
the Undo feature. REDO reverses the immediately previous UNDO or U command.
ETRANSMIT
Creates a transmittal set of a drawing and related files
File Menu: eTransmit
Command line: etransmit
AutoCAD displays the Create Transmittal Dialog Box.
Create Transmittal Dialog Box

Creates a transmittal set of a drawing and related files.
General Tab (Create Transmittal Dialog Box)

Creates a transmittal set of a specific type.
ETRANSMIT
363
Notes
Provides a space where you can enter notes related to a transmittal set. The
notes are included in the transmittal report. You can specify a template of
default notes to be included with all your transmittal sets 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 (Options Dialog
Box) on page 634. See the Report tab.
Type
Specifies the type of transmittal set created.
364
Folder
Creates a transmittal set of uncompressed files in a new

or existing folder.
Self-extracting
Executable
Creates a transmittal set of files as a compressed, selfextracting executable file. Double-clicking the resulting
EXE file decompresses the transmittal set and restores
the files.
ETRANSMIT
Zip
Creates a transmittal set of files as a compressed ZIP file.

To restore the files, you need a decompression utility
such as the shareware application PKZIP or WinZip.
Password
Opens the Password dialog box (see page 368), where you can specify a password for your transmittal set.
Location
Specifies the location in which the transmittal set is created. Location lists
the last ten locations in which transmittal sets were created. To specify a new
location, choose Browse and navigate to the location you want.
Browse
Opens a standard file selection dialog box, in which you can navigate to a
location where you create the transmittal set.
Convert Drawings To
Specifies the file format of all drawings included in a transmittal set. When
this option is selected, you can select an AutoCAD drawing format from the
drop-down list.
Preserve Directory Structure
Preserves the directory structure of all files in the transmittal set, facilitating
ease of installation on another system. If this option is cleared, all files are
installed to the target directory when the transmittal set is installed. This
option is not available if youre saving a transmittal set to an Internet
location.
Remove Paths from Xrefs and Images
Removes paths from any cross-referenced drawings or images in the transmittal set.
Send E-mail with Transmittal
Launches the default system email application when the transmittal set is
created so that you can send an email notifying others of the new transmittal
set.
Make Web Page Files
Generates a web page that includes a link to the transmittal set.
Files Tab (Create Transmittal Dialog Box)

Lists the files to be included in the transmittal set. By default, all files associated with the current drawing (such as related xrefs, plot styles, and fonts)
are listed. You can add additional files to the transmittal set or remove
existing files. Related files that are referenced by URLs are not included in the
transmittal set.
ETRANSMIT
365
List of Files
Displays the names of all files to be included in the transmittal set. Choose
the List View and Tree View buttons to switch back and forth between these
views.
List View
Toggles file display to list view.
Tree View
Toggles file display to tree view. All files to be included

in the transmittal set are indicated by a check mark
next to the file name. To remove a file from the
transmittal set, click in the check box. Right-click in the
file list to display a shortcut menu, from which you can
clear all check marks or apply check marks to all files.
Add File
Opens a standard file selection dialog box, in which you can select an additional file to include in the transmittal set.
366
ETRANSMIT
Include Fonts
Includes the current drawings associated font files (TXT and SHX) with the
transmittal set. Because TrueType fonts are proprietary, they are not included
with the transmittal set. If any required TrueType fonts are not present on the
computer to which the transmittal set is copied, the font specified by the
FONTALT system variable is substituted.
Report Tab (Create Transmittal Dialog Box)
Displays report information that is included with the transmittal set.

Includes any transmittal notes that you entered on the General tab and distribution notes automatically generated by AutoCAD that detail what steps
must be taken for the transmittal set to work properly. For example, if
AutoCAD detects SHX fonts in one of the transmittal drawings, you are
instructed where to copy these files so that AutoCAD can detect them on the
system the transmittal set is being installed on. If you have created a text file
of default notes, the notes are also included in the report. See Notes on the
General tab.
ETRANSMIT
367
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 sets that you generate; by choosing Save As, you can save an
additional copy of a report file for archival purposes.
Password Dialog Box
Password for Compressed Transmittal

Provides a space for an optional password for the transmittal set. When
others attempt to open the transmittal set, they will need to provide this
password to access the files. Password protection cannot be applied to folder
transmittal sets (see Type on page 364).
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 re-enter them.
EXPLODE
Breaks a compound object into its component objects
A compound object comprises more than one AutoCAD object. For example,
a block is a compound object.
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Explode
Command line: explode
Select objects:
368
EXPLODE
Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
The color, linetype, and lineweight of any exploded object might change.
Other results differ depending on the type of compound object youre
exploding. See the following list of objects that can be exploded and the
results for each.
Note If youre using a script or an ObjectARX function, you can explode only
one object at a time.
before EXPLODE
2D and
Lightweight
Polyline
Discards any associated width or tangent information.

For wide polylines, AutoCAD places the resulting lines
and arcs 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 surfaces into regions. Nonplanar

surfaces explode into bodies.
Arc
If within a nonuniformly scaled block, explodes into

elliptical arcs.
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.
after EXPLODE
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.
EXPLODE
369
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.
Multiline text
Explodes into text objects.
Multiline
Explodes into lines and arcs.
Polyface Mesh
Explodes one-vertex meshes into a point object. Twovertex meshes explode into a line. Three-vertex meshes
explode into 3D faces.
Region
Explodes into lines, arcs, or splines.
See Also
See Disassemble a Block Reference (Explode) in the Users Guide.
Commands
BLOCK creates blocks from a group of objects. LIST displays the properties of objects. XPLODE explodes objects
and controls the color, layer, linetype, and lineweight
of the component objects.
EXPORT
Saves objects to other file formats
File menu: Export
Command line: export
The Export Data dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed.
In Files of Type, select the format type to export objects to. In File Name,
enter the name of the file to create. AutoCAD exports the objects to the
specified file format using the specified file name.
The following output types are available:
370
WMFWindows Metafile (see WMFOUT)

SATACIS solid object file (see ACISOUT)
STLSolid object stereolithography file (see STLOUT)
DXXAttribute extract DXF file (see ATTEXT)
EXPORT
BMPDevice-independent bitmap file (see BMPOUT)

3DS3D Studio file (see 3DSOUT)
DWGAutoCAD drawing file (see WBLOCK)
EXTEND
Extends an object to meet another object
Objects that you can extend include arcs, elliptical arcs, lines, open 2D and
3D polylines, and rays.
boundary selected
objects to extend selected
result
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Extend
Command line: extend
Select boundary edges...
Select objects: Select one or more objects and press ENTER or press ENTER to select
all objects (implied selection)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: Select an
object to extend, or hold down SHIFT and select an object to trim, or enter an option
Boundary Object Selection

Uses selected objects to define the boundary edges to which you want to
extend the object. Valid boundary objects include 2D and 3D polylines, arcs,
blocks, circles, ellipses, layout viewports, lines, rays, regions, splines, text,
and xlines.
EXTEND
371
If you select a 2D polyline as a boundary object, AutoCAD ignores its width

and extends objects to the centerline of the polyline. You can use only the
single, crossing, fence, and implied selection options to select boundaries
that include blocks.
If you extend a tapered polyline segment, AutoCAD corrects the width of the
extended end to continue its original taper to the new endpoint. If this
causes the segment to have a negative ending width, the ending width
becomes zero.
selected boundary
polylines to extend
result
Extending a spline-fit polyline adds a new vertex to the control frame for the
polyline.
Object to Extend
Specifies the object to extend. AutoCAD repeats the main prompt so you can
extend multiple objects. Pressing SHIFT while selecting an object trims it to
the nearest boundary rather than extending it. Pressing ENTER ends the
command.
Project
Specifies the projection method AutoCAD uses when extending objects.
Enter a projection option [None/Ucs/View] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
selected
boundary
372
EXTEND
objects to
extend
None
Specifies no projection. AutoCAD extends only objects

that intersect with the boundary edge in 3D space.
arc not intersecting
with boundary edge in
3D space
arc intersecting with
boundary edge in 3D
space
UCS
Specifies projection onto the XY plane of the current

user coordinate system (UCS). AutoCAD extends
objects that do not intersect with the boundary objects
in 3D space.
projection of arcs onto

current UCS that intersect
with boundary edge
View
left viewport
Specifies projection along the current view direction.
right viewport
Edge
Extends the object to another objects implied edge, or only to an object that
actually intersects it in 3D space.
EXTEND
373
Enter an implied edge extension mode [Extend/No extend] <current>: Enter an

selected boundary
selected object to
extend
Extend
Extends the boundary object along its natural path to

intersect another object or its implied edge in 3D space.
No Extend
Specifies that the object is to extend only to a boundary

object that actually intersects it in 3D space.
Undo
extended
Reverses the most recent changes made by EXTEND.
not extended
See Also
See Trim or Extend Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
LENGTHEN lengthens an object. TRIM trims objects at a
cutting edge you specify.

System Variables
EDGEMODE determines whether to extend an object to

another objects implied edge or only to an object that
intersects it in 3D space. PROJMODE specifies the Projection mode AutoCAD uses when extending objects.
EXTRUDE
Creates unique solid primitives by extruding existing two-dimensional objects
With EXTRUDE, you can create solids by extruding (adding thickness to)
selected objects. You can extrude an object along a path, or you can specify
a height value and a tapered angle.
Use EXTRUDE to create a solid from a common profile of an object, such as a
gear or sprocket. EXTRUDE is particularly useful for objects that contain
fillets, chamfers, and other details that might otherwise be difficult to reproduce except in a profile. If you create a profile using lines or arcs, use the Join
option of PEDIT to convert them to a single polyline object or make them into
a region before you use EXTRUDE.
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Extrude
Command line: extrude
Select objects:
Specify height of extrusion or [Path]: Specify a distance or enter p
374
EXTRUDE
Object Selection
select object
Specifies the objects to extrude. You can extrude planar 3D faces, closed
polylines, polygons, circles, ellipses, closed splines, donuts, and regions. You
cannot extrude objects contained within a block or polylines that have crossing or self-intersecting segments.
A polyline must contain at least 3 but not more than 500 vertices. If a
selected polyline has width, AutoCAD ignores the width and extrudes from
the center of the polyline path. If a selected object has thickness, AutoCAD
ignores the thickness.
Height of Extrusion
Extrudes the objects along the positive Z axis of the objects coordinate
system if you enter a positive value. If you enter a negative value, AutoCAD
extrudes the objects along the negative Z axis.
height
Specify angle of taper for extrusion <0>:

degrees or press ENTER
Specify an angle between 90 and +90
Positive angles taper in from the base object. Negative angles taper out. The
default angle, 0, extrudes a 2D object perpendicular to its 2D plane. AutoCAD
tapers all objects and loops in the selection set to the same value. Tapered
extrusions are possible only with loops that are continuous at the vertices.
taper
angle
Specifying a large taper angle or a long extrusion height can cause the object
or portions of the object to taper to a point before reaching the extrusion
height.
AutoCAD always extrudes individual loops of the region to the same height.
path
profile
When an arc is part of a tapered extrusion, the angle of the arc remains constant, and the radius of the arc changes. On a straight extrusion, each arc
results in a single cylindrical face. Whenever possible, EXTRUDE uses the
taper angle as the angle by which it slants faces from the Z axis.
Path
Selects the extrusion path based on a specified object. AutoCAD extrudes the
profiles of the selected object along the chosen path to create solids.
Select extrusion path:
Lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, elliptical arcs, polylines, or splines can be paths.
The path should not lie on the same plane as the profile, nor should it have
areas of high curvature.
EXTRUDE
375
The extruded solid starts from the plane of the profile and ends on a plane
perpendicular to the path at the paths endpoint. One of the endpoints of the
path should be on the plane of the profile; otherwise, AutoCAD moves the
path to the center of the profiles.
If the path is a spline, it should be perpendicular to the plane of the profile
at one of the endpoints of the path. Otherwise, AutoCAD rotates the profile
to be perpendicular to the spline path. If one of the endpoints of the spline
is on the plane of the profile, AutoCAD rotates the profile about the point;
otherwise, AutoCAD moves the spline path to the center of the profile and
rotates the profiles about its center.
If the path contains segments that are not tangent, AutoCAD extrudes the
object along each segment and then miters the joint along the plane bisecting the angle formed by the segments. If the path is closed, the profile should
lie on the miter plane. This allows the start and end sections of the solid to
match up. If the profile is not on the miter plane, AutoCAD rotates it until it
is on the miter plane.
AutoCAD extrudes profiles with multiple loops so that all the loops appear
on the same plane at the end section of the extruded solid.
See Also
See Extrude Faces on 3D Solids in the Users Guide.
376
EXTRUDE
FILL
Controls the filling of objects such as hatches, two-dimensional solids, and wide polylines
Some displays and plotters take a long time to fill the interior of objects; turn
off Fill mode to improve performance. Objects affected by FILL include
hatches, two-dimensional solids, wide polylines, AutoCADmultilines and
traces.
Command line: fill (or 'fill for transparent use)
Fill mode on
Fill mode off
On
Turns on Fill mode. For the filling of a 3D object to be

visible, its extrusion direction must be parallel to the
current viewing direction, and hidden lines must not be
suppressed.
Off
Turns off Fill mode. Only the outlines of objects are

displayed and plotted. Changing Fill mode affects
existing objects after the drawing is regenerated. The
display of lineweights is not affected by the Fill mode
setting.
See Also
See Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights,
and Text in the Users Guide.
Commands
OPTIONS displays the Options dialog box, in which you
can set Fill mode and other display settings.

System Variables
FILLMODE stores the FILL command setting.
FILLET
Rounds and fillets the edges of objects
FILLET rounds the edges of two arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, lines, polylines,
rays, splines, or xlines with an arc of a specified radius. FILLET also rounds the
edges of 3D solids.
before FILLET
after FILLET
If the TRIMMODE system variable is set to 1, FILLET trims the intersecting lines
to the endpoints of the fillet arc. If the selected lines do not intersect,
AutoCAD extends or trims them so that they do.
If both objects you want to fillet are on the same layer, AutoCAD creates the
fillet line on that layer. Otherwise, AutoCAD creates the fillet line on the
current layer. The same is true for the fillet color, lineweight, and linetype.
FILL
377
You can fillet line segments of a polyline that are adjacent, nonadjacent,
intersecting, or separated by one segment. If they are nonadjacent, the
polyline segments are extended to accommodate the fillet. If they are intersecting, the polyline segments are trimmed to accommodate the fillet. To
create a fillet, the polyline segments must converge within the drawing limits
when limits checking is on.
The result is a single polyline that includes the fillet as an arc segment. All
the properties of this new polyline, such as its layer, color, and linetype, are
inherited from the first polyline selected.
Note Filleting an associative hatch whose boundary was defined from line segments removes hatch associativity. If the boundary was defined from a polyline,
associativity is maintained.
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Fillet
Command line: fillet
Current settings: Mode = current, Radius = current
Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim/mUltiple]: Use an object selection
method or enter an option
First Object
Selects the first of two objects required to define a 2D fillet or the edge of a
3D solid to fillet.
Select second object:
first selected object
378
FILLET
second selected object
result
If you select lines, arcs, or polylines, AutoCAD extends them until they intersect or trims them at the intersection. You can fillet two lines with different
extrusion directions only if the Z values of the endpoints of both lines are
equal in the current user coordinate system (UCS).
If the selected objects are straight line segments of a 2D polyline, they can be
adjacent or separated by one other segment. If they are separated by another
polyline segment, FILLET deletes the segment that separates them and
replaces it with the fillet.
More than one fillet can exist between arcs and circles. AutoCAD chooses the
fillet with endpoints closest to the points you select.
selection points
result (with radius greater than 0)
FILLET does not trim circles; the fillet arc meets the circle smoothly.
FILLET
379
selection points
results (with radius

greater than 0)
If you select a 3D solid, you can select multiple edges, but you must select the
edges individually.
Enter fillet radius <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
Select an edge or [Chain/Radius]: Select edge(s), enter c, or enter r
Edge
Selects a single edge. You can continue to select single edges until you press
ENTER .
selecting edges
single edge fillets
If you select three or more edges that converge at a vertex to form the corner
of a box, AutoCAD computes a vertex blend that is part of a sphere if the
three incident fillets have the same radii.
380
FILLET
Chain
Toggles from selection of single edges to selection of sequential tangent
edges.
Select edge chain or <Edge/Radius>: Select an edge chain, enter e, or enter r
Edge Chain
Selects a tangential sequence of edges when you select

a single edge. For example, if you select an edge on the
top of a 3D solid box, AutoCAD also selects the other
tangential edges on the top.
Edge
Switches to a single edge selection mode.
Radius
Defines the radius of the fillet arc.
chain fillets
Radius
Enter fillet radius <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
AutoCAD displays the previous prompt:
Select an edge or [Chain/Radius]: Select one or more edges or enter c or r
Polyline
Inserts fillet arcs at each vertex of a 2D polyline where two line segments
meet.
Select 2D polyline:
If one arc segment separates two line segments that converge as they
approach the arc segment, AutoCAD removes the arc segment and replaces
it with a fillet arc.
before
after
Radius
Specify fillet radius <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
FILLET
381
The value you enter becomes the current radius for subsequent FILLET
commands. Changing this value does not affect existing fillet arcs.
Trim
Controls whether AutoCAD trims the selected edges to the fillet arc
endpoints.
Enter Trim mode option [Trim/No trim] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
Trim
Trims the selected edges to the fillet arc endpoints.
No Trim
Does not trim the selected edges.
Multiple
Rounds the edges of more than one set of objects. AutoCAD displays the
main prompt and the Select Second Object prompt repeatedly until you press
ENTER to end the command.
If you enter an option other than First Object at the main prompt, the
prompts for that option are displayed and then the main prompt is displayed
again.
All the fillets you created with the Multiple option are removed if you click
Undo.
See Also
See Create Fillets, Chamfers, or Breaks in Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
CHAMFER bevels the edges of objects.
System Variables
FILLETRAD stores the current fillet radius. TRIMMODE

controls whether selected lines are trimmed to the fillet
arc endpoints.
FILTER
Creates reusable filters for object selection
FILTER creates a list of requirements that an object must meet to be included
in a selection set.
382
FILTER
Use FILTER to
Select objects before using an editing command

Select objects during an editing command; at any Select Objects prompt,
use FILTER transparently to select objects to use with the current command
Create named filters to use later at any Select Objects prompt
FILTER finds objects by property only when you have assigned those proper-
ties to the object directly. If objects assume properties from the layer on
which they reside, FILTER does not find them. You can, however, use FILTER
to find objects with properties set by layer or by block.
Command line: filter (or 'filter for transparent use)
The Object Selection Filters dialog box is displayed.
Object Selection Filters Dialog Box

Selects, edits, and names filters for object selection.
Filter Property List

Displays a list of the filter properties that compose the current filter. The
current filter is the filter that you select in Current in the Named Filters area.
Select Filter
Adds filter properties to the current filter.
FILTER
383
Object Types and

Logical Operators
Lists object types that you can filter and logical

operators (AND, OR, XOR, and NOT) for grouping the
filter expressions.
If you use logical operators, such as AND, OR, XOR, and
NOT, make sure that you pair and balance them
correctly in the filter list. The number of operands you
can enclose depends on the operation.
Logical operators
Starting operator
Encloses
Ending operator
Begin AND
One or more operands
End AND
Begin OR
One or more operands
End OR
Begin XOR
Two operands
End XOR
Begin NOT
One operand
End NOT
For example, the following filter selects all circles

except the ones with a radii greater than or equal to 1.0:
Object=Circle
**Begin NOT
Circle Radius>= 1.00
**End NOT
X, Y, Z
Parameters
Define additional filter parameters depending on the

object. For example, if you select Line Start, you can
enter the X, Y, and Z coordinate values that you want to
filter.
In the filter parameters, you can use relative operators
such as < (less than) or > (greater than). For example,
the following filter selects all circles with center points
greater than or equal to 1,1,0 and radii greater than or
equal to 1:
Object=Circle
Circle CenterX >= 1.0000 Y >= 1.0000 Z >= 0.0000
Circle Radius>= 1.0000
384
FILTER
Select
Displays a dialog box listing all items of the specified

type in the drawing. Select the items to filter. For
example, if you select the object type Color, Select
displays a list of colors to choose for the filter.
Add to List
Adds the current Select Filter property to the filter list.

Filter properties that you add to the unnamed filter
remain available during the current AutoCAD session
unless you manually delete them.
Substitute
Replaces the filter property selected in the filter

property list with the one displayed in Select Filter.
Add Selected
Object
Adds one selected object in the drawing to the filter list.
Edit Item
Moves the selected filter property into the Select Filter area for editing. To
edit a filter property, select it and choose Edit Item. Edit the filter property
and choose Substitute. The edited filter replaces the selected filter property.
Delete
Deletes a selected filter property from the current filter.
Clear List
Deletes all the listed properties from the current filter.
Named Filters
Displays, saves, and deletes filters.
Current
Displays saved filters. Select a filter list to make it

current. AutoCAD loads the named filter and its list of
properties from the default file, filter.nfl.
Save As
Saves a filter and its list of properties. AutoCAD saves

the filter in the filter.nfl file. Names can contain up to 18
characters.
Delete Current
Filter List
Deletes a filter and all its properties from the default

filter file.
FILTER
385
Apply
Exits the dialog box and displays the Select Objects prompt, where you create
a selection set. AutoCAD uses the current filter on the objects you select.
See Also
See Filter Selection Setsin the Users Guide.
Commands
QSELECT quickly creates selection sets based on search

criteria. SELECT places selected objects in the Previous
selection set.
FIND
Finds, replaces, selects, or zooms to specified text
You can find, replace, select, or zoom to text contained in any loaded object
in model space and in any layout defined in the current drawing.
If you partially opened the current drawing, FIND does not consider objects
that you did not load.
Edit menu: Find
and choose Find.
Command line: find
The Find and Replace dialog box is displayed.
Find and Replace Dialog Box

Specifies the text you want to find, replace, or select and controls the scope
and results of the search.
386
FIND
Find Text String
Specifies the text string you want to find. Enter a string,

or choose one of the six most recently used strings from
the list.
Replace With
Specifies the text string you want to use to replace the

found text. Enter a string, or choose one of the most
recently used strings from the list.
Search In
Specifies whether to search the entire drawing or only

the current selection. If something is already selected,
Current Selection is the default value. If nothing is
selected, Entire Drawing is the default value. You can
use the Select Objects button to temporarily close the
dialog box and create or modify the selection set.
Select Objects
Closes the dialog box temporarily so that you can select

objects in your drawing. Press ENTER to return to the
dialog box. When you select objects, Search In displays
Current Selection.
FIND
387
388
FIND
Options
Displays the Find and Replace Options dialog box (see

page 389), in which you can define the type of objects
and words that you want to find.
Find/Find Next
Finds the text that you enter in Find Text String. If you
have not entered text in Find Text String, this option is
not available. AutoCAD displays found text in the
Context area. Once you find the first instance of the
text, the Find option becomes Find Next, which you
can use to find the next instance.
Replace
Replaces found text with the text that you enter in

Replace With.
Replace All
Finds all instances of the text that you enter in Find

Text String and replaces it with the text in Replace
With. AutoCAD finds and replaces either text in the
entire drawing or in the current selection, as specified
in Search In. The status area confirms the replacements
and indicates the number of replacements that were
made.
Select All
Finds and selects all loaded objects containing

instances of the text that you enter in Find Text String.
This option is available only when you set Search In to
Current Selection. When you choose Select All, the
dialog box closes and AutoCAD displays a message on
the command line indicating the number of objects
that it found and selected. Note that Select All does not
replace text; AutoCAD ignores any text in Replace With.
Zoom To
Displays the area in the drawing that contains the

results of a find or replace search. Although AutoCAD
searches model space and all layouts defined for the
drawing, you can only zoom to text in the current
Model or layout tab. When zooming to text found in a
multiline text object, in some cases the found text
string may not be displayed in a visible area of the
drawing.
Context
Displays and highlights the currently found text string

in its surrounding context. If you choose Find Next,
AutoCAD refreshes the Context area and displays the
next found text string in its surrounding context.
Status
Displays confirmation of find and replace searches.
Find and Replace Options Dialog Box

Defines the type of objects and words that you want to find.
Include
Specifies the type of objects you want to include in the

search. By default, all options are selected.
Match Case
Includes the case of the text in Find Text String as part

of the search criteria.
Find Whole
Words Only
Finds only whole words that match the text in Find

Text String. For example, if you select Find Whole
Words Only and search for Front Door, FIND does not
locate the text string Front Doormat.
See Also
See Change Multiline Text in the Users Guide.
FOG
Provides visual cues for the apparent distance of objects
Fog and depth cueing are actually two extremes of the same effect: a white
color is fog, and a black color is traditional depth cueing. You can use any
color in between.
Render Toolbar:
View menu: Render Fog
Command line: fog
AutoCAD displays the Fog/Depth Cue dialog box.
FOG
389
Fog/Depth Cue Dialog Box

Defines the cues for distance between objects and the current viewing
direction.
Enable Fog
Turns fog on and off without affecting the other settings in the dialog box.
Fog Background
Applies fog to the background as well as to the geometry.
Color System
Controls whether AutoCAD uses the red, green, blue (RGB) color system or
the hue, lightness, saturation (HLS) color system.
Red, Green, Blue
Adjusts the individual red, green, and blue components

of the selected color. Red, green, and blue are the
primary light colors shaded from black to the full
intensity of the color.
Moving one scroll box affects the mix of the three
colors. AutoCAD displays the result in the Color
Selected swatch. Moving all three scroll boxes all the
390
FOG
way to the left produces black; moving them all the way
to the right produces white. Moving red and green to
the right and blue to the left produces yellow.
Hue, Lightness,
Saturation
Adjusts the individual hue, lightness, and saturation

components of the selected color. AutoCAD displays
the result in the Color Selected swatch.
Moving the Hue scroll box changes the color. Moving
the Lightness scroll box increases the luminance or
brightness of the hue by adding white. Moving the
Saturation scroll box to the right increases the purity of
the color. The higher the saturation, the less gray in the
color.
Select Custom
Color
Displays the Select Color dialog box. To define the

color, you can select from the 255 AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors.
Near/Far Distance
Define where the fog starts and ends. The values are percentages of the distance from the camera to the back clipping plane.
Near/Far Fog Percentage

Define the percentage of fog at the near and far distances, ranging from zero
fog to 100 percent fog.
See Also
See Overview of Rendering in the Users Guide.
Commands

ObjectARX applications. RENDER creates a shaded
image of a 3D wireframe model.
FOG
391
392
GOTOURL
Opens the file or Web page associated with the hyperlink attached to an object
Command line: gotourl
Select an object that has an attached hyperlink. The file or Web page (URL)
that is associated with the hyperlink opens.
See Also
Commands
HYPERLINK Attaches a hyperlink to an object or modifies an existing hyperlink.
GRAPHSCR
Switches from the text window to the drawing area
Command line: graphscr (or 'graphscr for transparent use)
GRAPHSCR closes the text window. You can also press F2 to open or close the
text window. This command is ignored on dual-screen systems.
See Also
Commands
TEXTSCR switches from the drawing area to the text
window.
GRID
Displays a dot grid in the current viewport
The grid is for visual reference only. It is not plotted, and it is not part of the
drawing. You can turn the grid display on and off with the Grid button on
the status bar.
Command line: grid (or 'grid for transparent use)
Specify grid spacing(X) or [ON/OFF/Snap/Aspect] <current>: Specify a value or
enter an option
Grid Spacing (X)
Sets the grid to the specified value. Entering x after the

value sets the grid spacing to the specified value
multiplied by the snap interval.
GOTOURL
393
GRID turned on
On
Turns on the grid using the current spacing.
Off
Turns off the grid.
Snap
Sets the grid spacing to the snap interval specified by

the SNAP command.
Aspect
Changes the grid spacing in the X and Y directions.

Specify the horizontal spacing(X) <current>: Enter a
Specify the vertical spacing(Y) <current>: Enter a value or
press ENTER
Entering x following either value defines it as a multiple
of the snap interval rather than the drawing units.
GRID turned off
The Aspect option is not available when the current

snap style is Isometric.
See Also
See Adjust Grid and Grid Snap in the Users Guide.
GRID set to Aspect
Commands
DSETTINGS sets drawing aids, including the grid display.

SNAP specifies a minimum interval for point entry.
System Variables
GRIDMODE turns the grid on or off in the current

viewport. GRIDUNIT sets the grid spacing in the current
viewport.
GROUP
Creates and manages saved sets of objects called groups
Command line: group
AutoCAD displays the Object Grouping dialog box.
If you enter -group at the Command prompt, GROUP displays prompts on
394
GROUP
Object Grouping Dialog Box

Displays, identifies, names, and changes object groups.
Group Name
Displays the names of existing groups.
Selectable
Specifies whether a group is selectable. When a group is selectable, selecting
one object in the group selects the whole group. Objects on locked or frozen
layers are not selected. When the PICKSTYLE system variable is set to 0, no
groups are selectable.
Group Identification
Displays the name and description (if any) of the group selected in the Group
Name list.
Group Name
Specifies the group name. Group names can be up to 31

characters long and can include letters, numbers, and
the special characters dollar sign ($), hyphen (-), and
underscore (_) but not spaces. AutoCAD converts the
name to uppercase characters.
GROUP
395
Description
Displays the description of the selected group, if there

is one.
Find Name
Lists the groups to which an object belongs.

Pick a member of a group:
Select one object
AutoCAD displays the Group Member List dialog box,

showing the groups to which the object belongs.
Highlight
Shows the members of the selected group. AutoCAD

highlights the member objects in the drawing area.
Include
Unnamed
Specifies whether unnamed groups are listed. When

this option is cleared, only named groups are displayed.
Create Group
Specifies properties of new groups.
New
desk, computer, and

telephone selected
Creates a new group from the selected objects. After you

select the objects, AutoCAD creates a group using the
name and description under Group Name and
Description.
AutoCAD displays the group name in the Group Name
list.
Selectable
Specifies that a new group is selectable.
Unnamed
Indicates that a new group is unnamed. AutoCAD

assigns a default name, *An, to unnamed groups. The n
represents a number that increases with each new
group.
Change Group
Modifies existing groups.
Remove
Removes objects from the selected group. To use this

option, clear the Selectable option.
Remove objects: Use an object selection method
AutoCAD removes the selected objects from the group
and redisplays the Object Grouping dialog box.
396
GROUP
telephone selected
telephone removed
from group
If you remove all the groups objects, the group remains

defined. You can remove the group definition from the
drawing by using the Explode option.
Note When you remove objects from a group and then
later add them back during the same drawing session,
AutoCAD returns them to their previous position in the
numerical order of the group.
Add
Adds objects to the selected group.

AutoCAD adds the selected objects to the group and
redisplays the Object Grouping dialog box.
chair selected
chair added to group
Note AutoCAD alphabetizes the order of the group

names.
Rename
Renames the selected group to the name entered in

Group Name under Group Identification.
Re-Order
Displays the Order Group dialog box (see page 398), in

which you can change the numerical order of objects
within the selected group. AutoCAD numbers objects in
the order in which you select them for inclusion in the
group. Reordering is useful when creating tool paths.
For example, you can change the order in which
AutoCAD cuts the horizontal and vertical lines of a tool
path pattern.
GROUP
397
You can either change the numerical position of

individual group members or ranges of group members
or reverse the order of all members. The first object in a
group is number 0, not number 1.
Description
Updates the selected groups description to the name

that you enter in Description. AutoCAD accepts up to
64 characters for a description name.
Explode
Deletes the definition of the selected group. The groups

objects remain in the drawing.
Selectable
Specifies whether the group is selectable.
Order Group Dialog Box

Reorders objects in groups.
398
Group Name
Displays the names of all groups.
Description
Displays the description of the selected group.
Remove from
Position (0n)
Specifies the current position of the object to reorder.
Replace at
Position (0n)
Specifies the position to which the object moves.
GROUP
Number of
Objects (1n)
Specifies the object number or range of numbers to

reorder.
Re-Order
Changes the numerical order of objects as specified.
Highlight
Displays the members of the selected group. AutoCAD

highlights the group members in the drawing area, one
by one, in the current group order.
Reverse Order
Reverses the order of all group members.
GROUP Command Line

If you enter -group at the Command prompt, GROUP displays prompts on
the command line.
Enter a group option
[?/Order/Add/Remove/Explode/REName/Selectable/Create] <Create>: Enter
?List Groups
Lists names and descriptions of groups defined in the drawing.
Enter group name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER to list all groups
Order
Changes the numerical order of objects within a group. Reordering is useful
when creating tool paths. For example, you can change the order in which
AutoCAD cuts the horizontal and vertical lines of a tool path pattern.
Enter a group name or [?]: Enter a name list or enter ? to list all groups
Enter position number of the object to reorder (0 - n) or [Reverse order]: Enter
a position number or enter r
Position Number
Specifies the position number of the object to reorder.

To reorder a range of objects, specify the first objects
position number.
Replace at position <0 - n>: Enter the position number to
which you want the object to move
Number of objects to re-order <0 - n>: Enter the number
of objects to reorder
Reverse Order
Reverses the order of all members in a group.
GROUP
399
Add
Adds objects to a group.
Enter a group name or [?]: Enter a name or enter ? to list all groups
Select objects to add to group...
Select objects:
Remove
Removes objects from a group.
Select objects to remove from group...
Remove objects:
If you remove all the groups objects, the group remains defined. You can
remove the group definition from the drawing by using the Explode option.
Explode
Deletes a group definition by exploding the group into its component
objects.
Enter a group name or [?]:
Enter a name or enter ? to list all groups
Rename
Assigns a new name to an existing group.
Enter a group name to rename or [?]: Enter an existing group name or enter ? to
list all groups
Enter a new name for group or [?]: Enter a new name or enter ? to list all groups
Selectable
Specifies whether a group is selectable. When a group is selectable, selecting
one object in the group selects the whole group. Objects on locked or frozen
layers are not selected.
This group is current, do you want to change it [Yes/No]? <Y>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER
Create
Creates a group.
Enter a group name or [?]:
400
GROUP
Enter a name or enter ?
Group names can be up to 31 characters long and can include letters, numbers, and special characters dollar sign ($), hyphen (-), and underscore (_) but
not spaces. AutoCAD converts the name to uppercase characters.
Enter a group description:
Select objects:
Enter up to 64 text characters or press ENTER
See Also
See Group Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
FILTER creates lists used to select objects based on properties. With SELECT you can select groups by name at
the Select Objects prompt.

System Variables
PICKSTYLE controls whether groups are selectable.
GROUP
401
402
HATCH
Fills an area with a nonassociative hatch pattern
A nonassociative hatch is not updated when its boundaries are modified. A
hatch boundary consists of an object or objects that completely enclose an
area. If the boundary is made up of multiple objects, their endpoints must
coincide for the hatch to be created properly. You can also fill an area that
does not have a closed boundary, by defining a polyline hatch boundary
with the Direct Hatch option.
Unless you specify otherwise, HATCH combines the lines that make up the
hatch into a block.
Hatches are stored as single hatch objects, which can reduce the amount of
disk space a drawing occupies and can also reduce regeneration time.
Note By default, AutoCAD wont create a hatch pattern that consists of over
10,000 segments. The limit is set by the MaxHatch setting in the registry. To
reset the limit to 50,000, for example, enter (setenv "MaxHatch" "50000") at
the Command prompt. The limit can be reset to any value between 100 and
10,000,000.
Command line: hatch
Enter a pattern name or [?/Solid/User defined] <current>: Enter a predefined or
custom pattern name, enter an option, or press ENTER
Use BHATCH to create hatches and fills in a dialog box and to create associative hatches.
Pattern NamePredefined or Custom

Specifies a predefined pattern in the acad.pat or acadiso.pat file or a custom
pattern in its own PAT file. Enter the name followed by an optional hatch
style code. Precede the name with an asterisk (*) to fill the area with individual lines instead of a hatch block.
Specify a scale for the pattern <current>: Specify a value or press ENTER
scale=.5
angle=0
scale=1
If the drawing is in model space and you enter a scale factor followed by xp,
AutoCAD calculates a scale factor relative to paper space.
angle=30
Specify an angle for pattern <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER

Select objects to define hatch boundary or <direct hatch>,
Select objects: Select objects or press ENTER to define a polyline boundary
HATCH
403
Select Objects
Uses the selected objects to define the outer boundary

of the hatching area and objects internal to the
hatching boundary. Selecting part of a block for
hatching selects the entire block. Press ENTER to end
the command and create the hatch.
Direct Hatch
Uses specified points to define the boundary of the

hatching area.
Retain polyline boundary? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y to
retain the hatch boundary or n to discard it after the area is
hatched
Specify start point: Specify a start point for the polyline
boundary
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Length/Undo]: Specify a
point, enter an option, or press ENTER
define boundary
These options are also available in the PLINE command.

When you complete the polyline boundary, press
ENTER . HATCH prompts you to create additional
polyline boundaries.
retain boundary
Specify start point for new boundary or <apply hatch>:

Specify a point or press ENTER to apply a hatch to the existing hatch boundary
discard boundary
If you specify a point, AutoCAD prompts you for

additional points. Press ENTER to end the command
and create the hatch.
?List Pattern Names

Lists and provides a brief description of the hatch patterns defined in the
acad.pat or acadiso.pat files.
Enter pattern(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER to list all patterns
404
HATCH
Solid
Specifies a solid fill.
Select Objects

of the fill area and objects internal to the fill boundary.
Selecting part of a block for solid fill selects the entire
block. Press ENTER to end the command and create the
solid fill.
Direct Hatch
Uses specified points to define the boundary of the fill

area.
retain the fill boundary or n to discard it after the area is
filled
boundary
Specify a point or press ENTER to apply a solid fill to the
existing fill boundary
and create the solid fill.
Note The boundary of a solid fill hatch must be closed
and must not intersect itself. In addition, if the hatch area
contains more than one loop, the loops must not intersect.
These limitations do not apply to standard hatch patterns.
HATCH
405
User-Defined Pattern
Specifies a pattern of lines using the current linetype. Enter u, followed
optionally by a hatch style code (see Hatch Style Codes on page 407). Precede the u with an asterisk (*) to fill the area with individual lines instead of
a hatch block.
Specify angle for crosshatch lines <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
Specify spacing between the lines <current>: Specify the distance between the
lines or press ENTER
Double hatch area? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y to specify a second set of lines to
be drawn at 90 degrees to the original lines
Select Objects

of the hatching area and objects internal to the
hatching boundary. Selecting part of a block for
hatching selects the entire block. Press ENTER to end
the command and create the hatch.
Direct Hatch
Uses specified points to define the boundary of the

hatching area.
retain the hatch boundary or n to discard it after the area is
hatched
boundary
Specify a point or press ENTER to apply a hatch to the existing hatch boundary
and create the hatch.
406
HATCH
Hatch Style Codes

Hatching styles control the method that AutoCAD uses to hatch internal
boundary objects. Specify a hatch style by following the pattern name with
a comma and the hatch style code. You can list the hatch style codes by following the pattern name with a comma (,) and a question mark (?).
For example, to hatch only the outermost area of a structure with several
internal boundaries using the MUDST pattern, enter mudst,o at the Pattern
prompt. To opt for a user-defined pattern and use the Ignore style, enter u,i.
AutoCAD stores the style by adding the comma and code to the pattern
name in the HPNAME system variable.
n (Normal)
Hatches inward from the outermost area boundary. If

AutoCAD encounters an internal boundary, it turns off
hatching until it encounters another boundary. Thus,
areas separated from the outside of the hatched area by
an odd number of boundaries are hatched, and areas
separated by an even number of boundaries are not.
o (Outer)
Hatches outermost areas only. This style hatches

inward from the area boundary, but it turns off
hatching if it encounters an internal boundary and
does not turn it back on again. Because this process
starts from both ends of each hatch line, this style
hatches only the outermost area of the structure and
leaves the internal structure blank.
i (Ignore)
? (List Styles)
Lists hatch styles.

Note Hatching concave curves using the Outer and
Ignore styles can cause discrepancies.
See Also
See Standard Libraries and Hatches, Fills, and Wipeouts in the Users
Guide. For information about the acad.pat file and creating your own hatch
patterns, see Custom Hatch Patterns in the Customization Guide.
HATCH
407
Commands
BHATCH fills an enclosed area with a hatch pattern.

to the optimized Release 14 format. PLINE creates two-
dimensional polylines.
System Variables
HPANG sets the hatching angle. HPDOUBLE specifies

whether a user-defined hatch is double-hatched.
HPNAME sets the hatch pattern name. HPSCALE sets the
hatch pattern scale. HPSPACE sets the spacing of a userdefined hatch pattern. SNAPBASE specifies the start
point of the hatch pattern. FILLMODE controls the
display of all hatch objects created using Release 14 or
later.
HATCHEDIT
Modifies an existing hatch or gradient fill
Modify II toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Hatch
Shortcut menu: Select a hatch object to edit, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Hatch Edit.
Command line: hatchedit
Select associative hatch object: Use an object selection method
The Hatch Edit dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -hatchedit at the Command prompt, HATCHEDIT displays
Hatch Edit Dialog Box

Modifies the characteristics of an existing hatch or gradient fill. The Hatch
Edit dialog box displays the current properties of the selected hatch or fill
object. You can modify only the available properties.
408
HATCHEDIT
Hatch Tab
Modifies the hatch pattern properties. For information

about these options, see HatchTab (Boundary Hatch
and Fill Dialog Box) on page 110.
Advanced Tab
Modifies the island detection style. The other options

on this tab are unavailable. See Island Detection Style
on page 112.
Gradient Tab
Modifies the gradient fill properties. For information

about these options, see Gradient Tab (Boundary
Hatch and Fill Dialog Box) on page 115.
Inherit Properties
Applies the properties of a selected hatch or fill object

to the object you are editing.
Double
For user-defined patterns, draws a second set of lines

positioned at 90 degrees to the original lines, creating a
crosshatch. AutoCAD stores this information in the
HPDOUBLE system variable. This option is available only
if you set Type to User Defined on the Hatch tab.
This option is not available for gradient fills.
Composition
Controls whether the hatch is associative or

nonassociative. See Composition on page 109.
Preview
Temporarily dismisses the dialog box and displays the

selected object with the specified properties.
HATCHEDIT
409
HATCHEDIT Command Line

If you enter -hatchedit at the Command prompt, HATCHEDIT displays
prompts on the command line.
Select associative hatch object:
Enter hatch option [Disassociate/Style/Properties] <Properties>: Enter an option
or press ENTER
Note You may have difficulty when trying to select a solid-fill hatch pattern
because there are no visible grips or lines to click. For best results, either click the
outer edges of the hatch pattern or use a crossing window selection.
Disassociate
Removes the associative quality from an associative hatch.
Style
Changes the hatch style type. AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter hatching style [Ignore/Outer/Normal] <current>:
Note Hatching concave curves with the Outer and Ignore styles can cause
hatching discrepancies.
Ignore

AutoCAD stores the Ignore style code by adding ,I to the
pattern name in the HPNAME system variable.
Outer
Hatches outermost areas only. This style hatches

inward from the area boundary, but it turns off
hatching if it encounters an internal boundary and
does not turn it back on again. Because this process
starts from both ends of each hatch line, this style
hatches only the outermost area of the structure and
leaves the internal structure blank.
AutoCAD stores the Outer style code by adding ,O to
Normal
410
HATCHEDIT
Hatches inward from the outer boundary. If AutoCAD

encounters an internal boundary, it turns off hatching
until it encounters another boundary. Thus, areas
separated from the outside of the hatched area by an
odd number of boundaries are hatched, and areas
separated by an even number of boundaries are not.

AutoCAD stores the Normal style code by adding ,N to
Properties
Specifies new hatch properties for the selected hatch. For an explanation of
setting pattern properties on the command line, see BHATCH.
See Also
See Modify Hatches and Solid-Filled Areas in the Users Guide.
Commands
BHATCH fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a

hatch pattern or gradient fill. CONVERT converts 2D
polylines and associative hatches to the optimized

Release 14 format. HATCH fills a specified boundary.
EXPLODE breaks a compound object into its component
objects.
System Variables
HPANG sets the hatching angle. HPDOUBLE specifies

whether a user-defined hatch is double-hatched.
HPNAME sets the hatch pattern name. HPSCALE sets the
hatch pattern scale. HPSPACE sets the spacing of a userdefined hatch pattern. SNAPBASE specifies the starting
point for the hatch pattern.
AutoCAD wont create a hatch pattern that consists of over 10,000 segments.
The limit is set by the MAXHATCH setting in the registry. The limit can be
reset to any value between 100 and 10,000,000. For example, to reset the
limit to 8,000, enter (setenv "MaxHatch" "8000") at the Command prompt.
HELP
Displays Help
Standard toolbar:
Help menu: Help
Command line: help or ? or press F1 (or 'help for transparent use)
To display Help for a menu, open the menu, and then press F1 .
Pressing F1 or entering 'help while a command is active displays Help for that
command. Choosing the Help button in a dialog box displays Help for that
dialog box.
HELP
411
See Also
Commands
ASSIST opens a window that provides automatic or on-
demand context-sensitive Help.
HIDE
Regenerates a three-dimensional model with hidden lines suppressed
When you use VPOINT, DVIEW, or VIEW to create a 3D view of your drawing,
AutoCAD produces a wireframe display in the current viewport. All lines are
present, including those hidden by other objects. HIDE eliminates the hidden
lines from the screen.
Render toolbar:
View menu: Hide
Command line: hide
HIDE considers the following to be opaque surfaces that hide objects: circles,
solids, traces, text, regions, wide polyline segments, 3D faces, polygon
meshes, and the extruded edges of objects with nonzero thickness.
If they are extruded, AutoCAD treats circles, solids, traces, and wide polyline
segments as solid objects with top and bottom faces. You cannot use HIDE on
objects whose layers have been frozen; however, you can use HIDE on objects
whose layers have been turned off.
In order to hide text created with DTEXT, MTEXT, or TEXT, the HIDETEXT
system variable must be set to 1 or the text must be assigned a thickness
value.
When using the HIDE command, if the INTERSECTIONDISPLAY system variable
is on, face-to-face intersections of 3D surfaces are displayed as polylines.
before HIDE
after HIDE
412
HIDE
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY
set to off
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY
set to on
If the DISPSILH system variable is on, HIDE displays 3D solid objects with
silhouette edges only. It wont show the internal edges produced by objects
that have facets.
If the HIDETEXT system variable is off, HIDE ignores text objects when producing the hidden view. Text objects are always displayed regardless of whether
they are obscured by other objects, and objects obscured by text objects are
unaffected.
See Also
See Hide Lines or Shade 3D Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
DVIEW defines parallel projection or perspective views

on the screen as you change views. VIEW saves and
restores named views. VPOINT sets the viewing direc-
tion for a 3D visualization of the current drawing.
HLSETTINGS
Changes the display properties of hidden lines
Command line: hlsettings
The Hidden Line Settings dialog box is displayed. The settings in this dialog
box affect the display properties of hidden lines.
HLSETTINGS
413
Hidden Line Settings Dialog Box

Sets the display properties of hidden lines. These settings are visible only
when the HIDE command or the Hidden option of the SHADEMODE
command is used.
Obscured Lines
Specifies the linetype and color of obscured lines. An obscured line is a hidden line that is made visible by changing its color and linetype.
Linetype
Lists the available linetypes to apply to obscured lines.

Unlike regular linetypes, obscured linetypes are not
affected by zoom level.
You can also set this option by using the
OBSCUREDLTYPE system variable.
Color
Lists the available colors to apply to obscured lines.

You can also change this setting by using the
OBSCUREDCOLOR system variable.
Halo Gap Percentage

Specifies the distance to shorten a haloed line. A haloed line is shortened at
the point where it will be hidden.
The distance is specified as a percentage of one inch and is not affected by
zoom level.
You can also change this setting by using the HALOGAP system variable.
414
HLSETTINGS
Include Text in HIDE Operations

Specifies whether text objects created by the TEXT, DTEXT, or MTEXT
commands are included during a HIDE command.
You can also set this option by using the HIDETEXT system variable.
Face Intersections
Specifies the display and color of intersection polylines. An intersection
polyline displays at the face-to-face intersection of 3D surfaces.
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY
set to off
Display
Intersections
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY
set to on
Specifies the display of intersection polylines.

You can also set this option by using the
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY system variable.
Color
Lists the available colors to apply to intersection

polylines.
You can also change this setting by using the
INTERSECTIONCOLOR system variable.
Hide Precision
Controls the accuracy of hides and shades. Hides can be set to either low (single) precision or high (double) precision. You can also change this setting by
using the HIDEPRECISION system variable.
Low (single)
Sets the hide precision to low (single), which uses less

memory.
HLSETTINGS
415
High (double)
Sets the hide precision to high (double), which

produces more precise hides, but also uses more
memory and can affect performance, especially when
hiding solids.
HYPERLINK
Attaches a hyperlink to an object or modifies an existing hyperlink
Insert menu: Hyperlink
Shortcut menu: To edit a hyperlink, select an object that contains a hyperlink, right-click in the drawing area, and choose Hyperlink Edit Hyperlink.
Command line: hyperlink
Select objects:
AutoCAD displays one of the following dialog boxes depending on the object
you selected:
Insert Hyperlink dialog box (for graphical objects that do not already contain hyperlinks)
Edit Hyperlink dialog box (see page 419) (for graphical objects that already
contain hyperlinks)
After you insert a hyperlink, the hyperlink icon is displayed when you move
the cursor over the attached object. To open the hyperlink, right-click the
selected object and choose Hyperlink. The PICKFIRST system variable must be
set to 1 to open files associated with hyperlinks.
If you enter -hyperlink at the Command prompt, HYPERLINK displays options
on the command line, including an option to define an area to associate with
a hyperlink (see page 420).
Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box

Attaches hyperlinks to graphical objects.
Text to Display
416
HYPERLINK
Specifies a description for the hyperlink. This is useful

when the file name or URL is not helpful in identifying
the contents of the linked file.
Existing File or Web Page Tab (Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box)

Creates a hyperlink to an existing file or web page.
Type the File or

Web Page Name
Specifies the file or web page to associate with the

hyperlink. The file can be stored locally, on a network
drive, or on an Internet or intranet location.
Recent Files
Displays a list of recently linked files, from which you

can select one to link to.
Browsed Pages
Displays a list of recently browsed web pages, from

which you can select one to link to.
Inserted Links
Displays a list of recently inserted hyperlinks, from

which you can select one to link to.
File
Opens the Browse the WebSelect Hyperlink dialog

box (a standard file selection dialog box), in which you
can navigate to the file that you want to associate with
the hyperlink.
Web Page
Opens the AutoCAD browser, in which you can

navigate to a web page that you want to associate with
the hyperlink.
Target
Opens the Select Place in Document dialog box (see

page 419), in which you can select a named location in
a drawing to link to.
HYPERLINK
417
Path
Displays the path to the file associated with the

hyperlink. If Use Relative Path for Hyperlink is selected,
only the file name is listed. If Use Relative Path for
Hyperlink is cleared, the full path and the file name are
listed.
Use Relative Path

for Hyperlink
Sets a relative path for hyperlinks. If you select this

option, the full path to the linked file is not stored with
the hyperlink. AutoCAD sets the relative path to the
value specified by the HYPERLINKBASE system variable
or, if no value is specified for HYPERLINKBASE, to the
current drawing path. If this option is cleared, the full
path to the associated file is stored with the hyperlink.
View of This Drawing Tab (Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box)

Specifies a named view in the current drawing to link to.
Select a View of
This
Displays an expandable tree view of the named views

within the current drawing, from which you can select
one to link to.
E-mail Address Tab (Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box)

Specifies an email address to link to. When the hyperlink is executed, a new
email is created using the default system email program.
418
HYPERLINK
E-mail Address
Specifies an email address.
Subject
Specifies a subject for the email.
Recently Used
E-mail Addresses
Lists recently used email addresses, from which you can

select one to use for the hyperlink.
Edit Hyperlink Dialog Box

Edits hyperlinks. The Edit Hyperlink dialog box is a modified version of the
Insert Hyperlink dialog box, with one additional option.
Remove Link
Deletes the hyperlink from the selected objects.
Select Place in Document Dialog Box

Navigates to a view or layout within a drawing. The named location that you
select is the initial view that is restored when the hyperlink is executed.
Select an Existing
Place in the
Document
Provides an expandable tree view of the named

locations within the linked drawing, from which you
can select a named location to link to.
HYPERLINK
419
HYPERLINK Command Line

If you enter -hyperlink at the Command prompt, HYPERLINK displays options
on the command line. The command line version of HYPERLINK inserts
hyperlinks to areas or to selected objects and also removes hyperlinks.
Enter an option [Remove/Insert] <Insert>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Remove
Removes the hyperlink from the selected objects. If a selection set does not
exist, AutoCAD prompts you to create one.
Select objects:
Select graphical objects in the drawing
If the selection set contains more than one hyperlink, AutoCAD presents a
numbered list on the command line of all the hyperlinks that were found.
Enter number, hyperlink, or * for all: Enter the number or name of the hyperlink,
or enter * to remove all hyperlinks in the selection set
AutoCAD displays the number of removed hyperlinks on the command line.
Insert
Attaches a hyperlink to an object or an area.
Enter hyperlink insert option [Area/Object] <Object>: Select a method for
attaching a hyperlink
Area
Defines a bounding rectangle and places it on a layer

called URLLAYER. If this layer doesnt exist in the current
drawing, AutoCAD creates it.
Note To turn off the display of hyperlink bounding
rectangles in the drawing area or in your drawing plots,
you must freeze the URLLAYER layer. See Use Layers to
Manage Complexity in the Users Guide.
First corner: Specify the start point of the rectangle
Other corner: Specify the end point of the rectangle
AutoCAD prompts you to enter the path to the file you
want associated with the hyperlink.
420
HYPERLINK
Enter hyperlink <current drawing>: Enter the full path to a

local file or the complete URL to an Internet file, or press ENTER
to create a hyperlink to a named view in the current drawing
AutoCAD prompts you to enter a named location for the
hyperlink, such as a view in an AutoCAD drawing or a
bookmark in a word processing file.
Enter named location <none>: Enter the named location, or
press ENTER to create the hyperlink without one
Enter named description <none>: Enter a description, or
Object
Specifies graphical objects to attach the hyperlink to.

Select objects:
Select graphical objects in the drawing
AutoCAD prompts you to enter the path to the file you

want associated with the hyperlink.
Enter hyperlink <current drawing>: Enter the full path to a
local file or the complete URL to an Internet file, or press ENTER
to create a hyperlink to a named view in the current drawing
AutoCAD prompts you to enter a named location for the
hyperlink, such as a view in an AutoCAD drawing or a
bookmark in a word processing file.
Enter named location <none>: Enter the named location, or
Enter description <none>: Enter a descriptive name for the
hyperlink, or press ENTER to create the hyperlink without one
See Also
See Overview of Using Hyperlinks in a Drawing in the Users Guide.
HYPERLINKOPTIONS
Controls the display of the hyperlink cursor and tooltips
Command line: hyperlinkoptions
Display hyperlink cursor and shortcut menu? [Yes/No] <Yes>: If you enter y to
display the hyperlink cursor and shortcut menu, AutoCAD displays an additional
prompt.
Display hyperlink tooltip? [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y to display hyperlink tooltips
HYPERLINKOPTIONS
421
422
ID
Displays the coordinate of a location
Tools menu: Inquiry ID Point
Command line: id (or 'id for transparent use)
Point:
Use the pointing device to specify a point
The UCS coordinate of the location is displayed on the command line.

ID lists the X, Y, and Z values of the specified point and stores the coordinate
of the specified point as the last point. You can reference the last point by
entering @ at the next prompt that requests a point.
If you snap to an object in 3D space, the Z coordinate value is the same as
that of the selected feature of the object.
See Also
System Variables
LASTPOINT stores the coordinate information.
IMAGE
Manages images
In the Image Manager, you can attach or detach a raster or bit-mapped
bitonal, 8-bit gray, 8-bit color, or 24-bit color image file to a drawing. You can
reload and unload images, as well as specify a new path for the images. You
can view image details such as pixel width, color depth, and resolution of the
selected image. IMAGE can combine images in a variety of formats (including
BMP, TIFF, RLE, JPG, PCX, and TGA) with AutoCAD drawings. You can display more than one image in any viewport. AutoCAD does not limit the
number and size of images.
Reference toolbar:
Insert menu: Image Manager
Shortcut menu: Select an image, right-click in the drawing area, and choose
Image Image Manager.
Command line: image
The Image Manager is displayed.
ID
423
If you enter -image at the Command prompt, IMAGE displays prompts on the
Image Manager
Lists all the image files attached to the current drawing. You can view the
parameters and details for selected images. You can attach new image files
and detach, locate, reload, and unload attached images.
List of Images
Displays the names of all image files attached to the drawing. You can use F3
and F4 to toggle between list view and tree view.
List View
Lists the image definitions attached to the drawing.

Each image name appears only once regardless of how
many times the image is attached (inserted). You can
sort the list of images by name, status (loaded,
unloaded, or not found), type (TIFF, for example), date,
size, or the saved path and file name. By default,
AutoCAD displays the list alphabetically by image
name.
424
IMAGE
To select multiple images, hold down SHIFT or CTRL

while selecting items.
To sort the list alphabetically or numerically by a
specific column, click that columns heading.
Tree View
To change the width of the column, drag the line

between the column headings to the right or left.
AutoCAD saves and restores the settings when you
reopen the dialog box.
To change an image name, select it and then click it
again, or select it and then press F2 . You cannot edit
names of images that reside in external references
(xrefs). Image names can include up to 255
characters and can contain letters, digits, spaces, and
any special characters not used by
Microsoft Windows or AutoCAD. The image
name can be identical to the file name, but changing
the image name does not change the file name.
Displays all the image definitions and the levels of

nesting of images within xrefs. The top level of the tree
view shows images that you attached directly to the
drawing, images nested in block references, and the
names of externally referenced drawings containing
images. The names of the images attached to the
externally referenced drawings appear nested within
the drawing at the next tree level. To insert a copy of an
already attached image, select it, and then choose
Attach.
Tree view lists the image names only (not file names)
and lists the image name just once, regardless of how
many times the image is attached (insert).
You can edit an image name by selecting it and then
clicking it again, or by selecting it and then pressing F2 .
However, you cannot select more than one image at a
time.
Attach
Displays the Select Image File dialog box. See IMAGEATTACH. When you
unload and then reload an image, AutoCAD draws that image on top. For
more information about how to control where and how AutoCAD places the
image, see SORTENTS and DRAWORDER. Images remain loaded or unloaded
from one drawing session to the next.
Detach
Removes the selected image definitions from the drawing database and erases
all the associated image objects from the drawing and from the display.
IMAGE
425
Reload
Loads the most recent version of an image or reloads an image that was
previously unloaded. Reloading does not control whether the image is
displayed, but it ensures display of the most current image.
Unload
Unloads image data from working memory without erasing the image
objects from the drawing. It is recommended that you unload images no
longer needed for editing to improve performance. An unloaded image
cannot be displayed or plotted.
You can selectively load and unload individual images from a working list of
images associated with the drawing file.
Details
Opens the Image File Details dialog box, which displays the image name,
saved path, active path, file creation date and time, file size and type, color
system, color depth, width and height in pixels, resolution, default size in
units, and a preview image.
Image Found At
Shows the path of the selected image. If you select multiple images, this field
remains blank. The path shown is the actual path where the image resides. If
AutoCAD does not find the file at the path in the Saved Path column,
AutoCAD first searches the standard AutoCAD search path for the images
saved path. (See Specify Search Paths, File Names, and File Locations in the
Users Guide.) If AutoCAD cannot locate the drawing (for example, if you have
moved the file to a different directory than the one that was saved with the
image), it removes relative or absolute path information from the name (for
example, \images\tree.tga or c:\my project\images\tree.tga become tree.tga)
and searches the paths defined in the Project Files Search Path in the Options
426
IMAGE
dialog box. If the drawing does not reside in the paths specified in the Project
Files search paths, AutoCAD attempts the first search path again. See Project
Files Search Path on page 635.
Browse
Opens the Select Image File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box).
The path you select appears under Image Found At. See IMAGEATTACH.
Save Path
Stores the new path information. Press ESC while editing the path to restore
the old path. If AutoCAD cannot find the referenced image in the new path,
the images status changes to Not Found. If you do not choose Save Path after
editing the path, AutoCAD uses the original image path the next time you
load the drawing.
IMAGE Command Line

If you enter -image at the Command prompt, IMAGE displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter image option [?/Detach/Path/Reload/Unload/Attach/] <Attach>: Enter an
?List Images
Lists the images by name in alphabetical order, the number of times each is
attached to the drawing, and the path where the image is stored. AutoCAD
lists images in alphabetical order, regardless of the setting of the MAXSORT
system variable.
Images to list <*>: Enter * to list all images, or enter an image name
Detach
Detaches the named image from the drawing, marks it for deletion, and
erases all occurrences of the image.
Enter list of images to detach: Enter an image name, or enter * to detach all
images
IMAGE
427
Path
Updates the path name (including file name) associated with a particular
image. This option is useful if you change the location of an image file,
rename the file, or replace an old image file with a new file; for instance, you
can update image01.pcx and save it as image02.pcx.
Enter list of images for path modification: Enter an image name, or enter * to list
all images
If you enter an asterisk (*), AutoCAD lists the current path name for each
image and prompts for the new path.
Old path: Lists the current path name for each image
Enter New path: Enter the new path name for the specified image
Reload
Reloads the selected images. AutoCAD reads image data into memory, making that information available for display and plotting.
Enter list of images to reload: Enter an image name, or enter * to reload all images
Reloading...
Reload image <image name>: <hard-coded path name>
<image name> loaded and relinked.
Unload
Removes image data from working memory so that the images are not displayed, thus improving performance. All information associated with the
image remains stored with the drawing. The image frame of each attached
image remains visible.
Enter list of images to unload: Enter a loaded image name, or enter * to unload
all images
Attach
Attaches a new image or a copy of an attached image to the current drawing.
AutoCAD displays the Select Image File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box).
428
IMAGE
AutoCAD assigns the file name without the extension as the image name.
Image names can include up to 255 characters and contain letters, digits,
spaces, and any special characters not used by Microsoft Windows or
AutoCAD. If the file name is not a valid name for a nongraphical object, the
Substitute Image Name dialog box is displayed. AutoCAD automatically generates a valid image name from the file name and appends an underscore and
number to the name, changing the number as necessary to avoid duplicate
image names.
Image file name_1 created from file file name.bmp
If a definition with the same name and path exists in the drawing, AutoCAD
displays the following prompts and inserts the image as a copy:
Image file name has already been loaded.
Use IMAGE Reload to update its definition.
Specify insertion point <0,0>: Specify an insertion point
Base image size: Width: current width, Height: current height, current unit
Specify scale factor: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify rotation angle <0>: Enter a value or press ENTER
If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt instead of the dialog box:
Enter image file name to attach <last>: Enter an image name
The last image name attached to the drawing during the current session is the
default. To avoid errors when entering an image name, it is recommended
that you specify both the image name and the file name as follows:
imagename=path name\long file name.bmp
or
imagename="path name\long file name.bmp"
If you enter a valid image name without a file extension, AutoCAD searches
for the file in this order: first, an existing image definition in the drawing,
and second, an image file in the folders in order of the search path. AutoCAD
searches for all the image files with the specified name, regardless of extension, and uses the first name found. If no image name or image file is found,
AutoCAD displays the message Image Not Found and repeats the prompt.
IMAGE
429
To specify a long file name that does not conform to AutoCAD naming rules,
enter the name as follows:
"imagename=filename"
You can use a dialog box to search for image files but still enter the
imagename=filename convention on the command line. Enter a tilde (~) at the
Enter Image File Name to Attach prompt. If you press ESC after the dialog box
opens, AutoCAD redisplays the Enter Image Name prompt.
See Also
Commands
IMAGEADJUST controls the brightness, contrast, and

fade values of images. IMAGEATTACH attaches an image
object and definition. IMAGECLIP creates new clipping
boundaries for an image object. IMAGEFRAME controls
whether AutoCAD displays the image frame or hides it
from view. IMAGEQUALITY controls the display quality
of images. TRANSPARENCY controls whether the background of images is transparent or opaque. DRAWORDER
changes the display order of images and other objects.
IMAGEADJUST
Controls the image display of the brightness, contrast, and fade values of images
Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Image Adjust
Shortcut menu: Select an image to adjust, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Image Adjust.
Command line: imageadjust
Select image(s): Select one or more images
AutoCAD displays the Image Adjust dialog box.
If you enter -imageadjust at the Command prompt, IMAGEADJUST displays
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IMAGEADJUST
Image Adjust Dialog Box

Controls how the image is displayed by adjusting the brightness, contrast
and fade settings of the selected image. Adjusting these values changes the
display of the image but does not change the image file itself.
Brightness
Controls the brightness, and indirectly the contrast, of

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.
Moving the slider to the left decreases the value;
moving the slider to the right increases the value.
Contrast
Controls the contrast, and indirectly the fading effect,

of the image. Values range from 0 through 100. The
greater the value, the more each pixel is forced to its
primary or secondary color. Moving the slider to the left
decreases the value; moving the slider to the right
increases the value.
Fade
Controls the fading effect of the image. Values range

from 0 through 100. The greater the value, the more the
image blends with the current background color. A
value of 100 blends the image completely into the
background. Changing the screen background color
causes the image to fade to the new color. In plotting,
the background color for fade is white. Moving the
slider to the left decreases the value; moving the slider
to the right increases the value.
IMAGEADJUST
431
Image Preview
Displays a preview of the selected image. The preview

image updates dynamically to reflect changes to the
brightness, contrast, and fade settings.
Reset
Resets values for brightness, contrast, and fade to

default settings (50, 50, and 0, respectively).
IMAGEADJUST Command Line

If you enter -imageadjust at the Command prompt, IMAGEADJUST displays
prompts on the command line. With the command line version of
IMAGEADJUST, you can select more than one image to adjust.
Select image (s): Select one or more images
Enter image option [Contrast/Fade/Brightness] <Brightness>: Enter c or f, or
press ENTER to adjust brightness
If you selected a single image, the default values for Brightness, Contrast, and
Fade are the current property settings of the image selected. If you selected
multiple images, the default values for Brightness, Contrast, and Fade are 50,
50, and 0, respectively.
Contrast
Controls the contrast, and indirectly the fading effect,

of the image. Values range from 0 through 100. The
greater the value, the more each pixel is forced to its
primary or secondary color.
Enter contrast value (0-100) <50>: Enter a value
Fade
Controls the fading effect of the image. Values range

from 0 through 100. The greater the value, the more the
image blends with the current background color. A
value of 100 blends the image completely into the
background. Changing the screen background color
causes the image to fade to the new color. In plotting,
the background color for fade is white.
Enter fade value (0-100) <0>: Enter a value
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IMAGEADJUST
Brightness
Controls the brightness, and indirectly the contrast, of

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.
Enter brightness value (0-100) <50>: Enter a value
See Also
Commands
IMAGE attaches, detaches, reloads, unloads, changes the

path of, and shows details of images. IMAGEATTACH
attaches a new image object. IMAGECLIP creates new
clipping boundaries for an image object. IMAGEFRAME
controls whether AutoCAD displays the image frame or

hides it from view. IMAGEQUALITY controls the display
quality of images. TRANSPARENCY controls whether the
background of images is transparent or opaque.
IMAGEATTACH
Attaches a new image to the current drawing
IMAGEATTACH opens the Select Image File dialog box without displaying the
Image Manager first. You can view and attach raster or bitmapped bitonal,
8-bit gray, 8-bit color, or 24-bit color image files to a drawing. Attaching an
image creates an image definition, loads the image into memory, and
displays the image.
Reference toolbar:
Insert menu: Raster Image
Command line: imageattach
AutoCAD displays the Select Image File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box). Once you select an image file, AutoCAD displays the Image
dialog box.
IMAGEATTACH
433
Image Dialog Box

Locates, inserts, names, and defines the parameters and details of attached
images.
Name
Identifies the image you have selected to attach, either from the Select Image
File dialog box (an unattached image) or from the list of previously attached
images. To add another instance of an image file that is already attached,
select the image name from the list and choose OK.
Browse
Opens the Select Image File dialog box (a standard file

selection dialog box). If Show Preview is selected,
AutoCAD displays a preview of the selected file.
Retain Path
Saves the path of the image file with the image

definition. If Retain Path is not selected, only the image
name is saved and AutoCAD searches the Project Files
Search Path stored in the PROJECTNAME system
variable. If no paths are set with PROJECTNAME,
AutoCAD searches the Support File Search Path.
You can set PROJECTNAME on the command line or on
the Files tab in the Options dialog box (see page 633).
You can set the Support File Search Path on the Files tab
in the Options dialog box. See PROJECTNAME.
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IMAGEATTACH
Insertion Point
Specifies the insertion point for the selected image. Specify On-Screen is the
default. The default insertion point is 0,0.
Specify
On-Screen
Directs input to the command line or the pointing

device. If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter the
insertion point in X, Y, and Z.
Sets the X coordinate value.
Sets the Y coordinate value.
Sets the Z coordinate value.
Scale
Specifies the scale factor of the selected image. Specify On-Screen directs
input to the command line or the pointing device. If Specify On-Screen is
cleared, enter a value for the scale factor. The default scale factor is 1.
If INSUNITS is set to unitless or if the image does not contain resolution
information, the scale factor becomes the image width in AutoCAD units. If
INSUNITS has a value such as millimeters, centimeters, inches, or feet, and the
image has resolution information, the scale factor is applied after the true
width of the image in AutoCAD units is determined.
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the selected image. 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 on the command line. If
Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter the rotation angle value in the dialog box.
The default rotation angle is 0.
Details
Displays the Image Information section. You can view width and height in
pixels, the resolution, and the size in units (such as millimeters, centimeters,
meters, kilometers, inches, feet, yards, miles, unitless, and many others). The
default value for unitless images is unitless. The image size is automatically
converted to AutoCAD units and is displayed at the default width and height.
Image information consists of the following:
Image resolution in horizontal and vertical pixels per drawing unit

Width and height in pixels
Width and height in current drawing units
IMAGEATTACH
435
See Also
Commands
System Variables
IMAGEADJUST controls the brightness, contrast, and

fade values of images. IMAGE inserts images in many
formats into an AutoCAD drawing file. IMAGECLIP
creates new clipping boundaries for an image object.
IMAGEFRAME controls the display of the image frame.
IMAGEQUALITY controls the display quality of images.
TRANSPARENCY controls whether the background of
images is transparent or opaque. DRAWORDER changes
the display order of images and other objects.
INSUNITS specifies image units.
IMAGECLIP
Creates new clipping boundaries for an image object
With IMAGECLIP, you can define a subregion of an image for display and
plotting.
Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Clip Image
Shortcut menu: Select an image to clip, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose Image Clip.
Command line: imageclip
Select image to clip: Select an edge of an image
Enter image clipping option [ON/OFF/Delete/New boundary] <New>:
Enter an
The boundary you specify must be in a plane parallel to the image object.
On
Turns on clipping and displays the image clipped to the previously defined
boundary.
Off
Turns off clipping and displays the entire image and frame.
If you reclip the image while clipping is turned off, AutoCAD automatically
turns clipping back on. AutoCAD prompts you to delete the old boundary
even when clipping is turned off and the clipping boundary is not visible.
436
IMAGECLIP
Delete
Removes a predefined clipping boundary and redisplays the full original
image.
New Boundary
Specifies a new clipping boundary. The boundary can be rectangular or
polygonal, and consists only of straight line segments. When defining a
clipping boundary, specify vertices within the image boundary.
Self-intersecting vertices are valid. Rectangular is the default option. If you
use the pointing device to specify a point at the Enter Clipping Type prompt,
AutoCAD interprets the point as the first corner of a rectangle.
Enter clipping type [Polygonal/Rectangular] <Rectangular>: Enter p or press
ENTER
Polygonal
Uses specified points to define a polygonal boundary.

Specify next point or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter u
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: Specify a point, or
enter c or u
You must specify at least three points to define a
polygon.
If the image already has a clipping boundary defined,
AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Delete old boundary? [No/Yes] <Yes>:
Enter n or press
ENTER
If you choose Yes, AutoCAD redraws the entire image

and the command continues; if you choose No, the
command ends.
Rectangular
Specifies a rectangular boundary by its opposite

corners. AutoCAD always draws the rectangle parallel
to the edges of the image.
Specify first corner point: Specify a point
Specify opposite corner point: Specify a point
IMAGECLIP
437
See Also
Commands
IMAGE inserts images in many formats into an

AutoCAD drawing file. IMAGEADJUST controls the
brightness, contrast, and fade values of images. IMAGEATTACH attaches a new image object and definition.
IMAGEFRAME controls the display of the image frame.
IMAGEQUALITY controls the display quality of images.
TRANSPARENCY controls whether the background of
images is transparent or opaque.

System Variables
IMAGEHLT highlights the selected raster image or the
image frame.
IMAGEFRAME
Controls whether image frames are displayed or hidden from view
Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Image Frame
Command line: imageframe
Enter image frame setting [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Raster images can be displayed with or without a frame. Because you select
an image by clicking its frame, setting IMAGEFRAME to Off prevents you from
accidentally selecting an image.
On
Displays image frames so you can select images.
Off
Hides image frames so you cannot select images.
See Also
Commands

brightness, contrast, and fade values of images. IMAGEATTACH attaches a new image object and definition.
IMAGECLIP creates new clipping boundaries for an
image object. IMAGEQUALITY controls the display quality of images. TRANSPARENCY controls whether the
background of images is transparent or opaque.

System Variables
IMAGEHLT highlights the selected raster image or the
image frame.
438
IMAGEFRAME
IMAGEQUALITY
Controls the display quality of images
The quality setting affects display performance; high-quality images take
longer to display. Changing the setting updates the display immediately
without causing a regeneration of the drawing. AutoCAD always plots images
using a high-quality display.
Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Image Quality
Command line: imagequality
Enter image quality setting [High/Draft] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
High
Produces a high-quality display of the image. AutoCAD

displays the image more slowly than a draft-quality
image.
Draft
Produces a lower-quality display of the image.

AutoCAD displays the image more quickly than a highquality image.
See Also
Commands

brightness, contrast, and fade of images. IMAGEATTACH
attaches a new image object and definition. IMAGECLIP
creates new clipping boundaries for an image object.

IMAGEFRAME controls whether AutoCAD displays the
image frame or hides it from view. TRANSPARENCY con-
trols whether the background of images is transparent

or opaque.
IMAGEQUALITY
439
IMPORT
Imports files in various formats into AutoCAD
Insert toolbar:
Command line: import
The Import File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed.
In Files of Type, select the format type to import. In File Name, select the file
to import. AutoCAD imports the file into the AutoCAD drawing. The following input types are available:
WMFWindows metafile (see WMFIN)

SATACIS solid object file (see ACISIN)
3DS3D Studio file (see 3DSIN)
For the WMF file type, choosing Options from the Tools menu in this dialog
box displays the WMF In Options dialog box (see page 1125). You can display
this dialog box directly by using WMFOPTS.
If FILEDIA = 0, AutoCAD displays the following prompt on the command line:
Enter import file name: Enter path and file name
See Also
Commands
EXPORT saves objects to other file formats.
INSERT
Places a drawing or named block into the current drawing
Insert toolbar:
Insert menu: Block
Command line: insert
The Insert dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -insert at the Command prompt, INSERT displays prompts on the
440
IMPORT
Insert Dialog Box

Specifies the name and position of the block or drawing to insert.
The last block you insert during the current editing session becomes the
default block for subsequent uses of INSERT. The position of the inserted block
depends on the orientation of the UCS.
Name
Specifies the name of a block to insert, or the name of a file to insert as a
block.
Browse
Opens the Select Drawing File dialog box (a standard

file selection dialog box) where you can select a block
or drawing file to insert.
Path
Specifies the path to the block.
Insertion Point
Specifies the insertion point for the block.
Specify
On-Screen
Specifies the insertion point of the block using the

pointing device.
Sets the X coordinate value.
Sets the Y coordinate value.
Sets the Z coordinate value.
Scale
Specifies the scale for the inserted block. Specifying negative values for the X,
Y, and Z scale factors inserts a mirror image of a block.
INSERT
441
Specify
On-Screen
Specifies the scale of the block using the pointing

device.
Sets the X scale factor.
Sets the Y scale factor.
Sets the Z scale factor.
Uniform Scale
Specifies a single scale value for X, Y, and Z coordinates.

A value specified for X is also reflected in the Y and Z
values.
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle for the inserted block in the current UCS.
Specify
On-Screen
Specifies the rotation of the block using the pointing

device.
Angle
Sets a rotation angle for the inserted block.
Explode
Explodes the block and inserts the individual parts of the block. When
Explode is selected, you can specify a uniform scale factor only.
Component objects of a block drawn on layer 0 remain on that layer. Objects
having color BYBLOCK are white. Objects with linetype BYBLOCK have the
CONTINUOUS linetype.
INSERT Command Line

If you enter -insert at the Command prompt, INSERT displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter block name or [?] <last>: Enter a name, enter ?, enter ~, or press ENTER
Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/PRotate]:
Block Name
If you have inserted a block in the current drawing during the current editing
session, the name of the last block inserted appears as the current block in
the prompt.
Grouped objects in an inserted drawing are inserted as unnamed groups. You
can list unnamed groups by selecting Unnamed Groups in the Object Grouping dialog box (see page 395).
442
INSERT
Entering a tilde (~) displays the Select Drawing File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box).
You can control block insertion behavior in response to the Enter Block
Name prompt by following the listed examples.
Inserting Exploded Blocks: Preceding the name of the block with an asterisk
(*) explodes the block and inserts the individual parts of it. The block
definition is not added to the drawing.
Updating a Block Path: If you enter a block name without a path name,
AutoCAD first searches the current drawing data for an existing block
definition by that name. If no such block definition exists in the current
drawing, AutoCAD searches the library path for a file of the same name. If
AutoCAD finds such a file, it uses the file name for the block name upon
insertion of the block definition. AutoCAD uses the same block definition
for subsequent insertions of that block. You can replace an existing block
definition with an external file by entering the following at the Enter
Block Name prompt:
block name=file name
Updating a Block Definition: If you make changes to a block file that is

inserted in your drawing and you want to change the existing block
definition without creating a new block insertion, enter the following at
the Specify Insertion Point prompt (following the Enter Block Name
prompt):
block name=
If you enter = after the block name, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt:
Block "current" already exists. Redefine it? [Yes/No] <No>: Enter y, enter n, or
press ENTER
If you choose to redefine the block, AutoCAD replaces the existing block
definition with the new block definition. AutoCAD regenerates the drawing and the new definition is applied to all existing insertions of it. Press
ESC when AutoCAD prompts you for the insertion point if you do not
want AutoCAD to insert a new block into the drawing.
?List Block Names

Lists the blocks currently defined in the drawing.
Insertion Point
Specifies a location for the block or drawing.
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER
INSERT
443
X Scale Factor
Sets X and Y scale factors.

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>:
press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Specify rotation angle <0>:
Enter a value or
All X and Y dimensions of the block or drawing are

multiplied by the X and Y scale factors. The block or
drawing is rotated by the specified angle, using the
insertion point as the center of rotation.
Corner
Defines the X and Y scale factors 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.
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point
XYZ
Sets X, Y, and Z scale factors.

Specify X scale factor or [Corner] <1>: Specify a nonzero
value, enter c, or press ENTER
X Scale Factor: Defines X, Y, and Z scale factors for the

block or drawing.
Specify Y scale factor or <use X scale factor>: Enter a
scale factor or press ENTER
Enter Z scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a scale
factor or press ENTER
Specify rotation angle <0>: Specify an angle or press
ENTER
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.
Enter Z scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a scale
factor or press ENTER
ENTER
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INSERT
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:
X
Specify X scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Y
Specify Y scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Z
Specify Z scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Rotate
Sets the angle of insertion for the block.
The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under
Rotation match the descriptions of the corresponding options under
Insertion Point (see page 443).
INSERT
445
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.
Specify preview scale factor for XYZ axes: Enter a nonzero value
The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under PScale
match the descriptions of the corresponding options under Insertion Point
(see page 443).
PX
Sets the scale factor for the X axis to control the display of the block as it is
dragged into position.
Specify preview X scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under PX
(see page 443).
PY
Sets the scale factor for the Y axis to control the display of the block as it is
Specify preview Y scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under PY
(see page 443).
446
INSERT
PZ
Sets the scale factor for the Z axis to control the display of the block as it is
Specify preview Z scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under PZ
(see page 443).
PRotate
Sets the rotation angle of the block as it is dragged into position.
Specify preview rotation angle:
The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under
PRotate match the descriptions of the corresponding options under Insertion
Point (see page 443).
See Also
See Insert Blocks in the Users Guide.
Commands
BASE specifies a base insertion point in drawings that
you intend to insert as blocks into other drawings.

BLOCK creates a named set of objects that you can insert
into a drawing. EXPLODE separates the objects in a
block. MINSERT inserts multiple instances of a block, in
an array, into the current drawing. WBLOCK creates a
drawing from a block. XREF attaches a drawing to the
current drawing and reflects updates made to the

attached drawing.
System Variables
INSNAME stores the current block name used by INSERT.
INSERT
447
INSERTOBJ
Inserts a linked or embedded object
When you insert an object into an AutoCAD drawing from an application
that supports OLE, the object can maintain a connection with its source file.
A linked object remains associated with its source file. When you edit a
linked object in AutoCAD, the source file changes. When you edit the object
in the source file, the linked object in AutoCAD changes.
An embedded object is not associated with its source file. You edit the embedded data in the AutoCAD drawing using the source application; the source
file does not change.
Linked or embedded objects are displayed in AutoCAD and can be printed or
plotted using Windows system drivers.
Insert toolbar:
Insert menu: OLE Object
Command line: insertobj
The Insert Object dialog box is displayed.
Insert Object Dialog Box

Inserts a linked or embedded object. Options vary, depending on whether
you select Create New or Create from File.
Create New
Opens the application that's highlighted in the Object Type list so that you
can create a new object to insert. When you return from that application to
your AutoCAD drawing, the OLE Properties dialog box is displayed.
448
INSERTOBJ
Object Type
Lists available applications that support linking and

embedding. To create an object to embed, double-click
an application to open it.
On the applications File menu, AutoCAD replaces the
Save option with a new Update option. Choosing
Update inserts the object into the drawing or updates it.
Display as Icon
Displays the source applications icon in the AutoCAD

drawing. Double-clicking the icon displays the
embedded information.
Create from File

Specifies a file to link or embed.
INSERTOBJ
449
File
Specifies the path and name of the file to be embedded

or linked.
Browse
Displays the Browse dialog box (a standard file selection

dialog box), in which you select a file to link or embed.
Link
Creates a link to the selected file rather than embedding

it.
Display as Icon

drawing. Double-clicking the icon displays the linked
or embedded information.
See Also
See Overview of Importing OLE Objects into Drawings in the Users Guide.
Commands
COPYLINK copies the current view of the AutoCAD

drawing to the Clipboard. OLELINKS updates, modifies,
and cancels existing links. PASTECLIP inserts data from
the Clipboard into a drawing. PASTESPEC inserts data
from the Clipboard and controls the format of the
pasted data. OLESCALE scales OLE objects.
INTERFERE
Creates a composite 3D solid from the common volume of two or more solids
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Interference
Command line: interfere
Select the first set of solids: Use an object selection method
first solid selected
INTERFERE highlights 3D solids that overlap. If you define a single selection

set, AutoCAD checks all the solids in the set against one another. If you
define two selection sets, AutoCAD checks the solids in the first selection set
against those in the second selection set. If you include the same 3D solid in
both selection sets, AutoCAD considers the 3D solid part of the first selection
set and ignores it in the second selection set.
Select the second set of solids:
450
INTERFERE
Use an object selection method or press ENTER
Pressing ENTER begins the interference testing of pairs of 3D solids. AutoCAD

highlights all interfering 3D solids and displays the number of interfering 3D
solids and interfering pairs.
Create interference solids? [Yes/No] <N>:
second solid selected
Enter y or n, or press ENTER
Entering y creates and highlights new 3D solids on the current layer that are
the intersections of the interfering pairs of 3D solids.
If there are more than two interfering 3D solids, it may not be clear which
pairs are interfering if all the interfering 3D solids are highlighted at once.
Highlight pairs of interfering solids? [Yes/No] <N>:
interference solid
created
Enter y or n, or press ENTER
If there is more than one interfering pair, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt:
Enter an option [Next pair/eXit] <Next>: Enter x or n, or press ENTER
Entering n or pressing ENTER cycles through the interfering pairs of 3D
solids. Entering x ends the command.
See Also
Commands
SUBTRACT creates a composite solid or region by subtracting the area of one set of regions or two-dimensional objects from another set and subtracting the volume of one set of solids from another set. UNION creates
a composite solid or region and combines the total area
of two or more existing regions or the total volume of
two or more existing solids. INTERSECT creates composite solids or regions from the intersection of two or
more solids or regions and removes the areas outside of
the intersection.
INTERSECT
Creates composite solids or regions from the intersection of two or more solids or regions
and removes the areas outside of the intersection
Solids Editing toolbar:
Modify menu: Solids Editing Intersect
Command line: intersect
Select objects:
INTERSECT
451
You can select only regions and solids for use with INTERSECT.
INTERSECT calculates the overlapping area of two or more existing regions
and the common volume of two or more existing solids.
solids before INTERSECT
solid after INTERSECT
The selection set can contain regions and solids that lie in any number of
arbitrary planes. AutoCAD divides the selection set into subsets and tests for
intersections within each subset. The first subset contains all the solids in the
selection set. The second subset contains the first selected region and all subsequent coplanar regions. The third subset contains the next region that is
not coplanar with the first region and all subsequent coplanar regions, and
so on until all regions belong to a subset.
regions before INTERSECT
region after INTERSECT
See Also
See Create and Combine Areas (Regions) in the Users Guide.
Commands
452
INTERSECT
SUBTRACT creates a composite solid or region by subtracting the area of one set of regions or two-dimensional objects from another set and subtracting the volume of one set of solids from another set. UNION creates
a composite solid or region and combines the total area
of two or more existing regions or the total volume of
two or more existing solids. INTERFERE finds the interference (or overlap) of two or more 3D solids and
creates a composite 3D solid from their common
volume.
ISOPLANE
Specifies the current isometric plane
Command line: isoplane (or 'isoplane for transparent use)
Enter isometric plane setting [Left/Top/Right] <Top>:
ENTER
The isometric plane affects the cursor movement keys only when Snap mode
is on and the snap style is Isometric. If the snap style is Isometric, Ortho
mode uses the appropriate axis pair even if Snap mode is off. The current isometric plane also determines the orientation of isometric circles drawn by
ELLIPSE. You can cycle through the isometric planes by pressing CTRL + E or
F5 .
Left
Selects the left-hand plane, defined by the 90-degree

and 150-degree axis pair.
Top
Selects the top face of the cube, called the top plane,
defined by the 30-degree and 150-degree axis pair.
Right
Selects the right-hand plane, defined by the 90-degree

and 30-degree axis pair.
See Also
Commands
System Variables
DSETTINGS sets drawing aids, including the current

drawing plan. SNAP sets the Isometric snap style.
SNAPISOPAIR stores the current isometric plane setting.
ISOPLANE
453
454
JPGOUT
Saves selected objects to a file in JPEG file format
Command line: jpgout
AutoCAD creates a JPEG file that contains the objects you select. Shade Plot
options are preserved in the file when you use this command.
JUSTIFYTEXT
Changes the justification point of selected text objects without changing their locations
Text toolbar:
Modify menu: Justify Text
Modify menu: Object Text Justify
Command line: justifytext
Select objects:
You can choose single line text objects, multiline text objects, leader text
objects, and attribute objects.
Enter a justification option [Existing/Align/Fit/Center/Middle/Right/TL/TC/TR/
ML/MC/MR/BL/BC/BR]<Existing>: Specify a location to serve as the new
justification point
JPGOUT
455
The justification point options shown above are described in the TEXT
command. The justification point options for single line text are similar to
those for multiline text except that the Align, Fit, and Left text options are
equivalent to the bottom left (BL) multiline text attachment point.
See Also
See Change Text Scale and Justification in the Users Guide.
Commands
456
JUSTIFYTEXT
STYLE creates, modifies, or sets named text styles.
LAYER
Manages layers and layer properties
Layers toolbar:
Format menu: Layer
Command line: layer (or 'layer for transparent use)
The Layer Properties Manager is displayed.
annotations
dimensions
objects
sample layers
If you enter -layer at the Command prompt, LAYER displays prompts on the
Layer Properties Manager

Makes a layer current, adds new layers, deletes layers, and renames layers.
You can assign properties to layers, turn layers on and off, freeze and thaw
layers globally or by viewport, lock and unlock layers, set plot styles for
layers, and turn plotting on and off for layers. You can filter the layer names
displayed in the Layer Properties Manager, and you can save and restore layer
states and properties settings.
LAYER
457
Named Layer Filters

Determines which layers to display in the list of layers. You can filter layers
based on whether theyre xref-dependent, or whether they contain objects.
You can also filter layers based on name, visibility, color, linetype, lineweight,
plot style name, whether they are plotted, or whether they are frozen in the
current viewport or in new viewports.
458
[...] Button
Displays the Named Layer Filters dialog box (see page

464).
Invert Filter
Displays layers based on the opposites of the criteria in

a named layer filter. Layers that fit the inverse criteria
are displayed in the layer name list.
Apply to Layers
Toolbar
Displays in the Layers toolbar only layers that match

the current filter. The layer list tooltip on the Layers
toolbar displays the filter status of layers in the drawing.
(To display the layer list tooltip, position the pointing
device over the layer list on the Layers toolbar.)
LAYER
New
Creates a new layer. After you choose New, the list displays a layer named
LAYER1. You can edit this layer immediately. To create multiple layers more
quickly, you can select a layer name for editing and enter multiple layer
names separated by commas.
If you create a new layer, the new layer inherits the properties of the currently
selected layer in the layer list (Color, On/Off state, and so on). To create layers
with default settings, make sure that there are no selected layers in the list or
that you select a layer with default settings before beginning layer creation.
Current
Sets the selected layer as the current layer. The CLAYER system variable stores
the layer name.
Delete
Deletes selected layers from the drawing file definition. You can delete only
unreferenced layers. Referenced layers include layers 0 and DEFPOINTS, layers
containing objects (including objects in block definitions), the current layer,
and xref-dependent layers. Layers that dont contain objects (including
objects in block definitions), are not current, and are not xref-dependent can
be deleted by using the PURGE command.
Warning! Be careful about deleting layers if you are working on a drawing in

a shared project or one based on a set of layering standards.
Show/Hide Details
Controls whether the Details section (see page 461) is displayed in the Layer
Properties Manager.
Save State
Displays the Save Layer States dialog box (see page 466), in which you save
layer state and layer properties settings of all layers in a drawing. You can
choose which layer states and properties that you want to preserve. You save
a layer state by assigning it a name.
If one or more of these settings are cleared, the Layer Properties Manager does
not restore those settings.
Any layer states saved in a drawing that is inserted in your current drawing
as a block are also added to the current drawing.
The saved layer states of referenced drawings (xrefs) are not accessible from
the current drawing.
LAYER
459
If you use WBLOCK to create a new drawing from the current drawing, saved
layer states are preserved only if you specify Entire Drawing as the source in
the Write Block dialog box (equivalent to -wblock /* on the command line).
These saved layer states will refer only to layers that contain objects.
State Manager
Displays the Layer States Manager (see page 467), in which you can manage
named layer states.
List of Layers
Displays layers and their properties. To modify a property, click its icon. To
quickly select all layers, right-click and use the shortcut menu.
Names
Displays the names of the layers. You can select a name,

and then click and enter a new name.
On/Off
Turns 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.
Freeze/Thaw in
All Viewports
Freezes selected layers in all viewports. You can freeze

layers to speed up ZOOM, PAN, and many other
operations; improve object selection performance; and
reduce regeneration time for complex drawings.
AutoCAD does not display, plot, hide, render, or
regenerate objects on frozen layers.
Freeze the layers you want to be invisible for long
periods. When you thaw a frozen layer, AutoCAD
regenerates and displays the objects on that layer. If you
plan to switch between visible and invisible states
frequently, use the On/Off setting. You can freeze layers
in all viewports, in the current layout viewport, or in
new layout viewports as they are created.
460
Lock/Unlock
Locks and unlocks the layers. You cannot edit objects

on a locked layer. Locking a layer is useful if you want
to view information on a layer for reference but do not
want to edit objects on that layer.
Color
Changes the color associated with the selected layers.

Clicking the color name displays the Select Color dialog
box (see page 169).
Linetype
Changes the linetype associated with the selected

layers. Clicking any linetype name displays the Select
Linetype dialog box (see page 468).
LAYER
Lineweight
Changes the lineweight associated with the selected

layers. Clicking any lineweight name displays the
Lineweight dialog box (see page 468).
Plot Style
Changes the plot style associated with the selected

layers. If you are working with color-dependent plot
styles (the PSTYLEPOLICY system variable is set to 1), you
cannot change the plot style associated with a layer.
Clicking any plot style displays the Select Plot Style
Plot/Dont Plot
Controls whether the selected layers are plotted. If you

turn off plotting for a layer, the objects on that layer are
still displayed. Turning off plotting for a layer affects
only visible layers in the drawing (layers that are on and
thawed). If a layer is set to plot but is currently frozen
or off in the drawing, AutoCAD does not plot the layer.
Turning off plotting for layers containing reference
information such as construction lines can be useful.
Current VP Freeze
(available only
from a layout tab)
Freezes selected layers in the current layout viewport.

You can freeze or thaw layers in the current viewport
without affecting layer visibility in other viewports.
Frozen layers are invisible; they are not regenerated or
plotted. Thawing restores the layer's visibility.
New VP Freeze
(available only
from a layout tab)
Freezes selected layers in new layout viewports. For

example, freezing the DIMENSIONS layer in all new
viewports restricts the display of dimensions on that
layer in any newly created layout viewports but does
not affect the DIMENSIONS layer in already existing
viewports. If you then create a viewport that requires
dimensions, you can override the default setting by
changing the current viewport setting.
Details
Displays an extension of the Layer Properties Manager with alternative access
to properties and additional options.
LAYER
461
462
Name
Displays the selected layer name, which can be edited.

The name can include letters, numbers, blank spaces,
and any special character not used by Microsoft
Windows or AutoCAD for other purposes.
Color
Displays a list of colors available to apply to the selected

layers. To assign a color other than those displayed in
the list, choose Select Color. To define the color of
layers, you can select from the 255 AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and color book colors.
Lineweight
Displays a list of fixed lineweights available to apply to

the selected layers including DEFAULT. You can also
customize lineweights to plot at whatever width you
want by using the Plot Style Table Editor.
Linetype
Displays linetypes available to apply to the selected

layers. To load additional linetypes, choose a linetype
in the list of layers to display the Select Linetype dialog
box (see page 468), and then choose Load.
LAYER
Plot Style
Displays a list of plot styles available to apply to the

selected layers. If you are working with colordependent plot styles (the PSTYLEPOLICY system
variable is set to 1), you cannot change the plot style
associated with a layer. The default plot style is Normal.
Off for Display
Turns selected layers on or off. Turned-off layers

regenerate with the drawing but are not displayed or
plotted. You can turn layers off rather than freeze layers
if you frequently change layers from visible to invisible.
By turning layers off to make their objects invisible, you
avoid regenerating the drawing every time you restore
visibility. When you turn a layer on that has been
turned off, the objects are only redrawn on that layer.
Lock for Editing
Prevents objects on selected layers from being edited.

Locking layers is useful when you want to edit objects
that are associated with particular layers but also want
to view objects on other layers. Although you cannot
edit objects on a locked layer, they are still visible if the
layer is on and thawed. You can make a locked layer
current, and you can add objects to it.
Do Not Plot
Prevents the selected layers from being plotted. This

option affects only visible layers in the drawing (layers
that are on or thawed). If a layer is set to plot, but is
currently frozen or off in the drawing, the layer is not
plotted. It can be useful to turn off plotting for a layer
that contains reference information. You can view the
reference information while you work, but you can turn
off plotting for that layer to ensure that the reference
information does not appear in the plotted drawing.
Freeze in All
Viewports
Freezes selected layers in all viewports. You can freeze

layers to speed up ZOOM, PAN, and many other
operations; improve object selection performance; and
reduce regeneration time for complex drawings.
AutoCAD does not display, plot, hide, render, or
regenerate objects on frozen layers.
LAYER
463
Freeze the layers you want to be invisible for long

periods. When you thaw a frozen layer, AutoCAD
regenerates and displays the objects on that layer. If you
plan to switch between visible and invisible states
frequently, use the On/Off setting. You can freeze layers
in all viewports, in the current layout viewport, or in
new layout viewports as they are created.
Freeze in Current
Viewport
Freezes selected layers in the current layout viewport.

You can freeze or thaw layers in the current layout
viewport without affecting layer visibility in other
viewports. Frozen layers are invisible; they are not
regenerated or plotted. This feature is useful, for
example, if you want to create an annotation layer that
is visible only in a particular viewport. Thawing restores
the layers visibility. This option is available only when
you are working on a layout.
Freeze in New
Viewports
Freezes selected layers in new layout viewports. For

example, freezing the DIMENSIONS layer in all new
viewports restricts the display of dimensions on that
layer in any newly created layout viewports but does
not affect the DIMENSIONS layer in viewports that
already exist. If you then create a viewport that requires
dimensions, you can override the default setting by
thawing the layer in that viewport. This option is
available only when you are working on a layout.
Named Layer Filters Dialog Box

Filters layers based on criteria you select. Layers that match the filter criteria
are displayed in the Layer Properties Manager.
464
LAYER
Filter Name
Specifies a name for the saved filter.
Layer Name
Specifies which layers to filter.
On/Off
Specifies whether filtered layers are on, off, or both.
Freeze/Thaw
Specifies whether filtered layers are frozen, thawed, or

both.
Current Viewport
Specifies whether filtered layers in the current viewport

are frozen, thawed, or both.
New Viewport
Specifies whether filtered layers in new viewports are

frozen, thawed, or both.
Lock/Unlock
Specifies whether filtered layers are locked, unlocked, or

both.
Plot
Specifies whether filtered layers are set to plot, not plot,

or both.
LAYER
465
Color
Specifies the layer colors to filter.
Lineweight
Specifies the layer lineweights to filter.
Linetype
Specifies the layer linetypes to filter.
Plot Style
Specifies the layer plot styles to filter.
Add
Saves a filter and adds it to the Filter Name list.
Delete
Deletes a saved filter from the Filter Name list.
Reset
Resets all filters to their default values.
Save Layer States Dialog Box

Saves state and properties settings of the layers in a drawing under a specified
layer state name. When saving a layer state, you specify which layer settings
are affected when the layer state is later restored.
466
New Layer State

Name
Specifies a name for the new layer state to be saved.
Layer States
Specifies the layer states settings that are to be saved in

the layer state: On/Off, Frozen/Thawed, Locked/
Unlocked, Plot/No Plot, New VP Frozen/Thawed.
Layer Properties
Specifies the layer properties settings that are to be

saved in the layer state: Color, Linetype, Lineweight,
and Plot Style.
LAYER
Layer States Manager

Manages saved layer states.
Restore
Restores state and properties settings of all layers in a

drawing to previously saved settings. Restores only
those layer state and properties settings that were
selected when the layer state was saved.
Edit
Changes the saved layer settings for a specified layer

state. When the layer state is restored, the specified
settings are used.
Rename
Changes the name of a saved layer state.
Delete
Removes a saved layer state.
Import
Displays a standard file selection dialog box where you

can load a previously exported layer state (LAS) file into
the current drawing. Additional layers may be created
as a result of importing a layer state file.
Export
Displays a standard file selection dialog box where you

can save a selected named layer state to a layer state
(LAS) file.
LAYER
467
Select Linetype Dialog Box

Displays linetypes available in the current drawing.
Loaded Linetypes
Displays the list of linetypes loaded in the current

drawing.
Load
Displays the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box (see

page 509), in which you can load selected linetypes into
the drawing and add them to the list of linetypes.
Lineweight Dialog Box

Displays fixed lineweight values available in AutoCAD. You can customize
your lineweights to plot at other values by using the Plot Style Table Editor.
See Control Plotted Lineweight and Linetype, in the Users Guide.
468
LAYER
Lineweights
Displays the available lineweights that can be applied

to a layer. Available lineweights consist of fixed values
that are most commonly used in drawings. Select a
lineweight to apply it.
Original
Displays the previous lineweight assigned to the layer.

The default lineweight assigned when a layer is created
is DEFAULT (which plots to a default value of 0.01 inches
or 0.25 mm). The value of DEFAULT is controlled by the
LWDEFAULT system variable.
New
Displays the new lineweight assigned to the layer.
LAYER Command Line

If you enter -layer at the Command prompt, LAYER displays prompts on the
command line.
The command line version of LAYER creates new layers; sets the current layer;
sets the color, linetype, lineweight, and plot style for designated layers; turns
layers on and off; turns plotting on and off for visible layers; locks and
unlocks layers; freezes and thaws layers; and lists defined layers.
Current layer: <"current">
Enter an option [?/Make/Set/New/ON/OFF/Color/Ltype/LWeight/Plot/PStyle/
Freeze/Thaw/LOck/Unlock/stAte]:
Note The Pstyle option is available only when you are using named plot styles.
?List Layers
Displays a list of the currently defined layers, showing their names, states,
color numbers, linetypes, lineweights, and whether they are externally
dependent layers.
Enter layer name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list, or press ENTER to list all layers
Make
Creates a layer and makes it current. New objects are drawn on the current
layer.
Enter name for new layer (becomes the current layer) <current>: Enter a name
or press ENTER
LAYER
469
If no layer exists for the name you enter, AutoCAD creates a new layer with
that name. The new layer is on and assumes the following properties by
default: color number 7, the CONTINUOUS linetype, and a lineweight of
DEFAULT.
If the layer exists but is turned off, AutoCAD turns it on.
Set
Specifies a new current layer but does not create the layer if it does not
already exist. If the layer exists but is turned off, AutoCAD turns it on and
makes it current. A frozen layer cannot be made current.
Enter a layer name to make current or <select object>: Enter a name or press
ENTER and select an object
New
Creates layers. You can create two or more layers by entering names separated
by commas.
Enter name list for new layer(s):
On
Makes selected layers visible and available for plotting.
Enter name list of layer(s) to turn On:
Off
Makes selected layers invisible and excludes them from plotting.
Enter name list of layer(s) to turn Off or <select objects>: Enter a name list or
press ENTER and select objects
Color
Changes the color associated with a layer.
Enter color name or number (1-255)[Truecolor/Colorbook]:
or a number from 1 through 255, enter t, or enter c
True Color
Enter a color name

470
LAYER
Color Book

selected color book such as PANTONE573
AutoCAD prompts for a list of layer names to which the color should be
applied.
Enter name list of layer(s) for color current <current>: Enter a name or a list of
names separated by commas, or press ENTER
The layers are turned on. To assign a color but turn off the layer, precede the
color with a minus sign ().
Ltype
Changes the linetype associated with a layer.
Enter a loaded linetype name or [?] <CONTINUOUS>: Enter a currently loaded
linetype name, enter ?, or press ENTER
If you enter a linetype or press ENTER , AutoCAD prompts for a list of layer
names to which the linetype should be applied.
Enter name list of layer(s) for linetype "current" <current>: Enter a wild-card
pattern, a name, or a list of names separated by commas, or press ENTER
If you enter ? at the Enter a Loaded Linetype Name prompt, AutoCAD
prompts for the linetypes to list.
Enter linetype name(s) to list <*>: Enter a wild-card pattern, or press ENTER to
list all names in the drawing
Lweight
Changes the lineweight associated with a layer.
Enter lineweight (0.0mm - 2.11mm):
LAYER
471
If you enter a valid lineweight, AutoCAD sets the current lineweight to the
new value. If you enter a lineweight that is not valid, AutoCAD sets the
current lineweight to the nearest fixed lineweight value. If you would like 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. AutoCAD prompts you for a list of layer names to which the
lineweight should be applied.
Enter name list of layers(s) for lineweight current <current>: Enter a name list or
press ENTER
Plot
Controls whether visible layers are plotted. If a layer is set to plot but is
currently frozen or turned off, the layer is not plotted.
Enter a plotting preference [Plot/No plot] <Plot>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
AutoCAD prompts you for a list of layer names to which the plotting
preference should be applied.
Enter layer name(s) for this plot preference <current>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER
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
system variable is set to 1). See Use Plot Styles to Control Plotted Objects
in the Users Guide.
Enter plot style or [?] <Normal>: Enter a name, enter ? to list existing plot styles,
or press ENTER
If you select a plot style other than NORMAL, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter name list of layer(s) for plot style current <current>: Enter the names of the
layers to use this plot style, or press ENTER to apply the style to the current layer only
Freeze
Freezes layers, making them invisible and excluding them from regeneration
and plotting.
Enter name list of layer(s) to freeze or <select objects>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER and select objects
472
LAYER
Thaw
Thaws frozen layers, making them visible and available for regeneration and
plotting.
Enter a name list of layer(s) to thaw:
Lock
Locks layers, preventing editing of objects on those layers.
Enter a name list of layer(s) to lock or <select objects>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER and select objects
Unlock
Unlocks selected locked layers, permitting editing of objects on those layers.
Enter a name list of layer(s) to unlock or <select objects>:
press ENTER and select objects
Enter a name list or
State
Saves and restores the state and properties settings of the layers in a drawing.
Enter an option [?/Save/Restore/Edit/Name/Delete/Import/EXport]:
Save
Saves the state and properties settings of the layers in a

drawing under a specified layer state name. When
saving a layer state, you specify which layer settings are
affected when the layer state is later restored.
Enter new layer state name: Enter a name and press
ENTER
Enter states to change

[On/Frozen/Lock/Plot/Newvpfreeze/Color/lineType/
lineWeight/plotStyle]: Enter the settings that you want to
save and then press ENTER
Restore
Restores the state and properties settings of all layers to

previously saved settings. Restores only those layer state
and properties settings that were selected when the
layer state was saved.
Enter name of layer state to restore or [?]: Enter the layer
state name or enter ? to see a list of saved layer state names
LAYER
473
Edit
Changes the saved layer settings for a specified layer

state. When the layer state is restored, the specified
settings are used.
Enter name of layer state to edit or [?]: Enter the layer
Enter states to change
[On/Frozen/Lock/Plot/Newvpfreeze/Color/lineType/
lineWeight/plotStyle]: Enter the settings that you want to
change and then press ENTER
Name
Changes the name of a saved layer state.

Enter name of layer state to rename or [?]: Enter the layer
Enter new layer state name:
Delete
Removes a saved layer state.

Enter name of layer state to delete or [?]: Enter the layer
Import
Loads a previously exported layer state (LAS) file into

the current drawing. Additional layers may be created
as a result of importing a layer state file.
Enter file name to import <current>:
Export
Saves a selected named layer state to a layer state (LAS)

file.
Enter name of layer state to export or [?]: Enter the layer
Export state to file name:
See Also
See Work with Layers in the Users Guide.
Commands
COLOR sets the color for new objects. LINETYPE creates,

loads, and sets linetypes. LWEIGHT sets the lineweight
for new objects. VPLAYER sets visibility in viewports for
new and existing layers.

System Variables
474
LAYER
CLAYER stores the name of the current layer. VISRETAIN

controls the layer properties and states of xref-dependent layers in the host drawing.
LAYERP
Undoes the last change or set of changes made to layer settings
Layers toolbar:
Command line: layerp
Undoes changes you have made to layer settings such as color or linetype. If
settings are restored, AutoCAD displays the message Restored previous layer
states.
LAYERP (Layer Previous) does not undo the following changes:
Renamed layers: If you rename a layer and change its properties, Layer
Previous restores the original properties but not the original name.
Deleted layers: If you delete or purge a layer, using Layer Previous does not
restore it.
Added layers: If you add a new layer to a drawing, using Layer Previous does
not remove it.
LAYERPMODE
Turns the tracking of changes made to layer settings on and off
Command line: layerpmode
Enter LAYERP mode <ON>: Enter on or off, or press ENTER
When Layer Previous mode is on, changes made to layers are tracked. When
Layer Previous mode is off, changes made to layers are no longer tracked.
LAYOUT
Creates and modifies drawing layout tabs
A layout is used to compose or lay out your drawing for plotting. A layout
may consist of a title block, one or more viewports, and annotations.
Note Many of these options are available by right-clicking a layout tab name.
Layouts toolbar:
Insert Menu: Layout
LAYERP
475
Command line: layout

Enter layout option [Copy/Delete/New/Template/Rename/SAveas/Set/?] <set>:
Copy
Copies a layout. If you do not provide a name, the new

layout assumes the name of the copied layout with an
incremental number in parentheses. The new tab is
inserted before the copied layout tab.
Enter name of layout to copy <current>:
Enter layout name for copy <default>:
Delete
Deletes a layout. The most current layout is the default.

Enter name of layout to delete <current>:
The Model tab cannot be deleted. To remove all the
geometry from the Model tab, you must select all
geometry and use the ERASE command.
New
Creates a new layout tab. Up to 255 layouts can be

created in a single drawing.
Enter name of new layout <Layout#>:
Layout names must be unique. Layout names can be up
to 255 characters long and are not case sensitive. Only
the first 31 characters are displayed on the tab.
Template
476
LAYOUT
Creates a new layout tab based on an existing layout in

a template (DWT), drawing (DWG), or drawing
interchange (DXF) file. If the FILEDIA system variable is
set to 1, a standard file selection dialog box is displayed
for selecting a DWT, DWG, or DXF file. After you select
a file, AutoCAD displays the Insert Layouts dialog box,
which displays the layouts saved in the selected file.
After you select a layout, the layout and all objects from
the specified template or drawing file are inserted into
Rename
Renames a layout. The last current layout is used as the

default for the layout to rename.
Enter layout to rename <current>:
Enter new layout name <current>:
Layout names must be unique. Layout names can be up
to 255 characters long and are not case sensitive. Only
the first 31 characters are displayed on the tab.
Saveas
Saves a layout as a drawing template (DWT) file without

saving any unreferenced symbol table and block
definition information. You can then use the template
to create new layouts in your drawings without having
to eliminate unnecessary information. See Create a
Layout Using a Template in the Users Guide.
Enter layout to save to template <current>:
The last current layout is used as the default for the
layout to save as a template. If the FILEDIA system
variable is set to 1, a standard file selection dialog box
is displayed in which you can specify the template file
in which to save the layout. The default layout template
directory is specified in the Options dialog box (see
page 633).
Set
Makes a layout current.

Enter layout to make current <last>:
?List Layouts
Lists all the layouts defined in the drawing.
LAYOUTWIZARD
Creates a new layout tab and specifies page and plot settings
Insert menu: Layout Layout Wizard
Tools menu: Wizards Create Layout
Command line: layoutwizard
The Layout wizard is displayed.
LAYOUTWIZARD
477
Layout Wizard
The Layout wizard contains a series of pages that step you through the process of creating a new layout. You can choose to create a new layout from
scratch or use an existing layout template on which to base your new layout.
Depending on which plotting device is currently configured, you can select
a paper size from those available. You can select a predefined title block to
apply to your new layout. The Preview area displays a preview image of the
title block you select.
When youve finished using the wizard to specify your layout settings, you
can modify any of the settings using the PAGESETUP command from within
the new layout.
See Also
See Use the Layout Wizard to Specify Layout Settings in the Users Guide.
LAYTRANS
Changes a drawing's layers to layer standards you specify
Tools menu: CAD Standards Layer Translator
Command line: laytrans
The Layer Translator is displayed.
Layer Translator
In the Layer Translator, you specify the layers in the current drawing that you
want to translate, and the layers to translate them to.
Translate From
Specifies the layers to be translated in the current drawing. You can specify
layers by selecting layers in the Translate From list or by supplying a selection
filter.
478
LAYTRANS
The color of the icon preceding the layer name indicates whether or not the
layer is referenced in the drawing. A dark icon indicates that the layer is referenced; a white icon indicates the layer is unreferenced. Unreferenced layers
can be deleted from the drawing by right-clicking in the Translate From list
and choosing Purge Layers.
Selection Filter
Specifies layers to be selected in the Translate From list,

using a naming pattern that can include wild-cards. For
a list of valid wild-cards, see the table in Filter and Sort
the List of Layers in the Users Guide. The layers
identified by the selection filter are selected in addition
to any layers previously selected.
Select
Selects the layers specified in Selection Filter.
Map
Maps the layers selected in Translate From to the layer selected in Translate
To.
Map Same
Maps all layers that have the same name in both lists.
Translate To
Lists the layers you can translate the current drawings layers to.
Load
Loads layers in the Translate To list using a drawing,

drawing template, or standards file that you specify. If
the specified file contains saved layer mappings, those
mappings are applied to the layers in the Translate
From list and are displayed in Layer Translation
Mappings.
You can load layers from more than one file. If you load
a file that contains layers of the same name as layers
already loaded, the original layers are retained and the
duplicate layers are ignored. Similarly, if you load a file
containing mappings that duplicate mappings already
loaded, the original mappings are retained and the
duplicates are ignored.
New
Defines a new layer to be shown in the Translate To list

for translation. If you select a Translate To layer before
choosing New, the selected layers properties are used as
defaults for the new layer. You cannot create a new layer
with the same name as an existing layer.
LAYTRANS
479
Layer Translation Mappings

Lists each layer to be translated and the properties to which the layer will be
converted. You can select layers in this list and edit their properties using
Edit.
Edit
Opens the Edit Layer dialog box, where you can edit the
selected translation mapping. You can change the
layers linetype, color, and lineweight. If all drawings
involved in translation use plot styles, you can also
change the plot style for the mapping.
Remove
Removes the selected translation mapping from the

Layer Translation Mappings list.
Save
Saves the current layer translation mappings to a file for

later use.
Layer mappings are saved in the DWG or DWS file
format. You can replace an existing file or create a new
file. The Layer Translator creates the referenced layers in
the file and stores the layer mappings in each layer. All
linetypes used by those layers are also copied into the
file.
Settings
Opens the Settings dialog box, where you can customize the process of layer
translation.
Translate
Starts layer translation of the layers you have mapped.
If you have not saved the current layer translation mappings, you are
prompted to save the mappings before translation begins.
Settings Dialog Box

Controls the process of layer translation.
Force Object
Color to BYLAYER
480
LAYTRANS
Specifies whether or not every object translated takes

on the color assigned to its layer. If this option is
selected, every object takes on the color of its layer. If
this option is cleared, every object retains its original
color.
Force Object
Linetype to
BYLAYER
Specifies whether or not every object translated takes

on the linetype assigned to its layer. If this option is
selected, every object takes on the linetype of its layer.
If this option is cleared, every object retains its original
linetype.
Translate Objects
in Blocks
Specifies whether or not objects nested within blocks

are translated. If this option is selected, nested objects
in blocks are translated. If this option is cleared, nested
objects in blocks are not translated.
Write Transaction
Log
Specifies whether or not a log file detailing the results

of translation is created. If this option is selected, a log
file is created in the same folder as the translated
drawing. The log file is assigned the same name as the
translated drawing, with a .log file name extension. If
the Write Transaction Log option is cleared, no log file
is created.
Show Layer
Contents When
Selected
Specifies which layers to display in the drawing area. If

this option is selected, only the layers selected in the
Layer Translator dialog box are displayed in the
drawing area. If this option is cleared, all layers in the
drawing are displayed.
Edit/New Layer Dialog Box

Sets or modifies layer properties.
Name
Specifies the layer name.
Linetype
Specifies the layer linetype.
Color
Specifies the layer color.
Lineweight
Specifies the layer lineweight.
Plot Style
Specifies the layer plot style. You can only modify the
plot style if all drawings referenced by the Layer
Translator use named plot styles.
LAYTRANS
481
LEADER
Creates a line that connects annotation to a feature
A leader line is an object that can be composed of an arrowhead attached to
splines or straight line segments. In some cases, a short horizontal line, called
a hook line, dogleg, or landing, connects text and feature control frames to
the leader line. If associative dimensioning is turned on with DIMASSOC, the
leader start point can be associated with a location on an object. If the object
is relocated, the arrowhead remains attached to the object and the leader line
stretches, but the text or feature control frame remains in place.
You can use various dimensioning system variables to format the leader line,
such as placing the text above the hook line with DIMTAD.
LEADER creates complex leader lines that can be made up of more than two
line segments. DIMDIAMETER and DIMRADIUS create simple automatic leader
lines with two line segments for circles and arcs.
Command line: leader

Specify leader start point:
Specify next point:
AutoCAD draws a leader line segment to the point specified and continues to
prompt for points and options.
Specify next point or [Annotation/Format/Undo] <Annotation>: Specify a point,
Point Specification
Draws a leader line segment to the point specified and continues to prompt
you for points and options.
Specify next point or [Annotation/Format/Undo] <Annotation>: Specify a point,
482
LEADER
Annotation
Inserts an annotation at the end of the leader line. The annotation can be
single or multiple lines of text, a feature control frame containing geometric
tolerances, or a block.
Enter first line of annotation text or <options>:
Enter text or press ENTER
If you enter text at the Annotation prompt, AutoCAD places the text at the
end of the leader line. AutoCAD prompts you for additional lines of text until
you end the command by pressing ENTER twice.
If you press ENTER at the Annotation prompt without entering text first,
Enter an annotation option [Tolerance/Copy/Block/None/Mtext] <Mtext>:
Tolerance
Creates a feature control frame containing geometric

tolerances using the Geometric Tolerance dialog boxes
(see TOLERANCE).
You can create datum indicators and basic dimension
notation in these dialog boxes. After you specify the
geometric tolerance, LEADER ends.
Copy
Copies text, a multiline text object, a feature control

frame with geometric tolerances, or a block and
connects the copy to the end of the leader line. The
copy is associated with the leader line, meaning that if
the end of the leader line moves, the copied object
moves with it. The display of the hook line depends on
the object copied.
Select an object to copy:
AutoCAD places the object and ends LEADER. The value
of the current text gap (see DIMSTYLE or the DIMGAP
system variable) determines where AutoCAD inserts the
text and multiline text objects. AutoCAD attaches any
blocks or feature control frames with geometric
tolerances to the end of the leader line.
LEADER
483
Block
Inserts a block at the end of the leader line. AutoCAD

uses the same prompts as the INSERT command. The
block reference is inserted at an offset from the end of
the leader line and is associated to the leader line,
meaning that if the end of the leader line moves, the
block moves with it. No hook line is displayed.
Enter block name or [?]: Enter a block name or enter ? to
list all blocks in the drawing
None
Ends the command without adding any annotation to

the leader line.
Mtext
Creates text using the Multiline Text Editor (see page

577) when you specify an insertion point and a second
point for the text boundary.
Enter the characters for the text. Enclose format strings
for prefixes and suffixes in angle brackets (< >). Enclose
format strings for alternate units in square brackets ([ ]).
For more information about adding a prefix or suffix,
see Control the Display of Dimension Units in the
Users Guide.
The units settings and the current text style determine
how AutoCAD displays the text. AutoCAD vertically
centers the multiline text and horizontally aligns it
according to the X axis direction of the last two vertices
of the leader line. AutoCAD offsets the multiline text
from the hook line by the distance specified under
Offset from Dim Line on the Text tab of the New,
Modify, or Override Dimension Style dialog box (see
page 288). If the offset specified is negative, AutoCAD
encloses the multiline text in a box as a basic
dimension.
After you specify the text, LEADER ends.
Format
Controls the way AutoCAD draws the leader and whether it has an
arrowhead.
Enter leader format option [Spline/STraight/Arrow/None] <Exit>: Enter an
option or press ENTER to return to the previous prompt
After each option, AutoCAD returns you to the Specify Next Point prompt.
484
LEADER
spline leader line
straight leader line
sample arrowheads
no arrowhead
Spline
Draws the leader line as a spline. The vertices of the

leader line are the control points, each of equal unit
weight.
Straight
Draws the leader line as a set of straight line segments.
Arrow
Draws an arrowhead at the start point of the leader line.
None
Draws a leader line with no arrowhead at the start

point.
Exit
Exits the Format options.
Undo
Undoes the last vertex point on the leader line. AutoCAD then redisplays the
previous prompt.
See Also
See Create Text with Leaders in the Users Guide.
Commands
DIMSTYLE creates and modifies dimension styles.
System Variables
DIMASZ controls the size of arrowheads. DIMASSOC
controls the associativity property of dimensions and

leaders. DIMBLK defines the block for arrowheads.
DIMBLK1 defines the block for the first arrowhead.
DIMCLRD controls the color of the dimension line.
DIMGAP controls the text gap. DIMSCALE controls the
overall scale of dimension objects. DIMTAD controls the
vertical position of text in relation to the dimension
line.
LEADER
485
LENGTHEN
Changes the length of objects and the included angle of arcs
LENGTHEN does not affect closed objects. The extrusion direction of the
selected object need not be parallel to the Z axis of the current user
coordinate system (UCS).
Modify menu: Lengthen
Command line: lengthen
Select an object or [DElta/Percent/Total/DYnamic]:
option
Select one object or enter an
Object Selection
Displays the length and, where applicable, the included angle of the object.
Current length: <current>, included angle: <current>
Select an object or [DElta/Percent/Total/DYnamic]: Select one object, enter an
option, or press ENTER to end the command
Delta
Changes the length of an object by a specified increment, measured from the
endpoint that is closest to the selection point. Delta also changes the angle
of an arc by a specified increment, measured from the endpoint that is closest
to the selection point. A positive value extends the object; a negative value
trims it.
Enter delta length or [Angle] <current>: Specify a distance, enter a, or press
ENTER
Delta Length
Changes the length of the object by the specified increment.
Select an object to change or [Undo]: Select one object or enter u
The prompt repeats until you press ENTER to end the command.
delta length
object selected
486
LENGTHEN
Angle
Changes the included angle of the selected arc by the specified angle.
Enter delta angle <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
delta angle
object selected
Percent
Sets the length of an object by a specified percentage of its total length. Percent also changes the angle of an arc by a specified percentage of the total
included angle of the arc.
Enter percentage length <current>: Enter a positive nonzero value or press
ENTER

Total
Sets the length of a selected object by specifying the total absolute length
from the fixed endpoint. Total also sets the included angle of a selected arc
by a specified total angle.
Specify total length or [Angle] <current>: Specify a distance, enter a positive
nonzero value, enter a, or press ENTER
total length
object selected
LENGTHEN
487
Total Length
Lengthens the object to the specified value from the endpoint that is closest
to the selection point.
Angle
Sets the included angle of the selected arc.
Specify total angle <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
total angle
object selected
Dynamic
Turns on Dynamic Dragging mode. You change the length of a selected
object by dragging one of its endpoints. The other end remains fixed.
See Also
See Resize or Reshape Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
488
LENGTHEN
EXTEND extends an object to meet another object. TRIM

trims objects at a cutting edge defined by one or more
objects. FILLET rounds and fillets the edges of objects.
CHAMFER bevels the edges of objects.
LIGHT
Manages lights and lighting effects
You can use light in model space only. You can display ambient, point, distant, and spot lights in SHADEMODE and 3DORBIT. To display these lights, you
must set SHADEMODE to Flat Shaded, Gouraud Shaded, Flat Shaded Edges On,
or Gouraud Shaded Edges On. The Wireframe and Hidden SHADEMODE
options do not display lights. To turn on lights, from the Tools menu, select
Options. In the Options dialog box, select the System tab. On the System tab
under Current 3D Graphics Display, choose Properties.
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Light
Command line: light
The Lights dialog box is displayed.
Note In the 3DCONFIG command, under Render Options, the Lights option
must be set to ON for lights to appear in your drawing.
Lights Dialog Box

Manages lighting and controls the location, color, and intensity of lighting
effects.
LIGHT
489
Lights
Lists all lights in the current drawing.
Modify
Modifies the selected light.
AutoCAD displays the Modify Point Light dialog box (see page 492), Modify
Distant Light dialog box (see page 494), or Modify Spotlight dialog box (see
page 496), depending on the type of light you select.
Delete
Deletes the selected light from the drawing.
Select
Selects a light using the pointing device. AutoCAD temporarily closes the dialog box while you select a light. The Lights dialog box is redisplayed with the
name of the light selected in the Lights list.
New
Creates a new light in the current drawing. AutoCAD displays the New Point
Light dialog box (see page 492), New Distant Light dialog box (see page 494),
or New Spotlight dialog box (see page 496), depending on the type of light
you select.
Point Light
Emits radiating light beams. You can specify no

attenuation, or attenuation that is inverse linear or
inverse square. See Overview of Lights in Rendering
in the Users Guide.
Distant Light
Emits parallel light beams in one direction. Distant

lights have no attenuation. Emitted light remains at
constant intensity no matter how far it travels.
Spotlight
Emits light in a cone in a specified direction. See Add,

Modify, and Delete Lights in the Users Guide.
When you create a light, AutoCAD inserts a light block in the drawing to
show the lights type and position.
490
LIGHT
point light block
distant light block
spotlight block
North Location
Displays the North Location dialog box (see page 498), in which you can set
the north direction.
Ambient Light
Controls background light that provides constant illumination of all the surfaces in your model. Keep ambient light low to avoid saturating or dulling
your image.
Intensity
Adjusts the intensity of ambient light from no ambient light (0) to full
brightness (1).
Color
Uses RGB values to control the color of ambient light. The color swatch
shows the current color.
Select Custom
Color

of light, you can select from the 255 AutoCAD Color
LIGHT
491
New or Modify Point Light Dialog Box

Creates a new point light or modifies the selected point light.
Light Name
Specifies the name of the light. The name must be no more than eight
characters long.
Intensity
Sets the intensity or brightness of the light. Entering 0 turns off a light.
The maximum point light intensity depends on the attenuation setting and
the extents of the drawing. If attenuation is none, maximum intensity is 1.
If attenuation is inverse linear, maximum intensity is the value of twice the
extents distance: the distance from the minimum lower-left coordinate to
the maximum upper-right coordinate. The default value for inverse linear is
half the maximum intensity.
If attenuation is inverse square, maximum intensity is twice the square of the
extents distance.
492
LIGHT
Position
Modifies or displays the X,Y,Z coordinate location of the light and its target.
Modify
Temporarily closes the dialog box so you can use the

pointing device to specify a location for the light.
Enter light location <current>: Specify a point or press
ENTER
Show
Displays the Show Light Position dialog box, which

displays the X,Y,Z coordinate of the lights location and
target. Point lights radiate light in all directions with no
target.
Color
Uses RGB values to control the color of the point light. The color swatch
Select Custom
Color

Attenuation
Controls how light diminishes over distance. The farther away an object is
from a point light, the darker the object appears.
None
Sets no attenuation. Objects far from the point light are

as bright as objects close to the light.
Inverse Linear
Sets attenuation to be the inverse of the linear distance

from the point light. For example, at a distance of 2
units from a point light, light is half as strong as at the
point light; at a distance of 4 units, light is one quarter
as strong. The default value for inverse linear is half the
maximum intensity.
Inverse Square
Sets attenuation to be the inverse of the square of the

distance from the point light. For example, at a distance
of 2 units from a point light, light is one quarter as
strong as at the point light; at a distance of 4 units, light
is one sixteenth as strong.
LIGHT
493
Shadows
Controls shadows and shadow mapping.
Shadow On
Makes the point light cast shadows. The type of shadow

depends on the current renderer type and on the
settings in the Shadow Options dialog box.
Shadow Options
Displays the Shadow Options dialog box (see page 499).
New or Modify Distant Light Dialog Box

Creates a new distant light or modifies the selected distant light.
Light Name
characters long.
Intensity
Sets the intensity or brightness of the light. The intensity value can range
from 0 (off) to 1 (full intensity).
Color
Uses RGB values to control the color of the distant light. The color swatch
494
LIGHT
Select Custom
Color

Shadows
Shadow On
Makes the distant light cast shadows. The type of

shadow depends on the current renderer type and on
the settings in the Shadow Options dialog box.
Shadow Options
Sun Angle Calculator

Displays the Sun Angle Calculator dialog box (see page 500), in which you
can specify a time and place so the renderer can calculate the position of the
sun.
Azimuth
Specifies the position of the distant light by using site-based coordinates. The
Azimuth scroll bar ranges from 180 to 180. Values you enter are converted
to this range. For example, if you enter 315, the scroll bar correctly displays
this as equivalent to 45.
When you enter values or use the scroll bars to adjust the azimuth and altitude, the diagrams change to represent them visually. You can also change
the values of azimuth and altitude by clicking positions in the diagrams
themselves.
Altitude
Specifies the position of the distant light by using site-based coordinates. The
Altitude scroll bar ranges from 0 to 90. You can enter values between 0 and
90.
When you enter values or use the scroll bars to adjust the azimuth and altitude, the diagrams change to represent them visually. You can also change
the values of Azimuth or Altitude by clicking positions in the diagrams
themselves.
LIGHT
495
Light Source Vector

Displays the light source vector that results from the light position you set
using Azimuth and Altitude. You can also enter values directly in X, Y, and Z.
When you use the light source vector to specify the distant lights direction,
AutoCAD updates the Azimuth and Altitude controls to show the new
position.
Modify

pointing device to define a light source vector by
specifying two points.
New or Modify Spotlight Dialog Box

Creates a new spotlight or modifies the selected spotlight.
Light Name
characters long.
Intensity
Sets the intensity or brightness of the light. The maximum spotlight intensity depends on the attenuation setting and the extents of the drawing. If
attenuation is none, maximum intensity is 1.
496
LIGHT
If attenuation is inverse linear, maximum intensity is the value of twice the

extents distance: the distance from the minimum lower-left coordinate to
the maximum upper-right coordinate. The default value for inverse linear is
half the maximum intensity.
If attenuation is inverse square, maximum intensity is twice the square of the
extents distance.
Position
Modifies or displays the X,Y,Z coordinate location of the light and its target.
Modify

pointing device to specify a location for the light and its
target. A vector connects the spotlight location to its
current target.
Enter light target <current>: Specify a point or press
ENTER
Enter light location <current>: Specify a point or press

ENTER
Show
Displays the Show Light Position dialog box, which

displays the X,Y,Z coordinates of the lights location
and target.
Color
Uses RGB values to control the color of the spotlight. The color swatch shows
the current color.
Select Custom
Color

Hotspot
Specifies the angle that defines the brightest cone of light, which is known
to lighting designers as the beam angle. This value can range from 0 to 160
degrees. The default is 44 degrees.
Falloff
Specifies the angle that defines the full cone of light, which is also known as
the field angle. This value can range from 0 to 160 degrees. The default is 45
degrees.
LIGHT
497
Attenuation
Controls how light diminishes over distance. The farther away an object is
from a spotlight, the darker the object appears.
None
Sets no attenuation. Objects far from the spotlight are

as bright as objects close to the light.
Inverse Linear
Sets attenuation to be the inverse of the linear distance

from the spotlight. For example, at a distance of 2 units
from a spotlight, light is half as strong as at the
spotlight; at a distance of 4 units, light is one quarter as
strong. The default value for inverse linear is half the
maximum intensity.
Inverse Square
Sets attenuation to be the inverse of the square of the

distance from the spotlight. For example, at a distance
of 2 units from a spotlight, light is one quarter as strong
as at the spotlight; at a distance of 4 units, light is one
sixteenth as strong.
Shadows
Shadow On
Makes the spotlight cast shadows. The type of shadow

depends on the current renderer type and on the
settings in the Shadow Options dialog box.
Shadow Options
North Location Dialog Box

Sets the north direction.
498
LIGHT
By default, north is the positive Y direction in the world coordinate system

(WCS). To change it, enter a new angle, or use the scroll bar. The Y axis is 0
degrees, the X axis is 90 degrees, and so on clockwise.
You can also specify north in a user coordinate system (UCS) if there are any
named in your drawing. Select from the Use UCS list. AutoCAD uses the Y
axis in that UCS as the north direction.
Shadow Options Dialog Box

Specifies the type of shadow.
Shadow
Volumes/Ray
Traced Shadows
Produces volumetric shadows (Photo Real renderer) and

raytraced shadows (Raytrace renderer) for this light.
Shadow maps are not available, but the shadow map
size and softness settings are retained.
Shadow Map Size
Controls the size, in pixels, of one side of the shadow

map. Select from a range of values between 64 and
4096. The larger the map size, the more accurate the
shadows, but the longer it takes to render them.
Shadow Softness
Controls the softness or fuzziness of shadow-mapped

shadows. The value you enter represents the number of
pixels at the edge of the shadow that are blended into
the underlying image. The value can range from 1 to
10, but usually values from 2 to 4 give the best results.
Shadow
Bounding
Objects
Prompts you to modify a selection set of objects whose

bounding box is used to clip the shadow maps.
LIGHT
499
Sun Angle Calculator Dialog Box

Specifies a time and place so that the renderer can calculate the position of
the sun.
The right side of the dialog box shows the azimuth, altitude, and solar time
resulting from the local time you select. (You cannot alter the azimuth and
altitude directly as you can in the New Distant Light or Modify Distant Light
dialog box.) You specify time on the left side of the dialog box.
500
Date
Specifies the date. You can enter a date or use the scroll
bar. The date can range from January 1 (1/1) to
December 31 (12/31).
Clock Time
Sets the local time on a 24-hour clock. You can enter a

time or use the scroll bar.
Time Zone
Specifies the time zone (assuming standard hours, as

opposed to daylight savings).
Daylight Savings
Specifies daylight savings for the date and time zone.
Latitude
Specifies the latitude. You can enter a value or use the

scroll bar. Zero degrees indicates the equator; 90 degrees
indicates the pole in the current hemispherenorth or
south.
Longitude
Specifies the longitude. You can enter a value or use the

scroll bar. Zero degrees indicates the Greenwich
meridian; 180 degrees indicates the opposite meridian
in the direction of the current hemisphereeast or
west.
LIGHT
Northern or
Southern
Hemisphere
Specifies the northern or southern hemisphere.
Western or
Eastern
Hemisphere
Specifies the eastern or western hemisphere.
Geographic
Location
Displays the Geographic Location dialog box (see page

501), in which you can specify the suns latitude and
longitude indirectly by naming a city or pointing to a
map.
Note The Sun Angle Calculator takes its north as the
current AutoCAD north direction. By default this is the
positive Y direction of the current coordinate system. You
can change the north direction in the North Location
Geographic Location Dialog Box

Specifies the suns latitude and longitude indirectly by using a city or a location on a map. The map panel shows one of several maps. Use the list above
the map to select the map you want. Click the map to change the longitude
and latitude.
LIGHT
501
City
Lists the cities available on the current map. Select a

city from this list to display its latitude and longitude.
The currently selected city is displayed below the list. If
you select a map location while the Nearest Big City
option is cleared, no city name is displayed below the
list.
Latitude and
Longitude
Displays the location of the currently selected city or

your most recent map selection. You can also enter
these values directly. When you choose OK, AutoCAD
updates the Sun Angle Calculator with the new latitude
and longitude.
In this dialog box, you can specify the latitude and
longitude as less than 0, depending on which
hemisphere is current.
Current Map
Specifies the current map. To change the map, select

another option from the list.
Nearest Big City
Finds the city nearest the map position that you click
and makes that city current.
See Also
For more information about adding, modifying, and deleting lights, see
Render 3D Objects for Realism in the Users Guide.
Commands

ObjectARXapplications. RENDER creates a photoreal-
istic or realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional wireframe or solid model using geometry,
lighting, and materials information. SCENE creates new
scenes and modifies or deletes existing scenes in model
space only.
System Variables
TARGET stores the light target location.
LIMITS
Sets and controls the limits of the drawing boundaries and grid display in the current
Model or layout tab
The drawing limits are two-dimensional points in the world coordinate
system that represent the lower-left and upper-right boundaries. You cannot
impose limits on the Z direction.
502
LIMITS
When limits checking is turned on (controlled by the On and Off options

from the first LIMITS prompt), the drawing limits restrict the coordinates you
can enter to within the rectangular area. Drawing limits also determine the
area of the drawing that can display grid dots, the area displayed by one of
the scale options of ZOOM, and the minimum area displayed by ZOOM All.
When plotting a drawing, you can also specify the drawing limits as the area
to plot.
From a layout tab, when either the paper background or paper margins are
displayed, you cannot set the drawing limits with LIMITS. In this case, limits
are calculated and set by the layout according to the selected paper size. You
can control the display of the paper background and paper margins from the
Display tab of the Options dialog box (see page 633).
Format menu: Drawing Limits
Command line: limits (or 'limits for transparent use)
upper right
Specify lower left corner or [ON/OFF] <current>: Specify a point, enter on or off,
or press ENTER
Lower-Left
Corner
Specifies the lower-left corner for the drawing limits.
On
Turns on limits checking. When limits checking is on,

AutoCAD rejects attempts to enter points outside the
drawing limits. Because limits checking tests only
points that you enter, portions of objects such as circles
can extend outside the limits.
Off
Turns off limits checking but maintains the current

values for the next time you turn on limits checking.
lower left
Specify upper right corner <current>: Specify a point or

press ENTER
See Also
System Variables
LIMCHECK turns limits checking on and off for the

current space. LIMMIN sets lower-left drawing limits for
the current space. LIMMAX sets upper-right drawing
limits for the current space.
LIMITS
503
LINE
Creates straight line segments
You can specify the endpoints of lines using two-dimensional (2D) or threedimensional (3D) coordinates.
AutoCAD draws a line segment and continues to prompt for points. You can
draw a continuing series of line segments, but each line segment is a separate
object. Press ENTER to end the command.
For example, the following command sequence draws a single line segment.
Command: line
Specify first point: Specify a point (1)
Specify next point or [Undo]: Specify a point (2)
Specify next point or [Undo]: Press ENTER
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Line
Command line: line
Specify first point: Specify a point or press ENTER to continue from the last drawn
line or arc
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]:
Continue
Continues a line from the endpoint of the most

recently drawn line.
before pressing ENTER
after pressing ENTER
If the most recently drawn line is an arc, its endpoint

defines the starting point of the line, and the line is
drawn tangent to the arc.
504
LINE
before pressing ENTER
Close
Ends the last line segment at the beginning of the first

line segment, which forms a closed loop of line
segments. You can use Close after you have drawn a
series of two or more segments.
before entering c
Undo
after pressing ENTER
after entering c
Erases the most recent segment of a line sequence.
before entering u
after entering u
Entering u more than once backtracks through line

segments in the order you created them.
See Also
See Draw Lines in the Users Guide.
Commands
PLINE creates 2D polylines. 3DPOLY creates 3D

polylines. XLINE creates an infinite line. RAY creates a
semi-infinite line. MLINE creates multiple parallel lines.
LINE
505
LINETYPE
Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes
Line characteristics consist of combinations of dashes, dots, and spaces. You
can use LINETYPE to load linetype definitions from a linetype library (LIN)
file, make a linetype current, or modify linetype scales.
continuous
hidden
Format menu: Linetype

Command line: linetype (or 'linetype for transparent use)
center
The Linetype Manager is displayed.
dash-dot
If you enter -linetype at the Command prompt, LINETYPE displays prompts

on the command line (see page 510).
sample complex
linetype
Linetype Manager
Loads linetypes and sets the current linetype.
506
LINETYPE
Linetype Filters
Determines which linetypes to display in the linetype list. You can filter linetypes based on whether they are xref-dependent, or whether they are
referenced by objects.
Invert Filter
Displays linetypes based on the opposites of the criteria

you select. Linetypes that fit the inverse filter criteria
are displayed in the linetype list.
Load
Displays the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box (see page 509), in which
you can load into the drawing selected linetypes from the acad.lin file and
add them to the linetype list.
Current
Sets the selected linetype to be the current linetype. Setting the current linetype to BYLAYER means that an object assumes the linetype that is assigned
to a particular layer. Setting the linetype to BYBLOCK means that an object
assumes the CONTINUOUS linetype until it is grouped into a block. Whenever
the block is inserted, all objects inherit the block's linetype. The CELTYPE
system variable stores the linetype name.
Delete
Deletes selected linetypes from the list. You can only delete unreferenced
linetypes. Default referenced linetypes include BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and
CONTINUOUS.
Note Be careful about deleting linetypes if you are working on a drawing in a

shared project or one based on a set of layering standards. The deleted linetype
definition remains stored in the acad.lin or acadiso.lin file and can be reloaded.
Show Details or Hide Details

Controls whether the Details section (see page 508) of the Linetype Manager
is displayed.
LINETYPE
507
List of Linetypes
Displays the loaded linetypes according to the option specified in Linetype
Filters. To quickly select all or clear all linetypes, right-click in the linetype
list to display the shortcut menu.
Linetype
Displays names of loaded linetypes. To rename a

linetype, select it and then click it again and enter a
new name. BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, CONTINUOUS, and xrefdependent linetypes cannot be renamed. The linetype
name can include up to 255 characters. Linetype names
can contain letters, digits, blank spaces, and the special
characters dollar sign ($), hyphen (), and underscore
(_). Linetype names cannot include the special
characters comma (,), colon (:), equal sign (=), question
mark (?), asterisk (*), greater and lesser than symbols
(< >), forward and back slashes (/ \), vertical bar (|),
quote (), or back quote ().
Appearance
Displays a sample of selected linetypes.
Description
Displays descriptions of the linetypes, which can be

edited in the Details area.
Details
Displays an extension of the dialog box with alternative access to properties
and additional settings.
508
LINETYPE
Name
Displays the selected linetype name, which can be

edited. The linetype name can include up to 255
characters. Linetype names can contain letters, digits,
blank spaces, and the special characters dollar sign ($),
hyphen (), and underscore (_). Linetype names cannot
include the special characters comma (,), colon (:),
equal sign (=), question mark (?), asterisk (*), greater
and lesser than symbols (< >), forward and back slashes
(/ \), vertical bar (|), quote (), or back quote ().
Description
Displays the description of the selected linetype, which

can be edited.
Use Paper Space

Units for Scaling
Scales linetypes in paper space and model space

identically. Useful when working with multiple
viewports. This option is also controlled by the
PSLTSCALE system variable.
Global Scale
Factor
Displays the global scale factor for all linetypes.

(LTSCALE system variable)
Current Object
Scale
Sets linetype scale for newly created objects. The

resulting scale is the global scale factor multiplied by
the objects scale factor. This option is also controlled
by the CELTSCALE system variable.
ISO Pen Width
Sets the linetype scale to one of a list of standard ISO

values. The resulting scale is the global scale factor
multiplied by the objects scale factor.
Load or Reload Linetypes Dialog Box

Loads a linetype whose definition exists in a linetype library (LIN) file. The
acad.lin file contains the standard linetypes.
LINETYPE
509
File
Displays the name of the current LIN file. You can enter
the name of another LIN file or choose File to select a
different file from the Select Linetype File dialog box.
Available
Linetypes
Displays the linetypes available to load. To select or

clear all of the linetypes on the list, right-click and
choose Select All or Clear All.
LINETYPE Command Line

If you enter -linetype at the Command prompt, LINETYPE displays prompts
Enter an option [?/Create/Load/Set]:
?List Linetypes
Displays the Select Linetype File dialog box (a standard

file selection dialog box). After you select an LIN file,
AutoCAD lists the linetypes available in a file.
Create
Creates a new linetype and stores it in an LIN file.

Enter name of linetype to create:
AutoCAD displays the Create or Append Linetype File
dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box). Specify
the file to which you want the linetype added.
Descriptive text: Enter optional descriptive text
510
LINETYPE
Enter a linetype description up to 47 characters long.

The description can be a comment or a series of
underscores, dots, dashes, and spaces to show a simple
representation of the linetype pattern.
Enter linetype pattern (on next line):
A,
Enter a pattern definition as a series of numbers
separated by commas. Enter positive values to specify
lengths of dashes and negative values to specify lengths
of spaces. Use a zero to represent a dot.
2.5
-.5
.5
-.5
the pattern is repeated
The A in the pattern definition prompt specifies the

pattern alignment used at the ends of individual lines,
circles, and arcs. AutoCAD supports A-type alignment
only. With A-type alignment, AutoCAD guarantees that
lines and arcs start and end with a dash. The A is
automatically included in the definition. If you use a
text editor to create a linetype, you must enter a at the
beginning of the definition.
After creating a linetype, you must load it to make it
accessible.
You cannot create complex linetypes with LINETYPE.
For more information, see Custom Linetypes in the
Customization Guide.
Load
Loads a linetype whose definition exists in a file. The

acad.lin file contains the standard linetypes.
Enter linetype(s) to load: Enter a name or a list of names
separated by commas
AutoCAD displays the Select Linetype File dialog box.
Enter or select the file in which the linetype you want
to load is stored.
LINETYPE
511
Set
Sets the current linetype for objects that will be drawn

subsequently. You can control the linetype of objects
individually or by layer.
Specifies linetype name or [?] <current>: Enter a linetype
name, ? to list all loaded linetype names, bylayer, or
byblock, or press ENTER
The linetype you enter becomes the current linetype.
AutoCAD draws all new objects with this linetype,
regardless of the current layer. If the linetype you
request is not loaded, AutoCAD searches for its
definition in the acad.lin file. If the linetype is neither
loaded nor in acad.lin, AutoCAD displays a message and
returns you to the Command prompt.
Enter ? to list all loaded linetype names. If you enter
bylayer, new objects inherit the linetype associated
with the layer on which the object is drawn. If you
enter byblock, new objects are drawn using the
CONTINUOUS linetype until they are grouped into a
block. Whenever you insert that block, the objects
inherit the linetype of the block.
See Also
See Work with Linetypes in the Users Guide.
512
LINETYPE
Commands
LTSCALE sets the linetype scale factor.
System Variables
CELTSCALE sets the current object linetype scaling fac-
tor. This sets the linetype scaling for new objects relative to the LTSCALE 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. LTSCALE stores the global
linetype scale factor. PSLTSCALE controls paper space
linetype scaling.
LIST
Displays database information for selected objects
Inquiry toolbar:
Tools menu: Inquiry List
Command line: list
Select objects:
AutoCAD lists the object type, object layer, and X,Y,Z position relative to the
current user coordinate system (UCS) and whether the object is in model
space or paper space.
LIST reports color, linetype, and lineweight information if these items are not
set to BYLAYER. The thickness of an object is displayed if it is nonzero. Z coordinate information defines the elevation. If the extrusion direction of the
entry differs from the Z axis (0,0,1) of the current UCS, LIST also reports the
extrusion direction in UCS coordinates.
LIST reports additional information related to the specific object selected.
See Also
Commands
ID displays the coordinate values of a location. DIST

measures the distance and angle between two points.
AREA calculates the area and perimeter of objects or of
defined areas. MASSPROP calculates and displays the
mass properties of regions or solids.
LIST
513
LOAD
Makes shapes available for use by the SHAPE command
You must load a shape (SHP) file the first time you need it; AutoCAD loads it
thereafter. The shape file must be available each time you edit the drawing.
Command line: load
AutoCAD displays the Select Shape File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box). Enter the shape file name, or select a file name from the list.
See Also
Commands
SHAPE inserts a shape from a compiled shape file.

COMPILE compiles AutoCAD shape (SHP) files and Post-
Script font (PFB) files into SHX files.
LOGFILEOFF
Closes the log file opened by LOGFILEON
Command line: logfileoff
AutoCAD stops recording the text window contents and closes the log file.
You can also control the log file with the OPTIONS command. Use the Maintain a Log File option on the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog box to
turn the log file off and on. Use the Files tab to change the location of the log
file.
Each drawing saves a log file (with the extension .log) that may need periodic
deletion as the number of log files continues to grow.
See Also
Commands
System Variables
LOGFILEON writes to a file everything that appears in

the text window. OPTIONS changes AutoCAD environment settings.
LOGFILEMODE specifies whether the contents of the text
window are written to a log file. LOGFILENAME specifies
the path for the log file.
514
LOAD
LOGFILEON
Writes the text window contents to a file
Command line: logfileon
AutoCAD records the text window contents in the log file until you exit
AutoCAD or use the LOGFILEOFF command.
You can also control the log file with the OPTIONS command. Use the Maintain a Log File option on the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog box to
turn the log file off and on. Use the Files tab to change the location of the log
file.
Each drawing saves a log file (with the extension .log) that may need periodic
deletion as the number of log files continues to grow.
See Also
Commands
System Variables
LOGFILEOFF closes the log file. OPTIONS changes

AutoCAD environment settings.
LOGFILEMODE specifies whether the contents of the text
window are written to a log file. LOGFILENAME specifies
the path for the log file.
LSEDIT
Edits a landscape object
A landscape object is an extended-entity object with a bitmap image mapped
onto it. You can manipulate the object directly in the drawing as well as in
the Landscape New dialog box. The geometry of the object depends on
whether you choose one or two faces for it and whether it is view aligned.
You make these choices according to your rendering requirements.
Each landscape object has grips at the base, top, and each corner. Use the base
grip to move the object, the top grips to adjust its height, and the bottom
corner grips to scale it and, if its not view aligned, rotate it. You can use all
standard AutoCAD grip editing modes for stretching, scaling, and rotating
landscape objects.
LOGFILEON
515
With two related commands, LSNEW and LSLIB, you can create landscape
objects and maintain landscape object libraries.
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Landscape Edit
Command line: lsedit
Select a landscape object: Use an object selection method
When you select a landscape object, AutoCAD displays the Landscape Edit
dialog box.
Landscape Edit Dialog Box

Previews landscape objects and defines the geometry and height of the
objects.
The object type is selected in the library list; if the list is unavailable, you
cannot change the object type. For a description of the available options, see
LSNEW.
516
LSEDIT
See Also
See Render a Model in the Users Guide.
Commands
LSNEW creates a new landscape object. LSLIB maintains

landscape object libraries. RMAT attaches and manages
rendering materials. RENDER creates a photorealistic or
realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional wireframe or solid model using geometry, lighting, and
materials information.
LSLIB
Maintains libraries of landscape objects
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Landscape Library
Command line: lslib
AutoCAD displays the Landscape Library dialog box.
Landscape Library Dialog Box

Defines libraries of landscape objects.
Library Contents
Lists the objects in the current library. Select one to

modify or delete.
LSLIB
517
Modify
Displays the Landscape Library Edit dialog box (see

page 518). Changes the image files associated with the
selected object (or double-click the object name). All
landscape objects require both an image file and an
opacity map file to define the see-through areas of the
image.
New
Displays the New Landscape Library dialog box, which

is identical to the Landscape Library Edit dialog box
except that the boxes are blank. Enter an object name,
an image file name, and an opacity map file name for
your new object.
Delete
Deletes the selected object from the library. This does

not delete the files associated with the object name, but
deletes only the object definition in the library.
Open
Displays a standard file selection dialog box. Locate and

select an LLI file to open a new library file. The contents
of the file appear in the Library Contents list.
Save
Saves the current library file. A standard file selection

dialog box is displayed so that you can save the library
under another name if you want. If the file already
exists, the program prompts you to replace it.
Landscape Library Edit Dialog Box

Changes the image files associated with the object selected in the Landscape
Library dialog box.
518
LSLIB
Default Geometry
Specifies the geometry and alignment of the object. The geometry of an
object depends on its number of faces and alignment. A single-face viewaligned object appears in the drawing as a triangle. You cannot use grips to
rotate it. A single-face fixed object appears as a rectangle that you can rotate
with grips. This type of object also displays its name either forward or backward to indicate its orientation to the camera, which is helpful for signs. A
crossing-face object always appears as two triangles intersecting at right
angles. When view-aligned, they face the camera at 45-degree angles and you
cant change their rotation. When the object is fixed, you can change its
rotation.
Single Face/
Crossing Faces
Specifies a single-face object or a crossing-face object. A

single-face object is faster to render but not quite as
realistic as a crossing-face object, especially for
animation and raytraced shadows.
View Aligned
Makes the object always face the camera. This is

generally a good choice for trees and other nonplanar
objects.
When the View Aligned option is cleared, the object
maintains a fixed orientation. This can be effective with
planar objects like road signs that you dont want to
view straight on.
Name
Shows the current name of the object. To change the name, edit the entry.
Image File
Specifies a file name. You can choose Find File to display a standard file
selection dialog box in which you can locate the file you want.
Opacity Map File

Specifies a file name. You can choose Find File to display a standard file
selection dialog box in which you can locate the file you want.
LSLIB
519
See Also
Commands

ObjectARX applications. LSEDIT modifies landscape
objects. LSNEW creates new landscape objects. RMAT
attaches and manages rendering materials. RENDER
creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded image

of a three-dimensional wireframe or solid model using
geometry, lighting, and materials information.
LSNEW
Adds realistic landscape items, such as trees and bushes, to your drawings
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Landscape New
Command line: lsnew
AutoCAD displays the Landscape New dialog box.
Landscape New Dialog Box

Previews landscape objects, defines the geometry and height of new objects,
and inserts a landscape object into a drawing.
520
LSNEW
A landscape object is an extended-entity object with a bitmap image mapped

onto it. You can manipulate the object directly in the drawing as well as in
the Landscape New dialog box. The geometry of the object depends on
whether you choose one or two faces for it and whether it is view aligned.
You make these choices according to your rendering requirements.
Each landscape object has grips at the base, top, and each corner. Use the base
grip to move the object, the top grips to adjust its height, and the bottom
corner grips to scale it and, if its not view aligned, rotate it. You can use all
standard AutoCAD grip editing modes for stretching, scaling, and rotating
landscape objects.
With two related commands, LSEDIT and LSLIB, you can modify landscape
objects and maintain landscape object libraries.
Landscape Objects
Lists landscape objects available in the current landscape library. Select the
one you want to insert in the drawing.
Geometry
Specifies the geometry and alignment of the landscape object. The geometry
of an object depends on its number of faces and alignment. A single-face
view-aligned object appears in the drawing as a triangle. You cannot use grips
to rotate it. A single-face fixed object appears as a rectangle that you can
rotate with grips. This type of object also displays its name either forward or
backward to indicate its orientation to the camera, which is helpful for signs.
A crossing-face object always appears as two triangles intersecting at right
angles. When view-aligned, they face the camera at 45-degree angles and you
cant change their rotation. When the object is fixed, you can change its
rotation.
Single Face/
Crossing Faces
Specifies a single-face object or a crossing-face object. A

single-face object is faster to render but not quite as
realistic as a crossing-face object, especially for
animation and raytraced shadows.
View Aligned
Makes the object always face the camera. This is

generally a good choice for trees and other nonplanar
objects.
When the View Aligned option is cleared, the object
maintains a fixed orientation. This can be effective with
planar objects like road signs that you dont want to
view straight on.
LSNEW
521
Height
Specifies the height of the landscape object in current drawing units. The
default is 20, and the height is always in the positive Z direction of the
current user coordinate system (UCS). Use the scroll bar or enter a value.
Position
Uses the pointing device to specify a location in the drawing. The default
position is at the origin of the UCS.
See Also
Commands

ObjectARX applications. LSEDIT modifies landscape
objects. LSLIB maintains landscape object libraries.
RMAT attaches and manages rendering materials.
RENDER creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded
image of a three-dimensional wireframe or solid model

using geometry, lighting, and materials information.
LTSCALE
Sets the global linetype scale factor
Command line: ltscale (or 'ltscale for transparent use)
LTSCALE = 1
Enter new linetype scale factor <current>: Enter a positive real value or press
ENTER
LTSCALE = .5
Use LTSCALE to change the scale factor of linetypes for all objects in a drawing. Changing the linetype scale factor causes the drawing to regenerate.
LTSCALE = .25
See Also
System Variables
LTSCALE stores the current scale factor. You must use the
SETVAR command to access the LTSCALE system
variable. PSLTSCALE controls paper space linetype
scaling.
522
LTSCALE
LWEIGHT
Sets the current lineweight, lineweight display options, and lineweight units
Use lineweights to add width to your objects. Lineweights are useful for the
graphical representation of different objects and information, but they
should not be used to represent specific object widths.
Lineweight can be applied to all graphical objects except TrueType fonts,
raster images (except the image border), points, and solid fills (2D solids).
These exceptions plot with a default lineweight of 0 (the thinnest possible
line that the printer or plotter can plot). The default lineweight value for
objects is BYLAYER; the default lineweight value for layers is set by the Default
option in the Lineweights Settings dialog box. You can also customize lineweights to plot at whatever width you want by using the Plot Style Table
Editor of the PLOT command. See Control Plotted Lineweight and Linetype
in the Users Guide.
Wide polylines in a plan view are displayed at their width setting rather than
their lineweight setting.
Note Objects with lineweights of more than one pixel may increase regeneration time. To optimize AutoCAD performance when working in the Model tab,
set the lineweight display scale to the minimum value, or turn off Display Lineweight altogether.
Format menu: Lineweight
Shortcut menu: Right-click the Lwt button on the status bar and choose
Settings.
Command line: lweight (or 'lweight for transparent use)
The Lineweight Settings dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -lweight at the Command prompt, LWEIGHT displays prompts on
Lineweight Settings Dialog Box

Sets the current lineweight, sets the lineweight units, controls the display
and display scale of lineweights in the Model tab, and sets the DEFAULT
lineweight value for layers. For a table of valid lineweights, see Overview of
Lineweights in the Users Guide.
LWEIGHT
523
Lineweights
Displays the available lineweight values. Lineweight values consist of standard settings including BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and DEFAULT. The DEFAULT value
is set by the LWDEFAULT system variable, which has an initial value of 0.01
inches or 0.25 mm. All new layers use the default setting. The lineweight
value of 0 plots at the thinnest lineweight available on the specified plotting
device and is displayed at one pixel wide in model space.
Current Lineweight
Displays the current lineweight. To set the current lineweight, select a
lineweight from the lineweight list and choose OK.
Units for Listing

Specifies whether lineweights are displayed in millimeters or inches. You can
also set Units for Listing by using the LWUNITS system variable.
524
Millimeters (mm)
Specifies lineweight values in millimeters.
Inches (in.)
Specifies lineweight values in inches.
LWEIGHT
Display Lineweight
Controls whether lineweights are displayed in the current drawing. If
selected, lineweights are displayed in model space and paper space. You can
also set Display Lineweight by using the LWDISPLAY system variable.
AutoCAD regeneration time increases with lineweights that are represented
by more than one pixel. Clear Display Lineweight if AutoCAD performance
slows down when working with lineweights turned on in a drawing. This
option does not affect how objects are plotted.
Default
Controls the DEFAULT lineweight for layers. The initial DEFAULT lineweight is
0.01 inches or 0.25 mm. You can also set the DEFAULT lineweight by using
the LWDEFAULT system variable.
Adjust Display Scale

Controls the display scale of lineweights on the Model tab. On the Model tab,
lineweights are displayed in pixels. Lineweights are displayed using a pixel
width in proportion to the real-world unit value at which they plot. If you
are using a high-resolution monitor, you can adjust the lineweight display
scale to better display different lineweight widths. The Lineweight list reflects
the current display scale.
Objects with lineweights that are displayed with a width of more than one
pixel may increase AutoCAD regeneration time. If you want to optimize
AutoCAD performance when working in the Model tab, set the lineweight
display scale to the minimum value or turn off lineweight display altogether.
LWEIGHT Command Line

If you enter -lweight at the Command prompt, LWEIGHT displays prompts on
the command line.
Current lineweight: current
Enter default lineweight for new objects or [?]:
Enter a valid lineweight or enter ?
The current lineweight value is displayed; if the value is not BYLAYER,

BYBLOCK or DEFAULT, the value is displayed in millimeters or inches.
LWEIGHT
525
Default
Lineweight
Sets the current default lineweight. Lineweight values

consist of fixed settings, including BYLAYER, BYBLOCK,
and DEFAULT. Values are calculated in either inches or
millimeters; millimeters are the default. If you enter a
valid lineweight, AutoCAD sets the current default
lineweight to the new value. With any other value,
AutoCAD adjusts the value entered and sets the current
default lineweight to the nearest valid value.
To plot an object with a lineweight that is not found in
the list of fixed lineweight values, you can use the Plot
Style Table Editor to customize plotted lineweights. See
Control Plotted Lineweight and Linetype, in the
Users Guide. The DEFAULT value is set by the LWDEFAULT
system variable and has an initial value of 0.01 inches
or 0.25 mm. The lineweight value of 0 plots at the
thinnest lineweight available on the specified plotting
device and is displayed at a value of one pixel in model
space.
?List
Lineweights
Displays a list of valid lineweight values in the current

lineweight units.
Note If you save a drawing using the AutoCAD Release 14, or earlier, format,
the drawing preview displays lineweights even though the drawing saved in the
earlier format does not display lineweights.
See Also
See Work with Linetypes in the Users Guide.
526
Commands
PROPERTIES, CHANGE, or CHPROP assign a lineweight to

an object. LAYER assigns a lineweight to a layer.
MATCHPROP copies a lineweight from one object to
another.
System Variables
LWDEFAULT sets the default value for the lineweight

DEFAULT. LWDISPLAY controls display of lineweights.
LWUNITS sets lineweight units in millimeters or inches.
CELWEIGHT sets the lineweight of new objects.
LWEIGHT
MASSPROP
Calculates the mass properties of regions or solids
MASSPROP calculates properties of two-dimensional (2D) and threedimensional (3D) objects that are essential in analyzing the characteristics
of the drawn objects.
Inquiry toolbar:
Tools menu: Inquiry Region/Mass Properties
Command line: massprop
Select objects:
If you select multiple regions, only those that are coplanar with the first
selected region are accepted.
MASSPROP displays the mass properties in the text window, and then asks if
you want to write the mass properties to a text file.
Write analysis to a file? <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

If you enter y, MASSPROP prompts you to enter a file name.
The properties that MASSPROP displays depends on whether the selected
objects are regions (and whether the selected regions are coplanar with the
XY plane of the current UCS) or solids. For a list of the parameters that control the MASSPROP units, see Calculations Based on the Current UCS (see page
530).
Regions
The table shows the mass properties AutoCAD displays for all regions.
Mass properties for all regions
Mass property
Description
Area
The surface area of solids or the enclosed area of regions.
Perimeter
The total length of the inside and outside loops of a region. AutoCAD
does not calculate the perimeter of solids.
MASSPROP
527
Mass properties for all regions (continued)

Mass property
Description
Bounding box
The two coordinates that define the bounding box. For regions that are
coplanar with the XY plane of the current user coordinate system
(UCS), the bounding box is defined by the diagonally opposite corners
of a rectangle that encloses the region. For regions that are not
coplanar with the XY plane of the current UCS, the bounding box is
defined by the diagonally opposite corners of a 3D box that encloses
the region.
Centroid
A 2D or 3D coordinate that is the center of area for regions. For regions

that are coplanar with the XY plane of the current UCS, this coordinate
is a 2D point. For regions that are not coplanar with the XY plane of the
current UCS, this coordinate is a 3D point.
If the regions are coplanar with the XY plane of the current UCS, AutoCAD
displays the additional properties shown in the table.
Additional mass properties for coplanar regions
Mass property
Description
Moments of
inertia
A value used when computing the distributed loads, such as fluid

pressure on a plate, or when calculating the forces inside a bending or
twisting beam. The formula for determining area moments of inertia is
area_moments_of_inertia = area_of_interest * radius2
The area moments of inertia has units of distance to the fourth power.
Products of
inertia
Property used to determine the forces causing the motion of an object.

It is always calculated with respect to two orthogonal planes. The
formula for product of inertia for the YZ plane and XZ plane is
product_of_inertiaYZ,XZ = mass * distcentroid_to_YZ * distcentroid_to_XZ
This XY value is expressed in mass units times the length squared.
Radii of
gyration
Another way of indicating the moments of inertia of a solid. The

formula for the radii of gyration is
gyration_radii = (moments_of_ inertia/body_mass)1/2
Radii of gyration are expressed in distance units.
528
MASSPROP
Additional mass properties for coplanar regions (continued)

Mass property
Description
Principal
moments and
X,Y,Z directions
about centroid
Calculations derived from the products of inertia and that have the
same unit values. The moment of inertia is highest through a certain
axis at the centroid of an object. The moment of inertia is lowest
through the second axis that is normal to the first axis and also passes
through the centroid. A third value included in the results is somewhere
between the high and low values.
Solids
The table shows the mass properties AutoCAD displays for solids.
Mass properties for solids
Mass property
Description
Mass
The measure of inertia of a body. Because AutoCAD uses a density of

one, mass and volume have the same value.
Volume
The amount of 3D space that a solid encloses.
Bounding box
The diagonally opposite corners of a 3D box that encloses the solid.
Centroid
A 3D point that is the center of mass for solids. AutoCAD assumes a

solid of uniform density.
Moments of
inertia
The mass moments of inertia, which is used when computing the force
required to rotate an object about a given axis, such as a wheel rotating
about an axle. The formula for mass moments of inertia is
mass_moments_of_inertia = object_mass * radiusaxis2
Mass moments of inertia unit is mass (grams or slugs) times the
distance squared.
Products of
inertia
Property used to determine the forces causing the motion of an object.

It is always calculated with respect to two orthogonal planes. The
formula for product of inertia for the YZ plane and XZ plane is
product_of_inertiaYZ,XZ = mass * distcentroid_to_YZ * distcentroid_to_XZ
This XY value is expressed in mass units times the length squared.
MASSPROP
529
Mass properties for solids (continued)

Mass property
Description
Radii of
gyration
Another way of indicating the moments of inertia of a solid. The

formula for the radii of gyration is
gyration_radii = (moments_of_inertia/body_mass)1/2
Radii of gyration are expressed in distance units.
Principal
moments and
X,Y,Z directions
about centroid
Calculations derived from the products of inertia and that have the
same unit values. The moment of inertia is highest through a certain
axis at the centroid of an object. The moment of inertia is lowest
through the second axis that is normal to the first axis and also passes
through the centroid. A third value included in the results is somewhere
between the high and low values.
Calculations Based on the Current UCS

The table shows the parameters that control the units in which mass
properties are calculated.
Parameters that control MASSPROP units
Parameter
Used to calculate
DENSITY
Mass of solids
LENGTH
Volume of solids
LENGTH*LENGTH
Area of regions and surface area of solids
LENGTH*LENGTH*LENGTH
Bounding box, radii of gyration, centroid, and

perimeter
DENSITY*LENGTH*LENGTH
Moments of inertia, products of inertia, and

principal moments
See Also
Commands
530
MASSPROP
REGION creates a region object from a selection set of

existing objects. SOLID creates solid-filled polygons.
MATCHPROP
Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects
Standard toolbar:
Modify menu: Match Properties
Command line: matchprop or painter (or 'matchprop for transparent use)
Select source object: Select the object whose properties you want to copy
Current active settings: Currently selected matchprop settings
Select destination object(s) or [Settings]: Enter s or select one or more objects to
copy properties to
Destination
Object(s)
Specifies the objects to which you want to copy the

properties of the source object. You can continue
selecting destination objects, or press ENTER to apply
the properties and end the command.
Settings
Displays the Property Settings dialog box (see page

531), in which you can control which object properties
to copy to the destination objects. By default, AutoCAD
selects all object properties in the Property Settings
dialog box for copying.
Property Settings Dialog Box

Specifies properties to be copied with MATCHPROP. Select one or more of the
these settings.
Color
Changes the color of the destination object to that of

the source object. Available for all objects except OLE
objects.
Layer
Changes the layer of the destination object to that of

the source object. Available for all objects except OLE
objects.
Linetype
Changes the linetype of the destination object to that

of the source object. Available for all objects except
attributes, hatches, multiline text, OLE objects, points,
and viewports.
MATCHPROP
531
532
Linetype Scale
Changes the linetype scale factor of the destination

object to that of the source object. Available for all
objects except attributes, hatches, multiline text, OLE
objects, points, and viewports.
Lineweight
Changes the lineweight of the destination object to

that of the source object. Available for all objects.
Thickness
Changes the thickness of the destination object to that

of the source object. Available only for arcs, attributes,
circles, lines, points, 2D polylines, regions, text, and
traces.
Plot Style
Changes the plot style of the destination object to that

of the source object. If you are working in colordependent plot style mode (PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1),
this option is unavailable. Available for all objects
except OLE objects.
Dimension
In addition to basic object properties, changes the

dimension style of the destination object to that of the
source object. Available only for dimension, leader, and
tolerance objects.
Polyline

width and linetype generation properties of the
destination polyline to those of the source polyline.
The fit/smooth property and the elevation of the source
polyline are not transferred to the destination polyline.
If the source polyline has variable width, the width
property is not transferred to the destination polyline.
Text
In addition to basic object properties, changes the text

style of the destination object to that of the source
object. Available only for single-line and multiline text
objects.
Viewport

following properties of the destination paper space
viewport to match those of the source viewport: on/off,
display locking, standard or custom scale, shade plot,
snap, grid, and UCS icon visibility and location. The
settings for clipping and for UCS per viewport and the
freeze/thaw state of the layer are not transferred to the
destination object.
MATCHPROP
Hatch

hatch pattern of the destination object to that of the
source object. Available only for hatch objects.
MATLIB
Imports and exports materials to and from a library of materials
You can import a predefined material from a materials library file (MLI). You
can use a material as is or modify it.
A new drawing contains only the GLOBAL material. The GLOBAL material is a
set of default material values.
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Materials Library
Command line: matlib
The Materials Library dialog box is displayed.
Materials Library Dialog Box

Imports materials into and exports materials from the drawing.
MATLIB
533
Current Drawing
Displays the materials currently in the drawing. A material can be in the
drawing but not assigned to any object. Such a material is called unattached
or unassigned.
In the Current Drawing list, you can save or purge materials. Selecting materials in the Current Library list removes selection from all items selected in
the Current Drawing list and vice versa.
Purge
Deletes all unattached materials from the Current

Drawing list.
Save As
Displays the Library File dialog box (a standard file

selection dialog box), where you can specify the name
of the materials library (MLI) file in which AutoCAD
saves the Current Drawing list.
Current Library
Displays the materials in the currently selected library file. The default library
is render.mli.
Open

selection dialog box), which lists MLI files.
Save
Saves the changes to the MLI file in the current folder.
Save As

selection dialog box), where you can specify the name
of the materials library (MLI) file in which AutoCAD
saves the Current Library list.
Preview
Displays a sample of the material selected in the Current Library list or
Current Drawing list. Use the list to specify whether the sample is applied to
a sphere or a cube. You can preview only one material at a time.
Import
Adds one or more materials selected in the Current Library list to the Current
Drawing list. If you try to import a material already in the Current Drawing
list, AutoCAD displays the Reconcile Imported Material Names dialog box
(see page 535).
534
MATLIB
Export
Adds one or more materials selected in the Current Drawing list to the Current Library list. If you try to export a material already in the Current Library
list, AutoCAD displays the Reconcile Exported Material Names dialog box
(see page 536).
Delete
Deletes materials selected in the Current Drawing list or the Current Library
list.
Reconcile Imported Material Names Dialog Box

Creates and modifies imported material names.
Options
Determines how AutoCAD treats the material you are reconciling and the
objects that are currently attached to that material.
Overwrite
Existing Material
Replaces the material in the Current Drawing list with

the selected material in the Current Library list.
If this option is cleared and you enter different names
for the materials under Old Material in List and New
Material from Library, AutoCAD adds the library
material to the Current Drawing list.
Transfer
Attachments
Attaches the object to the material being imported from

the library. If this option is cleared, AutoCAD keeps the
object attached to the material in the Current Drawing
list.
MATLIB
535
Material Names
Modifies the names of the old and new materials that are being imported.
Old Material in
List
Displays the name of the material in the Current

Drawing list. If Overwrite Existing Material is not
selected, you can edit the name of the material.
New Material
from Library

Library list. You can always edit this name. If Overwrite
Existing Material is not selected, you must enter a
different name for the new material.
OK
Reconciles only the last selected material name and closes the dialog box.
OK to All
Reconciles all materials and closes the dialog box.
Reconcile Exported Material Names Dialog Box

Creates and modifies exported material names.
Options
Determines how AutoCAD treats the material you are reconciling and the
objects selected.
Overwrite
Existing Material
Replaces the material in the Current Library list with

the selected material in the Current Drawing list.
If this option is cleared and you enter different names
under Old Material in Library and New Material from
List, AutoCAD adds the material to the Current Library
list.
536
MATLIB
Material Names
Modifies the names of the old and new materials that are being exported.
Old Material in
Library

Library list. If Overwrite Existing Material is not
selected, you can edit the name of the material.
New Material
from List

Drawing list. You can always edit this name. If
Overwrite Existing Material is not selected, you must
enter a different name for the new material.
OK
Reconciles only the last selected material name and closes the dialog box.
OK to All
Reconciles all materials and closes the dialog box.
See Also
See Use Materials Libraries in the Users Guide.
Commands

ObjectARX applications. RMAT creates, edits,
attaches, and detaches rendering materials.
MEASURE
Places point objects or blocks at measured intervals on an object
Draw menu: Point Measure
Command line: measure
Select object to measure:
Specify length of segment or [Block]: Specify a distance or enter b
The points or blocks drawn by MEASURE are placed in the Previous selection
set, so you can choose them all by entering p at the next Select Objects
prompt. You can use the Node object snap to draw an object by snapping to
the point objects. You can then remove the points by entering erase
previous.
AutoCAD places the markers in the user coordinate system (UCS) of the
object being measured (except for 3D polylines in the current UCS). Markers
are always placed on the object, regardless of the elevation settings.
MEASURE
537
If you use point objects for the markers, you can make the points easier to see
by changing their appearance with the PDMODE system variable.
Length of
Segment
Places point objects at the specified interval along the

selected object, starting at the endpoint closest to the
point you used to select the object.
Measurement of closed polylines starts at their initial
vertex (the first one drawn).
Measurement of circles starts at the angle from the
center set as the current snap rotation angle. If the snap
rotation angle is 0, then the measurement of the circle
starts to the right of center, on its circumference.
segment
length
selected object
The illustration shows how MEASURE marks 0.5-unit

distances along a polyline, with the PDMODE system
variable set to 35.
segment length
select polyline
Block
measure every 0.5 units
Places blocks at a specified interval along the selected

object.
Enter name of block to insert: Enter the name of a block
currently defined in the drawing
Align block with object? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n or
press ENTER
538
MEASURE
If you enter y, the block is rotated about its insertion

point so that its horizontal lines are aligned with, and
drawn tangent to, the object being measured. If you
enter n, the block is always inserted with a 0 rotation
angle.
Specify length of segment:
After you specify the segment length, AutoCAD inserts
the block at the specified interval. If the block has
variable attributes, these attributes are not included.
See Also
See Specify Measured Intervals on Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
BLOCK creates blocks of objects. DIVIDE places evenly

spaced point objects or blocks along the length or
perimeter of a selected object.
System Variables
PDMODE controls the appearance of the point objects.

PDSIZE controls the size of the point objects.
MENU
Loads a menu file
A menu file is a text file containing the AutoCAD command strings and
menu syntax that define the menu labels and menu macros. A menu file can
contain a section for each of these menu areas: drop-down menus, toolbars,
shortcut menus, image tile menus, screen menus, pointing device button
menus, accelerator keys, and digitizer tablet menus.
You can create a customized menu file and use MENU to load the file for use
in AutoCAD.
Command line: menu
The Select Menu File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed. Enter or select a menu file name. When you press ENTER or choose
Open, the named file is loaded into AutoCAD.
See Also
For information about AutoCAD menus, see The Command Window in
the Users Guide.
MENU
539
For information about creating and modifying menu files, see The Menu
File in the Customization Guide.
Commands
MENULOAD loads partial menu files. MENUUNLOAD

unloads partial menu files.
System Variables
MENUNAME stores the name of the currently loaded

menu file. MENUECHO determines whether menu items
and system prompts are displayed on the command
line.
MENULOAD
Loads partial menu files
MENULOAD adds partial menu files to an existing base menu file, such as
acad.mnu. Each menu file (base and partial) has an associated menu group
name. From each menu group, you can access each drop-down menu that
resides in its associated menu file.
After you load the partial menus, you can customize the AutoCAD menu bar
by adding or deleting drop-down menus.
Tools menu: Customize Menus
Command line: menuload
The Menu Customization dialog box is displayed (see page 540).
When FILEDIA is set to 0, MENULOAD displays a prompt on the command line
(see page 543).
Menu Customization Dialog Box

Controls the view of menu groups and menu bars for the AutoCAD window.
Menu Groups Tab (Menu Customization Dialog Box)

Loads or unloads specified menus.
540
MENULOAD
Menu Groups
Lists the currently loaded menu 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 Menu File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box).
Replace All
Removes all existing menu groups from the Menu

Groups list when you load a new file menu.
Unload
Unloads the menu group selected in the Menu 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.
MENULOAD
541
Menu Bar Tab (Menu Customization Dialog Box)

Adds or deletes menus from the menu bar.
542
Menu Group
Displays a selected menu file in the Menu Group list.
Menus
Lists all the menus from the menu group specified in

the Menu Group list.
Menu Bar
Lists all the menus loaded in the AutoCAD window. The

menu at the top of the list corresponds to the leftmost
menu on the menu bar in the AutoCAD window. The
menu at the bottom of the list corresponds to the
rightmost drop-down menu.
Insert
Inserts the menu selected in the Menus list above the

selected menu in the Menu Bar list. If no menu is
selected in the Menu Bar list, the menu selected in the
Menus list is inserted at the top of the Menu Bar list.
Remove
Removes the selected menu from the Menu Bar list.
Remove All
Removes all menus from the menu bar in the AutoCAD

window.
MENULOAD
MENULOAD Command Line

When FILEDIA is set to 0 (off), MENULOAD displays the following prompt on
the command line.
Enter name of menu file to load: Enter a file name
See Also
See The Menu File in the Customization Guide.
Commands
MENUUNLOAD unloads partial menu files.
MENUUNLOAD
Unloads partial menu files
Command line: menuunload
The Menu Customization dialog box (see page 540) is displayed, which has
the same options as MENULOAD. The only difference between the two commands is in the command line prompts.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (off), MENUUNLOAD displays the following prompt
Enter the name of the MENUGROUP to unload: Enter a name
See Also
See The Menu File in the Customization Guide.
Commands
MENULOAD loads partial menu files.
MENUUNLOAD
543
MINSERT
Inserts multiple instances of a block in a rectangular array
Blocks inserted using MINSERT cannot be exploded.
Command line: minsert
Enter block name or [?]: Enter a name, enter ? to list the currently defined blocks
in the drawing, or enter ~ to display the Select Drawing File dialog box
Note You cannot precede the name of a block with an asterisk to explode the
blocks objects during insertion, as you can with INSERT.
Options at the insertion point preset the scale and rotation of a block before
you specify its position. Presetting is useful for dragging a block using a scale
factor and a rotation other than 1 or 0. If you enter one of the options,
respond to the AutoCAD prompts by specifying a distance for the scale
options or an angle for rotation.
Insertion Point
Specifies a location for the blocks.
X Scale Factor
Sets X and Y scale factors.

Enter a value or
The rotation angle sets the angle of the individual block

inserts and also sets the angle of the entire array.
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value
If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays
the following prompt:
544
MINSERT
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---):

Enter a value, or specify two points to define a box whose
width and height represent the distance between rows and
between columns
If you specify more than one column and no unit cell,
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value
or specify a distance
Corner
Sets the scale factor by using the block insertion point

and the opposite corner.
between columns
MINSERT
545
XYZ
Sets X, Y, and Z scale factors.

Specify X scale factor or [Corner] <1>: Enter a value or
If you enter c, you specify a corner point. The specified
point and the block insertion point determine the X
and Y scale factors.
value or press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Enter Z scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
between columns
Scale
546
MINSERT
The rotation angle sets the angle of the individual block inserts and also sets
the angle of the entire array.
If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---): Enter a value, or specify
two points to define a box whose width and height represent the distance between
rows and between columns
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value or specify a distance
X
If you specify more than one column and no unit cell, AutoCAD displays the
following prompt:
MINSERT
547
Y
following prompt:
Z
548
MINSERT
following prompt:
Rotate
Sets the angle of insertion for both the individual blocks and the entire array.
enter an option or press ENTER
X Scale Factor

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
Enter a value or specify a distance
MINSERT
549
Corner
Sets the scale factor by the specified point and the block
insertion point.
XYZ

You can determine the X and Y scale factors by entering
a scale factor value or by specifying a corner point. If
you specify a corner point, the specified point and the
block insertion point determine the X and Y scale
factors for the block.
550
MINSERT
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.
The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match those
of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 549).
PX
Sets the scale factor for the X axis to control the display of the block as it is
PY
Sets the scale factor for the Y axis to control the display of the block as it is
MINSERT
551
PZ
Sets the scale factor for the Z axis to control the display of the block as it is
PRotate
Sets the rotation angle of the block as it is dragged into position.
See Also
See Insert Blocks, in the Users Guide.
Commands
ARRAY creates multiple copies of selected objects in a

rectangular or polar pattern. INSERT places a block or
drawing inside the current drawing.
552
MINSERT
MIRROR
Creates a mirror image copy of objects
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Mirror
Command line: mirror
objects selected
2
Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER to finish
Specify first point of mirror line: Specify a point (1)
Specify second point of mirror line: Specify a point (2)
The two specified points become the endpoints of a line about which the
selected objects are reflected. In 3D, this line orients a mirroring plane perpendicular to the XY plane of the user coordinate system (UCS) containing
the mirror line.
Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
original objects
deleted
original objects
retained
Yes
Places the reflected image into the drawing and deletes

the original objects.
No
Places the reflected image into the drawing and retains

the original objects.
To manage the reflection properties of text objects, use the MIRRTEXT system
variable. The default setting of MIRRTEXT is 1 (on), which causes a text object
to be mirrored just like any other object. When MIRRTEXT is off (0), text is not
mirrored.
before mirroring
after mirroring
(MIRRTEXT=1)
after mirroring
(MIRRTEXT=0)
See Also
See Mirror Objects in the Users Guide.
System Variables
MIRRTEXT controls whether text is reflected with the

MIRROR command.
MIRROR
553
MIRROR3D
Creates a mirror image of objects about a plane
Modify menu: 3D Operation Mirror 3D
Command line: mirror3d
Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER to finish
Specify first point of mirror plane (3 points) or [Object/Last/Zaxis/View/XY/YZ/
ZX/3points] <3points>: Enter an option, specify a point, or press ENTER
Object
Uses the plane of a selected planar object as the

mirroring plane.
Select a circle, arc or 2D-polyline segment:
Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER
If you enter y, AutoCAD places the reflected object into
the drawing and deletes the original objects. If you
enter n or press ENTER , AutoCAD places the reflected
object into the drawing and retains the original objects.
select object as
mirroring plane
Last
Mirrors the selected objects about the last defined

mirroring plane.
press ENTER
Z Axis
Defines the mirroring plane by a point on the plane and

a point normal to the plane.
Specify point on mirror plane: Specify a point (1)
Specify point on Z-axis (normal) of mirror plane: Specify
a point (2)
press ENTER
554
MIRROR3D

View
Aligns the mirroring plane with the viewing plane of

the current viewport through a point.
Specify point on view plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point or
press ENTER
press ENTER
XY/YZ/ZX
Aligns the mirroring plane with one of the standard

planes (XY, YZ, or ZX) through a specified point.
Specify point on (XY, YZ, ZX) plane <0,0,0>: Specify a
point (1) or press ENTER
1
XY
1
YZ
ZX

press ENTER
3 Points
Defines the mirroring plane by three points. If you

select this option by specifying a point, AutoCAD does
not display the First Point on Mirror Plane prompt.
Specify first point on mirror plane: Enter a point (1)
Specify second point on mirror plane: Enter a point (2)
Specify third point on mirror plane: Enter a point (3)
press ENTER
MIRROR3D
555

See Also
See Mirror Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
ROTATE3D rotates an object about an arbitrary 3D axis.
MIRROR creates a mirror image of objects about a mir-
roring plane perpendicular to the XY plane of the UCS

containing a specified mirror line.
MLEDIT
Edits multiple parallel lines
Multiple parallel lines are called multilines. MLEDIT controls intersections
between multilines.
Modify menu: Object Multiline
Command line: mledit
AutoCAD displays the Multiline Edit Tools dialog box.
Multiline Edit Tools Dialog Box

Creates and modifies multiline patterns. The dialog box displays sample
images in four columns. The first column governs multilines that cross, the
second governs multilines that form a tee, the third governs corner joints and
vertices, and the fourth governs multilines to be cut or joined.
556
MLEDIT
You can click any of the image samples to display a brief description in the
lower-left corner of the dialog box.
Closed Cross
Creates a closed-cross intersection between two multilines. After you select
the sample image, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Select first mline: Select the foreground multiline
Select second mline: Select the intersecting multiline
AutoCAD completes the closed-cross intersection and displays the following
prompt:
Select first mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u
First Mline
first mline selected
Undo
Edits another multiline. AutoCAD displays the Select

Second Mline prompt.
second mline selected
result
Undoes the closed-cross intersection. AutoCAD

displays the Select First Mline prompt.
Open Cross
Creates an open-cross intersection between two multilines. AutoCAD breaks
all elements of the first multiline and only the outside elements of the second
multiline. After you select the sample image, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Select first mline: Select a multiline
AutoCAD completes the open-cross intersection and displays the following
prompt:
Select first mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u
First Mline

MLEDIT
557
Undo
result
Undoes the open-cross intersection. AutoCAD displays

the Select First Mline prompt.
Merged Cross
Creates a merged-cross intersection between two multilines. The order in
which you select the multilines is not important. After you select the sample
image, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Select first mline: Select a multiline
AutoCAD completes the merged-cross intersection and displays the following prompt:
Select first mline or [Undo]:
First Mline
Undo
Select another multiline or enter u

result
Undoes the merged-cross intersection. AutoCAD

displays the Select First Mline prompt.
Closed Tee
Creates a closed-tee intersection between two multilines. AutoCAD trims or
extends the first multiline to its intersection with the second multiline. After
you select the sample image, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
558
MLEDIT
Select first mline: Select the multiline to trim

AutoCAD completes the closed-tee intersection and displays the following
prompt:
Select first mline (or Undo): Select another multiline or enter u
First Mline
Undo

result
Undoes the closed-tee intersection. AutoCAD displays

Open Tee
Creates an open-tee intersection between two multilines. AutoCAD trims or
extends the first multiline to its intersection with the second multiline. After
you select the sample image, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Select first mline: Select the multiline to trim or extend
AutoCAD completes the open-tee intersection and displays the following
prompt:
First Mline

result
MLEDIT
559
Undo
Undoes the open-tee intersection. AutoCAD displays

Merged Tee
Creates a merged-tee intersection between two multilines. AutoCAD trims or
extends the multiline to its intersection with the other multiline. After you
select the sample image, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
AutoCAD completes the merged-tee intersection and displays the following
prompt:
First Mline
Undo

result
Undoes the merged-tee intersection. AutoCAD displays

Corner Joint
Creates a corner joint between multilines. AutoCAD trims or extends the
multilines to their intersection. After you select the sample image, AutoCAD
displays the following prompt:
Select second mline: Select the second half of the corner
AutoCAD completes the corner joint and displays the following prompt:
First Mline
560
MLEDIT

Undo
result
Undoes the corner joint. AutoCAD displays the Select

First Mline prompt.
Add Vertex
Adds a vertex to a multiline. After you select the sample image, AutoCAD
Select mline: Select a multiline
AutoCAD adds the vertex at the selected point and displays the following
prompt:
Select mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u
Mline

Mline prompt again.
mline selected
Undo
result
Removes the added vertex. AutoCAD displays the Select

Mline prompt.
Delete Vertex
Deletes a vertex from a multiline. After you select the sample image,
MLEDIT
561
AutoCAD deletes the vertex nearest to the selected point and displays the
following prompt:
Mline

Mline prompt again.
mline selected
Undo
result
Restores the deleted vertex. AutoCAD displays the

Select Mline prompt.
Cut Single
Cuts a selected element of a multiline. After you select the sample image,
AutoCAD uses the selection point on the multiline as the first cut point and
Select second point: Specify the second cut point on the multiline
AutoCAD cuts the element and displays the following prompt:
Mline
mline selected
Undo
562
MLEDIT

Mline prompt again.
second point selected
result
Undoes the cut. AutoCAD displays the Select Mline

prompt.
Cut All
Cuts a multiline in two. After you select the sample image, AutoCAD displays
AutoCAD uses the selected point on the multiline as the first cut point and
Select second point: Specify the second cut point on the multiline
AutoCAD cuts all elements of the multiline and displays the following
prompt:
Mline
mline selected
Undo

Mline prompt again.
result
Undoes the cut. AutoCAD displays the Select Mline

prompt.
Weld All
Rejoins multiline segments that have been cut. After you select the sample
image, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
AutoCAD uses the selected point on the multiline as the start of the weld and
Select second point: Specify the end of the weld on the multiline
MLEDIT
563
AutoCAD welds the multiline and displays the following prompt:

Mline

Mline prompt again.
mline selected
Undo
result
Undoes the weld. AutoCAD displays the Select Mline

prompt.
See Also
See Modify Multilines in the Users Guide.
Commands
MLINE creates multilines. MLSTYLE creates, loads, and

sets multiline styles.
System Variables
CMLJUST stores the justification of the current multiline. CMLSCALE stores the scale of the current multiline.
CMLSTYLE stores the name of the current multiline
style.
MLINE
Creates multiple parallel lines
Multiple parallel lines are called multilines.
Draw menu: Multiline
Command line: mline
Current settings: Justification = current, Scale = current, Style = current
Specify start point or [Justification/Scale/STyle]: Specify a point or enter an option
564
MLINE
Start Point
Specifies the next vertex of the multiline.
Specify next point:
If you create a multiline with two or more segments, AutoCAD displays a
prompt that includes the Close option.
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]:
Next Point
Draws a multiline segment to the specified point using

the current multiline style and continues to prompt for
points.
Undo
Undoes the last vertex point on the multiline.

AutoCAD redisplays the previous prompt.
Close
Closes the multiline by joining the last segments with

the first segments.
Justification
Determines how the multiline is drawn between the points you specify.
Enter justification type [Top/Zero/Bottom] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
top
Top
Draws the multiline below the cursor, so that the line

with the most positive offset is at the specified points.
Zero
Draws the multiline with its origin centered at the

cursor, so that the MLSTYLE Element Properties offset of
0.0 is at the specified points.
Bottom
Draws the multiline above the cursor, so that the line

with the most negative offset is at the specified points.
zero
Scale
bottom
Controls the overall width of the multiline. This scale does not affect linetype scale.
Enter mline scale <current>: Enter a scale or press ENTER
MLINE
565
The scale factor is based on the width established in the multiline style
definition. A scale factor of 2 produces a multiline twice as wide as the style
definition. A negative scale factor flips the order of the offset linethe
smallest on top when the multiline is drawn from left to right. A negative
scale value also alters the scale by the absolute value. A scale factor of 0
collapses the multiline into a single line. For information about the multiline
style definition, see MLSTYLE.
scale at 1
scale at 2
Style
Specifies a style to use for the multiline. See Draw Multiple-Line Objects in
the Users Guide, and see MLSTYLE.
Enter mline style name or [?]: Enter a name or enter ?
Style Name
Specifies the name of a style that has already been

loaded or thats defined in a multiline library (MLN) file
youve created.
?List Styles
Lists the loaded multiline styles.
See Also
See Draw Multiple-Line Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
MLEDIT edits multilines. MLSTYLE creates, loads, and

sets multiline styles.
System Variables
CMLJUST stores the justification of the current multiline. CMLSCALE stores the scale of the current multiline.
CMLSTYLE stores the name of the current multiline
style.
MLSTYLE
Defines a style for multiple parallel lines
Multilines comprise up to 16 lines called elements. The multiline style controls the number of elements and the properties of each element. MLSTYLE
also controls the background color and the end caps of each multiline.
Format menu: Multiline Style
Command line: mlstyle
AutoCAD displays the Multiline Styles dialog box.
566
MLSTYLE
Multiline Styles Dialog Box

Defines the style and properties of multilines. The Multiline Styles dialog box
displays multiline style names, makes them current, loads them from a file,
and saves, adds, and renames them. You can also create or edit a description
of a style.
Current
Displays and sets the current multiline style. Select a

name from the list to make it current. If there are
multiple styles, the name of the current style is selected.
The list of multiline styles can include externally
referenced multiline stylesthat is, multiline styles
that exist in an externally referenced drawing (xref).
AutoCAD displays externally referenced multiline style
names using the same syntax it uses for other externally
dependent nongraphical objects. See Overview of
External References in the Users Guide.
Note You cannot edit the element and multiline
properties of the STANDARD multiline style or any
multiline style that is being used in the drawing. If you try
to edit the options in either the Element Properties dialog
box (see page 569) or the Multiline Properties dialog box
(see page 570), the options are unavailable. To edit an
existing multiline style, you must do so before you draw
any multilines in that style.
MLSTYLE
567
Name
Names a new multiline style or renames one. The

element and multiline properties are unavailable until
you enter a new name and make it current by choosing
Add.
Enter a name and choose Add, and then save the
multiline style to a multiline library (MLN) file.
AutoCAD saves the definition in the MLN file you
specify. If you specify an MLN file that already exists,
the new style definition is added to the file and existing
definitions are not erased. The default file name is
acad.mln.
To rename a style, enter a name and choose Rename.
You cannot rename, modify, or delete the default
STANDARD multiline style. To make a copy of the
current style, enter a name and then choose Save.
Multiline style names adhere to the naming
conventions for named objects.
Description
Adds a description to a multiline style. Enter up to 255

characters, including spaces.
Load
Displays the Load Multiline Styles dialog box (see page

569), in which you can load multiline styles from a
specified MLN file.
Save
Saves or copies a multiline style. Enter a name and then

choose Save.
Add
Adds the multiline style in Name to the Current list.
Rename
Renames a multiline style. Enter a name and then

choose Rename.
Element
Properties
Displays the Element Properties dialog box (see page

569).
You cannot edit the element properties of an existing
multiline style.
Multiline
Properties
568
MLSTYLE
Displays the Multiline Properties dialog box (see page

570).
Load Multiline Styles Dialog Box

Loads a multiline style from an MLN file. The default file name is acad.mln.
If acad.mln does not exist, or if it exists but AutoCAD cannot find it, choose
File to specify another file or file location.
File
Displays a standard file selection dialog box in which

you can locate and select another library file.
List
Lists the multiline styles available in the current library

file. To load another multiline style, select a style from
the list and choose OK.
Element Properties Dialog Box

Sets the properties, such as the number, offset, color, and linetype, of new
and existing multiline elements.
Elements
Displays all the line elements in the current multiline

style. Each line element in the style is defined by its
offset from the multiline origin (0.0), color, and
linetype. The line elements are always displayed in
descending order of their offsets.
Add
Adds a new line element to the multiline style. Not

available until color or linetype has been selected for a
multiline style other than STANDARD.
Delete
Deletes a line element from the multiline style.
Offset
Specifies the offset for line elements in the multiline

style.
MLSTYLE
569
0.0
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.45
a four-element multiline, each element offset from 0.0
Color
Displays and sets the color for line elements in the

multiline style. When you choose Color or the color
swatch, AutoCAD displays the Select Color dialog box
(see page 169). You can use the Select Color dialog box
to define the color of objects by selecting from the 255
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, True Colors, and
Color Book colors.
Linetype
Displays and sets the linetype for line elements in the

multiline style. When you choose Linetype, AutoCAD
displays the Select Linetype Properties dialog box,
which displays loaded linetypes. Select a linetype from
this dialog box. To load a new linetype, choose Load.
AutoCAD displays the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog
box (see page 509) for loading selected linetypes into
the drawing from linetype files.
Multiline Properties Dialog Box

Sets the multiline properties, such as the display of segment joints, the start
and end caps and their angle, and the background color.
570
MLSTYLE
Display Joints
Controls the display of the joints at the vertices of each multiline segment.
A joint is also known as a miter.
Display Joints off
Display Joints on
Caps
Controls the start and end caps of the multiline.
Line
Creates a straight line across each end of the multiline.
without Line
Outer Arc
with Line
Creates an arc between the outermost elements of the

multiline.
without Outer Arc
with Outer Arc
MLSTYLE
571
Inner Arcs
Creates an arc between pairs of inner elements. If

theres an odd number of elements, the center line is
unconnected. For example, if there are six elements,
inner arcs connect elements 2 and 5 and elements 3 and
4. If there are seven elements, inner arcs connect
elements 2 and 6 and elements 3 and 5. Element 4 is left
unconnected.
without Inner Arc
Angle
with Inner Arc
Specifies the angle of the end caps.
without Angle
with Angle
Fill
Controls the background fill of the multiline.
On
Turns background fill on.
Color
Displays and sets the color of the background fill. When

you choose Color or the color swatch, AutoCAD
displays the Select Color dialog box (see page 169).
See Also
See Modify Multilines in the Users Guide.
Commands
MLEDIT edits multilines. MLINE creates multilines.
System Variables
CMLJUST stores the justification of the current

multiline. CMLSCALE stores the scale of the current
multiline. CMLSTYLE stores the name of the current
multiline style.
572
MLSTYLE
MODEL
Switches from a layout tab to the Model tab
Command line: model
On the Model tab, you can create drawings in model space. The Model tab
automatically sets the TILEMODE system variable to 1, and you can create
model viewports to display various views of your drawing. Once youve completed your drawing, you can choose a layout tab to begin designing a layout
environment from which to plot.
For possible performance gains when you switch between layout tabs or
between the Model tab and a layout tab, use the LAYOUTREGENCTL system
variable to control how the display list is updated.
Note The Model tab replaces the TILE button that appeared on the status bar
in earlier releases of AutoCAD.
See Also
See Work in Paper Space and Model Space in the Users Guide.
System Variables
LAYOUTREGENCTL specifies how the display list is
updated in the Model and layout tabs.
MOVE
Displaces objects a specified distance in a specified direction
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Move
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to move, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Move.
Command line: move
Specify base point or displacement: Specify a base point (1)
Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as displacement>:
Specify a point (2) or press ENTER
MODEL
573
1
2
object selected
object moved
The two points you specify define a displacement vector that indicates how
far the selected objects are to be moved and in what direction. If you press
ENTER at the Specify Second Point of Displacement prompt, the first point is
interpreted as relative X,Y,Z displacement. For example, if you specify 2,3 for
the base point and press ENTER at the next prompt, the object moves 2 units
in the X direction and 3 units in the Y direction from its current position.
See Also
See Move Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
COPY duplicates objects.
MREDO
Reverses the effects of several previous UNDO or U commands
Reverses the action of multiple UNDO commands. To redo more than one
action at a time, click the arrow next to the Redo button on the Standard
toolbar, and then select the last in the sequence of actions you want to redo.
Standard toolbar:
Command line: mredo
Enter number of actions or [All/Last]: Specify an option, enter a positive number,
or press ENTER
574
Number of
Actions
Reverses the specified number of actions.
All
Reverses all previous actions.
Last
Reverses only the last action.
MREDO
MSLIDE
Creates a slide file of the current model viewport or the current layout
Command line: mslide
The Create Slide File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Enter a file name or select a slide (SLD) file from the list. A slide
file is a raster image of a viewport.
In model space, MSLIDE makes a slide file of the current viewport only. In
paper space, MSLIDE makes a slide file of the paper space display, including
all viewports and their contents.
Off-screen portions of the drawing, or layers that are off or frozen, are not
included in the slide.
Use the VSLIDE command to view slides, or the SLIDELIB utility to create a
slide library.
When you view slides of images shaded with the -SHADE command in a larger
window or at 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 slides.
See Also
See Prepare Slides for Image Tile Menus in the Customization Guide.
Commands
VSLIDE displays slide files in the current viewport.
Utilities
SLIDELIB creates slide library (SLB) files. This utility is
found in the AutoCAD Support directory.
MSPACE
Switches from paper space to a model space viewport
AutoCAD operates in either model space or paper space. You use model space
(the Model tab) to do drafting and design work and to create two-dimensional drawings or three-dimensional models. You use paper space (a layout
tab) to create a finished layout of a drawing for plotting.
MSLIDE
575
When you are in a layout, you can enter mspace on the command line to
make the last viewport in the layout current, and then work in model space
in that viewport within the layout. You can switch to model space by doubleclicking a viewport, and you can switch to paper space by double-clicking an
area of paper space.
Command line: mspace
See Also
See Work in Paper Space and Model Space in the Users Guide.
Commands
PSPACE switches from model space to paper space.

VPORTS creates a new viewport object and turns on
existing viewport objects. VPLAYER sets the visibility for
layers in specific viewports.

System Variables
PSVPSCALE sets the default viewport scale factor applied

to newly created viewports. PSLTSCALE controls paper
space linetype scaling. VISRETAIN specifies precedence
of settings for external reference layers. MAXACTVP
specifies the maximum number of viewports to regenerate. DIMLFAC controls scaling for linear dimensioning
measurements.
MTEXT
Creates multiline text
MTEXT creates paragraphs that fit within a boundary that defines the width
of the paragraph and its location in the drawing. Each multiline text (mtext)
object is a single object, regardless of the number of lines it contains. The text
boundary, although not plotted, printed, or displayed, remains part of the
objects framework.
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Text Multiline Text
Command line: mtext
Current text style: current Text height: current
Specify first corner:
Specify opposite corner or [Height/Justify/Line spacing/Rotation/Style/Width]:
After you specify the point for the opposite corner, the Multiline Text Editor
is displayed.
576
MTEXT
If you specify one of the other options, or if you enter -mtext at the Command prompt, MTEXT bypasses the Multiline Text Editor and displays
additional prompts on the command line (see page 585).
Multiline Text Editor

Creates or modifies multiline text objects and imports or pastes text from
other files.
text style
user set tab stop
font
stack/unstack
text
text height
text color
ruler
default tab stops
paragraph indent marker
first line indent marker
save changes and

close the editor
The Multiline Text Editor includes a Text Formatting toolbar and a shortcut
menu.
Text Formatting Toolbar

Controls the text style for the multiline text object and the character formatting for selected text.
Style
Applies a text style to the multiline text object. The

current style is saved in the TEXTSTYLE system
variable.
Character formatting for font, height, and bold or italic
attributes is overridden if you apply a new style to an
existing multiline text object. 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 Multiline Text Editor.
MTEXT
577
Font
Specifies a font for new text or changes the font of

selected text. TrueType fonts are listed by font family
name. AutoCAD compiled shape (SHX) fonts are listed
by the name of the file in which the fonts are stored.
Custom fonts or third-party fonts are displayed in the
editor with Autodesk-supplied proxy fonts. A sample
drawing (truetype.dwg) showing each font is provided in
the sample directory.
Text Height
Sets the character height in drawing units for new text

or changes the height of selected text. If the current text
style has no fixed height, the text height is the value
stored in the TEXTSIZE system variable. A multiline text
object can contain characters of various heights.
Bold
Turns on and off bold formatting for new or selected

text. This option is available only for characters using
TrueType fonts.
Italic
Turns on and off italic formatting for new or selected

text. This option is available only for characters using
TrueType fonts.
Underline
Turns on and off underlining for new or selected text.
Undo
Undoes actions in the Multiline Text Editor, including

changes to either text content or text formatting. You
can also use CTRL + Z .
Redo
Redoes actions in the Multiline Text Editor, including

changes to either text content or text formatting. You
can also use CTRL + Y .
Stack
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 leftjustified 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
578
MTEXT
characters above the diagonal fraction bar are bottomright 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
colors in the color list or click Other to open the Select
Color dialog box (see page 169).
Close
Closes the Multiline Text Editor and saves any changes

that you made. You can also click in the drawing
outside the editor to save changes and exit the editor.
To close the Multiline Text Editor without saving
changes, press ESC .
Multiline Text Editor Shortcut Menu

Provides standard editing options and options specific to multiline text
(mtext). Right-click in the Multiline Text Editor to display the shortcut
menu. The options at the top of the menu are basic editing options: Undo,
Redo, Cut, Copy, and Paste. The following options are specific to the Multiline Text Editor.
Indents and Tabs
Displays the Indents and Tabs dialog box (see page

581), where you can set indentation for the paragraph
and also set up tab stops. You can use different
indentation for the first line and the remaining lines in
the paragraph.
Set Mtext Width
Displays the Set Mtext Width dialog box, in which you

can specify a width for the multiline text object in
drawing units.
Justification
Sets justification and alignment for the multiline text

object. Top Left is the default setting. Spaces entered at
the end of a line are included as part of the 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
Justify Multiline Text in the Users Guide for an
illustration of the nine justification options.
Find and Replace
Displays the Replace dialog box (see page 582).
MTEXT
579
Select All
Selects all the text in the multiline text object.
Change Case
Changes the case of selected text. Options are

Uppercase or Lowercase.
AutoCAPS
Converts all newly typed and imported text to

uppercase. AutoCAPS does not affect existing text. To
change the case of existing text, select the text, rightclick, and click Change Case on the shortcut menu.
Remove
Formatting
Removes bold, italic, or underline formatting from the

selected text.
Combine
Paragraphs
Combines selected paragraphs into a single paragraph

and replaces each paragraph return with a space.
Stack/Unstack
Stacks text if any of the stack characters are contained

in the selected text. Unstacks text if stacked text is
selected.
Properties
Displays the Stack Properties dialog box (see page 582).
Symbol
Inserts a listed symbol or nonbreaking space at the

cursor position. Symbols can also be inserted
manually. See Unicode Strings, Control Codes, and
Special Characters on page 589.
Click Other in the Symbols list to display the Character
Map dialog box, which contains the entire character set
for the current font. To insert a character from the
dialog box, select it and click Select. Select all the
characters you want to use and then click Copy. Rightclick in the Multiline Text Editor and click Paste on the
shortcut menu.
Note In the Multiline Text Editor, the diameter symbol is
displayed as %%c and the nonbreaking space is displayed
as a hollow rectange. Both are displayed correctly in the
drawing.
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.
Import Text
580
MTEXT
Displays the Select File dialog box (a standard file

selection dialog box). Select any file that is in ASCII or
RTF format. Imported text retains its original character
formatting and style properties, but you can edit and

format the imported text in the Multiline Text Editor.
After you select a text file to import, you can replace
either selected text or all text, or append the inserted
text to text selected within the text boundary. The file
size for imported text is limited to 32K.
The Multiline Text Editor automatically sets the text
color to BYLAYER. When black characters are inserted
and the background color is black, the Multiline Text
Editor automatically changes to white or the current
color.
Note An Excel spreadsheet imported into an AutoCAD
drawing is truncated at 72 rows unless the spreadsheet
was created in Office 2002 with service pack 2 installed.
The same limitation applies when the drawing that
contains the OLE object is opened on a system with an
earlier version of Office installed: the spreadsheet is
truncated.
Help
Displays the MTEXT topic in the Help system.
Indents and Tabs Dialog Box

Sets indentation for paragraphs and the first lines of paragraphs and sets tab
stops. You can also set indentation by moving the sliders on the ruler and set
tab stops by clicking on the ruler.
Indentation
Sets indentation in the paragraph where the cursor is located or in selected
paragraphs.
First Line
Sets indentation for the first line of the current

paragraph or selected paragraphs.
Paragraph
Sets indentation for the current paragraph or selected

paragraphs.
Tab Stop Position

Sets tab positions for the current paragraph or selected paragraphs. The list
below the text box shows the current tab stops.
Set
Copies the value in the Tab Stop Position box to the list below the box.
Clear
Removes the selected tab stop from the list.
MTEXT
581
Replace Dialog Box

Searches for specified text strings and replaces them with new text.
Find What
Defines the text string to search for.
Replace With
Defines the text string to replace the text in Find What.
Find Button
Starts a search for the text string in Find What. To

continue the search, click Find again.
Replace Button
Replaces the highlighted text with the text in Replace

With.
Replace All
Finds all instances of the text specified in Find What

and replaces it with the text in Replace With.
Match Whole
Word Only
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, AutoCAD finds a match for
text strings whether they are single words or parts of
other words.
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 What.
When this option is cleared, AutoCAD finds a match for
specified text strings regardless of case.
Stack Properties Dialog Box

Edits the text, stack type, alignment, and size of stacked text. To open the
Stack Properties dialog box, select the stacked text, right-click, and click
Properties on the shortcut menu.
You can edit the upper and lower text separately. The Appearance options
control the stack style, position, and text size of the stacked text.
582
MTEXT
Text
Changes the upper and lower numbers of a stacked fraction.
Upper
Edits the number in the upper part or first half of a

stacked fraction.
Lower
Edits the number in the lower part or second half of a

stacked fraction.
Appearance
Edits the style, position, or text size of a stacked fraction.
Style
Specifies a style format for stacked text.
Tolerance
Stacks the selected text with the first number on top of

the second number. There is no line between the
numbers.
Fraction
(Horizontal)

the second number separated by a horizontal line.
Fraction
(Diagonal)

the second number separated by a diagonal line.
Note Releases of AutoCAD earlier than AutoCAD 2000 do
not support diagonal fractions. If a multiline text object
contains diagonal fractions, the fractions are converted to
horizontal fractions when you save the drawing to preAutoCAD 2000 releases. Diagonal fractions are restored
when the drawing is re-opened in AutoCAD 2000 or a
later release. If a single multiline text object contains both
horizontal and diagonal fractions, all fractions are
converted to diagonal fractions when the drawing is
reopened in AutoCAD 2000 or a later release.
Position
Specifies how fractions are aligned. Center alignment is the default. All
stacked text in an object uses the same alignment.
Top
Aligns the top of the fraction with the top of the text
line.
Center
Centers the fraction vertically at the center of the text

line.
Bottom
Aligns the bottom of the fraction with the text baseline.
MTEXT
583
Text Size
Controls the size of the stacked text as a percentage of the size of the current
text style (from 25 to 125 percent). Default text size is 70 percent.
Defaults
Saves the new settings as defaults or restores the previous default values to
the current stacked text.
AutoStack Button
Displays the AutoStack Properties dialog box. AutoStack only stacks numeric
characters immediately before and after the carat, slash, and pound characters. To stack nonnumeric characters, or text that includes spaces, select the
text and choose the Stack button.
AutoStack Properties Dialog Box

Turns on automatic stacking, removes leading blank spaces before stacked
text, specifies whether the slash character converts to diagonal or horizontal
fractions, and suppresses display of the AutoStack Properties dialog box.
584
Enable
AutoStacking
Automatically stacks numeric characters entered

before and after the carat, slash, or pound character.
For example, if you type 1#3 followed by a nonnumeric
character or space, the text is automatically stacked as
a diagonal fraction.
Remove Leading
Blank
Removes blanks between a whole number and a

fraction. This option is available only when
AutoStacking is turned on.
Convert It to a
Diagonal Fraction
Converts the slash character to a diagonal fraction

when AutoStack is on.
MTEXT
Convert It to a
Horizontal
Fraction
Converts the slash character to a horizontal fraction

when AutoStack is on.
Dont Show This

Dialog Again;
Always Use These
Settings
Suppresses display of the AutoStack Properties dialog

box. The current property settings are used for all
stacked text. When this option is cleared, the AutoStack
Properties dialog box is automatically displayed if you
type two numbers separated by a slash, carat, or pound
sign followed by a space or nonnumeric character.
Note Whether AutoStack is on or off, the pound

character is always converted to a diagonal fraction, and
the carat character is always converted to a tolerance
format.
Note To display the AutoStack Properties dialog box when you have suppressed automatic display, select stacked text, right-click, and click Properties on
the shortcut menu. In the Stack Properties dialog box, click AutoStack.
MTEXT Command Line

If you enter -mtext at the Command prompt, MTEXT bypasses the Multiline
Text Editor and displays additional prompts on the command line.
Current text style: current Text height: current
Specify opposite corner or [Height/Justify/Line spacing/Rotation/Style/Width]:
Opposite Corner
As you drag the pointing device to specify the opposite corner, a rectangle is
displayed to show the location and size of the multiline text object. Arrows
within the rectangle indicate the direction of the paragraph's text flow.
Height
Specifies the text height to use for multiline text characters.
Specify height <current>:
The default height, if nonzero, is the height of the current style; otherwise,
it is the height stored in the TEXTSIZE system variable. Character height is calculated in drawing units. Changing the height updates the value stored in
TEXTSIZE.
MTEXT
585
Justify
Determines both text justification and text flow, for new or selected text, in
relation to the text boundary. The current justification (Top Left, by default)
is applied to new text. The text is justified within the specified rectangle
based on the justification setting and one of nine justification points on the
rectangle. The justification point is based on the first point used to specify
the rectangle. Text is center-, left-, or right-justified with respect to the left
and right text boundaries. Spaces entered at the end of a line are included as
part of the text and affect the justification of the line. Text flow controls
whether text is aligned from the middle, the top, or the bottom of the paragraph with respect to the top and bottom text boundaries.
Enter justification [TL/TC/TR/ML/MC/MR/BL/BC/BR] <TL>:
Justify options
Option
Meaning
TL
Top Left
TC
Top Center
TR
Top Right
ML
Middle Left
MC
Middle Center
MR
Middle Right
BL
Bottom Left
BC
Bottom Center
BR
Bottom Right
The following illustrations show each justification option.
586
MTEXT
top left:
left-justified,
spills down
top center:
center-justified,
spills down
top right:
right-justified,
spills down
middle left:
left-justified,
spills up and down
middle center:
center-justified,
spills up and down
middle right:
right-justified,
spills up and down
bottom left:
left-justified,
spills up
bottom center:
center-justified,
spills up
bottom right:
right-justified,
spills up
Line Spacing
Specifies line spacing for the multiline text object. Line spacing is the vertical
distance between the bottom (or baseline) of one line of text and the bottom
of the next line of text.
Note Exact spacing is recommended when you use MTEXT to create a table.
Use a smaller text height than the specified line spacing to ensure that text does
not overlap.
Enter line spacing type [At least/Exactly] <current>:
MTEXT
587
At Least
Adjusts lines of text automatically based on the height

of the largest character in the line. When At Least is
selected, lines of text with taller characters have added
space between lines.
Enter line spacing factor or distance <current>:
Spacing Factor: Sets the line spacing to a multiple of

single-line spacing.
Single spacing is 1.66 times the height of the text
characters. You enter the spacing increment as a
number followed by x to indicate a multiple of
single spacing. For example, specify single spacing
by entering 1x, or specify double spacing by entering
2x.
Exactly
Distance: Sets the line spacing to an absolute value

measured in drawing units. Valid values must be
between 0.0833 (0.25x) and 1.3333 (4x).
Forces the line spacing to be the same for all lines of text
in the multiline text object. Spacing is based on the text
height of the object or text style.
Enter line spacing factor or distance <current>:
Spacing Factor: Sets the line spacing to a multiple of

single-line spacing.
Single spacing is 1.66 times the height of the text
characters. You can enter a spacing factor as a
number followed by x to indicate a multiple of
single spacing. For example, specify single spacing
by entering 1x, or specify double spacing by entering
2x.
Distance: Sets the line spacing to an absolute value

measured in drawing units. Valid values must be
between 0.0833 (0.25x) and 1.3333 (4x).
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the text boundary.
Specify rotation angle <current>: Specify a point or enter a value
If you use the pointing device to specify a point, the rotation angle is determined by the angle between the X axis and the line defined by the most
recently entered point (default 0,0,0) and the specified point.
588
MTEXT
AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt until you specify the opposite
corner of the text boundary.
Style
Specifies the text style to use for multiline text.
Enter style name or [?] <current>:
Style Name
Specifies a text style name. Text styles can be defined

and saved using the STYLE command.
?List Styles
Lists text style names and characteristics.
AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt until you specify the opposite
corner of the text boundary.
Width
Specifies the width of the text boundary.
Specify width:
Specify a point or enter a value
If you use the pointing device to specify a point, the width is calculated as
the distance between the start point and the specified point. Words within
each line of the multiline text object wrap to fit the width of the text boundary. If you specify a width of 0, word wrap is turned off and the width of the
multiline text object is as wide as the longest line of text. You can end a line
of text at a specific point by typing the text and pressing ENTER . To end the
command, press ENTER at the MTEXT prompt.
Unicode Strings, Control Codes, and Special

Characters
You can enter the following control codes and Unicode strings to create
special characters.
Unicode strings and control codes
Control Codes
Unicode Strings
Result
%%d
\U+00B0
Degree symbol ()
%%p
\U+00B1
Tolerance symbol ()
%%c
\U+2205
Diameter symbol ()
MTEXT
589
Note that the circle diameter dimensioning symbol appears as %%c in the
Multiline Text Editor but converts to the special character in your drawing.
See Unicode.
See Also
See Overview of Multiline Text in the Users Guide.
Commands
DDEDIT displays the Multiline Text Editor so you can

edit the selected multiline text object. PROPERTIES displays the Properties palette for the selected multiline
text object, where you can modify multiline text
properties. OPTIONS specifies the text editor you want
to use to create multiline text. STYLE creates text styles.
TEXT creates text on the screen as you enter it.
System Variables
FONTALT specifies an alternative font that AutoCAD

uses when the specified font file cannot be found.
FONTMAP specifies the font mapping file that AutoCAD
uses when the specified font cannot be found. MTEXTED specifies the name of the text editor you want to
use to create multiline text.
MULTIPLE
Repeats the next command until canceled
Command line: multiple
Enter command name to repeat:
AutoCADrepeats the command you enter until you press ESC . Because
MULTIPLE repeats only the command name, any parameters must be
specified each time.
MULTIPLE does not repeat commands that display dialog boxes.
Note You cannot use MULTIPLE as an argument to the AutoLISP command

function.
590
MULTIPLE
MVIEW
Creates and controls layout viewports
When working in a layout tab, MVIEW controls the creation and display of
layout viewports. When working in the Model tab, you can use VPORTS to
create model viewports.
View menu: Viewports 1 Viewport, 2 Viewports, 3 Viewports, 4 Viewports
Command line: mview
Specify corner of viewport or [ON/OFF/Fit/Shadeplot/Lock/Object/Polygonal/
Restore/2/3/4] <Fit>: Enter an option or specify a point
In a layout, you can create as many viewports as you want, but only up to 64
viewports can be active at one time (see MAXACTVP). Objects in model space
are visible only in active viewports. Viewports that are not active are blank.
Use the On and Off options to control whether viewports are active.
Corner of Viewport
Specifies the first corner of a rectangular viewport.
Specify opposite corner:
MVIEW
591
On
Makes a selected viewport active. An active viewport displays objects in
model space. The MAXACTVP system variable controls the maximum number
of viewports that can be active at one time. If your drawing contains more
viewports than the number specified in MAXACTVP, you must turn one off to
make another one active.
Select objects:
Select one or more viewports
Off
Makes a selected viewport inactive. Objects in model space are not displayed
in an inactive viewport.
Select objects:
Fit
Creates one viewport that fills the layout to the edges of the paper margins.
When the paper background and margins are turned off, the viewport fills
the display.
Shadeplot
Specifies how viewports in layouts are plotted.
fit
Shade plot? [As displayed/Wireframe/Hidden/Rendered] <As displayed >: Enter a

shade plot option
As Displayed
Specifies that a viewport plots the same way it is

displayed.
Wireframe
Specifies that a viewport plots wireframe regardless of

the current display.
Hidden
Specifies that a viewport plots with hidden lines

removed regardless of the current display.
Rendered
Specifies that a viewport plots rendered regardless of

the current display.
Select objects:
592
MVIEW
Lock
Prevents the zoom scale factor in the selected viewport from being changed
when working in model space.
Viewport View Locking [ON/OFF]: Enter on or off
Select objects: Select one or more viewports
Object
Specifies a closed polyline, ellipse, spline, region, or circle to convert into a
viewport. The polyline you specify must be closed and contain at least three
vertices. It can be self-intersecting, and it can contain an arc as well as line
segments.
Select object to clip viewport: Select an object
Polygonal
Creates an irregularly shaped viewport using specified points. The prompts
are similar to those displayed when you specify a polygonal clip boundary for
external references (xrefs), but you can specify arcs when you create a
polygonal viewport boundary.
Specify start point: Specify a point
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Length/Undo]: Specify a point or enter an
option
Arc
Adds arc segments to the polygonal viewport.

[Angle/CEnter/CLose/Direction/Line/Radius/Second pt/
Undo/Endpoint of arc] <Endpoint>: Enter an option or
press ENTER
For a description of the options for creating arc
segments, see Arc on page 714.
Close
Closes the boundary. If you press ENTER after specifying

at least three points, AutoCAD automatically closes the
boundary.
Length
Draws a line segment of a specified length at the same

angle as the previous segment. If the previous segment
is an arc, AutoCAD draws the new line segment tangent
to that arc segment.
MVIEW
593
Undo
Removes the most recent line or arc segment added to

the polygonal viewport.
Restore
Restores viewport configurations saved with the VPORTS command.
Enter viewport configuration name or [?] <*ACTIVE>: Enter ?, enter a name, or
press ENTER
Specify first corner or [Fit] <Fit>: Specify a point or press ENTER
First Corner
Positions and sizes new viewports using the window

selection method; AutoCAD fits the viewports into the
selected area.
Fit
Sizes the viewports to fill the drawing area.
2
Divides the specified area horizontally or vertically into two viewports of
equal size.
Enter viewport arrangement [Horizontal/Vertical] <Vertical>: Enter h or press
ENTER
Specify first corner or [Fit] <Fit>:

2/vertical
First Corner

selected area.
Fit
3
Divides the specified area into three viewports.
Enter viewport arrangement
[Horizontal/Vertical/Above/Below/Left/<Right>: Enter an option or press ENTER
The Horizontal and Vertical options split the specified area into thirds. The
other options split the area into three viewports: one large viewport and two
smaller ones. The Above, Below, Left, and Right options specify where the
larger viewport is placed.
594
MVIEW
3/right
First Corner

selected area.
Fit
4
Divides the specified area horizontally and vertically into four viewports of
equal size.
First Corner

selected area.
Fit
See Also
For more information about using model space and paper space, see Create
Layout Viewports in the Users Guide.
Commands
VPORTS creates viewports in model or paper space. HIDE

eliminates hidden lines from a three-dimensional view
of a drawing. MSPACE switches from paper space to a
model space viewport. PSPACE switches from model
space to paper space. VPLAYER sets the visibility for
layers in specific viewports.
System Variables
PSVPSCALE sets the view scale factor for all newly

created viewports. PSLTSCALE controls paper space linetype scaling. VISRETAIN specifies precedence of settings
for xref layers. MAXACTVP specifies the maximum
number of viewports to regenerate.
MVSETUP
Sets up the specifications of a drawing
Command line: mvsetup
When you enter mvsetup at the command line, the prompts displayed
depend on whether you are on the Model tab (model space) or on a layout
tab (paper space).
MVSETUP
595
On the Model tab, you set the units type, drawing scale factor, and paper size
from the command line using MVSETUP. Using the settings you provide,
AutoCAD draws a rectangular border at the drawing limits.
On a layout tab, you can insert one of several predefined title blocks into the
drawing and create a set of layout viewports within the title block. You can
specify a global scale as the ratio between the scale of the title block in the
layout and the drawing on the Model tab. The Model tab is most useful for
plotting multiple views of a drawing within a single border.
To easily specify all layout page settings and prepare your drawing for plotting, you can also use the Page Setup dialog box, which is automatically
displayed when you select a layout in a new drawing session.
Using MVSETUP on the Model Tab

When the TILEMODE system variable is on (the default), AutoCAD displays
Enable paper space? [No/Yes] <Y>: Enter n or press ENTER
Pressing ENTER turns off TILEMODE and proceeds as described in the following section, Using MVSETUP on a Layout Tab.
Entering n displays the following prompt:
Enter units type [Scientific/Decimal/Engineering/Architectural/Metric]: Enter an
option
AutoCAD displays a list of available units and prompts for the scale factor
and paper size.
Enter the scale factor: Enter a value
Enter the paper width: Enter a value
Enter the paper height: Enter a value
AutoCAD draws a bounding box and ends the command.
Using MVSETUP on a Layout Tab

When the TILEMODE system variable is off, or when you enter y or press
ENTER at the Enable Paper Space prompt, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt:
Enter an option [Align/Create/Scale viewports/Options/Title block/Undo]: Enter
an option or press ENTER to end the command
596
MVSETUP
Align
Pans the view in a viewport so that it aligns with a base point in another
viewport. The current viewport is the viewport that the other point moves to.
Enter an option [Angled/Horizontal/Vertical alignment/Rotate view/Undo]:
Enter an option
Angled
Pans the view in a viewport in a specified direction.

Specify base point: Specify a point
Specify point in viewport to be panned:
the viewport to be panned
Specify a point in
The next two prompts specify the distance and angle

from the base point to the second point.
Specify the distance and angle to the new alignment point
in the current viewport where you specified the base point.
Specify distance from base point: Specify a distance
Specify angle from base point: Specify an angle
Horizontal
Pans the view in one viewport until it aligns

horizontally with a base point in another viewport.
This option should be used only if the two viewports
are oriented horizontally. Otherwise, the view might be
panned outside the limits of the viewport.
Vertical
Alignment
Specify a point in
Pans the view in one viewport until it aligns vertically

with a base point in another viewport. This option
should be used only if the two viewports are oriented
vertically. Otherwise, the view might be panned outside
the limits of the viewport.
Specify a point in
MVSETUP
597
Rotate View
Rotates the view in a viewport about a base point.

Specify base point in the viewport with the view to be
rotated: Specify a point
Specify angle from base point: Specify an angle
Undo
Reverses operations performed in the current MVSETUP

session.
Create
Creates viewports.
Enter an option [Delete objects/Create viewports/Undo] <Create>:
Enter an
Delete Objects
Deletes existing viewports.
Select the objects to delete...
Select objects: Select the viewports to delete and press ENTER
Create Viewports
Displays options for creating viewports.
Available layout options:
0:
1:
2:
3:
None
Single
Std. Engineering
Array of Viewports
Enter layout number to load or [Redisplay]: Enter an option number (03), or

enter r to redisplay the list of viewport layout options
Layout Number
to Load
Controls creation of viewports.

Entering 0 or pressing ENTER creates no viewports.
Entering 1 creates a single viewport whose size is
determined by the following prompts.
Specify first corner of bounding area for viewport(s):
Specify a point for the first corner
Opposite corner: Specify a point for the opposite corner
598
MVSETUP
Entering 2 creates f*our viewports by dividing a

specified area into quadrants. AutoCAD prompts you
for the area to be divided and the distance between the
viewports.
Specify distance between viewports in X direction
<0.0>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
Specify distance between viewports in Y direction <0.0>:
Specify a distance or press ENTER
The viewing angle for each quadrant is set as shown in
the table.
Standard engineering viewports
Quadrant
View
Upper-left
Top (XY plane of UCS)
Upper-right
SE isometric view
Lower-left
Front (XZ plane of UCS)
Lower-right
Right side (YZ plane of UCS)
MVSETUP
599
Entering 3 defines a matrix of viewports along the X

and Y axes. Specifying points at the next two prompts
defines the rectangular area of the drawing that
contains the viewport configuration. If you have
inserted a title block, the Specify First Corner prompt
also includes an option for selecting a default area.
Enter number of viewports in X direction <1>: Enter the
number of viewports to place along the X axis
Enter number of viewports in Y direction <1>: Enter the
number of viewports to place along the Y axis
If you enter more than one viewport in each direction,
AutoCAD displays the following prompts:
Specify distance between viewports in X direction
<0.0>: Specify a distance
Specify distance between viewports in Y direction <0.0>:
Specify a distance
AutoCAD inserts the array of viewports into the defined
area.
Redisplay
Redisplays the list of viewport layout options.
Undo
Reverses operations performed in the current MVSETUP session.
Scale Viewports
Adjusts the zoom scale factor of the objects displayed in the viewports. The
zoom scale factor is a ratio between the scale of the border in paper space and
the scale of the drawing objects displayed in the viewports.
Select the viewports to scale...
Select objects: Select the viewports to scale
If you select only one viewport, AutoCAD skips the next prompt.
Set zoom scale factors for viewports. Interactively/<Uniform>: Enter i or press
ENTER
Enter the number of paper space units <1.0>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Enter the number of model space units <1.0>: Enter a value or press ENTER
600
MVSETUP
Interactively
Selects one viewport at a time and displays the

following prompts for each.
Enter the number of paper space units <1.0>: Enter a
Enter the number of model space units <1.0>: Enter a
For example, for an engineering drawing at a scale of
1:4, or quarter scale, enter 1 for paper space units and 4
for model space units.
Uniform
Sets the same scale factor for all viewports.

Number of paper space units. <1.0>: Enter a value or
press ENTER
Number of model space units. <1.0>: Enter a value or
press ENTER
Options
Sets the MVSETUP preferences before you change your drawing.
Enter an option [Layer/LImits/Units/Xref] <exit>:
to return to the previous prompt
Layer
Specifies a layer on which to insert the title block.

Enter layer name for title block or [. (for current layer)]:
Enter an existing or a new layer name, enter a period (.) for
the current layer, or press ENTER
Limits
Specifies whether to reset the limits to the drawing

extents after a title block has been inserted.
Set drawing limits? [Yes/No] <N>:
Units
Specifies whether the sizes and point locations are

translated to inch or millimeter paper units.
Enter paper space units type [Feet/Inches/MEters/
Millimeters] <current>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Xref
Specifies whether the title block is inserted or externally

referenced.
Enter title block placement method [Xref attach/Insert]
<current>: Enter x, enter i, or press ENTER
MVSETUP
601
Title Block
Prepares paper space, orients the drawing by setting the origin, and creates a
drawing border and a title block.
Enter title block option [Delete objects/Origin/Undo/Insert] <Insert>:
Enter an
Delete Objects
Deletes objects from paper space.
Select the objects to delete . . .
Origin
Relocates the origin point for this sheet.
Specify new origin point for this sheet: Specify a point
Undo
Insert
Displays title block options.
Available title blocks:...
0:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:
11:
12:
13:
None
ISO A4 Size(mm)
ISO A3 Size(mm)
ISO A2 Size(mm)
ISO A1 Size(mm)
ISO A0 Size(mm)
ANSI-V Size(in)
ANSI-A Size(in)
ANSI-B Size(in)
ANSI-C Size(in)
ANSI-D Size(in)
ANSI-E Size(in)
Arch/Engineering (24 x 36in)
Generic D size Sheet (24 x 36in)
Enter number of title block to load or [Add/Delete/Redisplay]: Enter an option

number (0 through 13) or enter an option
602
MVSETUP
Title Block to
Load
Inserts a border and a title block. Entering 0 or pressing

ENTER inserts no border. Entering 1 through 13 creates
a standard border of the appropriate size. The list
includes ANSI and DIN/ISO standard sheets.
Add
Adds title block options to the list. Selecting this option

prompts you to enter the title block description to be
displayed in the list and the name of a drawing to
insert.
Enter title block description: Enter a description
Enter drawing name to insert (without extension): Enter
a file name
Define default usable area? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter n or press
ENTER
Pressing ENTER displays the following prompts:

Specify lower-left corner: Specify a point
Specify upper-right corner: Specify a point
AutoCAD adds a line similar to the following example
after the last entry in the mvsetup.dfs default file:
A/E (24 x 18in),arch-b.dwg,(1.12 0.99
0.00),(18.63 17.02 0.00),in
The last field of the line specifies whether the title block
has been created in inches or in millimeters. The units
field allows title blocks created in either unit system to
be changed by setting the unit type using the Options
option.
You can also add title blocks that have variable
attributes.
Delete
Removes entries from the list.

Enter number of entry to delete from list: Enter the
number of the entry to delete
Redisplay
Redisplays the list of title block options.
MVSETUP
603
Undo
See Also
See Edit in Layout Viewports in the Users Guide.
Commands
MSPACE switches from paper space to a model space

viewport. VPORTS creates new viewports in model or
paper space. PSPACE switches from model space to paper
space. PAGESETUP displays the Page Setup dialog box in
which you can specify page settings.

System Variables
LTSCALE stores the global linetype scale factor.

PSLTSCALE controls the linetype scale factor in paper
space. TILEMODE controls paper space access and view-
port behavior.
604
MVSETUP
NEW
Creates a new drawing
File menu: New
Command line: new
The behavior of the NEW command is determined by the Startup setting on
the System tab of the Options dialog box.
Show the Startup Dialog Box: NEW displays the Create New Drawing dialog
box.
Do Not Show the Startup Dialog Box: NEW displays the Select Template
dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box).
If the system variable, FILEDIA, is set to 0 instead of 1, a prompt on the command line is displayed (see page 612). If you set FILEDIA to 0, this prompt is
displayed regardless of the Startup setting.
Create New Drawing Dialog Box

Defines the settings for a new drawing. There are three main methods that
you can use to create a new drawing. (The first option, Open a Drawing, is
not available from the NEW command. To open an existing drawing, use
OPEN.) Choose one of the buttons at the top of the dialog box.
Start from Scratch

Starts an empty drawing using default imperial or metric settings. AutoCAD
stores this setting in the MEASUREINIT system variable. You can change the
measurement system for a given drawing by using the MEASUREMENT system
variable. To start a new drawing based on a customized template, see Use a
Template on page 606.
NEW
605
Imperial
Starts a new drawing based on the Imperial

measurement system. The default drawing boundary
(the drawing limits) is 12 9 inches.
Metric
Starts a new drawing based on the metric measurement

system. The default drawing boundary (the drawing
limits) is 429 297 millimeters.
Use a Template
Starts a drawing based on a drawing template file. Template drawings store
all the settings for a drawing and may also include predefined layers,
dimension styles, and views. Template drawings are distinguished from
other drawing files by the .dwt file extension. They are normally kept in the
template directory.
Several template drawings are included with AutoCAD. You can make
additional template drawings by changing the extensions of drawing file
names to .dwt. See Use a Template File to Start a Drawing in the Users
Guide.
606
NEW
Select a Template
Lists all DWT files that currently exist in the drawing

template file location, which is specified in the Options
dialog box (see page 633). Choose a file to use as a
starting point for your new drawing. A preview image of
the selected file is displayed to the right.
Browse
Displays the Select Template dialog box (a standard file

selection dialog box) where you can access template
files that are not available in the Select a Template list.
Use a Wizard
Sets up a drawing using a step-by-step guide. You can choose from two
wizards: Quick Setup and Advanced Setup.
NEW
607
Quick Setup
Displays the Quick Setup wizard (see page 608), in

which you can specify the units and area for your new
drawing. The Quick Setup wizard also changes settings,
such as text height and snap spacing, to an appropriate
scale.
Advanced Setup
Displays the Advanced Setup wizard (see page 610), in

which you can specify the units, angle, angle measure,
angle direction, and area for your new drawing. The
Quick Setup wizard also changes settings, such as text
height and snap spacing, to an appropriate scale.
Quick Setup Wizard

Defines the units and area of your drawing.
The Quick Setup wizard has two pages: Units and Area. As you work in this
wizard, choose Back and Next to switch between pages; choose Finish on the
last page to close the wizard and create the new drawing with the settings you
specified.
608
NEW
Units
Indicates the format in which you enter and in which AutoCAD displays
coordinates and measurements. Several formats are available in AutoCAD.
Two of them, Engineering and Architectural, have a specific base unit
(inches) assigned to them. You can select from other measurement styles that
can represent any convenient unit of measurement.
Note You control the precision (the number of decimal places displayed in all
measurements) by using the Advanced Setup wizard or the UNITS command.
The default precision used by Quick Setup is four (0.0000).
Decimal
Displays measurements in decimal notation.
Engineering
Displays measurements in feet and decimal inches.
Architectural
Displays measurements in feet, inches, and fractional

inches.
Fractional
Displays measurements in mixed-number (integer and

fractional) notation.
Scientific
Displays measurements in scientific notation (numbers

expressed in the form of the product of a decimal
number between 0 and 10 and a power of 10).
Area
Indicates the width and length in full-scale units of what you plan to draw.
This setting limits the area of the drawing covered by grid dots when the grid
is turned on. When limits checking is turned on with the LIMITS command,
this setting also restricts the coordinates you can enter to within the rectangular area. You can change the drawing area and turn limits checking on and
off with the LIMITS command.
NEW
609
Advanced Setup Wizard

Defines the units, angle, angle measure, angle direction, and area of your
new drawing.
The Advanced Setup wizard contains five pages: Units, Angle, Angle Measure,
Angle Direction, and Area. As you work in this wizard, choose Back and Next
to navigate between pages; choose Finish on the last page to close the wizard
and create the new drawing with the settings you specified.
You can later change units, angle, angle measure, and angle direction using
the UNITS command, and you can change area using the LIMITS command.
Units
Indicates the unit format and precision. The unit format is the format in
which you enter and in which AutoCAD displays coordinates and measurements. The Units page of the Quick Setup wizard includes the same formats.
See Units on page 609 for more information.
The unit precision specifies the number of decimal places or the fractional
size for displaying linear measurements.
610
NEW
Angle
Indicates the format in which you enter angles and in which AutoCAD
displays angles.
Decimal Degrees
Displays partial degrees as decimals.
Deg/Min/Sec
Displays partial degrees as minutes and seconds.
Grads
Displays angles as grads.
Radians
Displays angles as radians.
Surveyor
Displays angles in surveyors units.
Angle Measure
Indicates the direction of the 0 angle for the entry of angles. When you enter
an angle value in AutoCAD, AutoCAD measures the angle either counterclockwise or clockwise from the compass direction that you select on this
page. You control the counterclockwise/clockwise direction on the Angle
Direction page.
East
Specifies the compass direction east as the 0 angle.
North
Specifies the compass direction north as the 0 angle.
West
Specifies the compass direction west as the 0 angle.
South
Specifies the compass direction south as the 0 angle.
Other
Specifies a direction other than east, north, west, or

south. Enter a specific compass angle to treat as the 0
angle.
Angle Direction
Indicates the direction from the 0 angle in which you enter and in which
AutoCAD displays positive angle values: counterclockwise or clockwise.
Area
Indicates the width and length in full-scale units of what you plan to draw.
This setting limits the area of the drawing covered by grid dots when the grid
is turned on. When limits checking is turned on with the LIMITS command,
this setting also restricts the coordinates you can enter to within the rectangular area. You can change the drawing area and turn limits checking on and
off with the LIMITS command.
NEW
611
NEW Command Line

If you turned off the display of the Create New Drawing dialog box, or if
FILEDIA is set to 0, NEW displays the following prompt:
Enter template file name or [. (for none)] <current>: Enter a name, enter a period
(.), or press ENTER
AutoCAD automatically creates a new drawing using the measurement
system (imperial or metric) specified by the MEASUREINIT system variable.
Enter a tilde (~) at the prompt to display the Select Template dialog box (a
standard file selection dialog box).
See Also
See Start and Save a Drawing and Specify Units, Angles, and Scale in the
Users Guide.
System Variables
FILEDIA controls whether the Create New Drawing

dialog box is displayed when you enter the NEW
command.
612
NEW
OFFSET
Creates concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel curves
OFFSET creates a new object at a specified distance from an existing object or
through a specified point.

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Offset
Command line: offset
Specify offset distance or [Through] <current>: Specify a distance, enter t, or press
ENTER
polyline
Offset Distance
polyline
with offset
Creates an object at a specified distance from an

existing object.
Select object to offset or <exit>: Select one object or press
ENTER to end the command
Specify point on side to offset?: Specify a point (1) on the
side of the object you want to offset
1
offset distance
object
selected
side selected
object offset
AutoCAD repeats the two prompts so that you can

create multiple offset objects. To end the command,
press ENTER at the Select Object to Offset prompt.
OFFSET
613
Through
Creates an object passing through a specified point.

Select object to offset or <exit>: Select one object or press
ENTER to end the command
Specify through point: Specify a point (1) through which
you want the offset object to pass
1
object
selected
through point
object offset
AutoCAD repeats the two prompts so that you can

create multiple offset objects. To end the command,
press ENTER at the Select Object to Offset prompt.
See Also
See Offset an Object in the Users Guide.
Commands
COPY duplicates objects. MLINE creates multiple parallel
lines.
System Variables
OFFSETDIST stores the current offset value.

OFFSETGAPTYPE controls how to offset polylines when a
gap is created as a result of offsetting individual

polyline segments.
OLELINKS
Updates, changes, and cancels existing OLE links
AutoCAD supports the Windows feature called object linking and embedding
(OLE). When you use PASTESPEC to insert a linked object into an AutoCAD
drawing from an application that supports OLE, the object maintains a connection with its source file.
You can set AutoCAD to update links automatically or manually when
information in the source document changes.
Edit menu: OLE Links
Command line: olelinks
The Links dialog box is displayed. If there is no existing OLE link in the drawing, OLE Links is not available on the Edit menu and the Links dialog box is
614
OLELINKS
not displayed. To specify a different source application for an embedded

object, right-click the embedded object and click Convert on the shortcut
menu to display the Convert dialog box (see page 616).
Links Dialog Box

Lists and modifies linked files and objects.
Links
Lists information about linked objects. The

information listed depends on the type of link. To
change information for a linked object, select the
object.
Source
Displays the path name of the source file and the type
of object.
Type
Displays the format type.
Update:
Automatic
Updates the link automatically whenever the source

changes.
Update: Manual
Prompts you to update a link when you open the

document.
Update Now
Updates the selected links.
Open Source
Opens the source file and highlights the portion linked

to the AutoCAD drawing.
Change Source
Displays the Change Source dialog box (a standard file

tdialog box), in which you can specify a different source
file. If the source is a selection within a file (instead of
the entire file), Item Name displays a string
representing the selection.
OLELINKS
615
Break Link
Severs the link between the object and the original file.
AutoCAD changes the object in your AutoCAD drawing
into a Windows metafile, which is not affected by
future changes to the original file.
Convert Dialog Box

Specifies a different source application for an embedded object. To access this
dialog box, right-click the embedded object and choose Convert from the
shortcut menu.
616
Current Type
Displays the type of object you are converting or

activating.
Object Type
Displays a list of available object types. Use this list to

select a new type for the embedded object.
Convert To
Converts the embedded object to the type specified

under Object Type.
Activate As
Opens the embedded object as the type selected under

Object Type but returns the object to its current type
after editing.
Display as Icon

drawing. Double-clicking the icon displays the linked
or embedded information.
Change Icon
Displays the Change Icon dialog box. This option is

available only if you select Display as Icon.
Result
Describes the result of the selected options.
OLELINKS
Change Icon Dialog Box

Changes the icon that represents an embedded or linked object in an
AutoCAD drawing.
Icon
Specifies an icon to represent an embedded or linked object.
Current
Specifies the currently selected icon.
Default
Specifies the default icon for the source application.
From File
Specifies an icon from a file (valid types include EXE,

DLL, and ICO).
Label
Specifies a caption for the icon. AutoCAD displays the file type unless you
specify otherwise.
Browse
Displays the Browse dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), in
which you can select an icon from a file.
See Also
Commands
COPYCLIP copies objects to the Clipboard. COPYLINK
copies the current view to the Clipboard for linking to

other OLE applications. PASTECLIP inserts data from the
Clipboard into a drawing. PASTESPEC inserts data from
the Clipboard into the drawing and controls the format
of the data.
OLELINKS
617
OLESCALE
Controls the size, scale, and other properties of a selected OLE object
Shortcut menu: Right-click an OLE object and choose Properties.
Command line: olescale
The OLE Properties dialog box is displayed.
Note You must select an OLE object before entering the OLESCALE command.
OLE Properties Dialog Box

Resizes OLE objects in drawing units or by percentage of the current size,
scales text by assigning a point size to a font contained in the OLE object, and
specifies OLE plot quality.
Note UNDO does not undo a change made in the OLE Properties dialog box.
To undo a change made in the OLE properties dialog box, right-click the OLE
object and choose Undo from the shortcut menu.
618
OLESCALE
Size
Specifies a size for the OLE object.
Height
Displays the current height of the OLE object. Enter a

number in drawing units to change the height. If Lock
Aspect Ratio is selected, the Width value changes to
maintain the ratio between the height and the width of
the object.
Width
Displays the current width of the OLE object. Enter a

number in drawing units to change the width. If Lock
Aspect Ratio is selected, the Height value changes to
maintain the ratio between the width and the height of
the object.
Reset
Resets the size of the OLE object to the size it was when
you first inserted it into the drawing.
Scale
Sets the scale for the OLE object.
Height
Scales the height of the OLE object by a percentage of

the current height. To change the height, enter a
percent value. If Lock Aspect Ratio is selected, the
Width value changes to maintain the ratio between the
height and the width of the object.
Width
Scales the width of the OLE object by a percentage of

the current width. To change the width, enter a percent
value. If Lock Aspect Ratio is selected, the Height value
changes to maintain the ratio between the height and
the width of the object.
Lock Aspect Ratio
Maintains the current ratio between height and width.

If you change the height or the width when Lock
Aspect Ratio is selected, the other property changes too.
For example, if you change the height to 50 percent, the
width changes to 50 percent to maintain the ratio.
Clear the Lock Aspect Ratio option if you want to
change the height or width separately. Lock Aspect
Ratio affects both size and scale values.
OLESCALE
619
Text Size
Changes the size of text of a selected font and point size in an OLE object.
Other text of different fonts and point sizes also changes to adjust to the
change to the selected font. If there is no text in the OLE object, this option
is unavailable.
Font
Displays a list of all the fonts used by the selected OLE

object. Select the font that you want to change.
Point Size
Displays a list of all the point sizes in the OLE object for
the selected font. Select the point size that you want to
change.
Text Height
Specifies the font size. Enter a number in drawing units.

When you choose OK, the text in the OLE object of the
selected font and point size changes to the height you
entered. All the other text in the OLE object adjusts in
size to maintain the current size ratio with the font that
was changed.
OLE Plot Quality

Determines the quality of the plotted OLE object. Select a file type from the
list.
Display Dialog When Pasting New OLE Object

Automatically displays the OLE Properties dialog box when you insert an
OLE object in an AutoCAD drawing.
OOPS
Restores erased objects
Command line: oops
OOPS restores objects erased by the last ERASE command.
erased objects
620
OOPS
before OOPS
after OOPS
You can also use OOPS after BLOCK or WBLOCK because these commands can
erase the selected objects after creating a block. You cannot use OOPS to
restore objects on a layer that has been removed with the PURGE command.
See Also
Commands
U reverses the effect of the previous command. UNDO
reverses the effect of multiple commands and provides

control over the undo feature.
OPEN
Opens an existing drawing file
Standard toolbar:
File menu: Open
Command line: open
The Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed.
You can open and load a portion of a drawing, including geometry on a specific view or layer. In the Select File dialog box, click the arrow next to Open
and choose Partial Open or Partial Open Read-Only to display the Partial
Open dialog box.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), OPEN displays a prompt on the command line
(see page 632).
Note If the drawing you open contains macros, AutoCAD displays the
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog box (see page 1082).
Standard File Selection Dialog Boxes

Several AutoCAD commands display standard file selection dialog boxes, in
which you can navigate through local and network drives and through FTP
sites and Web folders to select files. While each dialog box may vary slightly,
following is a list of the possible options.
OPEN
621
Places
list
Places List
Provides quick access to predefined file locations. Click the Look In arrow to
view the path for each icon. You can reorder the icons in the Places list by
dragging them to a new location. To add a new icon to the Places list, drag a
folder from the files list to the Places list, or right-click an existing icon and
choose Add or Add Current Folder from the shortcut menu. This shortcut
menu also provides options for removing and modifying icons, or restoring
default icons that have been removed. You cannot remove the Buzzsaw
icon. Changes to the Places list affect all standard file selection dialog boxes.
622
History
Displays shortcuts to the files most recently accessed

from the dialog box. It is recommended that you
periodically remove unwanted shortcuts from the
History list. Select History, then select the unwanted
shortcuts from the Files list and choose Delete. To sort
the shortcuts by date, choose Views Details, and then
click the Modified column in the Files list.
Personal/My
Documents
Displays the contents of the Personal or My Documents

folder for the current user profile. The name of this
location (Personal or My Documents) depends on
your operating system version.
OPEN
Favorites
Displays the contents of the Favorites folder for the

current user profile. This folder consists of shortcuts to
files or folders that you added to Favorites using the
Tools Add to Favorites option in the dialog box.
FTP
Displays the FTP sites that are available for browsing in

the standard file selection dialog box. To add FTP
locations to this list, or to modify an existing FTP
location, choose Tools Add/Modify FTP Locations in
the dialog box.
Desktop
Displays the contents of your desktop.
Buzzsaw
Provides access to projects hosted by Buzzsawa

business-to-business marketplace for the building
design and construction industry. If you do not yet
have a project hosting account on Buzzsaw, clicking
Buzzsaw displays the Add Site option in the Buzzsaw
Folders list where you can set up a project. Also, the first
time you access Buzzsaw.com, your default web
browser opens with the project hosting page displayed.
If you already have a project hosting account, clicking
Buzzsaw shows all of your project sites in the Files list.
Look In/Save In
Displays the current folder or drive. Click the arrow to view the hierarchy of
the folder path and to navigate up the path tree or to other drives, network
connections, FTP locations, or Web folders (either Web Folders or My Network
Places depending on the version of your operating system). You can create
Web folders in Windows Explorer. Consult your system administrator or
Windows Explorer Help for more information about Web folders.
To control whether the last used paths in each particular standard file
selection dialog box are stored across AutoCAD sessions, use the REMEMBERFOLDERS system variable.
Back
Returns to the previous file location.
Up One Level
Navigates one level up in the current path tree.
Search the Web
Displays the Browse the Web dialog box, from which you can access and
store AutoCAD files on the Internet.
OPEN
623
Delete
Deletes the selected file or folder.
Create New Folder
Creates a new folder in the current path using a name that you specify.
Views
Controls the appearance of the Files list and specifies whether to show a
preview image.
List
Displays the contents of the Files list in a multicolumn

format.
Details
Displays the contents of the Files list in a single-column

format with file details.
Preview
Displays a bitmap of the selected file. The Preview area

is blank if you do not select a file. To save a bitmap with
a drawing file, use the Save a Thumbnail Preview Image
option on the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog
box.
Tools
Provides the following tools:
624
Find
Displays the Find dialog box (see page 626), in which

you can search for files using name, location, and datemodified filters.
Locate
Uses the AutoCAD search path to locate the file

specified in File Name. You set the search path on the
Files tab in the Options dialog box (see page 633).
Add/Modify FTP
Locations
Displays the Add/Modify FTP Locations dialog box (see

page 628), in which you can specify the FTP sites to
make available for browsing. To browse these sites,
select FTP from the Places list.
Add Current
Folder to Places
Adds an icon for the selected folder to the Places list,

providing quick access to that folder from all standard
file selection dialog boxes. To remove the icon, rightclick the icon and choose Remove.
Add to Favorites
Creates a shortcut to the current Look In location, or to

the selected file or folder. The shortcut is placed in the
Favorites folder for the current user profile, which you
can access by choosing Favorites in the Places list.
OPEN
Options
Provides additional options for certain standard file

selection dialog boxes.
Security Options
Provides options for a digital signature and password

that are invoked when you save a file.
Files List
Displays the files and folders in the current path and of the selected file type.
Use the Views menu in the dialog box to switch between List view and
Details view.
Preview
Displays a bitmap of the selected file when you choose Views Preview in
the dialog box. The Preview area is blank if you do not select a file. To save a
bitmap with a drawing file, use the Save a Thumbnail Preview Image option
on the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog box.
File Name
Displays the name of the file you select in the Files list. If you select multiple
files, File Name displays each selected file within quotation marks. If you
enter a file name in the File Name box, AutoCAD clears any selection. You
must use quotation marks when entering multiple file names. You can use
wild-card characters to filter files displayed in the Files list.
Files of Type
Filters the list of files by file type. When you are saving files, Files of Type
specifies the format in which the file is saved.
Select Initial View
Displays the specified view when you open the drawing if the drawing
contains more than one named view.
Open/Save
Opens or saves the selected file, depending on the purpose of the specific file
selection dialog box. Certain file selection dialog boxes may also include the
following options, accessed by clicking the arrow next to the Open button:
Open Read-Only
Opens a file in read-only mode. You cannot save

changes to the file using the original file name.
Partial Open
Displays the Partial Open dialog box (see page 629). You
can open and load a portion of a drawing, including
geometry on a specific view or layer. You can only use
this option with drawings created in AutoCAD 2000 or
later.
Partial Open
Read-Only
Opens the specified drawing portions in read-only

mode.
OPEN
625
Find Dialog Box

Searches for files using name, location, and date modified filters.
Name & Location Tab

Filters the file search based on file type, file name, and location.
Named
Specifies the full or partial file names to include in the

search. When entering multiple file names, enclose
each name in quotation marks. Use the following wildcard 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.
The type of files to include in the search is determined

by Type, so you dont need to enter a file extension in
Named. For example, to find house102.dwg, enter
house* and set Type to Drawing (*.dwg).
Type
626
OPEN
Specifies the type of files to include in the search.

Available file types are limited to those supported by
the specific standard file selection dialog box.
Look In
Specifies the location to search. Enter a location, choose

a location from the list, or choose Browse to navigate to
a location. When entering multiple locations, enclose
each location in quotation marks.
Browse
Displays the Browse for Folder dialog box, in which you

can navigate to a location for the search.
Include
Subfolders
Searches all subfolders within the Look In location.
Date Modified Tab

Filters the file search based on the files creation or modified date.
All Files
Searches without a date filter.
Find All Files

Created or
Modified
Restricts the search to files created or modified within a

specified time.
Between: Searches for files created or modified

between two dates. Enter the dates or click the
arrows to choose dates from a calendar. To navigate
the calendar, use the left and right arrows, or click
the month and year.
During the Previous N Months: Searches for files
created or modified within a specified number of
months.
During the Previous N Days: Searches for files created
or modified within a specified number of days.
Find Now
Searches for files using the criteria specified in both tabs.
Stop
Ends the search.
New Search
Clears the search results and resets the default values for all search options.
OK
When one or more files are selected in the search results, closes the Find
dialog box and enters the selected file names in the standard file selection
dialog box.
OPEN
627
Search Results
Lists all files found by the search. To change the sort order of the files, click
a column heading. To pass a file to the standard file selection dialog box,
select a file and choose OK. When used with a standard file selection dialog
box that allows multiple file selection, you can pass multiple files from the
Search Results.
Add/Modify FTP Locations Dialog Box

Defines the FTP sites that you can browse within standard file selection
dialog boxes. To browse the sites that you add, select FTP from the Places list
in the standard file selection dialog box.
Name of FTP Site

Specifies the site name for the FTP location (for example, ftp.autodesk.com).
Log On As
Specifies whether to log on to the FTP site anonymously or with a specific
user name.
Anonymous
628
OPEN
Logs you on to the FTP site as an anonymous user. If the

FTP site does not allow anonymous logons, select User
and enter a valid user name.
User
Logs you on to the FTP site using the specified user

name.
Password
Specifies the password to use to log on to the FTP site.
Add
Adds a new FTP site to the list of FTP locations available from the standard
file selection dialog box.
Modify
Modifies the selected FTP site to use the specified site name, logon name, and
password.
Remove
Removes the selected FTP site from the list of FTP locations available from the
standard file selection dialog box.
FTP Sites
Lists the FTP sites that are available from the Places list in all standard file
selection dialog boxes.
URL
Displays the URL for the selected FTP site.
Partial Open Dialog Box

Displays the drawing views and layers available for specifying what geometry
to load into the selected drawing. When working with large drawing files,
you can select the minimal amount of geometry you need to load when
opening a drawing.
When a drawing is partially open, all AutoCAD named objects, as well as the
specified geometry, are loaded into the file. AutoCAD named objects include
blocks, dimension styles, layers, layouts, linetypes, text styles, UCSs, views,
and viewport configurations.
OPEN
629
View Geometry to Load

Displays the selected view and available views in the drawing. Only model
space views are available for loading. You can load paper space geometry by
loading the layer that the paper space geometry is drawn on.
View Name
Displays the currently selected view. Geometry that is

common to both the selected view and the layers is
loaded into the drawing.
View List
Displays all the model space views available in the

selected drawing file. When a view is selected,
AutoCAD loads only the geometry in the selected view.
The default view is Extents. Geometry that is common
to both the selected view and the layers is loaded into
the drawing. You can load geometry from only one
view.
You can use the PARTIALOAD command to load
additional geometry into a partially open drawing.
Note When a drawing is partially open, named objects are still loaded into the
file along with the specified geometry from the selected view. All views are still
available in the partially open drawing, but only geometry from the view
specified to load is displayed in the drawing.
630
OPEN
Layer Geometry to Load

Displays all the layers available in the selected drawing file. The geometry on
selected layers is loaded into the drawing, including both model space and
paper space geometry. The default loads no layer geometry into the drawing,
but you can load geometry from one or more layers. If you specify to load no
layer geometry into the drawing, no geometry from the selected view is
loaded either because no layer geometry in that view or in the entire drawing
is loaded. Xref-dependent layers are displayed in the Layer Geometry to Load
list only if the selected drawing was last saved with the VISRETAIN system variable set to 1. Any layers created in the xref since the xref was loaded into the
selected drawing are not displayed in the Layer Geometry to Load list.
You can use the PARTIALOAD command to load additional geometry into a
partially open drawing.
Note When a drawing is partially open, named objects are still loaded into the
file along with the specified geometry from the selected layers. All layers are still
available in the partially open drawing, but only geometry from the layers
specified to load appears in the drawing.
Layer Name
Displays the layer names in the selected drawing.
Load Geometry
Loads geometry from the layer when the drawing is

opened.
Load All
Loads geometry from all layers when the drawing is

opened. You can right-click and use the shortcut menu
to load geometry from all layers into the drawing.
Clear All
Loads no geometry from any layer when the drawing is

opened. No geometry at all is loaded, including
geometry specified to load from a view. You can rightclick and use the shortcut menu to load no geometry
into the drawing.
Index Status
Displays whether the selected drawing file contains a spatial or layer index.
INDEXCTL controls whether layer and spatial indexes are saved with the
drawing file.
OPEN
631
Use Spatial Index
Controls whether a spatial index is used when partially

opening a drawing. AutoCAD uses a spatial index to
locate what portion of the drawing is read; this
minimizes the time required to open the drawing. If a
drawing does not contain a spatial index, this option is
unavailable.
Spatial Index
Displays whether the selected drawing file contains a

spatial index. A spatial index organizes objects based on
their location in space. When partially opening a
drawing, AutoCAD uses a spatial index to locate what
portion of the drawing is read; this minimizes the time
required to open the drawing.
Layer Index
Displays whether the selected drawing file contains a

layer index. A layer index is a list showing the objects
that are on each layer. When partially opening a
drawing, AutoCAD uses a layer index to locate what
portion of the drawing is read; this minimizes the time
required to open the drawing.
Unload All Xrefs on Open

Loads all external references when opening the drawing. Selecting this
option enhances the opening process. If you partially open a drawing that
contains a bound xref, only the portion of the xref that is loaded (defined by
the selected view) is bound to the partially open drawing.
Open
Opens the drawing file, loading only combined geometry from the selected
view and layers.
OPEN Command Line

When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), OPEN displays the following prompt on the
command line.
Enter name of drawing to open:
Enter ~ (tilde) at the prompt to ignore FILEDIA and display the Select File
See Also
See Open an Existing Drawing in the Users Guide.
632
OPEN
Commands
NEW creates a new drawing file. PARTIALOAD loads
additional information into a drawing file if the current

drawing is a partially opened drawing.
System Variables
FULLOPEN indicates whether the current drawing is

partially opened.
OPTIONS
Customizes the AutoCAD settings
Tools menu: 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.
Command line: options
The Options dialog box is displayed.
Options Dialog Box

Customizes many AutoCAD settings.
OPTIONS
633
Current Profile
Displays the name of the current profile above the tabs.

To set the current profile, create a new profile, or edit an
existing profile, use the Profiles tab. (CPROFILE system
variable)
Current Drawing
Displays the name of the current drawing above the

tabs. A drawing file icon is displayed next to any option
saved with the drawing. An option saved with the
drawing affects only the current drawing. An option
saved in the registry affects all drawings in an AutoCAD
session. Options that are saved in the registry (and are
not displayed with a drawing file icon) are saved in the
current profile. (DWGNAME system variable)
Files Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Specifies the folders in which AutoCAD searches for support, driver, menu,
and other files. Also specifies optional, user-defined settings such as which
dictionary to use for checking spelling.
To specify a location for a folder or file, double-click its name in the list.
Choose Browse and use the Browse for Folder dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box) to locate the folder or file you want to use.
634
OPTIONS
Support File Search Path

Specifies the folders in which AutoCAD searches for support files. In addition
to the files required to run AutoCAD, you can include files for fonts, menus,
drawings to insert, linetypes, and hatch patterns in the support file search
path. Environment variables can also be included in the support file search
path.
Working Support File Search Path
Specifies the active folders in which AutoCAD searches for support files
specific to your system. The working support file list displays valid paths
from the support file search path that exist within the current folder structure and network paths. Any valid environment variables listed in the support file search path are displayed as expanded folders in the Working Support File Search Path. Environment variables that contain other environment
variables are displayed with only the parent variable as an expanded folder.
Device Driver File Search Path
Specifies where AutoCAD looks for device drivers for the video display,
pointing devices, printers, and plotters.
Project Files Search Path
Specifies a project name for the drawing. The project name corresponds to a
search path for external reference (xref) files associated with the project. You
can create any number of project names with associated folders, but each
drawing can have only one project name. (PROJECTNAME system variable)
Menu, Help, and Miscellaneous File Names
Specifies the names and locations of various types of files.
Menu File
Specifies the location of the AutoCAD menu file.
Help File
Specifies the location of the AutoCAD Help file.
Default Internet
Location
Specifies the default Internet location used by both the

BROWSER command and the Browse the Web button on
the Web toolbar.
Configuration
File
Specifies the location of the configuration file used to

store hardware device driver information. This value is
read-only and can only be changed by using the /c
command line switch. See Customize Startup in the
Users Guide.
OPTIONS
635
Text Editor, Dictionary, and Font File Names

Specifies a number of optional settings.
Text Editor
Application
Specifies the text editor application to use for editing

multiline text objects. (MTEXTED system variable)
Main Dictionary
Specifies the dictionary to use for checking spelling.

(DCTMAIN system variable)
Custom
Dictionary File
Specifies a custom dictionary to use (if you have one).

(DCTCUST system variable)
Alternate Font
File
Specifies the location of the font file to use if AutoCAD

cannot locate the original font and an alternate font is
not specified in the font mapping file. If you choose
Browse, AutoCAD displays the Alternate Font dialog
box (see page 664), from which you can choose an
available font. (FONTALT system variable)
Font Mapping
File
Specifies the location of the file that defines how

AutoCAD should convert fonts it cannot locate.
(FONTMAP system variable)
Print File, Spooler, and Prolog Section Names

Specifies settings related to plotting.
636
Plot File Name

For Legacy
Plotting Scripts
Specifies a default name for the temporary plot files

used with plotting scripts created with AutoCAD
Release 14 or earlier. The default name is the drawing
name plus the .plt file extension. The default name used
with AutoCAD 2000 and later drawings is the drawing
name-layout name plus the .plt file name extension.
Some plotting device drivers, however, use a different
plot file extension. This option only affects the default
plot file name used for plotting scripts created with
earlier versions of AutoCAD.
Print Spool
Executable
Specifies the application to use for print spooling. You

can enter the executable file name as well as any
command line arguments you want to use. For
example, you can enter myspool.bat %s to spool plot
files to myspool.bat and have a unique plot file name
automatically generated. See Use AutoSpool in the
Driver and Peripheral Guide.
OPTIONS
Printer Support File Path

Specifies search path settings for printer support files.
Print Spooler File
Location
Specifies the path for print spool files. AutoCAD writes

the plot to this location.
Printer
Configuration
Search Path
Specifies the path for printer configuration files (PC3

files).
Printer
Description File
Search Path
Specifies the path for files with a .pmp file extension, or

printer description files.
Plot Style Table

Search Path
Specifies the path for files with an .stb or .ctb extension,

or plot style table files (both named plot style tables and
color-dependent plot style tables).
Search Path for ObjectARX Applications

Specifies the path for ObjectARX application files. You can enter multiple
URL addresses under this option. (Multiple URLs should be separated by a semicolon.) AutoCAD searches the specified URLs when an associated ObjectARX
application cannot be located. Only URL addresses can be entered in this
option.
Automatic Save File Location
Specifies the path for the file created when you select Automatic Save on the
Open and Save tab. (SAVEFILEPATH system variable)
Color Book Locations
Specifies the path for color book files that can be used when specifying colors
in the Select Color dialog box. You can define multiple folders for each path
specified. This option is saved with the user profile.
Data Sources Location
Specifies the path for database source files. Changes to this setting do not
take effect until you close and restart AutoCAD.
Drawing Template File Location
Specifies the path and file name for the template files used by the setup
wizards and for the QNEW command.
Tool Palettes File Locations
Specifies the path for tool palette support files.
Log File Location
Specifies the path for the log file created when you select Maintain a Log File
on the Open and Save tab. (LOGFILEPATH system variable)
OPTIONS
637
Temporary Drawing File Location

Specifies the location AutoCAD uses to store temporary files. AutoCAD
creates temporary files and then deletes them when you exit the program. If
you plan to run AutoCAD from a write-protected folder (for example, if you
are working on a network or opening files from a CD), specify an alternate
location for your temporary files. The folder you specify must not be writeprotected.
The TEMPPREFIX system variable (read-only) also stores the current location
of temporary drawing files.
Temporary External Reference File Location
Specifies the location of external reference (xref) files. This location is used
for the copy of the xref when you select Enabled with Copy in the Demand
Load Xrefs list on the Open and Save tab. (XLOADPATH system variable)
Texture Maps Search Path
Specifies the folders AutoCAD searches for rendering texture maps.
Browse
Displays the Browse for Folder or Select a File dialog box, depending on what
you selected in the List of Folders and Files.
Add
Adds a search path for the selected folder.
Remove
Removes the selected search path or file.
Move Up
Moves the selected search path above the preceding search path.
Move Down
Moves the selected search path below the following search path.
Set Current
Makes the selected project or spelling dictionary current.
Display Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Customizes the AutoCAD display.
638
OPTIONS
Window Elements
Controls display settings specific to the AutoCAD drawing environment.
Display Scroll
Bars in Drawing
Window
Displays scroll bars at the bottom and right sides of the

drawing area.
Display Screen
Menu
Displays the screen menu on the right side of the

drawing area. The AutoCAD screen menu font is
controlled by the Windows system font settings. If you
use the AutoCAD screen menu, you should set the
Windows system font setting to a font and font size
that fits the screen menu size restrictions.
Text Lines in
Command Line
Window
Specifies the number of lines of text you want to display

in the docked command line window. The default value
is 3. The valid range is 1 to 100.
Colors
Displays the Color Options dialog box (see page 665).

Use this dialog box to specify colors of elements in the
AutoCAD window.
OPTIONS
639
Fonts
Displays the Command Line Window Font dialog box

(see page 667). Use this dialog box to specify the font
for the command line text.
Layout Elements
Controls options for existing and new layouts. A layout is a paper space
environment in which you can set up drawings for plotting.
Display Layout
and Model Tabs
Displays the layout and Model tabs at the bottom of the

drawing area.
Display Margins
Displays margins in a layout. Margins appear as dashed

lines. Objects drawn outside of the margins are clipped
or omitted when the drawing is plotted.
Display Paper
Background
Displays a representation of the specified paper size in

a layout. The paper size and plot scale determine the
size of the paper background.
Display Paper Shadow: Displays a shadow around the

paper background in a layout. This option is
unavailable if the Display Paper Background option
is cleared.
Show Page Setup

Dialog for New
Layouts
Displays the Page Setup dialog box (see page 678) the
first time you choose a layout tab. Use this dialog box
to set options related to paper and plot settings.
Create Viewport
in New Layouts
Creates a single viewport automatically when you

create a new layout.
Crosshair Size
Controls the size of the crosshairs. The valid range is from 1 to 100 percent
of the total screen. At 100 percent, the ends of the crosshairs are never visible.
When the size is decreased to 99 percent or below, the crosshairs have a finite
size, and the ends of the crosshairs are visible when situated at the edge of
the drawing area. The default size is 5 percent. (CURSORSIZE system variable)
Display Resolution
Controls the quality of the display of objects. If you set high values to
improve display quality, the impact on performance is significant.
Arc and Circle
Smoothness
640
OPTIONS
Controls the smoothness of circles, arcs, and ellipses. A

higher number produces smoother objects, but
AutoCAD requires more time to regenerate, pan, and
zoom the objects. You can improve performance by
setting this option to a low value such as 100 for
drawing, and increasing the value for rendering. The
valid range is 1 to 20,000. The default setting is 1000.

This setting is saved in the drawing. To change the
default for new drawings, consider specifying this
setting in the template files on which you base your
new drawings.
This value is also controlled by the VIEWRES command.
Segments in a
Polyline Curve
Sets the number of line segments to be generated for

each polyline curve. The higher the number, the greater
the performance impact. Set this option to a low value
such as 4 to optimize performance for drawing. Values
range from 32767 to 32767. The default setting is 8.
This setting is saved in the drawing. (SPLINESEGS system
variable)
Rendered Object
Smoothness
Controls the smoothness of shaded and rendered

curved solids. AutoCAD multiplies the value you enter
for Rendered Object Smoothness by the value you enter
for Arc and Circle Smoothness to determine how to
display solid objects. To improve performance, set
Rendered Object Smoothness to 1 or less when
drawing. A higher number decreases display
performance and increases rendering time. The valid
range is 0.01 to 10. The default setting is 0.5. This
setting is saved in the drawing. (FACETRES system
variable)
Contour Lines per

Surface
Sets the number of contour lines per surface on objects.

A higher number decreases display performance and
increases rendering time. The valid range is 0 to 2047.
The default setting is 4. This setting is saved in the
drawing. (ISOLINES system variable)
Display Performance
Controls display settings that affect AutoCAD performance.
Pan and Zoom
with Raster Image
Controls the display of raster images when you use

Realtime PAN and ZOOM. Clear this option to optimize
performance. If dragging display is turned on and you
select Pan and Zoom with Raster Image, a copy of the
image moves with the cursor as you reposition the
original image. Dragging display controls whether an
outline of the object is displayed while you drag it. The
DRAGMODE system variable controls dragging display.
(RTDISPLAY system variable)
OPTIONS
641
Highlight Raster
Image Frame
Only
Controls the display of raster images during selection. If

this option is selected, only the frame of the raster
image is highlighted when selected. Select this option
to optimize performance. (IMAGEHLT system variable)
True Color Raster

Images and
Rendering
Controls whether raster images or renderings are

displayed at optimum quality. Selecting True Color
Raster Images and Rendering enables AutoCAD to
display images in True Color or at the highest display
quality available for the system. Increasing the amount
of colors in the system display setting significantly
decreases display performance. Clearing this option or
reducing the color palette in the system display settings
optimizes performance.
Apply Solid Fill
Displays solid fills in objects. Objects affected by FILL

include hatches (including solid-fill), two-dimensional
solids, wide polylines, multilines and traces. You must
regenerate the drawing by using REGEN or REGENALL for
this setting to take effect. This setting is saved in the
drawing. Clear this option to optimize performance.
(FILLMODE system variable)
Show Text
Boundary Frame
Only
Displays the frames for text objects instead of

displaying the text objects. After you select or clear this
option, you must use REGEN to update the display. This
setting is saved in the drawing. Select this option to
optimize performance. (QTEXTMODE system variable)
Show Silhouettes
in Wireframe
Controls whether silhouette curves of 3D solid objects

are displayed as wireframes. This option also controls
whether mesh is drawn or suppressed when a 3D solid
object is hidden. This setting is saved in the drawing.
Clear this option to optimize performance. (DISPSILH
system variable)
Reference Fading Intensity

Specifies the fading intensity value for objects during in-place reference
editing. With in-place reference editing, you can edit a block reference or
external reference from within the current drawing. While references are
being edited in-place, objects that are not being edited are displayed at a
lesser intensity than objects that can be edited. The valid range is 0 through
90 percent. The default setting is 50 percent. (XFADECTL system variable)
642
OPTIONS
Open and Save Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Controls options that relate to opening and saving files in AutoCAD.
File Save
Controls settings related to saving a file in AutoCAD.
Save As
Displays the valid file formats used when saving a file

with SAVE, SAVEAS, and QSAVE. The file format selected
for this option is the default format that all drawings
are saved as when you use SAVE, SAVEAS, and QSAVE.
Saving an AutoCAD 2004 file to any DXF format affects
performance. Set the Save As option to AutoCAD 2004
Drawing to optimize performance while saving.
Note AutoCAD 2000 is the drawing file format used by
the AutoCAD 2000, AutoCAD 2000i, and AutoCAD 2002
releases.
Save a Thumbnail
Preview Image
Displays an image of the drawing in the Preview area of

the Select File dialog box. (RASTERPREVIEW system
variable)
OPTIONS
643
Incremental Save
Percentage
Sets the percentage of potentially wasted space in a

drawing file. When the specified percentage is reached,
AutoCAD performs a full save instead of an incremental
save. Full saves eliminate wasted space. If you set
Incremental Save Percentage to 0, every save is a full
save.
Although incremental saves increase the size of your
drawing, do not set a very low value. Low values
degrade performance because AutoCAD performs timeconsuming full saves more often. For optimum
performance, set the value to 50. If hard disk space
becomes an issue, set the value to 25. If you set the
value to 20 or less, performance of the SAVE and SAVEAS
commands slows significantly. (ISAVEPERCENT system
variable)
File Safety Precautions

Assists in avoiding data loss and in detecting errors.
Automatic Save
Saves your drawing automatically at the intervals you

specify. You can specify the location of all Autosave files
by using the SAVEFILEPATH system variable. SAVEFILE
(read-only) stores the name of the Autosave file.
Create Backup
Copy with Each
Save
Minutes Between Saves: Specifies how often the

drawing is saved when using Automatic Save.
(SAVETIME system variable)
Specifies whether a backup copy of a drawing is created

when you save the drawing. The backup copy is created
in the same location as the drawing. (ISAVEBAK system
variable)
For information about using backup files, see Recover
a Damaged File in the Users Guide.
Full-Time CRC
Validation
644
OPTIONS
Specifies whether a cyclic redundancy check (CRC)

should be performed each time an object is read into
the drawing. CRC is an error-checking mechanism. If
your drawings are being corrupted and you suspect a
hardware problem or AutoCAD error, turn this option
on.
Maintain a Log
File
Writes the contents of the text window to a log file. To

specify the location and name of the log file, use the
Files tab in the Options dialog box. You can also set the
log file location by using the LOGFILEMODE system
variable. The LOGFILENAME system variable (read-only)
stores the log file name of the current drawing.
File Extension for

Temporary Files
Specifies a unique extension for the current user to

identify temporary files in a network environment. The
default extension is .ac$.
Security Options
Provides options for a digital signature and password

that are invoked when you save a file.
Display Digital
Signature
Information
Presents digital signature information when a file with

a valid digital signature is opened. (SIGWARN system
variable)
File Open
Controls settings that relate to recently used files and open files.
Number of
Recently Used
Files to List
Controls the number of recently used files that are

listed in the File menu for quick access. Valid values are
0 to 9.
Display Full Path

In Title
Displays the full path of the active drawing in the

drawings title bar, or in the AutoCAD title bar if the
drawing is maximized.
External References (Xrefs)

Controls the settings that relate to editing and loading external references.
Demand Load
Xrefs
Controls demand loading of xrefs. Demand loading

improves performance by loading only the parts of the
referenced drawing needed to regenerate the current
drawing. (XLOADCTL system variable)
Disabled: Turns off demand loading.

Enabled: Turns on demand loading and improves
AutoCAD performance. Select the Enabled setting to
enhance the loading process when working with
clipped xrefs that contain a spatial or layer index.
When this option is selected, other users cannot edit
the file while it is being referenced.
Enabled with Copy: Turns on demand loading but
uses a copy of the referenced drawing. Other users
can edit the original drawing.
OPTIONS
645
Retain Changes
to Xref Layers
Saves changes to layer properties and states for xrefdependent layers. When the drawing is reloaded, the
properties currently assigned to xref-dependent layers
are retained. This setting is saved in the drawing.
(VISRETAIN system variable)
Allow Other Users

to Refedit Current
Drawing
Determines whether the current drawing file can be

edited in-place if it is being referenced by another
drawing or multiple drawings. This setting is saved in
the drawing. (XEDIT system variable)
ObjectARX Applications
Controls settings that relate to AutoCAD Runtime Extension applications
and proxy graphics.
Demand Load
ObjectARX Apps
Specifies if and when AutoCAD demand-loads a thirdparty application if a drawing contains custom objects
created in that application. (DEMANDLOAD system
variable)
Proxy Images for

Custom Objects
Controls the display of custom objects in drawings.

(PROXYSHOW system variable)
646
OPTIONS
Disable Load on Demand: Turns off demand-loading.

Custom Object Detect: 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
applications commands.
Command Invoke: Demand-loads the source
application when you invoke one of the
applications commands. This setting does not
demand-load the application when you open a
drawing that contains custom objects.
Object Detect and Command Invoke: Demand-loads
the source application when you open a drawing
that contains custom objects or when you invoke
one of the applications commands.
Do Not Show Proxy Graphics: Specifies not to display

custom objects in drawings.
Show Proxy Graphics: Specifies to display custom
objects in drawings.
Show Proxy Bounding Box: Specifies to show a box in
place of custom objects in drawings.
Show Proxy
Information
Dialog Box
Specifies whether AutoCAD displays a warning when

you open a drawing that contains custom objects.
(PROXYNOTICE system variable)
Plotting Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Controls options related to plotting.
Default Plot Settings For New Drawings

Controls default plotting settings for new drawings or drawings created in
AutoCAD Release 14 or earlier that have never been saved in AutoCAD 2000
or later format.
Use As Default
Output Device
Sets the default output device for new drawings and for
drawings created in AutoCAD Release 14 or earlier that
have never been saved in AutoCAD 2000 or later
format. The list displays any plotter configuration files
(PC3) found in the plotter configuration search path
and any system printers that are configured in the
system.
Use Last
Successful Plot
Settings
Sets the plotting settings to match those of the last

successful plot. This option determines default plot
settings the same way that earlier releases of AutoCAD
do.
OPTIONS
647
Add or Configure
Plotters
Displays the Plotter Manager (a Windows system

window) (see page 747). You can add or configure a
plotter with the Autodesk Plotter Manager.
General Plot Options

Controls options that relate to the general plotting environment including
paper size settings, system printer alert behavior, and OLE objects in an
AutoCAD drawing.
Keep the Layout
Paper Size If
Possible
Uses the paper size specified on the Layout Settings tab

in the Page Setup dialog box as long as the selected
output device can plot to this paper size. If the selected
output device cannot plot to this paper size, AutoCAD
displays a warning message and uses the paper size
specified either in the plotter configuration file (PC3) or
in the default system settings if the output device is a
system printer. You can also select this option by setting
PAPERUPDATE to 0.
Use the Plot

Device Paper Size
Uses the paper size specified either in the plotter

configuration file (PC3) or in the default system settings
if the output device is a system printer. You can also set
this option by setting PAPERUPDATE to 1.
System Printer
Spool Alert
Controls whether you are alerted when the plotted

drawing is spooled through a system printer because of
an input or output port conflict.
OLE Plot Quality
648
OPTIONS
Always Alert (And Log Errors): Alerts you and always

logs an error when the plotted drawing spools
through a system printer.
Alert First Time Only (And Log Errors): Alerts you once
and always logs an error when the plotted drawing
spools through a system printer.
Never Alert (And Log First Error): Never alerts you and
logs only the first error when the plotted drawing
spools through a system printer.
Never Alert (Do Not Log Errors): Never alerts you or
logs an error when the plotted drawing spools
through a system printer.
Determines the quality of plotted OLE objects. The

values are Line Art, Text, Graphics, Photograph, and
High Quality Photograph. (OLEQUALITY system
variable)
Use OLE
Application
When Plotting
OLE Objects
Launches the application used to create the OLE object

when plotting an AutoCAD drawing with OLE objects.
You can use this option to optimize the quality of
plotted OLE objects. This setting is saved in the
drawing. (OLESTARTUP system variable)
Hide System
Printer
Controls whether Windows system printers are

displayed in the Plot and Page Setup dialog boxes. This
option hides standard Windows system printers only. It
does not hide Windows system printers that have been
configured using the AutoCAD Add-a-Plotter wizard.
You can control the size of the list of devices in the Plot
and Page Setup dialog boxes by moving a devices PC3
file out of the Plotters folder and its subfolders.
Default Plot Style Behavior for New Drawings

Controls plot style options. A plot style is a collection of property settings
defined in a plot style table and applied when the drawing is plotted. Changing the default plot style setting using the Options dialog box does not affect
the current drawing. Changing the default plot style behavior using the
Options dialog box affects only new drawings or drawings created in an
earlier release of AutoCAD that have never been saved in AutoCAD 2000 or
later format.
The default plot style setting is Use Color Dependent Plot Styles. The Plot
Style Control on the Properties toolbar is unavailable by default. The Plot
Style Control is available after you select the Use Named Plot Styles option
and open a new drawing. (PSTYLEPOLICY system variable)
Use Color
Dependent Plot
Styles
Uses color-dependent plot styles in both new drawings

and drawings created in AutoCAD Release 14 or earlier.
Color-dependent plot styles use the numbers from the
AutoCAD color index to create a plot style table with a
.ctb file extension. Each color is defined by a name or
number ranging from 1 to 255. You can assign each
color number to a different pen on a pen plotter to
achieve different property settings in the plotted
drawing. If this option is selected, a plot style is created
for each color setting. You can also select this option by
setting the PSTYLEPOLICY system variable to 1.
OPTIONS
649
This setting is saved with the drawing. Once a drawing

is saved with Use Color Dependent Plot Styles as the
default, you can convert it to Use Named Plot Styles
using the CONVERTCTB and CONVERTPSTYLES
commands.
Use Named Plot
Styles
Uses named plot styles in both new drawings and

drawings created in earlier versions of AutoCAD.
AutoCAD plots the drawing according to the property
settings you specify in the plot style definition. The plot
style is defined in the plot style table attached to the
layout. Named plot style tables are files with the file
extension .stb. You can also select this option by setting
the PSTYLEPOLICY system variable to 0.
This setting is saved with the drawing. Once a drawing
is saved with Use Named Plot Styles as the default, you
can convert it to Use Color Dependent Plot Styles using
the CONVERTCTB and CONVERTPSTYLES commands.
However, once you use CONVERTPSTYLES to convert a
drawing from using a named plot style table to a color
plot style table, you cannot use CONVERTPSTYLES to
convert it back to using a named plot style table.
650
Default Plot Style

Table
Specifies the default plot style table to attach to new

drawings. A plot style table is a file with a .ctb or an .stb
extension that includes and defines plot styles. If you
are using color-dependent plot styles, this option lists
all color dependent plot style tables found in the search
path as well as the value of None. If you are using
named plot styles, this option lists all named plot styles
tables.
Default Plot Style

for Layer 0
Sets the default plot style for Layer 0 for new drawings
or drawings created with earlier releases of AutoCAD
that have never been saved in AutoCAD 2000 or later
format. The list displays the default style, Normal, and
any plot styles defined in the currently loaded plot style
table. (DEFLPLSTYLE system variable)
OPTIONS
Default Plot Style

for Objects
Sets the default plot style that is assigned when you

create new objects. The list displays BYLAYER, BYBLOCK,
and Normal styles, and any plot styles defined in the
currently loaded plot style table.
You can also set this option by using the DEFPLSTYLE
system variable. DEFPLSTYLE is drawing specific and
controls the default plot style for objects in new
drawings or in drawings created in earlier releases of
AutoCAD that have never been saved in AutoCAD 2000
or later format.
Add or Edit Plot

Style Tables
Displays the Plot Style Manager (a Windows Explorer

window), where you can create or edit plot style tables.
System Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Controls AutoCAD system settings.
Current 3D Graphics Display

Controls settings that relate to system properties and configuration of the 3D
graphics display system.
Current 3D
Graphics Display
System
Lists the available 3D graphics display systems. The

default is the Heidi 3D graphics display system
(GSHEIDI10).
OPTIONS
651
Properties
Displays a 3D Graphics System Configuration dialog

box for the current 3D graphics display system. In the
3D Graphics System Configuration dialog box, you set
options that affect the way objects are displayed and
system resources are used in the 3D Orbit view. The
options you set also affect the way objects are shaded
with SHADEMODE.
Current Pointing Device

Controls options that relate to the pointing device.
Current Pointing
Device
Displays a list of the available pointing device drivers.
Accept Input
From
Current System Pointing Device: Sets the system

pointing device as current.
Wintab Compatible Digitizer: Sets the Wintabcompatible digitizer as current.
Specifies whether AutoCAD accepts input from both a

mouse and a digitizer or ignores mouse input when a
digitizer is set.
Layout Regen Options

Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model 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 these
settings can improve performance. (LAYOUTREGENCTL system variable)
Note The effectiveness of changing these settings depends on several factors.

See LAYOUTREGENCTL for more information.
652
Regen When
Switching
Layouts
Regenerates the drawing each time you switch tabs.
Cache Model Tab

and Last Layout
For the Model tab and the last layout made current,
saves the display list to memory and suppresses
regenerations when you switch between the two tabs.
For all other layouts, regenerations still occur when you
switch to those tabs.
Cache Model Tab

and All Layouts
Regenerates the drawing 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.
OPTIONS
dbConnect Options
Controls options that relate to database connectivity.
Store Links Index
in Drawing File
Stores the database index in the AutoCAD drawing file.

Select this option to enhance performance during Link
Select operations. Clear this option to decrease drawing
file size and to enhance the opening process for
drawings with database information.
Open Tables in
Read-Only Mode
Specifies whether to open database tables in Read-only

mode in the AutoCAD drawing file.
General Options
Controls general options that relate to system settings.
Single-Drawing
Compatibility
Mode
Limits AutoCAD to one open drawing at a time. If you

clear this option, AutoCAD can open multiple drawings
at once. If multiple drawings are open, this option
cannot be turned on until the additional drawings are
closed. (SDI system variable)
Display OLE
Properties Dialog
Displays the OLE Properties dialog box when inserting

OLE objects into AutoCAD drawings.
Show All Warning

Messages
Displays all dialog boxes that include a Dont Display

This Warning Again option. All dialog boxes with
warning options are displayed, regardless of previous
settings specific to each dialog box.
Beep on Error in
User Input
Sounds an alarm beep when AutoCAD detects an

invalid entry.
Load acad.lsp
with Every
Drawing
Specifies whether AutoCAD loads the acad.lsp file into

every drawing. If this option is cleared, only the
acaddoc.lsp file is loaded into all drawing files. Clear this
option if you do not want to run certain LISP routines
in specific drawing files. (ACADLSPASDOC system
variable)
Allow Long
Symbol Names
Permits long names to be used for named objects in the

drawing definition table. Object names can be up to
255 characters and include letters, numbers, blank
spaces, and any special character not used by Windows
and AutoCAD for other purposes. Long names can be
used for layers, dimension styles, blocks, linetypes, text
styles, layouts, UCS names, views, and viewport
configurations. This option is saved in the drawing.
(EXTNAMES system variable)
OPTIONS
653
Startup
Controls whether the Startup dialog box or no dialog

box is displayed when starting AutoCAD or creating a
new drawing.
Live Enabler Options

Specifies whether AutoCAD checks for object enablers. Using object enablers,
you can display and use custom objects in AutoCAD drawings even when the
ObjectARX application that created them is unavailable.
Check Web for
Live Enablers
Controls whether AutoCAD checks the Autodesk

website for object enablers.
Maximum
Number of
Unsuccessful
Checks
Specifies the number of times AutoCAD will check for

object enablers if unsuccessful.
For more information about object enablers, see Work with Custom and
Proxy Objects in the Users Guide.
User Preferences Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Controls options that optimize the way you work in AutoCAD.
654
OPTIONS
Windows Standard Behavior

Controls keystroke and right-click behavior in AutoCAD.
Windows
Standard
Accelerator Keys
Follows Windows standards in interpreting keyboard

accelerators (for example, CTRL + C equals COPYCLIP). If
this option is cleared, AutoCAD interprets keyboard
accelerators by using AutoCAD standards rather than
Windows standards (for example, CTRL + C equals
Cancel, CTRL + V toggles among the viewports).
Shortcut Menus
in Drawing Area
Displays a shortcut menu in the drawing area when you

right-click the pointing device. If this option is cleared,
AutoCAD interprets right-click as ENTER .
Right-Click
Customization
Displays the Right-Click Customization dialog box (see

page 667). This dialog box provides further definition
for the Shortcut Menus in Drawing Area option.
(SHORTCUTMENU system variable)
Drag and Drop Scale

Controls the default scale for dragging objects into a drawing using
DesignCenter or i-drop.
Source Content
Units
Sets the units AutoCAD uses for an object being

inserted into the current drawing when no insert units
are specified with the INSUNITS system variable.
If Unspecified-Unitless is selected, the object is not
scaled when inserted. (INSUNITSDEFSOURCE system
variable)
Target Drawing
Units
Sets the units AutoCAD uses in the current drawing

when no insert units are specified with the INSUNITS
system variable. (INSUNITSDEFTARGET system variable)
OPTIONS
655
Hyperlink
Controls settings that relate to the display properties of hyperlinks.
Display Hyperlink
Cursor and
Shortcut Menu
Displays the hyperlink cursor and shortcut menu. The

hyperlink cursor appears alongside the crosshairs
whenever the pointing device moves over an object
that contains a hyperlink. The hyperlink shortcut
menu provides additional options when you select an
object that contains a hyperlink and then right-click in
the drawing area. If this option is cleared, the hyperlink
cursor is never displayed and the Hyperlink option on
shortcut menus is not available (if shortcut menus are
enabled).
Display Hyperlink
Tooltip
Displays the Hyperlink tooltip when the pointing

device moves over an object that contains a hyperlink.
If the Display Hyperlink Cursor and Shortcut Menu
option is cleared, this option is unavailable.
Priority for Coordinate Data Entry

Controls how AutoCAD responds to input of coordinate data. (OSNAPCOORD
system variable)
Running Object
Snap
Specifies that running object snaps override coordinate

entry at all times. You can also select this option by
setting OSNAPCOORD to 0.
Keyboard Entry
Specifies that coordinate entry overrides running object

snaps at all times. You can also select this option by
setting OSNAPCOORD to 1.
Keyboard Entry
Except Scripts
Specifies that coordinate entry overrides running object

snaps, except in scripts. You can also select this option
by setting OSNAPCOORD to 2.
Object Sorting Methods

Determines the sort order of objects.
Object Selection
656
OPTIONS
Controls how objects are sorted during selection. If this

option is selected, AutoCAD sorts objects available for
selection from those created first to those created last. If
two overlapping objects are chosen during object
selection, AutoCAD recognizes the newest object as the
selected object. If this option is cleared, object selection
is determined by a random sort order. This setting is
saved in the drawing. (SORTENTS system variable)
Object Snap
Controls how objects are sorted when using Object

Snap. If this option is selected, AutoCAD sorts objects
available for selection from those created first to those
created last. If two overlapping objects are chosen when
using Object Snap, AutoCAD recognizes the newest
object as the object to snap to. If this option is cleared,
Object Snap is determined by a random sort order. This
setting is saved in the drawing. (SORTENTS system
variable)
Regens
Controls how objects are sorted when using REGEN or

REGENALL. If this option is selected, AutoCAD sorts and
regenerates objects in the drawing from those created
first to those created last. If this option is cleared, the
regeneration of objects is determined by a random sort
order. This setting is saved in the drawing. (SORTENTS
system variable)
Plotting
Controls how objects are sorted during plotting. If this

option is selected, AutoCAD sorts and plots objects in
the drawing from those created first to those created
last. If this option is cleared, the plotting of objects is
determined by a random sort order. This setting is saved
in the drawing. (SORTENTS system variable)
Associative Dimensioning
Controls whether associative dimension objects or legacy-style, nonassociative dimension objects are created. Associative dimensions automatically
adjust their locations, orientations, and measurement values when the
geometric objects associated with them are modified. (DIMASSOC system
variable)
Hidden Line Settings
Displays the Hidden Line Settings dialog box, where you can change the display properties of hidden lines.
Lineweight Settings
Displays the Lineweight Settings dialog box (see page 523). Use this dialog
box to set lineweight options, such as display properties and defaults, and
also to set the current lineweight.
OPTIONS
657
Drafting Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Specifies a number of general editing options.
AutoSnap Settings
Controls settings that relate to the visual aids, called AutoSnaps, that display
when you use object snaps. AutoSnap settings are saved in the registry.
When the cursor, or aperture box, is on an object, you can press TAB to cycle
through all the snap points available for that object.
658
Marker
Controls the display of the AutoSnap marker. The

marker is a geometric symbol that displays when the
crosshairs move over a snap point. (AUTOSNAP system
variable)
Magnet
Turns the AutoSnap magnet on or off. The magnet is an

automatic movement of the crosshairs that locks the
crosshairs onto the nearest snap point. (AUTOSNAP
system variable)
Display AutoSnap
Tooltip
Controls the display of the AutoSnap tooltip. The

tooltip is a label that describes which part of the object
you are snapping to. (AUTOSNAP system variable)
OPTIONS
Display AutoSnap
Aperture Box
Controls the display of the AutoSnap aperture box. The

aperture box is a box that appears inside the crosshairs
when you snap to an object. (APBOX system variable)
AutoSnap Marker
Color
Specifies the color of the AutoSnap marker.
AutoSnap Marker Size

Sets the display size for the AutoSnap marker.
AutoTrack Settings
Controls the settings that relate to AutoTrack behavior, which is available
when polar tracking or object snap tracking is turned on (see DSETTINGS).
Display Polar
Tracking Vector
Displays a vector along specified angles when polar

tracking is on. With polar tracking, you can draw lines
along angles. Polar angles are 90-degree divisors, such
as 45, 30, and 15 degrees.
You can disable Display Polar Tracking Vector by setting
TRACKPATH to 2.
Display
Full-Screen
Tracking Vector
Controls the display of tracking vectors. Tracking

vectors are construction lines from which you can draw
objects at specific angles or in specific relationships to
other objects. If selected, AutoCAD displays alignment
vectors as infinite lines.
You can disable Display Full-screen Tracking Vector by
setting TRACKPATH to 1.
Display
AutoTrack Tooltip
Controls the display of the AutoTrack tooltip. The

tooltip is a label that displays the tracking coordinates.
(AUTOSNAP system variable)
Alignment Point Acquisition

Controls the method of displaying alignment vectors in a drawing.
Automatic
Displays tracking vectors automatically when the

aperture moves over an object snap.
Shift to Acquire
Displays tracking vectors when pressing SHIFT and

moving the aperture over an object snap.
OPTIONS
659
Aperture Size
Sets the display size for the AutoSnap aperture. When Display AutoSnap
Aperture Box is selected (or when APBOX is set to 1), the aperture box is
displayed in the center of the crosshairs when you snap to an object. The
aperture size determines how close to a snap point you can be before the
magnet locks the aperture box to the snap point. Values range from 1 to 50
pixels. (APERTURE system variable)
Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box)
Pickbox Size
Controls the display size of the AutoCAD pickbox. The pickbox is the object
selection tool that appears in editing commands. (PICKBOX system variable)
Selection Modes
Controls settings that relate to object selection methods.
660
OPTIONS
Noun/Verb
Selection
Allows you to select an object before starting a

command. The command affects the previously
selected object or objects. (PICKFIRST system variable)
You can use many editing and inquiry commands with
noun/verb selection, including
PROPERTIES
ALIGN
DVIEW
ARRAY
ERASE
ROTATE
BLOCK
EXPLODE
SCALE
CHANGE
LIST
STRETCH
CHPROP
MIRROR
WBLOCK
COPY
MOVE
Use Shift to Add

to Selection
Adds or removes an object to the selection set when you

press SHIFT and select an object. To clear a selection set
quickly, draw a selection window in a blank area of the
drawing. (PICKADD system variable)
Press and Drag
Draws a selection window by selecting a point and

dragging the pointing device to a second point. If this
option is cleared, you can draw a selection window by
selecting two separate points with the pointing device.
(PICKDRAG system variable)
Implied
Windowing
Initiates the drawing of a selection window when you

select a point outside an object.
Drawing the selection window from left to right selects
objects that are entirely inside the windows
boundaries. Drawing from right to left selects objects
within and crossing the windows boundaries.
(PICKAUTO system variable)
Object Grouping
Selects all objects in a group when you select one object

in that group. With GROUP you can create and name a
set of objects for selection. You can also set this option
by setting the PICKSTYLE system variable to 1.
OPTIONS
661
Associative Hatch
Determines which objects are selected when you select

an associative hatch. If this option is selected, boundary
objects are also selected when you select an associative
hatch. You can also set this option by setting the
PICKSTYLE system variable to 2.
Grip Size
Controls the display size of AutoCAD grips. (GRIPSIZE system variable)
grip sizes
unselected grips
Grips
Controls the settings that relate to grips. Grips are small squares displayed on
an object after it has been selected.
Unselected Grip
Color
Determines the color of an unselected grip. If you

choose Select Color from the color list, AutoCAD
displays the Select Color dialog box (see page 169).
AutoCAD displays an unselected grip as a small, filled
square. (GRIPCOLOR system variable)
Selected Grip
Color
Determines the color of a selected grip. If you choose

Select Color from the color list, AutoCAD displays the
Select Color dialog box (see page 169). AutoCAD
displays a selected grip as a small, filled square.
(GRIPHOT system variable)
Hover Grip Color
Determines the color a grip displays when the cursor

rolls over the grip. If you choose Select Color from the
color list, AutoCAD displays the Select Color dialog box
(see page 169). (GRIPHOVER system variable)
Enable Grips
Displays grips on an object after you select it. You can

edit an object with grips by selecting a grip and using
the shortcut menu. Displaying grips in a drawing
significantly affects performance. Clear this option to
optimize performance. (GRIPS system variable)
Enable Grips
within Blocks
Controls how grips are displayed on a block after you

select it. If this option is selected, AutoCAD displays all
grips for each object in the block. If this option is
cleared, AutoCAD displays one grip located at the
insertion point of the block. You can edit an object with
grips by selecting a grip and using the shortcut menu.
(GRIPBLOCK system variable)
selected grip
662
OPTIONS
Enable Grips Within Blocks

off (GRIPBLOCK = 0)
Enable Grips Within Blocks

on (GRIPBLOCK = 1)
Enable Grip Tips
Displays grip-specific tips when the cursor hovers over

a grip on a custom object that supports grip tips. This
option has no effect on standard AutoCAD objects.
(GRIPTIPS system variable)
Maximum
Number of
Selected Objects
That Display
Grips
Suppresses the display of grips when the initial

selection set includes more than the specified number
of objects. The valid range is 1 to 32,767. The default
setting is 20. (GRIPOBJLIMIT system variable)
Profiles Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Controls the use of profiles. A profile is a configuration you define.
Available Profiles
Displays a list of the available profiles. To set the current

profile, select a profile and choose Set Current.
OPTIONS
663
Set Current
Makes the selected profile the current profile.
Add to List
Displays the Add Profile dialog box (see page 669) to

save the selected profile under a different name.
Rename
Displays the Change Profile dialog box (see page 670)

for changing the name and description of the selected
profile. Use Rename when you want to rename a profile
but keep its current settings.
Delete
Deletes the selected profile (unless it is the current

profile).
Export
Exports a profile as a file with an .arg extension so the

file can be shared with other users. You can import the
file on the same computer or a different computer.
Import
Imports a profile (a file with an .arg extension) created

by using the Export option.
Reset
Resets the values in the selected profile to the system

default settings.
Alternate Font Dialog Box

Specifies the location of the font file to use if AutoCAD cannot locate the
original font and an alternate font is not specified in the font mapping file.
You can also set the location of Alternate Font File by using the FONTALT
system variable.
If you do not specify an alternate font through the Options dialog box or the
FONTALT system variable, when you open a drawing containing fonts that
AutoCAD cannot locate, a similar dialog box displays from which you specify
a font to use for each missing font.
664
OPTIONS
Font Name
Lists the font family name for all registered TrueType

fonts and all AutoCAD SHX fonts in the AutoCAD
Fonts folder. When you select a name from the list,
AutoCAD reads the file for the specified font.
Font Style
Specifies font character formatting, such as italic, bold,

or regular. If the missing font is a Big Font, this option
changes to Big Font and lists all available Asianlanguage Big Font files.
Color Options Dialog Box

Sets the display color of AutoCAD window elements.
Model Tab
Displays the current settings for AutoCAD window elements in model space.
To change the color of a Model tab window element, click the specific element in the Model Tab area or select it from the Window Element list, and
then select a color from the Color list. The window title bar and menu bar
colors are controlled by the Windows system settings.
Layout Tabs
Displays the current settings for AutoCAD window elements in layouts. To
change the color of a layout tab window element, click the specific element
in the Layout Tabs area or select it from the Window Element list, and then
select a color from the Color list. The window title bar and menu bar colors
are controlled by the Windows system settings.
OPTIONS
665
Window Element
Lists the AutoCAD window elements.
Model Tab
Background
Specifies the AutoCAD window color in model space.
Model Tab
Pointer
Specifies the AutoCAD crosshairs color in model space.
Layout Tabs
Background
(Paper)
Specifies the AutoCAD window color in all layouts. This

option is dependent on the Display Paper Background
option on the Display tab in the Options dialog box.
The paper background is a representation of the
specified paper size in a layout. If Display Paper
Background is selected, the window color surrounding
the paper background is displayed as gray. If Display
Paper Background is cleared, the entire AutoCAD
window assumes the Layout Tabs Background (Paper)
color setting.
Layout Tabs
Pointer
Specifies the AutoCAD crosshairs color in a layout. The

default setting is the Windows standard window text
color.
AutoTracking
Vector Color
Specifies the color for AutoCAD AutoTracking vectors.

Tracking vectors are construction lines that enable you
to draw objects at specific angles or in specific
relationships to other objects. The default setting is
White.
Command Line
Background
Specifies the background color of the AutoCAD

command line window. The default color setting is the
Windows standard window color.
Command Line
Text
Specifies the text color of the AutoCAD command line

window. The default setting is the Windows standard
window text color.
Color
Lists the available color settings to apply to the list of AutoCAD window
elements. You can choose one of the colors in the color list or choose Select
Color to open the Select Color dialog box. You can use the Select Color dialog
box to define the color of window elements by selecting from the AutoCAD
Color Index (ACI) colors, True Color colors, and Color Book colors.
If you select a new color for a window element, the new setting is displayed
in the Model Tab or Layout Tabs preview image.
666
OPTIONS
Default All
Sets all AutoCAD window elements back to the default color settings.
Default One Element

Sets the selected AutoCAD window element back to the default color setting.
Command Line Window Font Dialog Box

Sets the font displayed in the AutoCAD command window. The AutoCAD
screen menu font is controlled by the Windows system font settings. (If you
use the AutoCAD screen menu, you should set the Windows system font
setting to a font and font size that fits the screen menu size restrictions.)
Font
Lists the system fonts available for selection.
Font Style
Lists the styles available to apply to the current font.
Size
Lists the font sizes available for the current font.
Right-Click Customization Dialog Box

Controls whether right-clicking in the drawing area displays a shortcut menu
or has the same effect as pressing ENTER . If you are accustomed to using the
right-click method for ENTER while a command is active, you might prefer to
disable Command shortcut menus from this dialog box. You can also control
shortcut menus by using the SHORTCUTMENU system variable.
OPTIONS
667
Turn on Time-Sensitive Right-Click

Controls right-click behavior. A quick click is the same as pressing ENTER . A
longer click displays a shortcut menu. You can set the duration of the longer
click in milliseconds.
Default Mode
Determines what happens when you right-click in the drawing area when no
objects are selected and no commands are in progress.
Repeat Last
Command
Disables the Default shortcut menu. As a result, rightclicking in the drawing area when no objects are
selected and no commands are in progress is the same
as pressing ENTER , which repeats the last issued
command.
Shortcut Menu
Enables the Default shortcut menu.
Edit Mode
Determines what happens when you right-click in the drawing area when
one or more objects are selected and no commands are in progress.
668
OPTIONS
Repeat Last
Command
Disables the Edit shortcut menu. As a result, rightclicking in the drawing area when one or more objects
are selected and no commands are in progress is the
same as pressing ENTER , which repeats the last issued
command.
Shortcut Menu
Enables the Edit shortcut menu.
Command Mode
Determines what happens when you right-click in the drawing area when a
command is in progress.
ENTER
Disables the Command shortcut menu. As a result,

right-clicking in the drawing area when a command is
in progress is the same as pressing ENTER .
Shortcut Menu:
Always Enabled
Enables the Command shortcut menu.
Shortcut Menu:
Enabled When
Command
Options Are
Present
Enables the Command shortcut menu only when

options are currently available on the command line.
On the command line, options are enclosed in square
brackets. If no options are available, right-clicking is the
same as pressing ENTER .
Add Profile Dialog Box

Creates a new profile from an existing one. The new profile is displayed in
the Profile list box on the Profiles tab in the Options dialog box.
Profile Name
Enter a name to save the profile as. The new profile is

created and added to the profile list.
Description
Enter a description for the new profile. The description

is saved with the new profile.
OPTIONS
669
Change Profile Dialog Box

Renames an existing profile. The new profile name is displayed in the Profile
list box on the Profiles tab in the Options dialog box.
Profile Name
Enter a new name for the existing profile. The new

profile name replaces the previous profile name in the
profile list.
Description
Enter a description. The description is saved under the

new profile name.
See Also
See Customize the Drawing Environment in the Users Guide.
ORTHO
Constrains cursor movement
In Ortho mode, cursor movement is constrained to the horizontal or vertical
directions (relative to the UCS) and with the current grid rotation angle.
Status bar: Ortho
Command line: ortho (or 'ortho for transparent use)
In the illustration, a line is drawn using Ortho mode. Point 1 is the first point
specified, and point 2 is the position of the cursor when the second point is
specified.
670
ORTHO
2
1
Ortho off
1
Ortho on
AutoCAD uses Ortho mode when you specify an angle or distance by means
of two points using a pointing device. In Ortho mode, cursor movement is
constrained to the horizontal or vertical directions (relative to the UCS) and
with the current grid rotation angle. AutoCAD ignores Ortho mode in
perspective views.
AutoCAD defines horizontal as being parallel to the X axis of the UCS and
vertical as being parallel to the Y axis. ORTHO adjusts to the current snap
rotation regardless of the UCS.
See Also
See Use Orthogonal Locking (Ortho Mode) in the Users Guide.
Commands
SNAP aligns points entered by a pointing device. UCS

manages user coordinate systems.
System Variables
ORTHOMODE stores the Ortho setting.
OSNAP
Sets running object snap modes
An object snap mode specifies a snap point at an exact location on an object.
OSNAP specifies running object snap modes, which remain active until you
turn them off.

For information about how to specify an object snap mode for a single point,
see Use Object Snaps in the Users Guide.
OSNAP
671
Running object snap modes can be toggled on and off with the Osnap button
on the status bar. You can use the TAB key to cycle through available object
snaps. Running object snap settings are stored with the drawing.
Object Snap toolbar:
Tools Menu: Drafting Settings
Shortcut menu: Press SHIFT while right-clicking in the drawing area and
choose Osnap Settings.
Command line: osnap (or 'osnap for transparent use)
The Object Snaps tab of the Drafting Settings dialog box (see page 318) is
displayed.
If you enter -osnap at the Command prompt, OSNAP presents options on the
command line.
Current osnap modes: current
Enter list of object snap modes: Enter names of object snap modes separated with
commas, or enter none or off
Object Snap Modes

Specify one or more object snap modes by entering the first three characters
of the name. If you enter more than one name, separate the names with
commas.
ENDpoint
CENter
TANgent
MIDpoint
NODe
NEArest
INTersection
QUAdrant
PARallel
EXTension
INSertion
APParent Intersection
PERpendicular
For a description of each of these object snap modes, see the Object Snaps tab
of the Drafting Settings dialog box (see page 318).
The -OSNAP command also presents the following additional options:
672
QUIck
Snaps to the first snap point found. Quick must be used

in conjunction with other object snap modes.
NONe
Turns off object snap modes.
OSNAP
See Also
See Use Object Snaps in the Users Guide.
Commands
APERTURE controls the size of the aperture box.
System Variables
APBOX turns the AutoSnap aperture box on or off.

AUTOSNAP controls the display of the AutoSnap marker
and Snaptip and turns the AutoSnap magnet on or off.

OSMODE uses bitcodes to set object snap modes.
Note The index for the Command Reference is at the end of Volume II.
OSNAP
673
674
PAGESETUP
Specifies the plotting device, paper size, and settings for each new layout
File menu: Page Setup
Shortcut menu: Right-click the Model tab or a layout tab and choose Page
Setup.
Command line: pagesetup
The Page Setup dialog box is displayed.
Page Setup Dialog Box

Specifies page layout and plotting device settings. The Page Setup dialog box
is displayed the first time you choose a layout tab in a drawing. The layout
settings you specify are stored with the layout.
Layout Name
Displays the current layout name.
Page Setup
Name
Lists any named and saved page setups in the drawing.

You can choose to base the current page setup on a
named page setup or you can add a new named page
setup by choosing Add. Choosing Add displays the User
Defined Page Setups dialog box (see page 682).
Display When
Creating a New
Layout
Displays the Page Setup dialog box when a new layout

tab is selected. To reset this function, select Show Page
Setup Dialog for New Layouts on the Display tab of the
Options dialog box.
Plot
Plots the current Model tab or layout tab using the

settings you have specified.
PAGESETUP
675
Plot Device Tab (Page Setup Dialog Box)

Specifies a currently configured plotting device to send a layout to for
plotting.
Plotter Configuration
Displays the currently configured plotting device, the port to which its connected or its network location, and any additional user-defined comments
about the plotter. A list of the available system printers and PC3 file names is
displayed in the Name list. An icon in front of the device name identifies it
as a PC3 file or a system printer.
If a selected plotter doesnt support the layouts selected paper size, a warning
is displayed and the plotters default paper size is automatically selected. You
can set paper size on the Layout Settings tab.
676
PAGESETUP
Properties
Displays the Plotter Configuration Editor (PC3 editor)

where you can view or modify the current plotter
configuration, ports, device, and media settings.
If you make changes to the PC3 file using the Plotter
Configuration Editor, the Changes to a Printer
Configuration File dialog box (see page 682) is
displayed.
Hints
Displays information about the specific plotting device.
Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments)

Sets the plot style table, edits the plot style table, or creates a new plot style
table.
Name
Displays a list of the current plot style tables available

to assign to the current Model or layout tab. To modify
the definition of a plot style contained in a plot style
table, choose Edit.
Edit
Displays the Plot Style Table Editor, where you can view
or modify plot styles for the currently assigned plot
style table.
New
Displays the Add Plot Style Table wizard, which you can
use to create a new plot style table. The wizard that is
displayed is determined by whether the current
drawing is in color-dependent or named mode.
Display Plot
Styles
Controls whether the properties of plot styles assigned

to objects are displayed and plotted in the selected
layout.
Options
Displays the Plotting tab in the Options dialog box,

where you can view or modify the current layout and
plot settings (see page 633).
PAGESETUP
677
Layout Settings Tab (Page Setup Dialog Box)

Specifies layout settings such as plot area, plot scale, plot offset, drawing
orientation, and paper size.
Paper Size and Paper Units

Displays standard paper sizes available for the selected plotting device. Printable Area displays the actual area on the paper that is used for the plot based
on the currently configured paper size.
Actual paper sizes are indicated by the width (X axis direction) and height
(Y axis direction). If no plotter is selected, the full standard paper size list is
displayed and available for selection. A default paper size is set for the plotting device when you create a PC3 file with the Add-a-Plotter wizard. The
paper size is saved with a layout and overrides the PC3 file settings.
Drawing Orientation
Specifies the orientation of the drawing on the paper for plotters that support
landscape or portrait orientation. You can change the drawing orientation to
achieve a 0-, 90-, 180-, or 270-degree plot rotation by selecting Portrait, Landscape, or Plot Upside-Down. The paper icon represents the media orientation
of the selected paper. The letter icon represents the orientation of the
drawing on the page.
678
PAGESETUP
Portrait
Orients and plots the drawing so that the short edge of

the paper represents the top of the page.
Landscape
Orients and plots the drawing so that the long edge of

Plot UpsideDown
Orients and plots the drawing upside-down.
Note The orientation of plots is also affected by the PLOTROTMODE system

variable.
Plot Area
Specifies the area of the drawing to be plotted.
Layout/Limits
When plotting a layout, plots everything within the

margins of the specified paper size, with the origin
calculated from 0,0 in the layout.
When plotting from the Model tab, plots the entire
drawing area defined by the drawing limits. If the
current viewport does not display a plan view, this
option has the same effect as the Extents option.
Extents
Plots the portion of the current space of the drawing

that contains objects. All geometry in the current space
is plotted. AutoCAD may regenerate the drawing to
recalculate the extents before plotting.
Display
Plots the view in the current viewport in the Model tab

or in the current paper space view in a layout tab.
View
Plots a view saved previously with the VIEW command.

You can select a named view from the list provided. If
there are no saved views in the drawing, this option is
unavailable.
Window
Plots the portion of the drawing you specify by a

windowed area. Choose the Window button to use the
pointing device to specify the two corners of the area to
be plotted, or enter coordinate values.
Command: Specify first corner: Specify a point
Specify other corner: Specify a point
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Plot Scale
Controls the relative size of drawing units to plotted units. The default scale
setting is 1:1 when plotting a layout. The default setting is Scaled to Fit when
plotting the Model tab. When you select a standard scale, the scale is displayed in Custom.
Note If the Layout option is specified in Plot Area, AutoCAD plots the actual
size of the layout and ignores the setting specified in Scale.
Scale
Defines the exact scale for the plot. The four most
recently used standard scales are displayed at the top of
the list.
Custom
Defines a user-defined scale. You can create a custom

scale by entering the number of inches (or millimeters)
equal to the number of drawing 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.
Shaded Viewport Options

Specifies how shaded and rendered viewports are plotted and determines
their resolution levels and dots per inch (dpi).
Shade Plot
Specifies how views are plotted. To specify this setting

for a viewport on a layout tab, select the viewport and
then, on the Tools menu, click Properties.
From the Model tab, you can choose from the following
options:
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PAGESETUP
As Displayed: Plots objects the way they are displayed

on the screen.
Wireframe: Plots objects in wireframe regardless of
the way they are displayed on the screen.
Hidden: Plots objects with hidden lines removed
regardless of the way they are displayed on the
screen.
Rendered: Plots objects as rendered regardless of the
way they are displayed on the screen.
Quality
Specifies the resolution at which shaded and rendered

viewports are plotted.
You can choose from the following options:
DPI
Draft: Sets rendered and shaded model space views to

plot as wireframe.
Preview: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
to plot at the current device resolution, to a
maximum of 150 dpi.
Normal: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
maximum of 300 dpi.
Presentation: Sets rendered and shaded model space
views to plot at the current device resolution, to a
maximum of 600 dpi.
Maximum: Sets rendered and shaded model space
views to plot at the current device resolution with
no maximum.
Custom: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
to plot at the resolution setting you specify in the
DPI box, up to the current device resolution.
Specifies the dots per inch for shaded and rendered

views, up to the maximum resolution of the current
plotting device. This option is available if you choose
Custom in the Quality box.
Plot Offset
Specifies an offset of the plotting area from the lower-left corner of the paper.
In a layout, the lower-left corner of a specified plot area is positioned at the
lower-left margin of the paper. You can offset the origin by entering a positive
or negative value. The plotter values are in inches or millimeters on the
paper.
Center the Plot
Automatically calculates the X and Y offset values to

center the plot on the paper.
Specifies the plot origin in the X direction.
Specifies the plot origin in the Y direction.
Plot Options
Specifies options for lineweights, plot styles, shaded plots, and the order in
which objects are plotted.
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Plot Object
Lineweights
Specifies whether lineweights assigned to objects and

layers are plotted.
Plot with Plot

Styles
Specifies whether plot styles applied to objects and

layers are plotted. When you select this option, Plot
with Lineweights is automatically selected also.
Plot Paperspace
Last
Plots model space geometry first. Paper space geometry

is usually plotted before model space geometry.
Hide Paperspace
Objects
Specifies whether the Hide operation applies to objects

in the paper space viewport. This option is only
available from a layout tab. The effect of this setting is
reflected in the plot preview, but not in the layout.
User Defined Page Setups Dialog Box

Specifies the name of the user-defined page setup you are saving. All settings
you apply to the current layout are saved to the user-defined page setup file.
New Page Setup
Name
Names the new user-defined page setup you are saving.
Page Setups
Lists the user-defined page setups already saved. You

can select a named page setup from the list to apply to
the current layout tab.
Rename
Renames the selected user-defined page setup.
Delete
Deletes the selected user-defined page setup.
Import
Imports a user-defined page setup from another

drawing and applies it to the current layout.
Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog

Box (Page Setup)
Notifies you that you have made changes to an existing plotter configuration
(PC3) file. You can cancel your changes, choose OK to overwrite the PC3 file,
or specify a new file name for the modified PC3 file.
Save Changes to
the Following File
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PAGESETUP
Specifies the path of the PC3 file that you have

changed. To preserve the original PC3 file, specify a new
file name.
PAN
Moves the view in the current viewport
Standard toolbar:
View menu: Pan Realtime
Shortcut menu: With no objects selected, right-click in the drawing area and
choose Pan.
Command line: pan (or 'pan for transparent use)
AutoCAD displays the following prompt; you can pan the drawing display in
real time.
Press ESC or ENTER to exit, or right-click to display a shortcut menu.
If you enter -pan at the Command prompt, PAN displays alternative prompts
on the command line, and you can specify a displacement to pan the drawing display.
Panning in Real Time
hand cursor
The cursor changes to a hand cursor. By holding down the pick button on
the pointing device, you lock the cursor to its current location relative to the
viewport coordinate system. The drawing display is moved in the same direction as the cursor.
When you reach a logical extent (edge of the drawing space), a bar is displayed on the hand cursor on that edge. Depending on whether the logical
extent is at the top, bottom, or side of the drawing, the bar is either horizontal (top or bottom) or vertical (left or right side).
top
extent
right
extent
bottom
extent
left
extent
When you release the pick button, panning stops. You can release the pick
button, move the cursor to another location in the drawing, and then press
the pick button again to pan the display from that location.
To stop panning at any time, press ENTER or ESC .
PAN
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PAN Command Line

If you enter -pan at the Command prompt, PAN presents alternative prompts
This version of PAN works in two ways. You can specify a single point, indicating the relative displacement of the drawing with respect to the current
location, or (more commonly) you can specify two points, in which case
AutoCAD computes the displacement from the first point to the second
point.
2
You cannot use PAN transparently during VPOINT or DVIEW, or while another
ZOOM, PAN, or VIEW command is in progress.
Specify base point or displacement: Specify a point (1)

The point you specify indicates either the amount to move the drawing or
the location in the drawing to be moved, depending on how you respond to
the next prompt.
before PAN
Specify second point: Press ENTER or specify a point (2)

If you press ENTER , AutoCAD moves the drawing by the amount you specified in the Specify Base Point or Displacement prompt. For example, if you
specify 2,2 at the first prompt and press ENTER at the second prompt,
AutoCAD moves the drawing 2 units in the X direction and 2 units in the Y
direction. If you specify a point at the Specify Second Point prompt,
AutoCAD moves the location of the first point to the location of the second
point.
after PAN
Pan Shortcut Menu

When the PAN command is active, you can exit PAN or switch to ZOOM or
3DORBIT using the options on the Pan shortcut menu.
To access the Pan shortcut menu, right-click in the drawing area while PAN is
active.
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PAN
Exit
Cancels PAN or ZOOM.
Pan
Switches to PAN.
Zoom
Switches to ZOOM in real time.
3D Orbit
Switches to 3DORBIT.
Zoom Window
Zooms to display an area specified by a rectangular

window.
Zoom Original
Restores the original view.
Zoom Extents
Zooms to display the drawing extents.
See Also
See Pan a View in the Users Guide.
Commands
DVIEW creates and restores views. VIEW saves and

restores named views. VIEWRES controls Fast Zoom
mode and sets the resolution for circle, arc, and linetype
generation in the current viewport. VPOINT sets the
viewing direction for a 3D visualization of the current
drawing. ZOOM increases or decreases the apparent size
of objects in the current viewport.
PARTIALOAD
File Menu: Partial Load
Command line: partiaload
AutoCAD displays the Partial Load dialog box. PARTIALOAD can only be used
in a partially open drawing. To partially open a drawing, use OPEN and
choose Partial Open in the Select File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box). Any information that is loaded into the file using PARTIALOAD
cannot be unloaded, not even with UNDO.
If you enter -partiaload at the Command prompt, PARTIALOAD displays
Partial Load Dialog Box

Displays the views and layers available for specifying additional geometry to
load into a partially open drawing. You can select and load geometry from a
view or a selected area and from layers. You cannot unload any information
that is currently loaded in the drawing. If the drawing contains attached xrefs
that were not loaded at the time that the drawing was partially opened, you
can reload the xrefs by using the Xref Manager. See XREF.
PARTIALOAD
685
View Geometry to Load

Displays the selected view and available views in the drawing. Views
available for loading include only views defined in model space. You
can load paper space geometry by loading the layer on which the paper
space geometry is drawn.
686
View Name
Displays the currently selected view. Geometry that is

common to both the selected view and the layers is
loaded into the drawing.
View List
Displays all the model space views available in the

selected drawing file. When a view is selected,
AutoCAD loads only the geometry in the selected view.
The default view is Extents. You can only select to load
geometry from one view. Geometry that is common to
both the selected view and the layers is loaded into the
drawing. Any information currently loaded into the file
cannot be unloaded.
Pick Window
Prompts you to use the pointing device to specify an

area using window selection. The selected area becomes
the view to load and is displayed in the View Geometry
to Load list as New View.
PARTIALOAD
Layer Geometry to Load

Displays all the layers available in the selected drawing file. The geometry on
selected layers is loaded into the drawing, including both model space and
paper space geometry. No layers are selected to load by default. You can load
geometry from multiple layers. Geometry that is common to both the
selected view and the layers is loaded into the drawing. Any information that
is currently loaded into the file cannot be unloaded.
Layer Name
Displays the layer names in the selected drawing.
Load Geometry
Specifies whether geometry from a layer is loaded into

the drawing or not. If Load Geometry is selected, the
geometry from the layer is loaded into the drawing.
Any information that is currently loaded into the file
cannot be unloaded.
Load All
Selects Load Geometry for all layers. You can also rightclick and choose Load All from the shortcut menu to
load geometry from all layers.
Clear All
Specifies that no geometry be loaded into the drawing

(clears the Load Geometry option for all layers). It is
recommended that you load geometry from at least one
layer into the drawing. If you do not select any layers to
load, no geometry is loaded at all, including geometry
from the selected view. AutoCAD issues a warning if
you do not select any layers to load into the drawing.
You can also right-click and choose Clear All from the
shortcut menu to specify that no geometry is loaded
from any layer.
Index Status
Indicates whether the selected drawing file contains a spatial or layer index.
INDEXCTL controls whether layer and spatial indexes are saved with the
drawing file. A spatial index organizes objects based on their location in
space. A layer index is a list showing which objects are on which layers.
PARTIALOAD Command Line

When a drawing is partially open and you enter -partiaload at the Command
prompt, PARTIALOAD displays prompts on the command line.
Specify first corner or [View]: Specify a point or enter v
PARTIALOAD
687
First Corner
Specifies the first corner of a user-defined view.
Geometry from the defined view is loaded into the partially open drawing.
Enter layers to load or [?] <none>: Enter a layer name, enter ?, or press ENTER
Layers to Load
Loads geometry from the selected layers into the current drawing, including
both model space and paper space geometry. To load geometry from multiple
layers into the drawing, use a comma between layer names. If no layer geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer geometry into the drawing, including geometry specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
Yes
Does not load any external references into the drawing.
No
Loads all external references into the drawing.
?List Layers
Displays a list of layer names available in the current drawing. Enter one or
more layer names. If no layer geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer
geometry into the drawing, including geometry specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
Yes
No
View
Loads the geometry from the specified view into the current drawing.
Enter view to load or [?] <*Extents*>: Enter a view name, enter ?, or press ENTER
to load the Extents view
View to Load
Loads the geometry from the specified view into the partially open drawing.
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PARTIALOAD
Layers to Load
Loads geometry from the layer or layers into the current

drawing. To load geometry from multiple layers into
the drawing, use a comma between layer names. If no
layer geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer
geometry into the drawing, including geometry
specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER
If you enter yes, AutoCAD does not load any external
references into the drawing. If you enter no, AutoCAD
loads all external references into the drawing.
?List Layers
Displays a list of layer names available in the current

drawing. Enter one or more layer names. If no layer
geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer
press ENTER
?List Views
Displays a list of model space views available in the selected drawing. Enter
a view name.
Layers to Load
Loads geometry from one or more layers into the

current drawing. To load geometry from multiple layers
into the drawing, use a comma between layer names. If
no layer geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer
press ENTER
PARTIALOAD
689
?List Layers
AutoCAD displays a list of layer names available in the

current drawing. Enter one or more layer names. If no
layer geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer
press ENTER
See Also
See Open Part of a Large Drawing (Partial Load) in the Users Guide.
System Variables

partially opened.
PARTIALOPEN partially opens a drawing file.
PARTIALOPEN
When working with a large drawing file, you can choose to work with only
a portion of the drawing by loading geometry from a specific view or layer.
When a drawing is partially open, the specified geometry as well as the
named objects are loaded into the file. AutoCAD named objects include
blocks, dimension styles, layers, layouts, linetypes, text styles, UCSs, views,
and viewport configurations.
It is recommended that you partially open a drawing by using OPEN and
choosing Partial Open in the Select File dialog box to display the Partial Open
Command line: partialopen
When you are running a script and using PARTIALOPEN, FILEDIA can be set to
0 or 1. When FILEDIA is set to 0 and you enter partialopen or -partialopen at
the Command prompt, PARTIALOPEN displays prompts on the command
line.
Enter name of drawing to open: Enter a drawing name and press ENTER
690
PARTIALOPEN
Enter ~ (tilde) at the prompt to ignore FILEDIA and display the Select File
dialog box (see page 621). In the Select File dialog box, select a file and choose
Partial Open to display the Partial Open dialog box (see page 629). If you
enter a file name at the prompt, AutoCAD displays prompts on the command
line.
Enter view to load or [?] <*Extents*>: Enter a view name, enter ?, or press ENTER
to load the Extents view
View to Load
Opens the drawing with the geometry from the selected view loaded.
Layers to Load
Loads geometry from one or more layers into the current drawing. To load
geometry from multiple layers, use a comma between layer names. If no layer
geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer geometry into the drawing,
including geometry specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
Yes
No
?List Layers
Displays a list of layers available in the selected drawing. Enter one or more
layer names. To enter multiple layers, separate the layer names with a
comma.
Yes
No
PARTIALOPEN
691
?List Views
Displays a list of model space views available in the selected drawing. Enter
a view name.
Layers to Load
Loads geometry from one or more layers into the current drawing. To load
geometry from multiple layers, use a comma between layer names. If no layer
geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer geometry into the drawing,
including geometry specified to load from a view.
Yes
No
?List Layers
Displays a list of layers available in the selected drawing. Enter one or more
layer names. To enter multiple layers, separate the layer names with a
comma.
Yes
No
See Also
See Open Part of a Large Drawing (Partial Load) in the Users Guide.
Commands
OPEN opens an existing drawing file. PARTIALOAD loads
additional information into a drawing file if the current

drawing is partially open.
System Variables
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PARTIALOPEN

partially opened.
PASTEBLOCK
Pastes copied objects as a block
Edit menu: Paste as Block
and choose Paste as Block.
Command line: pasteblock
Specify insertion point: Specify a point
AutoCAD pastes the objects copied to the Clipboard into the drawing as a
block at the specified insertion point.
PASTECLIP
Inserts data from the Clipboard
You can paste AutoCAD objects, text, and files in various formats, such as
metafile, bitmap, and multimedia, into a drawing.
Standard toolbar:
Edit menu: Paste
and choose Paste.
Command line: pasteclip
If the Clipboard contains a graphic object, AutoCAD prompts you to specify
an insertion point. If the Clipboard contains an OLE object, the OLE
Properties dialog box (see page 618) is displayed when the object is pasted.
If the Clipboard contains ASCII text, AutoCAD inserts the text in the upperleft corner of the drawing area using the MTEXT defaults. ASCII text becomes
a multiline text (mtext) object.
All other objects, except AutoCAD objects, are inserted as embedded or
linked objects. You can edit these embedded or linked objects by doubleclicking them in the AutoCAD drawing to open the application in which
they were created.
Note You can also use CTRL + V to run PASTECLIP. If the cursor is in the drawing area, PASTECLIP behaves as described. If the cursor is on the command line,
text from the Clipboard is pasted at the current prompt.
PASTEBLOCK
693
See Also
See Use Windows Cut, Copy, and Paste in the Users Guide.
Commands
INSERT inserts a block by using a dialog box. -INSERT

inserts a block by using the command line. MTEXT
creates multiline paragraphs. PASTESPEC inserts data
from the Clipboard and controls the format of the
pasted data.
System Variables
WMFBKGND controls whether the background for the
Windows metafile format of objects placed on the Clipboard and pasted into other applications is transparent.
PASTEORIG
Pastes a copied object in a new drawing using the coordinates from the original drawing
Edit menu: Paste to Original Coordinates
and choose Paste to Original Coordinates.
Command line: pasteorig
AutoCAD pastes the object copied to the Clipboard into the drawing at the
same coordinates used in the original drawing.
PASTEORIG functions only when the Clipboard contains AutoCAD data from
a drawing other than the current drawing.
PASTESPEC
Inserts data from the Clipboard and controls the format of the data
AutoCAD supports the Windows object linking and embedding (OLE)
feature. When an object is inserted into an AutoCAD drawing from an
application that supports OLE, the object can maintain a connection to its
source file.
PASTESPEC inserts a linked or embedded object from the Clipboard into an
AutoCAD drawing.
Edit menu: Paste Special
Command line: pastespec
The Paste Special dialog box is displayed.
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PASTEORIG
Paste Special Dialog Box

Sets file formats and linking options for pasted files.
Source
Displays the name of the document that contains the

information you copied. It may also show the specific
section of the document you copied.
Paste
Pastes the contents of the Clipboard into the current

drawing as an embedded object.
Paste Link
Pastes the contents of the Clipboard into the current

drawing. If the source application supports an OLE link,
AutoCAD creates a link to the original file.
As
Displays applicable formats in which you can paste the

contents of the Clipboard into the current drawing.
If you select AutoCAD Entities, AutoCAD converts the
metafile graphics in the Clipboard to AutoCAD objects.
If the metafile graphics are not converted, the metafile
is displayed as an OLE object.
Display as Icon
Inserts a picture of the application icon instead of the

data. To view or edit the data, double-click the icon.
See Also
See Use Windows Cut, Copy, and Paste in the Users Guide.
Commands
COPYCLIP copies objects to the Clipboard. COPYLINK
copies the current view to the Clipboard for linking to

other OLE applications. CUTCLIP copies selected objects
to the Clipboard and erases the objects from the drawing. PASTECLIP inserts data from the Clipboard into a
drawing.
PASTESPEC
695
PCINWIZARD
Displays a wizard to import PCP and PC2 configuration file plot settings into the Model tab
or current layout
Tools menu: Wizards Import Plot Settings
Command line: pcinwizard
PCINWIZARD displays the Import PCP or PC2 Plot Settings wizard. Information that can be imported from PCP or PC2 files includes plot area, rotation,
plot offset, plot optimization, plot to file, paper size, plot scale, and pen
mapping.
The wizard prompts you for the name of the PCP or PC2 configuration file
from which you want to import settings. You can view and modify the plot
settings prior to importing them. The imported settings can be applied to the
current Model tab or layout tab.
PEDIT
Edits polylines and three-dimensional polygon meshes
Modify II toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Polyline
Shortcut menu: Select a polyline to edit, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose Polyline Edit.
Command line: pedit
Select polyline or [Multiple]: Use an object selection method or enter m
Multiple
Enables selection for more than one object.
The remaining prompts depend on whether you have selected a 2D polyline

or, 3D polyline, or 3D polygon mesh.
If the selected object is a line or an arc, AutoCAD prompts:
Object selected is not a polyline.
Do you want it to turn into one? <Y>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
If you enter y, the object is converted into a single-segment 2D polyline that
you can edit. You can use this operation to join lines and arcs into a polyline.
When the PEDITACCEPT system variable is set to 1, this prompt is suppressed,
and the selected object is automatically converted to a polyline.
696
PCINWIZARD
2D Polyline Selection
If you select a 2D polyline, AutoCAD prompts:
Enter an option [Close/Join/Width/Edit vertex/Fit/Spline/Decurve/Ltype gen/
Undo]: Enter an option or press ENTER to end the command
If the polyline you select is a closed polyline, Open replaces the Close option
in the prompt. You can edit a 2D polyline if its normal is parallel to and in
the same direction as the Z axis of the current UCS.
Close
Creates the closing segment of the polyline, connecting the last segment
with the first. AutoCAD considers the polyline open unless you close it using
the Close option.
before Close
Open
after Close
Removes the closing segment of the polyline. AutoCAD considers the

polyline closed unless you open it using the Open option.
Join
Adds lines, arcs, or polylines to the end of an open polyline and removes the
curve fitting from a curve-fit polyline. For objects to join the polyline, their
endpoints must touch unless you use the Multiple option at the first PEDIT
prompt. In this case, you can join polylines that do not touch if the fuzz
distance is set to a value large enough to include the endpoints.
Select objects:
If you previously selected multiple objects using the Multiple option,

Enter fuzz distance or [Jointype]<0.0000>: Enter a distance or j
Jointype
Sets the method of joining selected polylines.
Enter a vertex editing option
Enter join type [Extend/Add/Both}<Extend>: Enter e, a, or b
Extend
Joins the selected polylines by extending or trimming

the segments to the nearest endpoints.
Add
Joins the selected polylines by adding a straight

segment between the nearest endpoints.
PEDIT
697
Both
selected open polyline
Joins the selected polylines by extending or trimming if

possible. Otherwise joins the selected polylines by
adding a straight segment between the nearest
endpoints.
other objects selected
polyline and objects joined
Width
Specifies a new uniform width for the entire polyline.
Specify new width for all segments:
You can use the Width option of the Edit Vertex option (see page 701) to
change the starting and ending widths of a segment.
varying width
uniform width
Edit Vertex
Marks the first vertex of the polyline by drawing an X on the screen. If you
have specified a tangent direction for this vertex, an arrow is also drawn in
that direction. AutoCAD prompts:
[Next/Previous/Break/Insert/Move/Regen/Straighten/Tangent/Width/eXit]
<current>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Pressing ENTER accepts the current default, which is either Next or Previous.
beginning vertex
next vertex
back to previous vertex
Next
Moves the X marker to the next vertex. The marker does not wrap around
from the end to the start of the polyline even if the polyline is closed.
Previous
Moves the X marker to the previous vertex. The marker does not wrap
around from the start to the end of the polyline even if the polyline is closed.
698
PEDIT
saved marked
vertex
Break
Saves the location of the marked vertex while you move the X marker to any
other vertex.
Enter an option [Next/Previous/Go/eXit] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
next marked
vertex
segment deleted
If one of the specified vertices is at an end of the polyline, the result is one
truncated polyline. If both specified vertices are at endpoints of the polyline,
or if just one vertex is specified and it is at an endpoint, you cannot use Break.
Next
Moves the X marker to the next vertex. The marker

does not wrap around from the end to the start of the
polyline, even if the polyline is closed.
Previous
Moves the X marker to the previous vertex. The marker

does not wrap around from the start to the end of the
Go
Deletes any segments and vertices between the two

vertices you specify and returns to Edit Vertex mode.
Exit
Exits Break and returns to Edit Vertex mode.
Insert
Adds a new vertex to the polyline after the marked vertex.
Specify location for new vertex:
Specify a point (1)
marked vertex
1
before Insert
after Insert
Move
Moves the marked vertex.
Specify new location for marked vertex: Specify a point (1)
marked vertex
1
before Move
after Move
PEDIT
699
Regen
Regenerates the polyline.
before Regen
after Regen
Straighten
other vertex.
If you want to remove an arc segment that connects two straight segments
of a polyline and then extend the straight segments until they intersect, use
the FILLET command with a fillet radius of 0.
ENTER
before Straighten
after Straighten
Next
Moves the X marker to the next vertex.
Previous
Moves the X marker to the previous vertex.
Go

vertices you select, replaces them with single straight
line segments, and returns to Edit Vertex mode. If you
specify only one vertex by entering go without moving
the X marker, the segment following that vertex is
straightened if it is an arc.
Exit
Exits Straighten and returns to Edit Vertex mode.
Tangent
Attaches a tangent direction to the marked vertex for use later in curve
fitting. AutoCAD prompts:
Specify direction of vertex tangent:
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PEDIT
Specify a point or enter an angle
Width
Changes the starting and ending widths for the segment that immediately
follows the marked vertex.
Specify starting width for next segment <current>: Specify a point, enter a value,
or press ENTER
Specify ending width for next segment <starting width>: Specify a point, enter a
value, or press ENTER
You must regenerate the polyline to display the new width.
marked vertex
segment width changed
Exit
Exits Edit Vertex mode.
Fit
Creates an arc-fit polyline, 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.
original
Fit curve
Spline
before Spline
after Spline
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. The curve is pulled toward the other points but does not necessarily
pass through them. The more control points you specify in a particular part
of the frame, the more pull they exert on the curve. AutoCAD can generate
quadratic and cubic spline-fit polylines.
Spline-fit polylines are very different from the curves produced by the Fit
option. Fit constructs pairs of arcs that pass through every control point.
Both of these curves are different from true B-splines produced with the
SPLINE command.
PEDIT
701
If the original polyline included arc segments, they are straightened when
the spline's frame is formed. If the frame has width, the resulting spline
tapers smoothly from the width of the first vertex to the width of the last
vertex. All intermediate width information is ignored. Once spline-fit, the
frame, if displayed, is shown with zero width and CONTINUOUS linetype.
Tangent specifications on control point vertices have no effect on splinefitting.
When a spline-fit curve is fit to a polyline, the spline-fit curve's frame is
stored so that it can be recalled by a subsequent decurving. You can turn a
spline-fit curve back into its frame polyline by using the PEDIT Decurve
option. This option works on fit curves in the same manner as it does on
splines.
Spline frames are not usually displayed on the screen. If you want to see
them, set the SPLFRAME system variable to 1. Next time the drawing is regenerated, AutoCAD draws both the frame and the spline curve.
SPLFRAME set to 0
SPLFRAME set to 1
Most editing commands act the same when applied to spline-fit polylines or
fit curves.
MOVE, ERASE, COPY, MIRROR, ROTATE,
and SCALE operate on both the

spline curve and its frame, whether the frame is visible or not.
EXTEND changes the frame by adding a new vertex where the initial or
final line of the frame intersects the boundary geometry.
BREAK, TRIM, and EXPLODE delete the frame and generate a polyline with
only the fit spline, which is consistent with fit curves, where the curve fitting is permanent.
OFFSET generates a polyline with only the fit spline, which is consistent
with its behavior with fit curves.
DIVIDE, MEASURE, the Object option of AREA, HATCH, FILLET, and
CHAMFER see only the fit spline, not the frame.
STRETCH refits the spline to the stretched frame after a spline is stretched.
The Join option of PEDIT decurves the spline and discards the spline information of the original and any added polylines. Once the Join operation is
complete, you can fit a new spline to the resulting polyline.
702
PEDIT
The Edit Vertex options of PEDIT have the following effect:
The Next and Previous options move the X marker only to points on the
frame of the spline, whether visible or not.
The Break option discards the spline.
The Insert, Move, Straighten, and Width options automatically refit the
spline.
The Tangent option has no effect on splines.
Object snap uses only the spline-fit curve itself, not the frame. If you want to
snap to the frame control points, use PEDIT to recall the polyline frame first.
The SPLINETYPE system variable controls the type of spline curve approximated. Setting SPLINETYPE to 5 approximates a quadratic B-spline. Setting
SPLINETYPE to 6 approximates a cubic B-spline.
quadratic B-Spline
cubic B-Spline
You can examine or change the fineness or coarseness of the spline approximation with the SPLINESEGS system variable, or you can use AutoLISP. The
default value is 8. If you set the value higher, a greater number of line
segments are drawn and the approximation to the ideal spline becomes more
precise. The generated spline occupies more space in the drawing file and
takes longer to generate.
If you set SPLINESEGS to a negative value, AutoCAD generates segments using
the absolute value of the setting and then applies a fit-type curve 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.
SPLINESEGS set to 1
SPLINESEGS set to 10
To change the number of segments used to fit an existing spline, change

SPLINESEGS and respline the curve. You do not have to decurve it first.
PEDIT
703
Decurve
Removes extra vertices inserted by a fit or spline curve and straightens all
segments of the polyline. Retains tangent information assigned to the polyline vertices for use in subsequent fit curve requests. If you edit a spline-fit
polyline with commands such as BREAK or TRIM, you cannot use the Decurve
option.
Ltype Gen
Generates the linetype in a continuous pattern through the vertices of the
polyline. When turned off, this option generates the linetype starting and
ending with a dash at each vertex. Ltype Gen does not apply to polylines
with tapered segments.
Enter polyline linetype generation option [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter on or off,
or press ENTER
Ltype Gen set to Off
Ltype Gen set to On
Undo
Reverses operations as far back as the beginning of the PEDIT session.
3D Polyline Selection
If you select a 3D polyline, AutoCAD prompts:
Enter an option [Close/Edit vertex/Spline curve/Decurve/Undo]: Enter an option
or press ENTER
If the polyline you select is closed, Open replaces the Close option in the
prompt.
Close
Creates the closing segment of the polyline, connecting the last segment
with the first. AutoCAD considers the polyline open unless you close it with
Close.
Open
Removes the closing segment of the polyline. AutoCAD considers the polyline closed unless you open it with Open.
704
PEDIT
Edit Vertex
Performs various editing tasks on one vertex of the polyline and segments
that follow it.
Enter a vertex editing option
[Next/Previous/Break/Insert/Move/Regen/Straighten/eXit <current>: Enter an
Next
Moves the X marker to the next vertex. The marker does not wrap around
from the end to the start of the polyline, even if the polyline is closed.
Previous
Moves the X marker to the previous vertex. The marker does not wrap
around from the start to the end of the polyline, even if the polyline is closed.
Break
other vertex.
ENTER
Next

Previous

Go

vertices you specify and returns to Edit Vertex mode.
Exit
Exits Break and returns to Edit Vertex mode.
If one of the specified vertices is at an end of the polyline, the polyline is

truncated. If both specified vertices are at endpoints of the polyline, or if just
one vertex is specified and it is at an endpoint, you cannot use Break mode.
Insert
Adds a new vertex to the polyline after the marked vertex.
Specify location for new vertex:
Specify a point
PEDIT
705
Move
Moves the marked vertex.
Specify new location for marked vertex: Specify a point
Regen
Regenerates the polyline.
Straighten
other vertex.
ENTER
Next
Moves the X marker to the next vertex.
Previous
Moves the X marker to the previous vertex.
Go

vertices you select, replaces them with single straight
line segments, and returns to Edit Vertex mode. If you
specify only one vertex by entering go without moving
the X marker, the segment following that vertex is
made straight if it is an arc.
Exit
Exits Straighten and returns to Edit Vertex mode.
To remove an arc segment that connects two straight segments of a polyline

and then to extend the straight segments until they intersect, use the FILLET
command with a fillet radius of 0.
Exit
Spline Curve
Fits a 3D B-spline curve to its control points. The SPLFRAME system variable
controls the accuracy and display of the control points for the 3D B-spline,
whose curves can be approximated only by line segments. AutoCAD ignores
negative values for spline segments.
706
PEDIT
original 3D polyline
3D polyline after curve-fitting
Decurve
Removes extra vertices inserted by a fit or spline curve and straightens all
segments of the polyline. Retains tangent information assigned to the
polyline vertices for use in subsequent fit curve requests. If you edit a splinefit polyline with commands such as BREAK or TRIM, you cannot use the
Decurve option.
Undo
3D Polygon Mesh Selection

If you select a polygon mesh, AutoCAD prompts:
Enter an option [Edit vertex/Smooth surface/Desmooth/Mclose/Nclose/Undo]:
Enter an option or press ENTER to end the command
Mclose and Nclose are replaced by Mopen and Nopen if the polygon mesh is
currently closed in the M or N direction.
Edit Vertex
Edits individual vertices of a polygon mesh that can be seen as a rectangular
M N array, where M and N are the dimensions specified in 3DMESH. The
SURFTAB1 and SURFTAB2 system variables store M and N values for RULESURF,
TABSURF, REVSURF, and EDGESURF.
Enter an option [Next/Previous/Left/Right/Up/Down/Move/REgen/eXit
PEDIT
707
vertex to edit
N = right/left
M = up/down
repositioned in 3D space
Next

mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Previous

does not wrap around from the start to the end of the
mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Left
Moves the X marker to the previous vertex in the N

direction. The marker does not wrap around from the
start to the end of the mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Right
Moves the X marker to the next vertex in the N

end to the start of the mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Up
Moves the X marker to the next vertex in the M

end to the start of the mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Down
Moves the X marker to the previous vertex in the M

start to the end of the mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Move
Repositions the vertex and moves the editing mark.

Specify new location for marked vertex:
Regen
Regenerates the polygon mesh.
Exit
Specify a point
Smooth Surface
Fits a smooth surface. The SURFTYPE system variable controls the type of surface this option fits. The types of surfaces include quadratic B-spline, cubic
B-spline, and Bezier.
708
PEDIT
original polygon
quadratic B-spline
cubic B-spline
Bezier
Desmooth
Restores the original control-point polygon mesh.
Mclose
Closes the M-direction polylines if the polygon mesh is open in the M
direction.
Mopen
closed M direction
Opens the M-direction polylines if the polygon mesh is closed in the M

direction.
Nclose
Closes the N-direction polylines if the polygon mesh is open in the N
direction.
Nopen
closed N direction
Opens the N-direction polylines if the polygon mesh is closed in the N

direction.
Undo
See Also
See Modify or Join Polylines in the Users Guide.
Commands
3DPOLY creates three-dimensional polylines. 3DMESH

creates three-dimensional polygon meshes. CONVERT
converts 2D polylines and associative hatches created

in AutoCAD Release 13 or earlier to an optimized format. PLINE creates two-dimensional polylines.
PEDIT
709
System Variables
PLINETYPE specifies whether AutoCAD uses optimized

2D polylines. SPLFRAME, if set to 1, displays the control
polygon for spline-fit polylines, the fit surface of a polygon mesh, and the invisible edges of a 3D face or
polyface mesh. SPLINESEGS stores the number of line
segments to be generated for each spline patch.
SPLINETYPE controls the type of spline curve that
AutoCAD generates. SURFTYPE controls the type of surface that the Edit Vertex option fits to a 3D polygon
mesh. SURFU controls the surface density in the M
direction. SURFV controls the surface density in the N
direction.
PFACE
Creates a three-dimensional polyface mesh vertex by vertex
A polyface mesh is similar to a 3D mesh. Each mesh is constructed vertex by
vertex, so you can create irregular surface shapes. You define a polyface mesh
by specifying each vertex and then associating those vertices with faces in
the mesh. You edit a polyface mesh as a unit.
PFACE is typically used by applications rather than by direct user input. To
create a single 3D face, use the 3DFACE command. To create a 3D mesh, use
3D, 3DMESH, REVSURF, RULESURF, EDGESURF, or TABSURF.
Command line: pface

Specify location for vertex 1: Specify a point
Specify location for vertex 2 or <define faces>: Specify a point or press ENTER
Specify location for vertex n or <define faces>: Specify a point or press ENTER
Vertex Location
You specify all vertices used in the mesh. The vertex numbers displayed in
the prompts are the numbers used to reference each vertex. AutoCAD repeats
the prompt until you press ENTER . Pressing ENTER on a blank line causes
AutoCAD to prompt for the vertices to be assigned to each face.
710
PFACE
Define Faces
Enter a vertex number or [Color/Layer]: Enter a vertex number or enter an option
1
face 1
Vertex Number
6
5
3
face 2
You define each face by entering vertex numbers for all

the vertices of that face. Pressing ENTER after the
prompt causes AutoCAD to prompt for the vertex
numbers of the next face. AutoCAD draws the mesh
after you have defined the last face and pressed ENTER
after the prompt.
To make an edge invisible, you can enter a negative
vertex number for the beginning vertex of the edge.
The SPLFRAME system variable controls the display of
invisible edges in polyface meshes. Setting SPLFRAME to
a nonzero value displays any phantom faces and all
invisible edges of polyface meshes, which you can edit
in the same manner as fully visible polyface meshes.
You can create polygons with any number of edges.
PFACE automatically breaks them into multiple face
objects with the appropriate invisible edges. Faces with
one or two vertices behave like point or line objects
without the special properties of Point Display modes
or linetypes. You can use them to embed wireframe
images within a mesh. Use Endpoint object snap to
snap to a face composed of one or two vertices. All
object snap modes that apply to line objects work with
visible edges of polyface meshes. You cannot use PEDIT
to edit polyface meshes.
Color
Faces created with PFACE adopt the current layer and

color. Unlike polyline vertices, polyface mesh faces can
be created with layer and color properties different
from their parent object.
New color [Truecolor/COlorbook] <BYLAYER>: Enter a
standard color name or a color number from 1 through 255,
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.
PFACE
711
Layer
Faces created with PFACE adopt the current layer and

color. Unlike polyline vertices, polyface mesh faces can
be created with layer and color properties different
from their parent object. Layer visibility behaves
normally on faces of a polyface mesh. However, if you
create a polyface mesh on a frozen layer, AutoCAD does
not generate any of its faces, including those on
nonfrozen layers.
Enter a layer name <0>: Enter a name or press ENTER
See Also
See Create Surfaces in the Users Guide.
Commands
3D creates three-dimensional wireframe objects.

3DFACE creates a three-dimensional face. 3DMESH
creates a three-dimensional polygon mesh. EDGESURF
creates a 3D polygon mesh approximating a Coons surface patch. REVSURF creates a surface of revolution by
rotating a path curve or profile around a selected axis.
RULESURF creates a polygon mesh representing the
ruled surface between two curves. TABSURF creates a
polygon mesh representing a general tabulated surface
defined by a path curve and direction vector.
System Variables
SPLFRAME controls the display of invisible edges in
polyface meshes.
PLAN
Displays the plan view of a specified user coordinate system
PLAN provides a convenient means of viewing the drawing from the plan
view. You can select a plan view of the current user coordinate system, a
previously saved UCS, or the world coordinate system. PLAN affects the view
in the current viewport only. You cannot use PLAN in paper space.
PLAN changes the viewing direction and turns off perspective and clipping;
it does not change the current UCS. Any coordinates entered or displayed
subsequent to the PLAN command remain relative to the current UCS.
712
PLAN
View menu: 3D Views Plan View

Command line: plan
Enter an option [Current ucs/Ucs/World] <Current>:
ENTER
current display
Current UCS
Regenerates a plan view of the display so that the

drawing extents fit in the current viewport of the
current UCS.
UCS
Changes to a plan view of a previously saved UCS and

regenerates the display.
current UCS
Enter name of UCS or [?]: Enter a name or enter ? to list

all UCSs in the drawing
If you enter ? at the prompt, AutoCAD displays the
following prompt:
Enter UCS name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name or enter * to
list all UCSs in the drawing
UCS
World
Regenerates a plan view of the display so that the

drawing extents fit on the screen of the world
coordinate system.
See Also
See Change to a View of the XY Plane in the Users Guide.
System Variables
UCSFOLLOW determines whether the viewport in the
current viewport is restored to a plan view when the

UCS changes.
World
PLINE
Creates two-dimensional polylines
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Polyline
Command line: pline
Specify start point: Specify a point (1)
Current line-width is <current>
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]:
point (2) or enter an option
Specify a
PLINE
713
The PLINEGEN system variable controls the linetype pattern display around
and the smoothness of the vertices of a 2D polyline. Setting PLINEGEN to 1
generates new polylines in a continuous pattern around the vertices of the
completed polyline. Setting PLINEGEN to 0 starts and ends the polyline with
a dash at each vertex. PLINEGEN does not apply to polylines with tapered
segments.
Next Point
PLINEGEN set to 0
Draws a line segment. AutoCAD repeats the previous prompt.
Arc
PLINEGEN set to 1
Adds arc segments to the polyline.

Specify endpoint of arc or
[Angle/CEnter/CLose/Direction/Halfwidth/Line/Radius/Second pt/Undo/
Width]: Specify a point (2) or enter an option
Note For the Center option of the PLINE command, enter ce; for the Center
object snap, enter cen or center.
Endpoint of Arc
Draws an arc segment. The arc segment starts at the last point tangent to the
previous segment of the polyline. AutoCAD repeats the previous prompt.
Angle
Specifies the included angle of the arc segment from the start point.
Entering a positive number creates counterclockwise arc segments. Entering
a negative number creates clockwise arc segments.
angle
Specify endpoint of arc or [Center/Radius]: Specify a point or enter an option

Endpoint of Arc
Specifies the endpoint and draws the arc segment.
Center
Specifies the center of the arc segment.

714
PLINE
Radius
Specifies the radius of the arc segment.

Specify radius of arc: Specify a distance
Specify direction of chord for arc <current>: Specify a
point or press ENTER
Center
3
2
Specifies the center of the arc segment.

Specify center point of arc: Specify a point (2)
Specify endpoint of arc or [Angle/Length]: Specify a point (3) or enter an option
Endpoint of Arc
Angle
Specifies the included angle of the arc segment from the

start point.
Length
Specifies the chord length of the arc segment. If the

previous segment is an arc, AutoCAD draws the new arc
segment tangent to the previous arc segment.
Close
Closes a polyline with an arc segment.
Direction
Specifies a starting direction for the arc segment.
2
Specify the tangent direction from the start point of arc: Specify a point (2)
Specify endpoint of arc: Specify a point (3)
Halfwidth
Specifies the width from the center of a wide polyline segment to one of its
edges.
Specify starting half-width <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify ending half-width <starting width>: Enter a value or press ENTER
The starting half-width becomes the default ending half-width. The ending
half-width becomes the uniform half-width for all subsequent segments until
you change the half-width again. The starting and ending points of wide line
segments are at the center of the line.
PLINE
715
Typically, the intersections of adjacent wide polyline segments are beveled.

No beveling is performed for nontangent arc segments or very acute angles
or when a dot-dash linetype is used.
half-width
Line
Exits the Arc option and returns to the initial PLINE command prompts.
Radius
Specifies the radius of the arc segment.
Specify radius of arc: Specify a distance
Specify endpoint of arc or [Angle]: Specify a point or enter a
radius
Endpoint of Arc
Angle
Specifies the included angle for the arc segment.

Specify direction of chord for arc <current>: Specify
an angle or press ENTER
Second Pt
2
Specifies the second point and endpoint of a three-point arc.

Specify second point on arc: Specify a point (2)
Undo
Removes the most recent arc segment added to the polyline.
Width
Specifies the width of the next arc segment.
Specify starting width <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify ending width <starting width>: Enter a value or press ENTER
width
716
PLINE
The starting width becomes the default ending width. The ending width
becomes the uniform width for all subsequent segments until you change
the width again. The starting and ending points of wide line segments are at
the center of the line.
No beveling is performed for nontangent arc segments, very acute angles, or
when a dot-dash linetype is used.
Close
Draws a line segment from the current position to the starting point of the
polyline, creating a closed polyline.
Halfwidth
half-width
Specifies the width from the center of a wide polyline line segment to one of
its edges.
Specify starting half-width <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify ending half-width <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER
The starting half-width becomes the default ending half-width. The ending
half-width becomes the uniform half-width for all subsequent segments until
you change the half-width again. The starting and ending points of wide line
segments are at the center of the line.
PLINE
717
Length
Draws a line segment of a specified length at the same angle as the previous
segment. If the previous segment is an arc, AutoCAD draws the new line
segment tangent to that arc segment.
Specify length of line:
Specify a distance
Undo
Removes the most recent line segment added to the polyline.
Width
Specifies the width of the next line segment.
Specify starting width <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify ending width <starting width>: Enter a value or press ENTER
width
The starting width becomes the default ending width. The ending width
becomes the uniform width for all subsequent segments until you change
the width again. The starting and ending points of wide line segments are at
the center of the line.
See Also
See Draw Polylines in the Users Guide.
718
Commands

created in AutoCAD Release 13 or earlier to an optimized format. LINE creates single or multiple line
segments that are separate objects. MLINE creates multiple parallel lines. PEDIT controls linetype display for
existing polylines. SPLINE creates quadratic and cubic
spline objects.
System Variables
PLINEGEN controls linetype pattern display of a 2D

polyline. PLINETYPE specifies whether AutoCAD uses
optimized 2D polylines.
PLINE
PLOT
Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file
Standard toolbar:
File menu: Plot
Shortcut menu: Right-click the Model tab or a layout tab and choose Plot.
Command line: plot
The Plot dialog box is displayed. Choose OK to begin plotting with the
current settings and display the Plot Progress dialog box.
If you enter -plot at the Command prompt, PLOT displays prompts on the
Plot Dialog Box

Specifies device and media settings, and plots your drawing. To send more
than one layout to the plotter, choose the layout tabs for the layouts you
want to plot, and then use PLOT.
Layout Name
Displays the current layout name or displays Selected layouts if multiple
tabs are selected. If the Model tab is current when you choose Plot, the
Layout Name shows Model.
Save Changes to
Layout
Saves changes you make in the Plot dialog box in the

layout. This option is unavailable if multiple layouts are
selected.
Page Setup Name

Displays a list of any named and saved page setups in the drawing. You can
choose to base the current page setup on a named page setup, or you can add
a new named page setup by choosing Add.
Add
Displays the User Defined Page Setups dialog box (see

page 682). You can create, delete, or rename named
page setups.
Full Preview
Displays the drawing as it will appear when plotted on paper. To exit the
print preview, right-click and choose Exit.
PLOT
719
Partial Preview
Quickly shows an accurate representation of the effective plot area relative to

the paper size and printable area. Partial preview also gives advance notice of
any warnings that you might encounter when AutoCAD plots. The final location of the plot depends on the plotter.
Changes that modify the effective plot area include those made to the plot
origin, which you define under Plot Offset on the Plot Settings tab. If you offset the origin so much that the effective area extends outside the preview
area, AutoCAD displays a warning.
Paper Size
Displays the currently selected paper size.
Printable Area
Displays the printable area within the paper size

allowable for plotting based on the plotter
configuration.
Effective Area
Displays the dimensions of the drawing within the

printable area.
Warnings
Displays a list of warnings that pertain to the effective

plotting area.
Plot Device Tab (Plot Dialog Box)

Specifies the plotter to use, a plot style table, the layout or layouts to plot,
and information about plotting to a file.
720
PLOT
Plotter Configuration
Displays the currently configured plotting device, the port to which its connected or its network location, and any additional user-defined comments
about the plotter. A list of the available system printers and PC3 file names is
displayed in the Name list. An icon is displayed in front of the plotting device
name to identify it as a PC3 file name or a system printer.
If a selected plotter doesn't support the layout's selected paper size, a warning
is displayed and the plotter's default paper size is automatically selected. You
can set the paper size on the Layout Settings tab.
Properties
Displays the Plotter Configuration Editor (PC3 Editor),

where you can modify or view the current plotter
configuration, ports, device, and media settings. For
information about PC3 files, see Use Plotters and
Printers in the Driver and Peripheral Guide.
If you make changes to the PC3 file using the Plotter
Configuration Editor, the Changes to a Printer
Configuration File dialog box (see page 728) is
displayed.
Hints
Displays information about the specific plotting device.
PLOT
721
Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments)

Sets the plot style table, edits the plot style table, or creates a new plot style
table.
Name
Displays the plot style table assigned to the current

Model tab or layout tab and a list of the currently
available plot style tables. If more than one layout tab
is selected and they have different plot style tables
assigned, the list displays Various.
Edit
Displays the Plot Style Table Editor, where you can edit
the selected plot style table.
New
Displays one of two plot style table wizards depending

on which default plot style behavior (color-dependent
or named) you selected in the Options dialog box,
Plotting tab. Use the wizard to create a new plot style
table. See Use Plot Styles to Control Plotted Objects in
the Users Guide.
Plot Stamp
Places a plot stamp on a specified corner of each drawing and/or logs it to a
file.
On
Turns on plot stamping.
Settings
Displays the Plot Stamp dialog box (see page 736),

where you can specify the information you want
applied to the plot stamp, such as drawing name, date
and time, plot scale, and so on.
What to Plot
Defines what you want to plot.
722
PLOT
Current Tab
Plots the current Model or layout tab. If multiple tabs

are selected, the tab whose drawing area is visible is
plotted.
Selected Tabs
Plots multiple preselected Model or layout tabs. To

select multiple tabs, hold down CTRL while selecting
the tabs. If only one tab is selected, this option is
unavailable.
All Layout Tabs
Plots all layout tabs, regardless of which tab is selected.
Number of
Copies
Denotes the number of copies that are plotted. If

multiple layouts and copies are selected, any layouts
that are set to plot to a file or AutoSpool produce a
single plot.
Plot to File
Plots output to a file rather than to the plotter.
Plot to File
Plots to a file.
File Name and

Path
Specifies the plot file name and path. The default plot
file name is the drawing name and the tab name (Model
or the layout tab name), separated by a hyphen, with a
.plt file extension.
[...]
Displays a standard file selection dialog box.
Plot Settings Tab (Plot Dialog Box)

Specifies paper size, orientation, plot area and scale, offset, and other
options.
PLOT
723
Paper Size and Paper Units

Displays standard paper sizes available for the selected plotting device.
Actual paper sizes are indicated by the width (X axis direction) and height
(Y axis direction). If no plotter is selected, the full standard paper size list is
displayed and available for selection. A default paper size is set for the plotting
device when you create a PC3 file with the Add-a-Plotter wizard. For more
information about the Add-a-Plotter wizard, see Set Up Plotters and Printers
in the Driver and Peripheral Guide. The paper size you select is saved with a layout and overrides the PC3 file settings.
If you are plotting a raster image, such as a BMP or TIFF file, the size of the
plot is specified in pixels, not in inches or millimeters.
Plot Device
Displays the name of the currently selected plot device.
Paper Size
Displays a list of the available paper sizes. An icon next

to the paper size indicates the plot orientation of the
paper.
Printable Area
Displays the actual area on the paper that is used for the
plot based on the current paper size.
Inches
Specifies inches for the plotting units.
MM
Specifies millimeters for the plotting units.
Drawing Orientation
Specifies the orientation of the drawing on the paper for plotters that support
landscape or portrait orientation. You can change the drawing orientation to
achieve a 0-, 90-, 180-, or 270-degree plot rotation by selecting Portrait, Landscape, or Plot Upside-Down. The paper icon represents the media orientation
of the selected paper. The letter icon represents the orientation of the drawing on the page.
Portrait

Landscape

Plot UpsideDown
Orients and plots the drawing upside down.
Note Drawing orientation is also affected by the PLOTROTMODE system

variable.
724
PLOT
Plot Area
Specifies the portion of the drawing to be plotted.
Layout/Limits
When plotting a layout, plots everything within the

margins of the specified paper size, with the origin
calculated from 0,0 in the layout.
When plotting from the Model tab, plots the entire
drawing area defined by the drawing limits. If the
current viewport does not display a plan view, this
option has the same effect as the Extents option.
Extents
Plots the portion of the current space of the drawing

that contains objects. All geometry in the current space
is plotted. AutoCAD may regenerate the drawing to
recalculate the extents before plotting.
Display
Plots the view in the current viewport in the selected

Model tab or the current paper space view in the layout.
View

unavailable.
Window
Plots any portion of the drawing you specify. If you

select Window, the Window button becomes available.
Choose the Window button to use the pointing device
to specify the two corners of the area to be plotted or
enter coordinate values.
Specify first corner: Specify a point
Specify other corner: Specify a point
Plot Scale
Controls the relative size of drawing units to plotted units. The default scale
setting is 1:1 when plotting a layout. The default setting is Scaled to Fit when
plotting a Model tab. When you select a standard scale, the scale is displayed
in Custom.
Note If the Layout option is specified in Plot Area, AutoCAD plots the actual
size of the layout and ignores the option specified in Scale.
Scale
Defines the exact scale for the plot. The four most
recently used standard scales are displayed at the top of
the list.
PLOT
725
Custom
Creates a user-defined scale. You can create a custom

scale by entering the number of inches or millimeters
equal to the number of drawing units.
Scale Lineweights
Scales lineweights in proportion to the plot scale.

Lineweights normally specify the linewidth of printed
objects and are plotted with the linewidth size
regardless of the plot scale.
Shaded Viewport Options

Specifies how shaded and rendered viewports are plotted and determines
their resolution level and dpi.
Shade Plot
Specifies how views are plotted. To specify this setting

for a viewport on a layout tab, select the viewport and
then, on the Tools menu, click Properties.
From the Model tab, you can choose from the following
options:
Quality
As Displayed: Plots objects the way they are displayed

on the screen.
Wireframe: Plots objects in wireframe regardless of
the way the objects are displayed on the screen.
Hidden: Plots objects with hidden lines removed
regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the
screen.
Rendered: Plots objects as rendered regardless of the
way they are displayed on the screen.
Specifies the resolution at which shaded and rendered

viewports are plotted.
You can choose from the following options:
726
PLOT
Draft: Sets rendered and shaded model space views to

plot as wireframe.
Preview: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
maximum of 150 dpi.
Normal: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
maximum of 300 dpi.
Presentation: Sets rendered and shaded model space
views to plot at the current device resolution, to a
maximum of 600 dpi.
DPI
Maximum: Sets rendered and shaded model space

views to plot at the current device resolution with
no maximum.
Custom: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
to plot at the resolution setting you specify in the
DPI box, up to the current device resolution.
Specifies the dots per inch for shaded and rendered

views, up to the maximum resolution of the current
plotting device. This option is available if you select
Custom in the Quality box.
Plot Offset
Specifies an offset of the plotting area from the lower-left corner of the paper.
In a layout, the lower-left corner of a specified plot area is positioned at the
lower-left margin of the paper. You can offset the origin by entering a positive
or negative value. The plotter unit values are in inches or millimeters on the
paper.
Center the Plot
Automatically calculates the X and Y offset values to

center the plot on the paper.
Specifies the plot origin in the X direction.
Specifies the plot origin in the Y direction.
Plot Options
Specifies options for lineweights, plot styles, shaded plots, and the order in
which objects are plotted.
Plot Object
Lineweights
Specifies whether lineweights assigned to objects and

layers are plotted.
Plot with Plot

Styles
Specifies whether plot styles applied to objects and

layers are plotted. When you select this option, Plot
with Lineweights is automatically selected also.
Plot Paperspace
Last
Plots model space geometry first. Paper space geometry

is usually plotted before model space geometry.
Hide Paperspace
Objects
Specifies whether the Hide operation applies to objects

in the paper space viewport. This option is only
available from a layout tab. The effect of this setting is
reflected in the plot preview, but not in the layout.
PLOT
727
Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog

Box (Plot)
Notifies you that you have made changes to an existing plotter configuration
(PC3) file. You can cancel your changes, choose OK to overwrite the PC3 file,
or specify a new file name for the modified PC3 file.
Apply Changes
for the Current
Plot Only
Uses the changes youve made to the PC3 file in the

current plot but does not save them in the PC3 file.
Save Changes to
the Following File
Specifies the path of the PC3 file that you have

changed. To preserve the original PC3 file, specify a new
file name.
Plot Progress Dialog Box

The Plot Progress dialog box provides information as your drawing is being
plotted. The upper progress bar displays the progress of a single page or viewport through each major phase of plotting. The phases depend on the plotter
and plot settings you have specified. The lower progress bar displays the overall progress of plotted pages, copies of a single drawing, multiple layouts, or
multiple drawings plotted using the Batch Plot utility.
Choose Cancel to stop both the current drawing and any other drawings,
copies, or layouts in the batch.
If you are plotting multiple copies of a single layout on a plotter that must
receive plot information for each copy, the lower bar displays a segment for
each copy. If the plotter can make multiple copies after receiving plot information once, the lower bar displays one segment for the entire layout.
If you plot through the Windows system spooler, the upper progress bar
reaches completion when the whole plot has been sent to the spooler.
Additional time is required for the plot to be sent from the spooler to the
plotter. This phase is not tracked in the Plot Progress dialog box. Similarly, if
you choose Cancel while the plot is being sent from the spooler to the
plotter, the process is not canceled. To monitor this stage of a spooled plot,
and to pause, delete, or change the sequence of spooled plots, use the
Windows Print Manager.
If your plot is slow, consider the following possible causes:
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PLOT
You might be using the wrong driver. In some cases you have a choice of
drivers and there can be a substantial performance difference. Try plotting
with a different driver and compare the output time.
If your drawing contains raster images or embedded OLE objects, you can
improve plot speed by reducing the quality of these objects. There are two
levels of control over OLE object plotting quality: an individual object
quality setting and an overall OLE object quality setting. The control for
individual object quality is available on the shortcut menu on the object.
Set the overall quality using the Plotter Configuration Editor to edit the
plotters PC3 file. Choose the Graphics node and select Raster Graphics.
Use the slider in the Raster Images area of the dialog box.
Make sure your computer has enough RAM. If the RAM is too low for the
drawing you are plotting, Windows begins swapping to disk, which
slows plot time dramatically.
If you are more concerned about returning to work in AutoCAD than about
plot duration, plot through the Windows system spooler. You can use the
spooler if you are using a nonsystem HDI driver and plotting to a locally connected plotter. Configure a Windows system printer for the same local port.
Update PC3 File with New Printer Dialog Box

Displays the device driver name that is stored in the PC3 file. A device can be
a plotter or printer. With this dialog box, you can select a valid plotter or
printer and update the existing PC3 file; you can also save a modified copy
as a new PC3 file.
The dialog box is displayed in the PLOT or PAGESETUP command in a layout
configured for a PC3 file that contains an invalid or missing plotter or printer
name.
Device Needed
Displays the device specified in the PC3 file that is

configured for the current layout.
PLOT
729
Printer Name
Lists the available plotters, printers, and PC3 files.

Select a plotter, printer, or PC3 file to be substituted for
the missing printer specified in your PC3 file. Select
None if you dont want to make any substitution.
If you select None, the other settings for the current
layout remain unchanged. If you select a plotter or
printer that uses a different driver than the one
specified in the original PC3 file, the following
configuration information may change when the PC3
file is saved:
Plot quality
Color depth
Resolution
Media source
Media destination
Media finishing options (such as folding or binding)
Any custom settings of the previous device or driver
If the plotter or printer you select cant support the

paper size specified in the layout, the default paper size
is used. A warning is displayed that allows you to cancel
this operation and return to the Plot or Page Setup
dialog box with the None device selected.
Device
For each selection you make under Printer Name, the

corresponding device driver name is displayed in this
column, as follows:
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PLOT
For a selected plotter or printer, this column displays

the device driver name stored in the plotter or
printers PC3 file.
For a selected PC3 file, this column displays the
device driver name stored in the PC3 file.
For a selection of None, this column displays no
device name. No device will be substituted for the
missing printer specified in the PC3 file.
Status Area
Displays information about the selected plotter, printer,

or PC3 file.
Update and Save

PC3 File
Displays the name of the PC3 file that you are

modifying for the current layout. If you click OK
without changing the name of the PC3 file, the existing
PC3 file is updated with the new printer name. If you
change the name of the PC3 file and click OK, a copy of
the PC3 file is saved with the new printer information.
PLOT Command Line

If you enter -plot at the Command prompt, the following prompt is displayed on the command line:
Detailed plot configuration [Yes/No] <No>:
Enter y or n or press ENTER
No
Indicates that you do not want a detailed plot configuration for this plot.
Enter a layout name or [?] <current>:
Enter a page setup name < >:
Enter an output device name or [?] <current>:
Write the plot to a file [Yes/No] <current>:
Enter file name: <dwgname-layoutname.plt>:
Save changes to layout [Yes/No] <No>:
Proceed with Plot [Yes/No] <Y>:
For information about these prompts, see the description for Yes.
Yes
Specifies detailed page settings for the Model tab or layout tab you are
plotting.
Enter a layout name or [?] <current>: Specify the name of the layout tab you want
to plot
Enter an output device name or [?] <current>: Specify the name of the output
device to which you want to plot the Model tab or layout tab you selected
If you enter a new device name without an extension, AutoCAD assumes the
device is a PC3 file (Autodesk HDI plotter configuration file). If no PC3 file is
found, AutoCAD searches for a Windows system printer with that device
name.
Enter paper size or [?] <current>: Specify the paper size to use for the plot or enter
? to view the actual list of paper sizes defined for the plotter driver
PLOT
731
You must specify a paper size exactly as it is defined by the plotter driver.
Enter paper units [Inches/Millimeters] <current>:
The Enter Paper Units prompt is not displayed if you are plotting a raster
image, such as a BMP or TIFF file, because the size of the plot is assumed to
be in pixels.
Enter drawing orientation [Portrait/Landscape] <current>:
Portrait

Landscape

Plot upside down [Yes/No] <No>:

Orients and plots the drawing upside down.
Enter plot area [Display/Extents/Limits/Layout/View/Window] <current>:
Display
Plots the view in the current viewport on the Model tab

or the current view in the layout, depending on which
tab you select to plot.
Extents
Plots all of the objects in the current viewport, except

objects on frozen layers. From a layout tab, plots all the
geometry in paper space. AutoCAD may regenerate the
drawing to recalculate the extents before plotting.
If you plot the drawings extents with a perspective
view active and the camera position is within the
drawing extents, this option has the same effect as the
Display option.
732
PLOT
Limits
Plots the drawing area defined by the drawing limits.

Available only when the Model tab is selected.
Layout
Plots everything within the printable area of the

specified paper size, with the origin calculated from 0,0
in the layout. Available only when a layout tab is
selected.
View

unavailable.
Window
Plots any portion of the drawing you specify. This

option prompts you to specify the corners of the
window.
Enter lower left corner of window: Specify a point
Enter upper right corner of window: Specify a point
Enter plot scale (Plotted Inches = Drawing Units) or [Fit] <current>: Specify the
scale of the plot
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
Calculates the scale to fit the area on the sheet of paper.
The default scale setting is 1:1 when you are plotting a layout, unless you
modified and saved the setting. The default setting is Fit when plotting a
Model tab.
Enter plot offset (x, y) or [Center] <current>: Specify the plot offset in either the
X or Y direction, or enter c to center the plot on the paper
Plot with plot styles [Yes/No] <current>: Specify whether to plot using the plot
styles applied to objects and defined in the plot style table
If you specify Yes to plot with plot styles, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt:
Enter plot style table name or [?] (enter . for none) <current>: Enter a plot style
table name, ? to view plot style tables, or . (period) for none
PLOT
733
All style definitions with different property characteristics are stored in the
current plot style table and can be attached to the geometry. This setting
replaces pen mapping in earlier versions of AutoCAD.
Plot with lineweights [Yes/No] <current>:
Scale lineweights with plot scale [Yes/No] <current>:
Note The Scale Lineweights with Plot Scale prompt is displayed only when you
plot from a layout tab. Settings for the shaded plotting type are only available
when you plot from the Model tab. To control shaded plotting settings of viewports in a layout tab, use the Shadeplot option of the -vports command
when you create a viewport.
Enter shade plot setting [As displayed/Wireframe/Hidden/Rendered] <As
displayed >: Enter a shade plot option
Specifies how model space views are plotted.
As Displayed
Specifies that a model space view plots the same way it

is displayed.
Wireframe
Specifies that a model space view plots wireframe

regardless of display.
Hidden
Specifies that a model space view plots with hidden

lines removed regardless of display.
Rendered
Specifies that model space view plots are rendered

regardless of display.
Write the plot to a file [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y if you want to write the plotted
drawing to a file, or press ENTER to plot to an output device
If you specify Yes, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter file name: <dwgname-layoutname.plt>: Enter a file name
Save changes to page setup? Or set shade plot quality? [Yes/No/Quality] <No>:
734
PLOT
If you enter y, the current settings in the Page Setup dialog box are saved. If
you enter q, you are prompted for the shaded plotting quality and are given
the option of providing a custom dpi. Then you are prompted to save the
page setup with the added quality settings.
Enter shade plot quality [Draft/Preview/Normal/pResentation/Maximum/
Custom] <Normal>: Enter c if you want to specify a dpi, or to use a preset dpi,
specify a different quality option
Enter custom dpi <150>:
Save changes to page setup [Yes/No]? <No>:
Plot paper space first [Yes/No] <current>:
Paper space geometry is usually plotted before model space geometry. If you
enter n, the model space geometry is plotted first, and paper space geometry
is plotted last. This option is only available if you are plotting from a layout
tab.
Hide paperspace objects? [Yes/No] <No >:
Specifies whether the Hide operation applies to objects in the paper space
viewport. This option is only available from a layout tab.
Proceed with plot [Yes/No] <Y>:
PLOTSTAMP
Places a plot stamp on a specified corner of each drawing and logs it to a file
Adds the specified plot stamp informationincluding drawing name, layout
name, date and time, and so onto a drawing that is plotted to any device.
Once you turn plot stamping on in the Plot dialog box, it remains active with
whatever settings have been most recently entered until you specifically turn
it off. AutoCAD creates a plot stamp at the time the drawing is being plotted;
the plot stamp is not saved with the drawing. Before you plot the drawing,
you can preview the position of the plot stamp in the Plot Stamp dialog box
(not in the AutoCAD drawing area or in the plot preview). The plot stamp
you create is justified on one of the four drawing corners and can print up to
two lines. You can choose to record the plot stamp information to a log file
instead of plotting it, or in addition to plotting it.
PLOTSTAMP
735
Note Plot stamp will always be drawn with pen number 7 or the highest numbered available pen if the plotter doesnt hold 7 pens. You must install a suitable
pen in that position. If you are using a non-pen (raster) device, color 7 is always
used for plot stamping.
Command line: plotstamp
The Plot Stamp dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -plotstamp at the Command prompt, PLOTSTAMP displays
Plot Stamp Dialog Box

Specifies the information for the plot stamp.
Plot Stamp Fields

Specifies the drawing information you want applied to the plot stamp. The
selected fields are separated by commas and a space.
736
Drawing Name
Includes the drawing name and path in the plot stamp

information.
Layout Name
Includes the name of the layout in the plot stamp

information.
PLOTSTAMP
Date and Time
Includes the date and time in the plot stamp

information.
Note The date and time format is determined by the
Regional Settings dialog box in the Windows Control
Panel. Plot stamping uses the short date style for dates.
Login Name
Includes the Windows login name in the plot stamp

information.
The windows login name is contained in the
LOGINNAME system variable.
Device Name
Includes the current plotting device name in the plot

stamp information.
Paper Size
Includes the paper size for the currently configured

plotting device in the plot stamp information.
Plot Scale
Includes the plot scale in the plot stamp information.
Preview
Provides a visual display of the plot stamp location based on the location and
rotation values you have specified in the Advanced Options dialog box. You
cannot preview the plot stamp any other way. This is not a preview of the
plot stamp contents.
User Defined Fields

Provides text that can optionally be plotted, logged, or both plotted and
logged at plot time. The selected value in each user-defined list will be plotted. For example, you might populate one list with media types or prices and
the other with job names. If the user-defined value is set to <none>, then no
user-defined information is plotted.
Add/Edit
Displays the User Defined Fields dialog box (see page

738), where you can add, edit, or delete user-defined
fields.
Plot Stamp Parameter File

Stores plot stamp information in a file with a .pss extension. Multiple users
can access the same file and stamp their plots based on company standard
settings.
AutoCAD provides two PSS filesMm.pss and Inches.pssthat are located in
the Support folder. The initial default plot stamp parameter file name is determined by the regional settings of the operating system when AutoCAD is
installed.
PLOTSTAMP
737
Load
Displays the Plotstamp Parameter File Name dialog box

(a standard file selection dialog box) in which you can
specify the location of the parameter file you want to
use.
Save As
Saves the current plot stamp settings in a new

parameter file.
Advanced
Displays the Advanced Options dialog box (see page 739), in which you can
set the location, text properties, and units of the plot stamp. You can also
create a log file, and set its location.
User Defined Fields Dialog Box

User-defined fields are created and edited using the User Defined Fields
dialog box, which is displayed when you choose the Add/Edit button in the
Plot Stamp dialog box.
738
Add
Adds an editable user-defined field to the bottom of the

list.
Edit
Allows editing of the selected user-defined field.
Delete
Deletes the selected user-defined field.
PLOTSTAMP
Advanced Options Dialog Box

Determines the location, text properties, and units of the plot stamp. You can
also create a log file and set its location. The dialog box is displayed when you
choose the Advanced button in the Plot Stamp dialog box.
Location and Offset

Determines the plot stamp location, the orientation of the plot stamp, and
the offset you want to apply relative to either the printable area or the paper
border.
Location
Indicates the area where you want to place the plot

stamp. Selections include Top Left, Bottom Left
(default), Bottom Right, and Top Right. The location is
relative to the image orientation of the drawing on the
page.
Orientation
Indicates the rotation of the plot stamp in relation to

the specified page. The options are Horizontal and
Vertical for each of the locations (for example, Top Left
Horizontal and Top Left Vertical).
Stamp Upside
Down
Rotates the plot stamp upside down.
PLOTSTAMP
739
X Offset
Determines the X offset value that is calculated from

either the corner of the paper or the corner of the
printable area, depending on which setting you specify.
If you specify Offset Relative to Paper Border, the offset
value is calculated so that the plot stamp information
fits within the designated paper size. If the offset value
positions the plot stamp information beyond the
printable area, the plot stamp text is cut off.
Y Offset
Determines the Y offset value that is calculated from

either the corner of the paper or the corner of the
printable area, depending on which setting you specify.
If you specify Offset Relative to Paper Border, the offset
value is calculated so that the plot stamp information
fits within the designated paper size. If the offset value
positions the plot stamp information beyond the
printable area, the plot stamp text is cut off.
Offset Relative to
Printable Area
Calculates the offset values that you specify from the

corner of the printable area of the paper (not the corner
of the paper).
Offset Relative to
Paper Border
Calculates the offset values that you specify from the

corner of the paper (not the corner of the printable area
of the paper).
Text Properties
Determines the font, height, and number of lines you want to apply to the
plot stamp text.
740
Font
Specifies the TrueType font you want to apply to the

text used for the plot stamp information.
Height
Specifies the text height you want to apply to the plot

stamp information.
Single Line Plot

Stamp
If selected, places the plot stamp information in a single

line of text. The plot stamp information can consist of
up to two lines of text, but the placement and offset
values you specify must accommodate text wrapping
and text height. If the plot stamp contains text that is
longer than the printable area, the plot stamp text will
be cut off. If this option is cleared, plot stamp text is
wrapped after the third field.
PLOTSTAMP
Plot Stamp Units

Specifies the units used to measure X offset, Y offset, and height. You can
define units using inches, millimeters, or pixels.
Two sets of values for the plot stamp size and location are saved in the PSS
file: one for the dimensionless file formats and the other for dimensional file
formats. If the units you select in the dialog box are dimensional, then the
dimensional values are displayed and modified. To access the dimensionless
values, you need to select pixels as the unit of measurement. Regardless of
the units selected in the dialog box, the correct set of values is applied at plot
time. In other words, changing the unit of measurement does not cause the
values to recalculate.
Log File Location

Writes the plot stamp information to a log file instead of, or in addition to,
stamping the current plot.
Log File
Writes the plot stamp information to a log file. The

default log file is plot.log, and it is located in the
AutoCAD folder. You can specify a different file name
and path. After the initial plot.log file is created, the plot
stamp information in each succeeding plotted drawing
is added to this file. Each drawings plot stamp
information is a single line of text. The plot stamp log
file can be placed on a network drive and shared by
multiple users. Plot stamp information from each user
is appended to the plot.log file.
Log File Name
Specifies the file name for the log file you are creating.
Enter a new file name if you do not want to use the
default file name, plot.log.
Browse
Lists the currently saved plot stamp log files. You can
choose to overwrite an existing plot stamp log file with
the currently specified plot stamp information, and
then to save this file.
PLOTSTAMP
741
PLOTSTAMP Command Line

If you enter -plotstamp at the Command prompt, prompts are displayed on
the command line. The settings in the PSS file are displayed as defaults for
each prompt.
You can use -PLOTSTAMP as part of a plotting script to modify plot stamp
information for a drawing.
Enter an option [On/OFF/Fields/User fields/Log file/LOCation/Text properties/
UNits]:
On
Turns on the plot stamp for the current drawing.
OFF
Turns off the plot stamp for the current drawing.
Fields
Specifies the plot stamp field information you want to

apply to the current plot stamp.
Stamp drawing name? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp layout name? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp date and time? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp login name? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp plot device name? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp paper size? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp plot scale? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
User Fields
Specifies the user-defined fields you want to apply to

the current plot stamp.
Enter User field 1 <>: Enter any user-defined field
Enter User field 2 <>: Enter any user-defined field
Log File
Specifies writing the current plot stamp information to

a log file rather than applying this information to the
current plotted drawing. The default log file is plot.log,
unless you specify another file path.
Write plot stamp to log file? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Enter log file path <plot.log>:
742
PLOTSTAMP
Location
Determines the location of the plot stamp on the page

based on offset, orientation, and relationship to either
the printable area or the border of the paper.
Location selections include and are relative to the
printable area or the border of the paper, depending on
what you specify at the prompt.
Enter stamp location [TL/TR/BL/BR] <BL>:
TL: Top Left

TR: Top Right
BL: Bottom Left
BR: Bottom Right
Text orientation indicates the rotation angle of the plot

stamp in relation to the page.
Enter text orientation [Horizontal/Vertical] <Horizontal>:
Horizontal: Plot stamp will be horizontal relative to

the page.
Vertical: Plot stamp will be vertical relative to the
page.
Stamp upside-down [Yes/No] <No>:

Specify plot stamp offset <0.1000,0.1000>:
Specifying an offset relative to the paper border
calculates the offset values that you specify from the
corner of the paper. Specifying an offset relative to the
printable area calculates the offset values that you
specify from the corner of the printable area.
Specify offset relative to [paper Border/printable Area]
<printable Area>:
PLOTSTAMP
743
Text Properties
Determines the font name and text height for the

current plot stamp text. You can also specify to place
the text on one line or to wrap the text to two lines. The
placement and offset values you specify for this plot
stamp must accommodate the text wrapping and the
text height.
Enter font name <>: Enter a font name
Enter text height <0.1500>: Enter a value
Place plot stamp on single line? [Yes/No] <No >:
Units
Specifies the units used to measure X offset, Y offset,

and height. You can define units using inches,
millimeters, or pixels.
Enter measurement units [Inches/Millimeters/Pixels]
<Inches>:
See Also
Commands
PLOT plots a drawing to a plotting device or file.
PLOTSTYLE
Sets the current plot style for new objects or assigns a plot style to selected objects
Command line: plotstyle
To use the PLOTSTYLE command, the drawing must be configured to use
named plot styles.
If a drawing is in Color-Dependent mode and is an AutoCAD 2004 drawing or is a pre-AutoCAD 2000 drawing saved in AutoCAD 2000 or later,
you can convert it to use named plot styles using the CONVERTPSTYLES
command.
To configure a new drawing, or a pre-AutoCAD 2000 drawing that was
never saved in AutoCAD 2000 or later releases, to use named plot styles,
set PSTYLEPOLICY to 0 before creating the new drawing or opening the preAutoCAD 2000 drawing.
If no selection set exists, AutoCAD displays the Current Plot Style dialog box.
If a selection set exists, AutoCAD displays the Select Plot Style dialog box (see
page 746).
If you enter -plotstyle at the Command prompt, PLOTSTYLE displays a
prompt on the command line (see page 747).
744
PLOTSTYLE
Current Plot Style Dialog Box

Specifies the plot style for new objects.
Current Plot Style
Displays the current plot style.
Plot Style List
Displays the available plot styles that can be assigned to

an object, including the default plot style, NORMAL. A
plot style is a collection of overrides for color, dithering,
gray scale, pen assignments, screening, linetype,
lineweight, end styles, join styles, and fill styles.
Active Plot Style

Table
Sets the plot style table attached to the current layout.

A plot style table is a collection of plot style definitions.
Editor
Displays the Plot Style Table Editor.
Attached To
Displays the tab (Model tab or layout tab) that the plot
style table is attached to.
PLOTSTYLE
745
Select Plot Style Dialog Box

Specifies the plot style to be assigned.
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Plot Styles
Displays the available plot styles, including the default

plot style, NORMAL. A plot style is a collection of
property settings used in plotting.
Original
Displays the originally assigned plot style.
New
Displays the new plot style to be assigned.
Active Plot Style

Table
Sets the plot style table attached to the current drawing.

A plot style table defines plot styles.
Editor
Displays the Plot Style Table Editor.
Attached To
Displays the tab (Model tab or layout tab) that the plot
style table is attached to.
PLOTSTYLE
PLOTSTYLE Command Line

If you enter -plotstyle at the Command prompt, PLOTSTYLE displays a
prompt on the command line.
Command line: -plotstyle
Current plot style is "current"
Enter an option [?/Current]:
?List Plot Styles
Lists the plot styles in the attached plot style table.
Current
Specifies the plot style to use for new objects.
PLOTTERMANAGER
Displays the Plotter Manager, where you can add or edit a plotter configuration
File menu: Plotter Manager
Command line: plottermanager
AutoCAD displays the Plotter Manager where you can perform the following
tasks:
Double-click the Add-a-Plotter wizard to add and configure plotters and

printers.
Double-click a plotter configuration (PC3 file) to start the Plotter Configuration Editor.
Add-a-Plotter Wizard
Adds new plotters and printers. The wizard produces a PC3 file that you can
edit in the Plotter Configuration Editor. Your configurations are stored in the
AutoCAD 2004\plotters folder.
PLOTTERMANAGER
747
Plotter Configuration Editor

Modifies a PC3 files plotter port connections and output settings, including
media, graphics, physical pen configuration, custom properties, initialization strings, calibration, and user-defined paper sizes. You can drag these
configuration options from one PC3 file to another.
You can start the Plotter Configuration Editor with any of the following
methods:
Double-click a PC3 file in Windows Explorer or right-click the PC3 file and
click Open. (By default, PC3 files are stored in the Plotters folder. To find
the location of your plotter files, on the Tools menu, click Options. In the
Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign to the left of Printer Support File Path. Click the plus sign to the left of the Printer Configuration
Search Path file. Under Printer Configuration Search Path, click the path
name to view the location of your plotter files.)
Choose Edit Plotter Configuration from within the Add-a-Plotter wizard.
Choose Properties in the Page Setup dialog box.
Choose Properties in the Plot dialog box.
Depending on your configured plotting device, additional options may be

available on the Device and Document Settings tab. For example, when you
configure a nonsystem plotter, you can modify the pen characteristics.
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PLOTTERMANAGER
General Tab (Plotter Configuration Editor)

Contains basic information about the plotter configuration (PC3) file. You
can add or modify the information in the Description area. The remainder of
the tab is read-only.
Plotter
Configuration
File Name
Displays the file name you assigned in the Add-a-Plotter

wizard.
PLOTTERMANAGER
749
Description
Displays information you want to include about the

plotter.
Driver
Information
Displays the following information:
Plotter driver type (system or nonsystem), name,

model, and location
HDI driver file version number (AutoCAD
specialized driver files)
UNC name of the network server (if the plotter is
connected to a network server)
I/O port (if the plotter is connected locally)
Name of the system printer (if the configured plotter
is the system printer)
PMP (Plot Model Parameters) file name and location
(if a PMP file is attached to the PC3 file)
Ports Tab
Changes communication settings between the configured plotter and your
computer or network system. You can specify whether you want to plot
through a port, plot to a file, or use AutoSpool. See Use AutoSpool in the
Driver and Peripheral Guide.
If you plot through a parallel port, you can specify the timeout value. If you
plot through a serial port, you can change the baud rate, protocol, flow
control, and input and output timeout values.
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PLOTTERMANAGER
Plot to the
Following Port
Sends the drawing to the plotter through the specified

port.
Plot to File
Sends the drawing to the file specified in the Plot dialog

box.
AutoSpool
Uses the AutoSpool utility to plot the drawing.

AutoSpool is specified on the Files tab in the Options
dialog box.
Port List
Displays a list and description of available ports, both

local and network. If the port is a network port, the
name of the network printer is also displayed.
Show All Ports
Shows all available ports on the computer regardless of

the ports available on the plotter.
Browse Network
Displays the network choices so you can connect to

another instance of a nonsystem plotter.
Configure Port
Displays either the Configure LPT Port dialog box or the

Settings for COM Port dialog box.
PLOTTERMANAGER
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Device and Document Settings Tab

Controls many of the settings in the PC3 file. Click the icon for any of the
nodes to view and change the specific settings. When you change a setting,
your changes appear in angle brackets (< >) next to the setting name. A check
mark is also displayed over the icon of the node with a changed value.
Note Only the settings available for the configured device are displayed in the
tree view. In addition, you might not be able to edit some settings if the device
handles the setting through Custom Properties or doesnt support the capability.
Media Node
Specifies a paper source, size, type, and destination. Available settings depend
on the supported features of your configured plotter. For Windows system
printers, you must configure the media settings using the Custom Properties
node. See Custom Properties Node.
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PLOTTERMANAGER
Source and Size
Specifies the paper source and size.
Source: Specifies the paper source, for example, sheetfed or roll-fed. If you specify a tray, you can select
the type of tray.
Width: Specifies the width of the paper roll for a rollfed source.
Automatic: Enables the printer to specify the
appropriate paper source.
Size: Displays a list of available paper sources and
both standard and custom paper sizes.
Printable Bounds: Displays the print boundaries.
Media Type
Displays a list of the media types supported by the

plotter configuration.
Duplex Printing
Determines double-sided printing and type of margins.

Margin options are available only for plotters that
support duplex printing.
Media
Destination
None: Indicates no double-sided printing.

Short Side: Places the binding margin on the short
side of the paper.
Long Side: Places the binding margin on the long side
of the paper.
Displays a list of available media destinations for the

configured plotter, such as collating, cutting, and
stapling. These options are available only for plotters
that support this function.
Physical Pen Configuration Node (for Pen Plotters Only)

Controls the specific pens in the pen plotter. The lower pane of the Device
and Document Settings tab displays a table used to describe the color, width,
and speed of each pen in the plotter.
Note AutoCAD cannot detect the physical pen information automatically; you
must provide this information for your pen plotter under Physical Pen
Characteristics.
PLOTTERMANAGER
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Pen
Configuration
Specifies settings for pen plotters.
Physical Pen
Characteristics
Prompt for Pen Swapping: Allows you to use more than

one pen while plotting on a single pen plotter.
Under Physical Pen Characteristics, you can specify
settings for as many pens as you want. AutoCAD
prompts you when you need to change pens.
Area Fill Correction: Enables AutoCAD to compensate
for pen widths when plotting filled areas and wide
polylines. AutoCAD shrinks each polygon by half of
the width of the pen used to draw it. This option
prevents the plotter from oversizing the filled area
when using a wide pen and ensures precision. Use
this option if the plot must be accurate to half the
pen width, such as in printed circuit artwork.
Pen Optimization Level: Reduces plot time and
increases the efficiency of the pens by optimizing
the pen motion. For example, you can prevent pens
from retracing duplicate lines. If your drawing uses
many colors or widths, you can reduce the time
needed to change pens by selecting Adds Pen
Sorting. AutoCAD will plot every object that uses a
particular pen before switching to another pen. Each
method in the list includes the optimization
methods preceding it in the list (except for No
Optimization).
To plot your drawing correctly on a pen plotter, you

need to provide information about the pens in your
plotter. For each pen in your plotter, specify a color and
width. To optimize pen performance, you can specify a
speed.
Note This information is required; AutoCAD cannot
detect the physical pen information automatically.
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PLOTTERMANAGER
Color: Specifies the colors of the pens in your plotter.

AutoCAD selects the pen color that closely matches
the objects color. You can assign colors to your pens
that correspond to each objects color. Use the Color
list to select one of the following settings: No Pen,
Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Magenta, Black, or
Other. If you choose Other, the Select Color dialog
box is displayed, providing access to the full color
palette. Use No Pen to indicate that there is no pen
in a particular position.
Speed: Adjusts pen speed on a pen-by-pen basis. This

feature is useful, for example, for slowing down pens
that are skipping. Each pen manufacturer
recommends a pen speed for each type of media. For
best results, use those values. You can specify a pen
speed in millimeters or inches per second.
Width: Specifies the width of your pens so AutoCAD
can determine if multiple pen strokes are needed to
draw wide lines. You can specify the pen width in
inches or millimeters. Be sure to select the pen width
to match the actual width of the pen. The list
provides a set of common pen widths.
Specifying pen characteristics here doesnt replace the

pen tables you might have imported from PCP, PC2, or
CFG files from AutoCAD Release 14, AutoCAD LT 98, or
earlier releases. For more information about importing
these settings, see Change Plot Style Settings, in the
Users Guide.
Graphics Node
Specifies settings for printing vector graphics, raster graphics, and TrueType
text. Depending on the capabilities of the plotter, you can modify color
depth, resolution, and dithering. You can select either color or monochrome
output for vector drawings. When printing raster images on a plotter with
limited memory, you can improve performance by making some changes to
the quality of the printed output. If you use a nonsystem plotter that supports varying amounts of installed RAM, you can provide that information
to improve performance.
Installed Memory
Provides AutoCAD with the amount of total memory

(RAM) installed on a nonsystem plotter. This option is
only available for nonWindows system printers that
accept optional memory. If your plotter has extra
memory, specify the total amount of memory.
Total Installed Memory: Specifies the total installed

memory in megabytes. The plotter driver uses the
memory information to determine whether banding
or image quality degradation is required to prevent
the system from running out of memory.
PLOTTERMANAGER
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Vector Graphics
Provides options for specifying the color depth,

resolution, and dithering of vector output. Some of the
Vector Graphics options are closely interrelated;
changing an option can affect other available options.
Raster Graphics
(Non-Pen Plotters
Only)
Specifies trade-offs between plotting speed and output

quality when plotting raster objects. If you reduce the
image quality, you increase output speed. If your system
resources are limited, reducing image quality can
reduce the chance of running out of memory while
plotting. These options are only available for raster
devices, not pen plotters.
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PLOTTERMANAGER
Color Depth: Displays a list for choosing color depth

for the configured plotter. The color depth options
change as you change the resolution and dithering
values. More color depth uses more memory and
takes longer to plot. You can specify either color or
monochrome output.
Resolution: Adjusts the DPI (dots per inch) resolution
of the configured plotter. Changing the DPI
resolution changes the options available in the
Dithering list. A higher resolution setting uses more
memory and takes longer to plot than a lower
resolution setting.
Dithering: Specifies a dithering choice for non-pen
based plotters. Some dithering choices cause slower
plotting.
Raster and Shaded/Rendered Viewports: Specifies a

position on the slider that balances output quality
with memory and plotting speed when plotting
raster images and shaded/rendered viewports.
Position the slider at None to disable raster image
printing. Degrading the image quality lets you plot
in less time. Position the slider at Best for the best
output at the expense of memory and plotting
speed.
TrueType Text
OLE: Specifies a position on the slider that balances

output quality with memory use and plotting speed
when plotting OLE objects. Position the slider at
None to disable OLE object printing. Degrading the
image quality lets you plot in less time. Position the
slider at Best for the best output at the expense of
memory and plotting speed.
Trade-off: Specifies where to compromise quality if
you cant output at the highest quality. Move the
slider to diminish resolution and color.
On Windows system printers, specifies whether to plot
TrueType text as a graphic image or as text. Plotting as
a graphic guarantees that the text prints as displayed, at
the expense of slowing down the plotter and using
more memory. Plotting as TrueType text prints faster
and uses less memory; the plotter may use a different
font for printing.
Merge Control
TrueType as Text: Plots TrueType text as text.

TrueType as Graphics: Plots TrueType text as graphics.
On raster plotters, controls the appearance of lines that

cross. Merge control is not effective if your plotter is
configured to plot everything as black or if you are
using PostScript language.
Lines Overwrite: Uses the last plotted line to obscure

the lines under it. Only the topmost line is visible at
the intersection.
Lines Merge: Merges the colors of crossing lines.
Note Merge control may appear as an option for system

printers that do not actually support the feature. Please
check your printers documentation to determine if merge
control is supported.
Custom Properties Node
Modifies the device-specific properties for the plotter configuration. The
settings for each plotter vary. If the plotter manufacturer has not included a
Custom Properties dialog box for the device driver, the Custom Properties
option is disabled. For some drivers, such as ePlot, this is the only tree view
option that is displayed. For Windows system printers, most of the devicespecific settings are made in this dialog box. For more information about the
custom properties settings for your device, choose Help in the Custom
Properties dialog box.
PLOTTERMANAGER
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Initialization Strings Node (for Non-System Plotters Only)

Sets pre-initialization, post-initialization, and termination plotter strings. If
you are plotting to an unsupported plotter in emulation mode, you can
specify ASCII text initialization strings that prepare the plotter for printing,
set device-specific options, and restore the plotter to its original state. Initialization strings should be used by advanced users only.
Pre-Initialization
Forces a plotter to emulate another plotter by sending a

pre-initialization string to the plotter before it is
initialized.
The text string is sent literally, except for a back slash
(\). A back slash followed by a number, for example,
\27, is interpreted and sent as a single character whose
value is 27. The number 27 is the escape character. For
example, \27%-12345X@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE =
PostScript\10 sends an HP PJL command to a duallanguage laser printer before its initialized and switches
the printer into postscript mode. The \27 sends an
escape character and the \10 sends a line feed character.
The remainder of the text string is sent literally.
Post-Initialization
Sets a device-specific option that is not supported

elsewhere in AutoCAD. Specify a post-initialization
string that is sent to the plotter after it is initialized.
Termination
Restores the printer to its original state after plotting.

Specify a termination string that is sent to the plotter
after plotting is complete.
User-Defined Paper Sizes and Calibration Node

Attaches a PMP file to the PC3 file, calibrates the plotter, and adds, deletes,
revises, or filters custom paper sizes. You can also modify standard paper
sizes. This node accesses the Plotter Calibration and Custom Paper Size
wizards. If the plotter you are using has been calibrated, a Plotter Model
Parameter (PMP) file contains that calibration information. If the PMP file is
not already attached to the PC3 file you are editing, you must create that
association so you can use the PMP file. If the plotter was calibrated from
within the Add-a-Plotter wizard while creating the current PC3 file, the PMP
file is already attached. Use the PMP File Name option under User-defined
Paper Sizes & Calibration to attach a PMP file to, or detach the PMP file from,
the PC3 file you are editing.
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PLOTTERMANAGER
Custom Paper
Sizes (Nonsystem
Printers Only)
Creates a customized paper size or changes the

printable area of a standard or nonstandard paper size.
With the Custom Paper Size wizard you can create a
new paper size, or select from a list of available paper
sizes (from a PMP file) if the plotter is not a Windows
system printer. If the plotter is a Windows system
printer, use Custom Properties. You can add, delete, and
edit your paper size.
Each plotter has a maximum printable area determined
by where it grips the paper and how far the pen shuttle
can reach. If you are creating a paper size that is larger
than the paper sizes offered in the Plotter
Configuration Editor, verify that the plotter is capable
of plotting the new dimensions.
Add: Starts the Custom Paper Size wizard. When you

add a paper size, you can either create a new paper
size from scratch or create a new one based on the
listing of available paper sizes for the selected
configured plotter. The new paper size is a userdefined size, not a standard size.
Delete: Deletes the selected custom paper size from
the list.
Edit: Starts the Custom Paper Size wizard, where you
can modify the selected paper size. You can change
any of the custom paper size settings.
Note For Windows system printers, you can change the

paper size settings and create custom paper sizes only in
the Custom Properties dialog box.
Modify Standard
Paper Sizes
Adjusts the printable area for standard paper sizes to

match the printers capabilities. (You cant create
custom paper sizes for Windows system printers using
the Plotter Configuration Editor.)
List of Standard Paper Sizes: Displays the available set

of standard paper sizes.
Modify: Starts the Custom Paper Size wizard. You can
modify Printable Area and File Name. The new paper
size is a user-defined size, not a standard size.
PLOTTERMANAGER
759
Filter Paper Sizes
Filters the list of paper sizes displayed for the plotting

device selected in the Plot and Page Setup dialog boxes.
The list of paper sizes is displayed on the Plot Settings
tab in the Plot dialog box and on the Layout Settings
tab in the Page Setup dialog box. Select the paper sizes
you want to display for this device.
Plotter
Calibration
Check All: Hides all the paper sizes for the device.
Uncheck All: Displays all the paper sizes for the
device.
Starts the Plotter Calibration wizard. If you need to

correct scaling discrepancies, you can adjust the plotter
calibration using the Plotter Calibration wizard. See
Calibrate Plotters and Work with Custom Paper Sizes
in the Driver and Peripheral Guide.
Note You should only perform a plotter calibration if your
drawings must be exactly to scale and your plotter or
printer produces inaccurate plots. Plotter Calibration
causes AutoCAD to rescale all plots sent to your plotter. If
your plotter provides a calibration utility, it is
recommended that you use it instead of the AutoCAD
utility.
PMP File
Attaches a PMP file to or detaches a PMP file from the

PC3 file you are editing. Use the Detach button to break
the association between the PMP file and the PC3 file.
Attach: Attaches a PMP file to the PC3 file. You can

reuse calibration and custom paper size data stored
in the PMP file.
Save PMP: Saves a PMP file to a new file in the
AutoCAD 2004\drv folder.
Detach: Detaches the PMP file associated with the
PC3 file you are editing.
Import
Imports file information from earlier versions of AutoCAD. If you have a PCP
or PC2 file from an earlier version of AutoCAD, you can import some of the
information in those files into a PC3 file. PC3 files store plotter name, port
information, pen optimization level, paper size, and resolution.
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PLOTTERMANAGER
Save As
Saves a PC3 File to a new file name.
Defaults
Restores the settings on the Device and Document Settings tab back to the
default settings.
Configure LPT Port Dialog Box

Specifies the time that AutoCAD waits for the plotter buffer to empty before
sending more data. You specify how much time you want to elapse before
AutoCAD prompts you to abort the plot. If your drawings are complex or
your pen speed is very slow, set the timeout value higher than the default (30
seconds). If you begin to receive numerous timeout prompts, your timeout
setting is probably too low.
Timeout
Timeout specifies an amount of time to wait before retrying.
Transmission
Retry
Specifies the timeout value in milliseconds.
Settings for COM Port Dialog Box

Specifies the baud rate, protocol, flow control, and hardware handshaking
for serial ports on plotters that support these settings.
Note The settings on your plotter must match the settings in AutoCAD or you
cannot plot.
Baud Rate
Specifies the baud rate. Use the fastest available baud

rate.
Protocol
Displays the protocol settings available for your plotter.

Use the protocol recommended by your device
manufacturer. For more information see the
documentation for your device.
PLOTTERMANAGER
761
Flow Control
Sets the flow control for your plotter. The default flow
control setting is XON/XOFF (software handshaking)
for compatibility with previous versions of AutoCAD. If
you select Hardware handshaking, you can specify
additional settings in the Advanced Settings for COM
Port dialog box. The following settings correspond to
different pins on the RS232 connector.
Advanced Settings for COM Port Dialog Box

Specifies additional hardware handshaking settings for serial ports.
CTS
Enables Clear To Send handshaking. This monitors pin 5 of a 25-pin serial
port or pin 8 of a 9-pin serial port. CTS is an input bit, monitored for an output from the plotter or printer.
DSR
Enables Data Set Ready handshaking. This monitors pin 6 of a 25-pin serial
port, or pin 6 of a 9-pin serial port. DSR is an input bit, monitored for an output from the printer or plotter.
RLSD
Enables Received Line Signal Detector handshaking. This is sometimes called
DCD or Data Carrier Detect. It is an input pin that can be monitored for an
output from the plotter. It is on pin 8 of a 25-pin serial port and on pin 1 of
a 9-pin serial port.
RTS
Controls the Request To Send output bit. This sends a signal to the printer or
plotter on pin 4 of a 25-pin serial port or on pin 7 of a 9-pin serial port.
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Disabled
Disables the RTS line when the device is opened.
Enabled
Enables the RTS line when the device is opened.
Handshake
Enables RTS handshaking. The driver raises the RTS line

when the input buffer is less than one-half full and
lowers the RTS line when the buffer is more than threequarters full.
Toggle
Specifies that the RTS line is high if bytes are available

for transmission. After all buffered bytes have been
sent, the RTS line is low.
PLOTTERMANAGER
DTR
Controls the Data Terminal Ready output pin. This sends a signal to the
printer or plotter on pin 20 of a 25-pin serial port or on pin 4 of a 9-pin serial
port.
Disabled
Disables the DTR line when the device is opened.
Enabled
Enables the DTR line when the device is opened.
Handshake
Enables DTR handshaking.
See Also
For information about using the Add-a-Plotter wizard, see Use Plotters and
Printers in the Driver and Peripheral Guide.
PNGOUT
Saves selected objects to a file in a Portable Network Graphics format
Command line: pngout
AutoCAD creates a Portable Network Graphics file that contains the objects
you select. The file reflects what is displayed on the screen.
POINT
Creates a point object
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Point
Command line: point
Specify a point:
PNGOUT
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Points can act as nodes to which you can snap objects. You can specify a full
three-dimensional location for a point. The current elevation is assumed if
you omit the Z coordinate value.
The PDMODE and PDSIZE system variables control the appearance of point
objects. PDMODE values 0, 2, 3, and 4 specify a figure to draw through the
point. A value of 1 specifies that nothing is displayed.
Specifying the value 32, 64, or 96 selects a shape to draw around the point,
in addition to the figure drawn through it:
32
33
34
35
36
64
65
66
67
68
96
97
98
99
100
PDSIZE controls the size of the point figures, except for PDMODE values 0 and
1. A setting of 0 generates the point at 5 percent of the drawing area height.

A positive PDSIZE value specifies an absolute size for the point figures. A
negative value is interpreted as a percentage of the viewport size. The size of
all points is recalculated when the drawing is regenerated.
After you change PDMODE and PDSIZE, the appearance of existing points
changes the next time AutoCAD regenerates the drawing.
See Also
Commands
System Variables
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POINT
DDPTYPE specifies a new display mode and size for

points. REGEN regenerates the drawing and refreshes
PDMODE specifies how point objects are displayed.
PDSIZE specifies the size of point objects created by
POINT.
POLYGON
Creates an equilateral closed polyline
A polygon is a polyline object. AutoCAD draws polylines with zero width and
no tangent information. You can use the PEDIT command to change these
values.
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Polygon
polygons
Command line: polygon

Enter number of sides <current>: Enter a value between 3 and 1024 or press
ENTER
Specify center of polygon or [Edge]: Specify a point (1) or enter e
Center of Polygon
Defines the center of the polygon.
Enter an option [Inscribed in circle/Circumscribed about circle] <current>: Enter
i or c or press ENTER
Inscribed in Circle
1
Specify radius of circle: Specify a point (2) or enter a value

2
Specifying the radius with your pointing device

determines the rotation and size of the polygon.
Specifying the radius with a value draws the bottom
edge of the polygon at the current snap rotation angle.
radius
Circumscribed
about Circle
1
Specifies the distance from the center of the polygon to

the midpoints of the edges of the polygon.
Specify radius of circle:
2
radius
Specifies the radius of a circle on which all vertices of

the polygon lie.
Specify a distance
Specifying the radius with your pointing device

determines the rotation and size of the polygon.
Specifying the radius with a value draws the bottom
edge of the polygon at the current snap rotation angle.
POLYGON
765
Edge
Defines a polygon by specifying the endpoints of the first edge.
Specify first endpoint of edge: Specify a point (1)
Specify second endpoint of edge: Specify a point (2)
See Also
Commands
1
edge
PEDIT edits polylines. SNAP controls the current snap
rotation angle.
2
System Variables
POLYSIDES stores the current number of polygon sides.
PREVIEW
Shows how the drawing will look when it is plotted
PREVIEW displays a full-page preview of the current drawing. The preview is
based on the current plot configuration, as defined by the PAGESETUP
command.
Standard toolbar:
File menu: Plot Preview
Command line: preview
Press ESC or ENTER to exit, or right-click in the preview area to access the Plot
Preview shortcut menu, which offers additional preview options.
AutoCAD displays the preview, and the cursor changes to a magnifying glass
with plus (+) and minus () signs. Dragging the cursor towards the top of the
screen while holding down the pick button enlarges the preview image.
Dragging towards the bottom of the screen reduces the preview image.
Plot Preview Shortcut Menu

Controls Plot Preview options. To access this menu, right-click in the preview
area.
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Exit
Exits Plot Preview.
Plot
Plots the drawing as it is displayed in the full-sheet

preview, and then exits Plot Preview.
PREVIEW
Pan
Displays the pan cursor, a hand cursor you can use to

pan the preview image. Hold down the pick button and
drag the cursor in any direction. The pan cursor stays
active until you choose Zoom again from the shortcut
menu.
Zoom
Displays the zoom cursor, a magnifying-glass cursor

you can use to enlarge or reduce the preview image. To
enlarge the image, hold down the pick button and drag
the cursor towards the top of the screen. To reduce the
image, hold down the pick button and drag the cursor
towards the bottom of the screen.
Zoom Window
Zooms to display a specified window. Zoom Window

works with both the zoom cursor and the pan cursor.
Zoom Original
Restores the initial full-sheet preview. Zoom Original

works with both the zoom cursor and the pan cursor.
pan cursor
zoom cursor
See Also
See Preview a Plot in the Users Guide.
Commands
PLOT plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file.
PROPERTIES
Controls properties of existing objects
Standard toolbar:
Tools menu: Properties
Shortcut menu: Select the objects whose properties you want to view or
modify, right-click in the drawing area, and choose Properties. Alternatively,
you can double-click most objects to display the Properties palette.
Command line: properties
The Properties palette is displayed. The Properties palette lists properties of
the selected object or set of objects.
You can also view or modify properties of third-party application objects that
are based on AutoCAD Application Programming Interface (API) standards.
For more information about using the Properties palette, see Display and
Change the Properties of Objects in the Users Guide.
PROPERTIES
767
There are eight general properties common to all objects. (See General Properties of Objects on page 770.) All other object properties are specific to the
type of AutoCAD object, and are described in the following sections:
768
Properties palette with no objects selected (see page 771)

3D Orbit View properties (see page 773)
3D Face properties (see page 774)
3D Solid properties (see page 774)
Arc properties (see page 775)
Attribute Definition properties (see page 776)
Block Reference properties (see page 777)
Body properties (see page 778)
Circle properties (see page 778)
Dimension properties (see page 779)
Ellipse properties (see page 779)
External Reference properties (see page 780)
Hatch properties (see page 781)
Image properties (see page 782)
Leader properties (see page 783)
Line properties (see page 784)
Multiline properties (see page 785)
Multiline text (mtext) properties (see page 785)
Multiple Insertion properties (see page 786)
Point properties (see page 787)
Polyline (2D and Lightweight) properties (see page 787)
Polyline (3D) properties (see page 788)
Polyline (3D Polygon Mesh) properties (see page 789)
Polyline (Polyface Mesh) properties (see page 790)
Ray properties (see page 790)
Region properties (see page 791)
Shape properties (see page 791)
Solid properties (see page 792)
Spline properties (see page 792)
Text properties (see page 793)
Tolerance properties (see page 794)
Trace properties (see page 795)
Viewport properties (see page 796)
Xline properties (see page 797)
PROPERTIES
Properties Palette
list of selected objects
toggle value of PICKADD Sysvar button
Select Objects button
Quick Select button
displays a Pick Point button
list of object
properties
description of
selected property
Displays the properties of the selected object or set of objects. You can specify
a new value to modify any property that can be changed.
When more than one object is selected, the Properties palette displays
only those properties common to all objects in the selection set.
When no objects are selected, the Properties palette displays only the general properties of the current layer, the name of the plot style table
attached to the layer, the view properties, and information about the UCS.
Object Type
Displays the type of object that is selected.
Quick Select
Displays the Quick Select dialog box (see page 821). Use
Quick Select to create selection sets based on filtering
criteria.
Select Objects
Selects desired objects using any selection method. The

properties common to the selected objects are displayed
in the Properties palette. You can then modify the
properties of the selected objects in the Properties
palette, or you can make other changes to the selected
objects by entering an editing command.
PROPERTIES
769
Toggle Value of
PICKADD Sysvar
Turns the PICKADD system variable on (1) and off (0).

When PICKADD is on, each object selected, either
individually or by windowing, is added to the current
selection set. When PICKADD is off, selected objects
replace the current selection set.
The following shortcut menu options are available when you right-click the
title bar.
Move
Displays a four-headed arrow cursor that you can use to

move the palette. The palette does not dock.
Size
Displays a four-headed arrow cursor that you can use to

drag an edge or a corner to make the palette smaller or
larger.
Close
Closes the Properties palette.
Allow Docking
Controls whether the Properties palette docks when

you drag it over a docking area at the side of the
drawing.
Auto-hide
Controls display of the Properties palette. When this

option is checked, only the palette title bar is displayed
when the cursor moves outside the palette. When this
option is not checked, the full palette is displayed when
the cursor moves.
Description
Controls display of the description area at the bottom

of the Properties palette. When this option is checked,
descriptions are displayed. When this option is not
checked, the description area is not displayed.
General Properties of Objects

The following general properties are common to most AutoCAD objects and
custom objects (third-party application objects based on AutoCAD API
standards).
Color
Specifies the color for objects. Selecting Select Color in

the color list displays the Select Color dialog box (see
COLOR).
You can use the Select Color dialog box to define the
color of objects by selecting from the 255 AutoCAD
Color Index (ACI) colors, True Colors, and Color Book
colors.
770
PROPERTIES
Layer
Specifies the current layer of the object. The list shows

all layers in current drawing (see LAYER).
Linetype
Specifies the current linetype of the object. The list

shows all linetypes in the current drawing (see
LINETYPE).
Linetype Scale
Specifies the linetype scale factor of the object (see

LTSCALE).
Plot Style
Lists NORMAL, BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, plus any plot styles

contained in the current plot style table (see
PLOTSTYLE).
Lineweight
Specifies the lineweight of the object. The list shows all

available lineweights in the current drawing (see
LWEIGHT).
Hyperlink
Attaches a hyperlink to a graphical object. If a

description has been assigned to the hyperlink, the
description is displayed. If no description has been
assigned, the URL is displayed (see HYPERLINK).
Thickness
Sets the current 3D solid thickness. This property does

not apply to all objects (see CHPROP).
linetype samples
thickness samples
Properties Palette with No Objects Selected

Displays the properties for the current viewport and the current general
properties.
Properties palette with no objects selected
Property name
(by category)
Description
General
Color
Specifies the color of the object. Select Color in the color list
displays the Select Color dialog box (see COLOR).
Available colors include the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI)
colors, true colors, and color book colors.
PROPERTIES
771
Properties palette with no objects selected (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Layer
Specifies the current layer of the object. The list shows all layers in
current drawing (see LAYER).
Linetype
Specifies the current linetype of the object. The list shows all
linetypes in the current drawing (see LINETYPE).
Linetype scale
Specifies the linetype scale factor of the object (see LTSCALE).
Lineweight
Specifies the lineweight of the object. The list shows all available
lineweights in the current drawing (see LWEIGHT).
Thickness
Specifies the current thickness.
Plot style
Plot style
Lists BYCOLOR, NORMAL, BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, plus any plot

styles contained in the current plot style table (see
PLOTSTYLE).
Plot style table
Specifies the current plot style table.
Plot table attached to
Determines the name of the space to which the current plot

style table is attached.
Plot table type
Displays the type of plot style tables available.
View
Center X
Center Y
Center Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the current viewports center

point (read-only).
Height
Specifies the height of the current viewport (read-only).
Width
Specifies the width of the current viewport (read-only).
Misc
772
UCS icon on
Determines whether the UCS icon is on or off: UCSICON

system variable.
UCS icon at origin
Determines whether the user coordinate system icon is at

origin: UCSORG system variable.
UCS per viewport
Determines whether the user coordinate system is saved with the

viewport: UCSVP system variable.
PROPERTIES
Properties palette with no objects selected (continued)

Property name
(by category)
UCS name
Description
Specifies the name of a UCS: Lists six orthographic UCSs and UCSs
named by the user.
3D Orbit View Properties

Displays the properties of the current 3D orbit view.
3D Orbit view properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Camera
Position X
Position Y
Position Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the camera position: VIEWDIR

system variable
Target X
Target Y
Target Z
Specify the camera targets location in the current viewport:

TARGET system variable
Lens length
Specifies length of lens in millimeters: LENSLENGTH system

variable
Roll angle
Specifies the view twist angle for the current viewport:

VIEWTWIST system variable
Clipping
Front plane
Specifies distance of front clipping plane from target plane:

FRONTZ system variable
Back plane
Specifies distance of back clipping plane from target plane:

BACKZ system variable
Clipping
Determines whether front or back clipping plane is on or off:

VIEWMODE system variable
Shading
Shading mode
Determines shading mode in current viewport: SHADEMODE

command
PROPERTIES
773
3D Orbit view properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Visual Aids
Compass
Determines whether compass is on or off: COMPASS

command
Grid
Determines whether grid is on or off: GRID command
UCS icon
Determines whether UCS icon is visible or hidden: UCSICON

system variable
3D Face Properties
Displays the properties of the selected 3D face.
If the SPLFRAME system variable is set to 1 (on), all edges are visible regardless
of the visibility setting.
3D face properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Vertex
Specifies the current vertex of the 3D face; valid values for

vertex number are 1 through 4
Vertex X
Vertex Y
Vertex Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the current vertex
Edge 1
Edge 2
Edge 3
Edge 4
Determine whether Edge 1, Edge 2, Edge 3, and Edge 4 are

visible or hidden
3D Solid Properties
Displays only the eight general AutoCAD properties of the selected 3D solid
(such as box, cylinder, sphere, cone, torus, or wedge) because 3D solid
properties are not editable. See General Properties of Objects on page 770.
774
PROPERTIES
Arc Properties
Displays the properties of the selected arc.
Arc properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Start X
Start Y
Start Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the start point of the arc;
you cannot change the start point of an arc
Center X
Center Y
Center Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the center point of the

arc
End X
End Y
End Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the endpoint of the arc;

you cannot change the endpoint of an arc
Radius
Specifies the radius of the arc; valid values are positive,

nonzero numbers
Start angle
Specifies the start angle of the arc; valid values are positive or
negative, including zero
End angle
Specifies the end angle of the arc; valid values are positive or
negative, including zero
Total angle
Specifies the total angle of the arc (read-only)
Arc length
Specifies the arc length of the arc (read-only)
Area
Specifies the area of the arc as though a straight line connects

the start point and endpoint
Normal X
Normal Y
Normal Z
Reports the X,Y,Z values of the normal direction vector
PROPERTIES
775
Attribute Definition Properties

Displays the properties of the selected attribute definition.
Attribute definition properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Text
776
Tag
Specifies the tag string of the attribute; tag value cannot be

null or contain spaces
Prompt
Specifies the prompt to be displayed when you insert a block

containing this attribute
Value
Specifies the text string of the attribute
Style
Specifies the text style of the

attribute: Standard and any style defined in the drawing
Justify
Specifies the justification option for the attribute text
Height
Specifies the height of the attribute
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the attribute in radians
Width factor
Specifies the width factor of the attribute; this property

overrides the DIMSCALE system variable
Obliquing
Specifies the slant of the attribute away from its vertical axis
Text alignment X
Text alignment Y
Text alignment Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the alignment point of

the attribute; a3D WCS coordinate represents the alignment of
the text object to the block
PROPERTIES
Attribute definition properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Position X
Position Y
Position Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z insertion point coordinate values
Misc
Upside down
Specifies whether the text is upside down or not
Backward
Specifies whether the text is backward or not
Invisible
Specifies whether Invisible mode is on or off; an invisible

attribute is not displayed or plotted
Constant
Specifies whether Constant mode is on or off; a constant

attribute maintains the same value at every insertion
Verify
Specifies whether Verify mode is on or off; an attribute set to

Verify prompts for verification that the attribute value is correct
at insertion of the block
Preset
Specifies whether Preset mode is on or off; a Preset attribute is

set to its default, or preset, value at insertion of the block
Block Reference Properties

Displays the properties of the selected block.
After you insert a block, you can change the block insertion point and the X,
Y, and Z scale. If the block is a hatch pattern, you can change the insertion
point but not the scale, rotation, rows, columns, or spacing.
PROPERTIES
777
Block reference properties

Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Position X
Position Y
Position Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate values for the insertion point of

the block.
Scale X
Scale Y
Scale Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z scale factors of the block. The dimensions of

the object are multiplied by the scale factor: a scale factor
greater than 1 enlarges the object; a scale factor between 0
and 1 reduces the object.
Misc
Name
Reports the name of the block: the name or file name only, not
the path.
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the block relative to the X axis of

the WCS.
Body Properties
Displays only the eight general AutoCAD properties of the selected body
because properties for body objects are not editable. See General Properties
of Objects on page 770.
Circle Properties
Displays the properties of the selected circle.
Circle properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
778
Center X
Center Y
Center Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the center of the circle
Radius
Specifies the radius of the circle
Diameter
Specifies the diameter of the circle
PROPERTIES
Circle properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Circumference
Specifies the circumference of the circle
Area
Specifies the area of the circle in square drawing units
Normal X
Normal Y
Normal Z
Reports the X,Y,Z values of the normal direction vector relative

to the WCS; this property specifies a vector, not a location in
space
Dimension Properties
Displays the properties of the selected dimension. Each dimension property
is associated with a specific dimension system variable. The dimension
system variable is shown in the description area below the properties list (see
Dimension Variable Settings for Common Dimensioning Standards on
page 1239).
Ellipse Properties
Displays the properties of the selected ellipse.
Ellipse properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Start X
Start Y
Start Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the start point of the ellipse;

you cannot change the start point of an ellipse
Center X
Center Y
Center Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the center point of the ellipse
End X
End Y
End Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the endpoint of the ellipse; you

cannot change the endpoint of an ellipse
Major radius
Specifies the major radius of the ellipse
Minor radius
Specifies the minor radius of the ellipse
PROPERTIES
779
Ellipse properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Radius ratio
Specifies the radius ratio of the ellipse; a radius ratio of 1.0

defines a circle
Start angle
Specifies the start angle of the ellipse
End angle
Specifies the end angle of the ellipse
Major axis vector X

Major axis vector Y
Major axis vector Z
Specify the major axis of the ellipse; the longer axis of an

ellipse is the major axis
Minor axis vector X

Minor axis vector Y
Minor axis vector Z
Specify the minor axis of the ellipse; the shorter axis of an

ellipse is the minor axis
Area
Specifies the area of the ellipse
External Reference Properties

Displays the properties of the selected external reference (xref).
External reference properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Insertion point X
Insertion point Y
Insertion point Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the insertion point of the block
Scale X
Scale Y
Scale Z
Specify the X,Y,Z scale factors of the block
Misc
780
Name
Specifies the name of the block
Path
Specifies the path of the external reference
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the block
PROPERTIES
Hatch Properties
Displays the properties of the selected hatch pattern.
Hatch properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Pattern
Type
Specifies the pattern type used for the hatch
Pattern name
Specifies the hatch pattern name
Angle
Specifies the pattern angle of the hatch: HPANG system

variable
Scale
Specifies the pattern scale of the hatch: HPSCALE system

variable
Spacing
Specifies the pattern spacing of the hatch: HPSPACE system

variable
ISO pen width
Specifies the ISO pen width of an ISO hatch pattern; the first
ten values represent the pen width in hundredths of a
millimeter
Double
Determines whether the hatch pattern is double or not:

HPDOUBLE system variable
Misc
Elevation
Specifies the current elevation (the Z value) of the hatch
Associative
Determines whether the hatch is associative or not; an

associative hatch is updated when its boundaries are modified
Island detection style
Sets the style of the hatch
PROPERTIES
781
Image Properties
Displays the properties of the selected image.
Image properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Image Adjust
Brightness
Specifies the current brightness value of the raster image; valid

range is 0 through 100. Bitonal images cannot be adjusted for
brightness. IMAGEADJUST command.
Contrast
Specifies the current contrast value of the raster image; valid

range is 0 through 100. Bitonal images cannot be adjusted for
contrast. IMAGEADJUST command.
Fade
Specifies the current fade value of the raster image; valid range
is 0 through 100. Bitonal images cannot be adjusted for fade.
IMAGEADJUST command.
Geometry
Position X
Position Y
Position Z
Specify the X,Y,Z origin coordinate (lower-left corner) of the

raster image.
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the raster image.
Width
Specifies the width of the raster image.
Height
Specifies the height of the raster image in current units.
Scale
Specifies the scale factor for the raster image; valid range is a
real number greater than 0.0. A scale factor greater than 1
enlarges the object. A scale factor between 0 and 1 shrinks the
object.
Misc
782
Name
Specifies the name of the image file: the file name only, not
the path.
Path
Specifies the path to the image file.
Show image
Determines whether image is visible or not. Other factors can

also cause an image to be invisible; for example, an image is
not displayed if its layer is turned off or frozen.
PROPERTIES
Image properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Show clipped
Turns the clipping boundary on and off. Display the clipped

image using the clipping boundary, or hide the clipping
boundary and display the image with the original boundaries.
Transparency
Determines whether transparency for an image is on or off.

Bitonal raster images are images that have only a foreground
and a background color.
Leader Properties
Displays the properties of the selected leader. When you select leader text
(annotation), the Properties palette displays single-line text or multiline text
properties.
Leader properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Vertex X
Vertex Y
Vertex Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the leader start point
Misc
Dim style
Specifies the dimension style name
Type
Specifies the type of the leader
Fit
Dim scale overall
Specifies the overall scale factor applied to properties that

specify sizes, distances, or offsets: DIMSCALE system variable
Lines and Arrows

Arrow
Specifies the type of leader arrowhead
Arrow size
Specifies the size of the leader arrowhead: DIMASZ system

variable
PROPERTIES
783
Leader properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Dim line LW
Specifies the lineweight of the leader line: DIMLWD system

variable
Dim line color
Specifies the color of the leader line; available colors include the
255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and color
book colors
Text
Text offset
Specifies the distance between the end of the leader line and
the beginning of the leader annotation
Text pos vert
Specifies the vertical dimension text position relative to the

leader line
Line Properties
Displays the properties of the selected line.
Line properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
784
Start X
Start Y
Start Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the start point of the

line
End X
End Y
End Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the endpoint of the line
Delta X
Delta Y
Delta Z
Reports the difference in value between the Start and End

X,Y,Z coordinates
Length
Reports the length of the line
Angle
Reports the angle of the line; the angle measurement begins at

the X axis and proceeds counterclockwise
PROPERTIES
Multiline Properties
Displays the properties of the selected multiline.
Multiline properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Misc
Mline style
Specifies the multiline style name
Multiline Text (Mtext) Properties

Displays the properties of the selected multiline, leader, or dimension text.
Multiline text (mtext) properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Text
Contents
Specifies the text string
Style
Specifies the text style name
Justify
Specifies the text justification within the multiline text object
Direction
Specifies the horizontal or vertical orientation of the multiline

text object
Width
Specifies the width of the rectangular text boundary
Height
Specifies the text height; the height of the uppercase text is

measured in drawing units
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the multiline text object relative

to the current UCS X axis
Line space factor
Specifies the vertical distance between the baseline of one text

line and the baseline of the next text line
Line space style
Specifies the line spacing style of the multiline text object; this
property can be set to allow the spacing between different
lines of text to adjust automatically based on the height of the
largest character in a line of text
PROPERTIES
785
Multiline text (mtext) properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Position X
Position Y
Position Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the insertion point of

the multiline text object; the insertion point is determined by
the text justification point
Multiple Insertion Properties

Displays properties of the selected multiple block insertion.
Multiple insertion properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Insertion point X
Insertion point Y
Insertion point Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate for block insertion point
Scale X
Scale Y
Scale Z
Specify the X, Y, and Z block scale values
Misc
786
Name
Specifies the name of the block object
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the block
Columns
Specifies the number of columns in the block array
Column spacing
Specifies the column spacing in the block array
Rows
Determines the number of rows in the block array
Row spacing
Specifies the row spacing in the block array
PROPERTIES
Point Properties
Displays the properties of the selected point object.
Point properties
Property name
(by category)
Position X
Position Y
Position Z
Description
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate
value of the point object;
changing this value moves the
selected point object
Polyline (2D and Lightweight) Properties

Displays the properties of the selected 2D or lightweight polyline.
Polyline (2D and lightweight) properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Vertex
Specifies the current vertex of the lightweight polyline; enter

the number of a vertex, or click arrows to cycle through all
vertices
Vertex X
Vertex Y
Specify the X,Y coordinate of the current vertex
Elevation
Specifies the elevation of the polyline (Z coordinate value of

the current vertex)
Start segment width
Specifies the width at the start point of the polyline
End segment width
Specifies the width at the endpoint of the polyline
Global width
Specifies the width for the whole polyline
Area
Specifies the area of the lightweight polyline
Misc
Fit/Smooth
Specifies the type of line or surface curve fitting; valid settings

are None, Quadratic, Cubic, and Curve Fit
PROPERTIES
787
Polyline (2D and lightweight) properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Closed
Specifies closed or open polyline
Linetype generation
Determines whether linetype generation is on or off for the

polyline; does not apply to polylines with tapered segments
Polyline (3D) Properties

Displays the properties of the selected 3D polyline.
Polyline (3D) properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
788
Vertex
Specifies the current vertex of the 3D polyline; enter the

number of a vertex, or click arrows to cycle through all vertices
Vertex X
Vertex Y
Vertex Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate for the current vertex
Fit/Smooth
Specifies the type of line or surface curve fitting; valid settings

are None, Quadratic, and Cubic
Closed
Specifies closed or open polyline
PROPERTIES
Polyline (3D Polygon Mesh) Properties

Displays the properties of the selected 3D polygon mesh.
Polyline (3D polygon mesh) properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Vertex
Specifies the current vertex of the polygon mesh.
Vertex X
Vertex Y
Vertex Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the current vertex.
Mesh
M closed
Specifies mesh style for M direction, open or closed. If the

polygon mesh is closed, it is treated as continuous from the
last row to the first row.
N closed
Specifies mesh style for N direction, open or closed. If the

polygon mesh is closed, it is treated as continuous from the
last column to the first column.
M density
Specifies M density value of the polygon mesh. The initial

value for this property is derived from the value in the SURFU
system variable + 1; valid values are 2 through 256.
N density
Specifies N density value of the polygon mesh. The initial value

for this property is derived from the value in the SURFV system
variable + 1; valid values are 2 through 256.
M vertex count
Specifies M vertex count of the polygon mesh.
N vertex count
Specifies N vertex count of the polygon mesh.
Misc
Fit/Smooth
Specifies the type of line or surface curve fitting.
PROPERTIES
789
Polyline (Polyface Mesh) Properties

Displays the properties of the selected polyface mesh.
Polyline (polyface mesh) properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Vertex
Specifies the current vertex of the polyface mesh
Vertex X
Vertex Y
Vertex Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the polyface mesh
Mesh
Number of vertices
Specifies the number of vertices in the mesh
Number of faces
Specifies the number of faces in the mesh
Ray Properties
Displays the properties of the selected ray.
Ray properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
790
Base point X
Base point Y
Base point Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the base point of the ray: the
point through which the ray passes
Second point X
Second point Y
Second point Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the second point of the ray
Direction vector X
Direction vector Y
Direction vector Z
Specify the X,Y,Z direction vectors of the ray
PROPERTIES
Region Properties
Displays the properties of the selected region.
Region properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Area
Specifies the area of the region
Perimeter
Specifies the perimeter of the region in drawing units
Shape Properties
Displays the properties of the selected shape.
Shape properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Position X
Position Y
Position Z
Specify the X,Y,Z coordinate of the insertion point of the shape
Misc
Name
Specifies the name of the shape
Size
Specifies the height of the shape
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the shape
Width factor
Specifies the width scale factor of the shape
Obliquing
Specifies the obliquing angle of the shape: the slant of the

shape away from its vertical axis
PROPERTIES
791
Solid Properties
Displays the properties of the selected two-dimensional solid.
Solid properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Vertex
Specifies the current vertex of the solid
Vertex X
Vertex Y
Specify the X,Y coordinate values of the vertex of the solid
Elevation
Specifies the Z coordinate value
Spline Properties
Displays the properties of the selected spline.
Spline properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Data Points
792
Number of control
points
Reports the number of control points of the spline
Control points
Specifies the current control points of the spline; control points

fine-tune a spline definition by adding weight to a portion of
the spline curve
Control point X
Control point Y
Control point Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the control point
Weight
Specifies the weight vector of the spline
Number of fit points
Reports the number of fit points of the spline; fit points define
the path of the spline
Fit point X
Fit point Y
Fit point Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the fit point
PROPERTIES
Spline properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Misc
Degree
Reports the degree of the spline; the order of the spline is

equal to the degree of the spline plus one (+1)
Closed
Reports whether the spline is closed; a closed spline is tangentcontinuous at both ends
Planar
Reports whether the spline is planar
Start tangent vector X Reports the directional vector representing the start tangent of
Start tangent vector Y the spline
Start tangent vector Z
End tangent vector X
End tangent vector Y
End tangent vector Z
Reports the directional vector representing the end tangent of

the spline
Fit tolerance
Specifies the fit tolerance of the spline; if the fit tolerance is set
to zero, then the spline will pass through all the fit points
Area
Reports the area of the spline
Text Properties
Displays the properties of a single-line text object. Changes you make to text
height, rotation, width factor, and obliquing angle affect only the selected
text object and not the text styles of the object.
Text properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Text
Contents
Specifies the text string; the maximum length is 256

characters
Style
Specifies the style name of the text
Justify
Specifies the alignment of the text
PROPERTIES
793
Text properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Height
Specifies the height of the text: the height of the uppercase

text, measured in drawing units
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the text relative to the X axis
Width factor
Specifies the width scale factor of the text; the width scale
factor is often referred to as the relative X scale factor
Obliquing
Specifies the obliquing angle of the text
Text alignment X
Text alignment Y
Text alignment Z
Reports the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the alignment point
Geometry
Position X
Position Y
Position Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate of the insertion point
Misc
Upside down
Specifies whether the text is upside down or not
Backward
Specifies whether the text is backward or not
Tolerance Properties
Displays the properties of the selected tolerance object.
Tolerance properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Lines and Arrows

Dim line color
Specifies the color of the feature control frame
Geometry
Position X
Position Y
Position Z
794
PROPERTIES
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate values for the insertion point of

the tolerance object
Tolerance properties (continued)

Property name
(by category)
Description
Misc
Dim style
Specifies the dimension style of the tolerance
Fit
Dim scale overall
Specifies the overall scale factor applied to properties that

specify sizes, distances, or offsets
Text
Text color
Specifies the color of the dimension text
Text height
Specifies the text height in the tolerance
Text offset
Specifies the distance between the end of the leader line and
the beginning of the leader annotation
Text style
Specifies the text style used in the tolerance
Text override
Specifies the text string in the tolerance
Trace Properties
Displays the properties of the selected trace segment. Traces are planar
objects. When you change a vertex in a trace, the result might not be
apparent if the current UCS is not parallel to the UCS of the trace.
Trace properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Vertex
Specifies the current vertex point of the trace
Vertex X
Vertex Y
Specify the X,Y coordinate of the current vertex
Elevation
Specifies the Z coordinate location of the trace
PROPERTIES
795
Viewport Properties
Displays the properties of the selected layout viewport.
Viewport properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Center X
Center Y
Center Z
Specifies the X,Y,Z coordinate values for the center of the

viewport
Width
Specifies the width of the viewport; the width of a viewport is

the X axis measurement of the area within a viewport frame
Height
Specifies the height of the viewport; the height of a viewport is

the Y axis measurement of the viewport frame
Misc
796
On
Determines whether the viewport is on or off
Clipped
Determines whether viewport clipping is on or off
Display locked
Determines whether viewport locking is on or off
Standard scale
Specifies the standard scale for the viewport
Custom scale
Specifies a custom scale for the viewport
UCS per viewport
Determines whether the UCS is saved with the viewport or not
Shade Plot
Specifies how views are plotted
PROPERTIES
Xline Properties
Displays the properties of the selected xline (also called a construction line).
Xline properties
Property name
(by category)
Description
Geometry
Base point X
Base point Y
Base point Z
Specify the point through which the xline passes
Second point X
Second point Y
Second point Z
Specify the second point of the xline
Direction vector X
Direction vector Y
Direction vector Z
Specify the direction for the xline using a vector
See Also
Commands
CHPROP changes an existing objects color, layer, linetype, and thickness. COLOR sets the color of new
objects. LAYER controls layer settings. LINETYPE loads,
sets, and creates linetypes. ELEV sets elevation and
extrusion thickness of new objects. STYLE creates text
styles and changes existing text style settings.

System Variables
CECOLOR sets the color of new objects. CELTSCALE sets

the linetype scale factor for new objects. CELTYPE sets
the linetype for new objects. CLAYER sets the current
layer. ELEVATION stores the current 3D elevation. PALETTE-TRANSPARENCY controls the transparency of palettes. THICKNESS sets the current 3D thickness.
PROPERTIES
797
PROPERTIESCLOSE
Closes the Properties palette
Command line: propertiesclose
AutoCAD closes the Properties palette.
See Also
Commands
PROPERTIES opens the Properties palette.
PSETUPIN
Imports a user-defined page setup into a new drawing layout
Provides the ability to import a saved, named page setup from one drawing
into a new drawing. The settings that are saved in the named page setup can
be applied to layouts in the new drawing.
Command line: psetupin
AutoCAD displays the Select Page Setup From File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box) in which you can select the drawing (.dwg) file whose
page setups you want to import.
If FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero) and you enter -psetupin at the Command prompt,
PSETUPIN displays prompts on the command line (see page 799).
After you select the drawing file you want to use, the Import User Defined
Page Setups dialog box is displayed.
Import User Defined Page Setups Dialog Box

Lists the available page setups that were saved in the drawing you have
selected to import. After selecting a named page setup, you can apply that
setup to a layout in your new drawing.
798
PROPERTIESCLOSE
PSETUPIN Command Line

If you enter -psetupin at the Command prompt, PSETUPIN displays prompts
Enter file name:
Enter user defined page setup to import or [?]:
PSPACE
Switches from a model space viewport to paper space
Command line: pspace
AutoCAD switches from model space to paper space when you are working
on a layout tab.
paper space
model space
On the layout tab, use paper space to create a finished layout of a drawing for
printing. As part of designing your layout, you create layout viewports,
which are windows containing different views of the model. By switching
from paper space to model space (see MSPACE), you can edit the model and
views within the current layout viewport.
PSPACE
799
You can make a viewport current by double-clicking inside it. You can switch
to paper space by double-clicking an area of the paper space layout that is not
within a viewport.
You can also switch between model space and paper space by choosing
Model or Paper on the status bar.
See Also
For more information about using paper space and model space, see Work
in Paper Space and Model Space in the Users Guide.
Commands

viewport. MVIEW creates a new floating viewport and
turns on existing floating viewports. VPLAYER sets the
visibility for layers in specific viewports. ZOOM XP scales
each view relative to paper space units.

System Variables
TILEMODE controls paper space access and viewport

type. PSLTSCALE controls paper space linetype scaling.
DIMLFAC controls scaling for linear dimensioning
measurements. VISRETAIN specifies precedence of settings for xref layers. MAXACTVP specifies the maximum
number of viewports to regenerate.
PUBLISH
Creates multi-sheet drawing sets for publishing to a single multi-sheet DWF (Design Web
Format) file, a plotting device, or a plot file
Standard toolbar:
File menu: Publish
Command line: publish
The Publish Drawing Sheets dialog box is displayed. Click Publish to begin
publishing the current drawing sheets to either a DWF file or a plotting
device.
The Publishing Complete dialog box provides information about the published drawing set. It displays a message about the status of the publishing
process ("Publish completed successfully" or "Errors and Warnings found,
save and review log file for details"). The dialog box also allows you to save
the log file that was generated during the publishing process, and it allows
you to view the DWF file.
800
PUBLISH
If you enter -publish at the Command prompt, PUBLISH displays prompts on

the command line.
If you enter +publish on the command line, you can select an existing Drawing Set Descriptions (DSD) file from a standard file selection dialog box. The
Publish Drawing Sheets dialog box automatically opens with the List of
Drawing Sheets, allowing you to republish the selected file.
Publish Drawing Sheets Dialog Box

Specifies drawing sheets you can assemble, reorder, rename, copy, and save
for publishing as a multi-sheet drawing set. You can publish the drawing set
to a DWF file, send it to the plotter for hardcopy output, or save it as a plot
file. This list of drawing sheets can be preserved by saving it to a disk file as
a DSD (Drawing Set Descriptions) file; saved drawing sets can replace or be
appended to the current list for republishing.
PUBLISH
801
List of Drawing Sheets

Contains the list of drawing sheets to be included for publishing.
Sheet Name
Combines the drawing name and the layout name with

a dash (-). You can change the name shown in Sheet
Name by clicking Rename on the shortcut menu.
Drawing sheet names must be unique within a single
DWF file.
Drawing Name
Displays the name of the drawing file. Displays the full

path name only if the Display Drawing File Path Names
setting on the shortcut menu is turned on.
Note The Publish Drawing Sheets dialog box is resizable
to accommodate lengthy path names.
Layout Name
Displays the selected drawing layout name. Includes

the Model tab only if the Include Model When Adding
Sheets setting on the shortcut menu is turned on.
Page Setup
Displays the named page setup for the layout. You can
change the page setup by clicking Change Page Setup
on the shortcut menu. Only Model tab page setups can
be applied to Model tab sheets, and only paper space
page setups can be applied to paper space layouts.
Status
Displays a message as each drawing sheet is published.
Add Sheets
Displays a standard file selection dialog box, where you can add sheets to the
list of drawing sheets. The layout names from those files are extracted, and
one sheet is added to the list of drawing sheets for each layout.
The initial drawing sheet names are constructed from the base drawing name
and the layout name, separated by a dash (-).
For example, a drawing sheet constructed for the Plan of Ejector layout in the
Single cavity mold.dwg file would be named Single cavity mold-Plan of Ejector. If
you add a sheet with a name that already exists, you must enter a new drawing sheet name. New drawing sheets are always appended to the end of the
current list. You can drag selections into the list of drawing sheets.
Duplicate Sheet
Name
802
PUBLISH
Allows you to rename the sheet that you want to add to

the list of drawing sheets if the sheet name already
exists.
Load List
Displays a standard file selection dialog box if the contents of the List of
Drawing Sheets is empty. You can select a DSD file or a BP3 (Batch Plot) file
to load. Displays the Replace or Append dialog box if a list of drawing sheets
is present in the Publish Drawing Sheets dialog box. You can either replace
the existing list of drawing sheets with the new sheets or append the new
sheets to the current list.
Save List
Displays the Save List dialog box, where you can save the current list of drawings as a DSD (Drawing Set Descriptions) file. DSD files are used to describe
lists of drawing files and selected lists of layouts within those drawing files.
Remove
Deletes the currently selected drawing sheet from the list of sheets.
Remove All
If the current list of drawing sheets has already been saved, deletes all sheets.
If the current list of drawing sheets has not been saved, allows you to first
save the new list before all drawing sheets are removed.
Move Up
Moves the selected drawing sheet up one position in the list.
Move Down
Moves the selected drawing sheet down one position in the list.
Publish To
Defines how you want to publish the list of drawings. You can choose to publish to either a multi-sheet DWF file (an electronic drawing set) or paper plots
(a paper drawing set).
Multi-Sheet DWF File
Indicates that a single multi-sheet DWF file is generated and saved in the
selected file.
DWF File Name
Allows you to name the single multi-sheet DWF file.
Browse
Opens the Select DWF File dialog box, where you can
select a target folder for your DWF file.
Password or
Phrase Used to
Protect This DWF
File
Contains the password (if any) used for this DWF file.
DWF passwords are case sensitive. The password or
phrase can be made up of letters, numbers,
punctuation, or non-ASCII characters.
Note If you lose or forget the password, it cannot be
recovered. Keep a list of passwords and their
corresponding DWF file names in a safe place.
PUBLISH
803
Confirm
Password
Provides a space to confirm the password that you

entered in the Publish Drawing Sheets dialog box. If the
two passwords do not match, you must click Publish
again to re-enter the correct password.
Plotters Named in Page Setups

Indicates that the output devices given for each drawing sheet in the page
setups will be used.
Output Folder
Name (Used for
Plot-to-File)
Plots the drawing set to the device selected in each

layout's page setup or plots to a file using the selected
output folder name.
Browse
Opens a Select Folder dialog box, where you can select

a target folder for the generated DWF file.
Publish
Begins the publishing operation. Creates a single-sheet DWF file or a single
multi-sheet DWF file, or plots to a device or file depending on the radio button selected in the Publish To area.
If a drawing sheet fails to plot, Design Publisher continues plotting the
remaining sheets in the drawing set. A log file is created that contains
detailed information, including any errors or warnings encountered during
the publishing process.
You can stop publishing after a sheet has finished plotting. If you stop
publishing a multi-sheet DWF file before it is complete, no output file is generated. After publishing is complete, the Status field is updated to show the
results.
Publish Drawing Sheets Shortcut Menu
Controls the contents of the list under Drawing Sheets. To access this menu,
right-click while the mouse pointer is positioned over the list.
804
Rename Sheet
Allows in-place editing of the selected drawing sheet

name.
Change Page
Setup
Opens the Change Page Setup dialog box, where you

can choose a page setup from the selected drawing
orfrom another drawing template.
Copy Selected
Sheets
Allows single or multiple drawing sheets to be copied.

The new drawing sheet copies are added and
highlighted at the end of the sheet list. A unique name
is created by the addition of -copy(n) at the end of the
sheet name. Each time you copy the same sheet, the n
is incremented by 1.
PUBLISH
Display Drawing
File Path Names
Specifies whether the full path name or just the file

name is included in the list of drawing sheets. A check
mark indicates the option is turned on.
Inclue Layouts
When Adding
Sheets
Specifies whether all layouts are included when

drawing sheets are added. A check mark indicates the
option is turned on.
Include Model
When Adding
Sheets
Specifies whether the model is included when drawing

sheets are added. A check mark indicates the option is
turned on.
Change Page Setup Dialog Box

Allows you to change the page setup settings associated with a drawing sheet
layout. All page setups that you apply to the current layout are saved to the
DWF file output.
Note Paper space geometry in a layout is fixed when the layout is created. It is
important that you change the page setup for each layout depending on your
desired output. Only Model tab page setups can be applied to Model tab sheets,
and only paper space page setups can be applied to paper space layouts.
PUBLISH
805
Choose a Page Setup

Lists the named page setups from the chosen drawing (either the selected
drawing or from another drawing), depending on the option selected in the
From area. If a page setup from another drawing file is chosen, it will be constructed by including both the page setup name and the full path name to
the drawing separated by a vertical bar.
For example, a page setup named ANSI D on HP2600 and Single cavity
mold.dwg would appear as ANSI D on HP2600|C:\Projects\San Rafael\Single
cavity mold.dwg.
From
Allows you to select a page setup either from the current drawing or another
drawing or template.
Selected Drawing
Selects a named page setup from the selected drawing

sheet. Double-clicking on an entry will select that entry,
apply the chosen page setup to the selected sheets, and
then close the dialog box.
Another Drawing
or Template
Selects a named page setup from an alternate drawing

or template file.
Browse
Opens the Select Drawings dialog box so you can select

a drawing file and its associated named page setups.
Publishing Complete Dialog Box

Displayed when publishing is complete.
Save Log File
Saves the log file that was created during the publishing
process.
Note The log file provides a record of what was actually
published and the sheets that may need to be corrected.
You lose these details if you close the Publishing Complete
dialog box without saving a log file.
Log files are saved as CSV (Comma Separated Values)
files that can be viewed in a spreadsheet program.They
provide descriptive information about the published
drawing set sheets. This information includes a
description of the sheet, a detailed status message, and
any warning message.
806
PUBLISH
View DWF File
Starts Autodesk Express Viewer. You can view your

generated multi-sheet DWF file. (This option is not
available if Publish to Multi-Sheet DWF output was not
selected.)
PUBLISH Command Line

Command line: -publish
If you enter -publish at the Command prompt, -PUBLISH displays prompts on
the command line.
The -publish command provides a scriptable interface for Design Publisher.
It also provides a simplified method for regenerating DWF files or plotted
output from existing DSD files.
With the FILEDIA system variable set to one (1), enter -publish at the Command prompt. The Select List of Sheets dialog box is displayed. Select the
DSD file that you want to republish.
With the FILEDIA system variable set to zero (0) (or if you are running a script
or other automation), enter -publish at the Command prompt. The following
Enter name of sheet list <path file name.dsd>: Press ENTER for the current drawing
or enter the sheet list name.
Note The bracketed text <DSD file name> contains the name of the DSD file
used when this command was last run. The bracketed text area is blank if no
previous name exists. If you enter a tilde (~) for the file name, the standard file
selection dialog box is displayed regardless of the FILEDEA setting.
The file name is validated and the list of sheets is loaded.
Once a DWF file generation starts, each drawing sheet name is listed along
with an appropriate message. Drawing sheets not found or not initialized are
indicated with an error message. Sheets plotted or not plotted are also
marked with an appropriate message.
When the final DWF file has been created, the output DWF file name is displayed along with an indication of any errors encountered.
PUBLISH
807
A log file is written during DWF file generation. The log file contains the
drawing sheet name, layout name, full drawing name, path name, and status.
The log file name is derived from the name of the sheet list file with CSV
replacing the DSD file extension.
Note Any existing log file is overwritten by a new log file without any warning
message being displayed.
See Also
For more information about Design Publisher, see Publish Drawing Sets in
the Users Guide.
Commands
PLOT controls the device settings for plotting to a

plotter, printer, or file. PLOTTERMANAGER displays the
Plotter Manager, where you can add or edit a plotter
configuration.
System Variables
FILEDIA suppresses display of the file dialog boxes.
PUBLISHTOWEB
Creates HTML pages that include images of selected drawings
File menu: Publish to Web
Command line: publishtoweb
The Publish to Web wizard is displayed.
Publish to Web Wizard

Creates a formatted HTML page. You can choose from a number of different
formatting options that control the layout of your completed HTML page.
After creating an HTML page, you can use the wizard to publish the page to
an Internet or intranet location.
You can also use the wizard to modify existing HTML pages that were created
using the PUBLISHTOWEB command.
You can customize the template you use for your web page. For more
information about customizing templates, see Customize a Publish to Web
Template in the Customization Guide.
See Also
For information about creating DWF files, see Use the Publish to Web Wizard to Create Web Pages in the Users Guide.
808
PUBLISHTOWEB
PURGE
Removes unused named items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing
File menu: Drawing Utilities Purge
Command line: purge
The Purge dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -purge at the Command prompt, PURGE displays prompts on the
Purge Dialog Box

Displays items that can be purged.
PURGE
809
View Items You Can Purge

Switches the tree view to display a summary of named objects in the current
drawing that you can purge.
Items Not Used in
Drawing
Lists the named objects that are not used in the current
drawing and that can be purged. You can list the items
for any object type by clicking the plus sign or by
double-clicking the object type. You purge items by
selecting the item to purge.
Purge Nested Items removes items only when you
choose
All Items or Blocks in the tree view

The Purge All button
Confirm Each
Item to Be
Purged
Displays the Confirm Purge dialog box when you purge

an item.
Purge Nested
Items
Removes all unused named objects from the drawing

even if they are contained within or referenced by other
unused named objects. The Confirm Purge dialog box
is displayed, and you can cancel or confirm the items to
be purged.
View Items You Cannot Purge

Switches the tree view to display a summary of named objects in the current
drawing that you cant purge.
Items Currently
Used in Drawing
810
PURGE
Lists named objects that cannot be removed from the

drawing. Most of these objects are currently used in the
drawing or are default items that cannot be removed.
When you select individual named objects,
information about why you cant purge the item is
displayed below the tree view.
PURGE Command Line

If you enter -purge at the Command prompt, -PURGE displays prompts on
the command line.
Enter type of unused objects to purge [Blocks/Dimstyles/LAyers/LTypes/
Plotstyles/SHapes/textSTyles/Mlinestyles/All]: Enter an object type or enter a to
purge all named object types
Enter name(s) to purge <*>: Enter one or more names, or press ENTER to purge
all items
Verify each name to be purged? [Yes / No]: Enter y to verify each object that is
to be purged, or enter n to purge the objects without any verification
-PURGE removes only one level of reference. Repeat -PURGE until there are no
unreferenced named objects. You can use PURGE or -PURGE at any time
during a drawing session.
PURGE
811
812
QDIM
Quickly creates a dimension
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Quick Dimension
Command line: qdim
Use QDIM to quickly create or edit a series of dimensions. The command is
particularly useful for creating a series of baseline or continued dimensions,
or for dimensioning a series of circles and arcs.
Select geometry to dimension: Select the objects you want to dimension or the
dimensions you want to edit and press ENTER
Specify dimension line position, or [Continuous/Staggered/Baseline/Ordinate/
Radius/Diameter/datumPoint/Edit/seTtings] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
Continuous
Creates a series of continued dimensions.
Staggered
Creates a series of staggered dimensions.
Baseline
Creates a series of baseline dimensions.
Ordinate
Creates a series of ordinate dimensions.
Radius
Creates a series of radius dimensions.
Diameter
Creates a series of diameter dimensions.
Datum Point
Sets a new datum point for baseline and ordinate

dimensions.
Select new datum point: Specify a point
Edit
Edits a series of dimensions. AutoCAD prompts you to

add or remove points from existing dimensions.
Indicate dimension point to remove, or [Add/eXit]
<eXit>: Specify a point, enter a, or press ENTER to return
to the previous prompt
QDIM
813
Settings
Sets the default object snap for specifying extension

line origins. The following prompt is displayed:
Associative dimension priority [Endpoint/Intersection]
See Also
See Dimensions and Tolerances in the Users Guide.
QLEADER
Creates a leader and leader annotation
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Leader
Command line: qleader
Use QLEADER to quickly create leaders and leader annotation. You can use the
Leader Settings dialog box (see page 816) to customize the command so that
it prompts you for the number of leader points and the annotation type
suited to your drawing needs. You can use QLEADER to
Specify leader annotation and annotation format

Set the location where leaders attach to multiline text annotation
Limit the number of leader points
Constrain the angle of the first and second leader segments
If associative dimensioning is turned on with DIMASSOC, the leader start

point can be associated with a location on an object. If the object is relocated,
the arrowhead remains attached to the object and the leader line stretches,
but the text or feature control frame remains in place.
Specify first leader point, or [Settings] <Settings>: Specify the first leader point,
or press ENTER to specify leader settings
First Leader Point

Specify next point:
Specify next point:
leader annotation
814
QLEADER
Specify the next leader point

Specify the next leader point, or press ENTER to specify the
The Number of Points setting on the Leader Line & Arrow tab of the Leader
Settings dialog box determines the number of leader points AutoCAD
prompts you to specify.
The prompt that is displayed next depends on settings selected on the
Annotation tab in the Leader Settings dialog box.
If Mtext and Prompt for Width are selected on the Annotation tab, AutoCAD
displays the following prompts:
Specify the width <current>: Specify the multiline text width by creating a text
boundary or entering a value
If you set the text width value to 0.00, the width of the multiline text is
unlimited.
Enter first line of annotation text: Enter the first line of text
Press ENTER once to enter another line of text, or press ENTER again to
complete the command.
If Copy an Object is selected on the Annotation tab, AutoCAD displays the
following prompt:
Select an object to copy: Select a text object, block reference, or tolerance object
(feature control frame)
AutoCAD attaches the object to the leader.
If Tolerance is selected on the Annotation tab, AutoCAD displays the Geometric Tolerance dialog box (see page 1031). Use the dialog box to create the
tolerance feature control frame. When you choose OK, AutoCAD attaches
the feature control frame to the leader.
If Block Reference is selected on the Annotation tab, AutoCAD displays the
following prompts:
Enter block name or [?]: Enter the name, or enter ? to display a list of blocks
defined in the drawing
Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/X/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/PRotate]:
Specify the block insertion point or enter an option
For a description of the insertion options, see -INSERT.
If None is selected on the Annotation tab, no annotation prompts are
displayed.
QLEADER
815
Settings
Displays the Leader Settings dialog box.
Leader Settings Dialog Box

Customizes the QLEADER command and sets leader and annotation format.
Annotation Tab (Leader Settings Dialog Box)

Sets the leader annotation type, specifies multiline text options, and
indicates whether you want to reuse the annotation.
Annotation Type
Sets the leader annotation type. The type you select changes the QLEADER
leader annotation prompt.
MText
Prompts you to create multiline text (mtext)

annotation.
Copy an Object
Prompts you to copy a multiline text, single-line text,

tolerance, or block reference object.
Tolerance
Displays the Tolerance dialog box, which you can use to

create a feature control frame to attach to the leader.
Block Reference
Prompts you to insert a block reference.
None
Creates a leader with no annotation.
MText Options
Sets multiline text options. The options are available only when the multiline text annotation type is selected.
816
QLEADER
Prompt for Width
Prompts you to specify the width of the multiline text

annotation.
Always Left Justify
Left-justifies the multiline text annotation, regardless

of leader location.
Frame Text
Places a frame around multiline text annotation.
Annotation Reuse
Sets options for reusing leader annotation.
None
Does not reuse leader annotation.
Reuse Next
Reuses the next annotation you create for all

subsequent leaders.
Reuse Current
Reuses current annotation. AutoCAD automatically

selects this option when you reuse annotation after
selecting Reuse Next.
Leader Line & Arrow Tab (Leader Settings Dialog Box)

Sets the leader line and arrowhead format.
Leader Line
Sets the leader line format.
Straight
Creates straight-line segments between the points you

specify.
Spline
Creates a spline object using the leader points you

specify as control points.
QLEADER
817
Arrowhead
Defines the leader arrowhead. Select an arrowhead from the Arrowhead list.
The arrowheads are the same ones that are available for dimension lines. See
DIMSTYLE. If you choose User Arrow, a list of blocks in the drawing is
displayed. Select one of the blocks to use it as a leader arrowhead.
Number of Points
Sets the number of leader points that QLEADER prompts you to specify before
prompting for the leader annotation. For example, if you set the points to 3,
QLEADER automatically prompts you to specify the annotation after you
specify two leader points. Set the number to one more than the number of
leader segments you want to create. If you set the option to No Limit,
QLEADER prompts for leader points until you press ENTER .
Angle Constraints
Sets angle constraints for the first and second leader lines.
First Segment
Sets the angle of the first leader segment.
Second Segment
Sets the angle of the second leader segment.
Attachment Tab (Leader Settings Dialog Box)

Sets the attachment location for leader lines and multiline text annotation.
This tab is available only when Mtext is selected on the Annotation tab.
Top of Top Line
818
QLEADER
Attaches the leader line at the top of the top multiline

text line.
Middle of Top
Line
Attaches the leader line at the middle of the top

multiline text line.
Middle of
Multiline Text
Attaches the leader line at the middle of the multiline

text.
Middle of Bottom
Line
Attaches the leader line at the middle of the bottom

Bottom of
Bottom Line
Attaches the leader line at the bottom of the bottom

Underline
Bottom Line
Underlines the bottom multiline text line.
QNEW
Starts a new drawing with the option of using a default drawing template file
Standard toolbar:
Command line: qnew
QNEW starts a new drawing from the current default drawing template file
and folder path specified in the Options dialog box on the Files tab. You can
set the default drawing template file to any drawing template file or to None.
When a default drawing template file is set to None or is not specified, QNEW
displays the Select Template File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box).
The behavior of the QNEW command is determined by the Startup setting on
the System tab of the Options dialog box.
Show the Startup Dialog Box: Displays the Create New Drawing dialog box.
Do Not Show the Startup Dialog Box: Displays the Select Template dialog box
(a standard file selection dialog box) or starts the new drawing using the
default drawing template file.
If the system variable, FILEDIA, is set to 0 instead of 1, a prompt on the command line is displayed (see page 612). If you set FILEDIA to 0, this prompt is
displayed regardless of the Startup setting.
QNEW
819
See Also
Commands
System Variables
NEW creates a new drawing from a selected drawing

template file or the Startup dialog box. OPTIONS controls several settings including the path and file name
of the default drawing template file.
STARTUP controls whether a startup dialog box is used
or whether a drawing template file is used.
QSAVE
Saves the current drawing using the file format specified in the Options dialog box
Standard toolbar:
File menu: Save
Command line: qsave
The QSAVE command is equivalent to clicking Save on the File menu.
If the drawing is named, AutoCAD saves the drawing using the file format
specified on the Open and Save tab of the Options dialog box and does not
request a file name. If the drawing is unnamed, AutoCAD displays the Save
Drawing As dialog box (see SAVEAS) and saves the drawing with the file name
and format you specify.
If the drawing is read-only, use the SAVEAS command to save the changed file
under a different name.
See Also
Commands
QUIT exits AutoCAD and prompts you to save changes

to the current drawing. SAVE saves the drawing under
the current file name or a specified name. SAVEAS saves
an unnamed drawing with a file name or renames the

current drawing.
QSELECT
Creates a selection set based on filtering criteria
QSELECT creates a selection set that either includes or excludes all objects
matching the filtering criteria you specify. QSELECT can apply to the entire
drawing or to an existing selection set. The selection set created by QSELECT
replaces or is appended to the current selection set. If you have partially
820
QSAVE
opened the current drawing, QSELECT does not consider objects that you
have not loaded. For more advanced filtering operations, see FILTER.
Note QSELECT supports custom objects (created by another application) and

their properties. If a custom object uses properties other than AutoCAD properties, the custom object's source application must be running in order for the
properties to be available to QSELECT.
In addition to the following access methods, you can also access QSELECT by
choosing the Quick Select button in the Properties palette (see page 769).
Tools menu: Quick Select
and choose Quick Select.
Command line: qselect
The Quick Select dialog box is displayed.
Quick Select Dialog Box

Specifies the filtering criteria and how you want AutoCAD to create the
selection set from that criteria.
QSELECT
821
Apply To
Applies the filtering criteria to the entire drawing or to

the current selection set (if one exists). To select a group
of objects to which you want to apply the filtering
criteria, use the Select Objects button. When you have
finished selecting objects, press ENTER to redisplay the
dialog box. AutoCAD sets Apply To to Current
Selection.
If Append to Current Selection Set is selected, AutoCAD
applies the filtering criteria to the entire drawing.
Select Objects
Temporarily closes the Quick Select dialog box so that

you can select the objects to which you want to apply
the filter criteria. Press ENTER to return to the Quick
Select dialog box. AutoCAD changes the Apply To box
to show Current Selection. The Select Objects button is
available only when you select Include In New
Selection Set and clear Append to Current Selection Set.
Object Type
Specifies the type of objects to include in the filtering

criteria. If the filtering criteria are being applied to the
entire drawing, the Object Type list includes all object
types, including custom. Otherwise, the list includes
only the object types of the selected objects.
If an application such as Autodesk Map was used to add
a feature classification to an object, you can select a
classification.
Properties
Specifies the object property for the filter. This list

includes all searchable properties for the selected object
type. The property you select determines the options
available in Operator and Value.
If an application such as Autodesk Map was used to add
a feature classification to an object, you can select a
classification property.
822
QSELECT
Operator
Controls the range of the filter. Depending on the

selected property, options may include Equals, Not
Equal To, Greater Than, Less Than, and *Wildcard
Match. Greater Than and Less Than are not available
for some properties. *Wildcard Match is available only
for text fields that can be edited. For information about
the available wild-card characters, see the table in
Filter and Sort the List of Layers in the Users Guide.
Value
Specifies the property value for the filter. If known

values for the selected property are available, Value
becomes a list in which you can choose a value.
Otherwise, enter a value.
How to Apply
Specifies whether you want the new selection set to

include or exclude objects that match the specified
filtering criteria. Choose Include in New Selection Set to
create a new selection set composed only of objects that
match the filtering criteria. Choose Exclude from New
Selection Set to create a new selection set composed
only of objects that do not match the filtering criteria.
Append to
Current Selection
Set
Specifies whether the selection set created by QSELECT

replaces or is appended to the current selection set.
Note QSELECT supports custom objects (objects created by another application) and their properties. If a custom object uses properties other than AutoCAD
properties, the custom objects source application must be running in order for
the properties to be available to QSELECT.
See Also
See Customize Object Selection in the Users Guide.
Commands
FILTER creates reusable filters to select objects based on

properties. SELECT places selected objects in the Previous selection set. PROPERTIES displays the Properties
palette where you can view or modify properties of the

selected objects.
QSELECT
823
QTEXT
Controls the display and plotting of text and attribute objects
When QTEXT (Quick Text) is on, AutoCAD displays each text and attribute
object as a bounding box around the text object. Turning QTEXT mode on
reduces the time it takes AutoCAD to redraw and regenerate drawings that
contain many text objects.
QTEXT off
Command line: qtext (or 'qtext for transparent use)

See Also
QTEXT on
Commands
OPTIONS controls Quick Text mode using a dialog box.
In the Options dialog box, choose the Display tab.

System Variables
QTEXTMODE stores the Quick Text mode setting.
QUIT
Exits AutoCAD
File menu: Exit
Command line: quit
Quits AutoCAD if there have been no changes since the drawing was last
saved. If the drawing has been modified, AutoCAD prompts you to save or
discard the changes before quitting.
You can quit a file that has been opened in read-only mode if you have made
no modifications or if you are willing to discard them. To save modifications
to a read-only drawing, use the SAVEAS command to save the drawing under
another name.
See Also
See Start and Save a Drawing, in the Users Guide.
Commands
QSAVE saves named drawings without requesting a file

name. SAVE saves the current drawing to a file name.
SAVEAS renames the current drawing and saves it to a
file name.
824
QTEXT
RAY
Creates a semi-infinite line
RAY creates semi-infinite lines commonly used as construction lines. A ray
has a finite starting point and extends to infinity.

Draw menu: Ray
Command line: ray
Specify through point: Specify a point for the ray to pass through (2)
ray
2
1
AutoCAD draws a ray and continues to prompt for through points so you
can create multiple rays. The ray is extended to the edge of the display in the
direction defined by the starting point and the through point. Press ENTER
to end the command.
See Also
See Draw Construction Lines (and Rays) in the Users Guide.
Commands
PROPERTIES modifies a rays properties. LINE creates

straight line segments. MLINE creates multiple parallel
lines. PLINE creates two-dimensional polylines. XLINE
creates infinite lines.
RECOVER
Repairs a damaged drawing
If AutoCAD determines that a drawing youre opening is damaged based on
the drawings header information, OPEN automatically repairs it.
File menu: Drawing Utilities Recover
Command line: recover
In the Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), enter the
drawing file name or select the damaged drawing file. AutoCAD begins
recovery and displays the results in the text window.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), RECOVER displays the following prompt on
the command line.
Enter name of drawing file to recover:
RAY
825
Enter ~ (tilde) at the prompt to ignore FILEDIA and display the Recover
Drawing dialog box.
Note The RECOVER command performs recoveries or audit operations on DWG

files only. Performing a recover on a DXF file will only open the file.
See Also
For more information about recovering a damaged drawing and an explanation of the report AutoCAD displays, see Recover a Damaged File in the
Users Guide.
Commands
AUDIT evaluates the integrity of a drawing manually.

OPEN opens an existing drawing file and repairs
damage, if necessary.
RECTANG
Draws a rectangular polyline
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Rectangle
Command line: rectang or rectangle
Specify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]: Enter
an option or specify a point
First Corner
2
Specifies a corner point of the rectangle.

Specify other corner point or [Dimensions]: Specify a point (2) or enter d
Other Corner
826
RECTANG
Creates a rectangle using the specified points as

diagonally opposite corners. The sides of the rectangle
are parallel to the X and Y axis of the current UCS.
Dimensions
Creates a rectangle using length and width values. A

second specified point locates the rectangle in one of
four locations relative to the first corner point.
Specify length for rectangles <0.0000> Enter the length
of the rectangle
Specify width for rectangles <0.0000> Enter the width of
the rectangle
Specify other corner point or [Dimensions] Specify a
point; move the cursor to display one of four possible locations for the rectangle and click the one that you want
Chamfer
Sets the chamfer distances for the rectangle.
Specify first chamfer distance for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or
press ENTER
Specify second chamfer distance for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or
press ENTER
The values become the current chamfer distances for subsequent RECTANG
commands.
Elevation
Specifies the elevation of the rectangle.
Specify the elevation for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
The value becomes the current elevation for subsequent RECTANG
commands.
Fillet
Specifies the fillet radius of the rectangle.
Specify fillet radius for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
The value becomes the current fillet radius for subsequent RECTANG
commands.
RECTANG
827
Thickness
Specifies the thickness of the rectangle.
Specify thickness for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
The value becomes the current thickness for subsequent RECTANG
commands.
Width
Specifies the polyline width of the rectangle to be drawn.
Specify line width for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
The value becomes the current polyline width for subsequent RECTANG
commands.
REDEFINE
Restores AutoCAD internal commands overridden by UNDEFINE
Command line: redefine
Enter command name: Enter the name of an AutoCAD command turned off by
the UNDEFINE command
If a command has been undefined, you can still use it if you precede the
command name with a period.
See Also
See Redefining AutoCAD Commands in the Visual LISP Developers Guide.
REDO
Reverses the effects of previous UNDO or U commands
Standard toolbar:
Edit menu: Redo
Shortcut menu: With no commands active and no objects selected, rightclick in the drawing area and choose Redo.
Command line: redo
828
REDEFINE
REDO reverses the effects of a single UNDO or U command. REDO must

immediately follow the U or UNDO command.
See Also
Commands
U reverses the effect of the previous command. UNDO
reverses the effect of multiple commands and provides

control over the undo feature.
REDRAW
Refreshes the display in the current viewport
Command line: redraw (or 'redraw for transparent use)
AutoCAD redraws the current viewport, removing marker blips and display
artifacts (stray pixels) left by editing commands.
before REDRAW
after REDRAW
See Also
Commands
REDRAWALL refreshes multiple viewports. REGEN regenerates the drawing and refreshes the current viewport.
REGENALL regenerates the drawing and refreshes all
viewports. REGENAUTO controls automatic
regeneration of a drawing.
System Variables
SORTENTS controls object sort order operations.
REDRAW
829
REDRAWALL
Refreshes the display in all viewports
View menu: Redraw
Command line: redrawall (or 'redrawall for transparent use)
AutoCAD redraws all viewports, removing marker blips and display artifacts
(stray pixels) left by editing commands.
before REDRAWALL
after REDRAWALL
See Also
Commands
REDRAW refreshes the display in the current viewport.

REGEN regenerates the drawing and refreshes the current viewport. REGENALL regenerates the drawing and
refreshes all viewports. REGENAUTO controls automatic
regeneration of a drawing.
REFCLOSE
Saves back or discards changes made during in-place editing of a reference (an xref or a
block)
REFCLOSE prompts you to save back or discard changes made to objects in an
external reference or block reference from within the current drawing. When
you save back changes, changes made to the objects in the reference are
saved without actually opening the reference drawing or re-creating the
block. You can also save and discard edits by using the options on the Modify
menu or the Refedit toolbar. The Refedit toolbar is activated after a reference
is selected for editing; the toolbar is dismissed after changes to the reference
are saved or discarded.
830
REDRAWALL
Modify menu: In-place Xref and Block Edit Save Reference Edits, or
In-place Xref and Block Edit Discard Reference Edits
Shortcut menu: With no objects selected during in-place reference editing,
right-click in the drawing area and choose Close Refedit Session.
Command line: refclose
Enter option [Save/Discard reference changes] <Save>:
Save
Discard
Reference
Changes
Saves back to the xref source drawing or to the block

definition in the current drawing all changes made to
objects in the working set. If you remove an object from
the working set and save changes, the object is deleted
from the reference and added to the current drawing.
The Save Back Changes to Reference button on the
Refedit toolbar automatically saves reference editing
changes.
Discards the working set; the source drawing or block
definition is returned to its original state. Any changes
you make to objects in the current drawing (not in the
xref or block) are not discarded. If you delete any object
that is not in the working set, the object is not restored
even if you choose to discard changes. The Discard
Changes to Reference button on the Refedit toolbar
automatically discards reference editing changes
without using REFCLOSE.
If you save or discard changes with REFCLOSE, you can still use the UNDO
command to return to the reference editing session. If you have made
unwanted changes to an xref and already saved back the changes, use UNDO
to undo the unwanted changes; then use REFCLOSE to save back changes and
restore the xref to its original state.
Note When you edit and save xrefs in place in a drawing, the preview image
for the original reference drawing is no longer available unless you open and
save the drawing again.
See Also
Commands
REFEDIT edits a reference in place. REFSET adds or

removes objects from a working set.
REFCLOSE
831
REFEDIT
Selects a reference for editing
REFEDIT prompts you to select an external reference or block reference to edit
from within the current drawing. You can make minor changes to xrefs and
blocks without having to open the reference drawing or explode and redefine
the block.
Refedit toolbar:
Modify menu: In-place Xref and Block Edit Edit Reference
Command line: refedit
Select reference: Select an xref or a block in the current drawing
AutoCAD displays the Reference Edit dialog box.
If you enter -refedit at the Command prompt, REFEDIT displays prompts on
Reference Edit Dialog Box

Specifies the reference to edit. To select a reference to edit, select an object in
the reference. If you select an object that is part of one or more nested
references, the nested references are displayed in the dialog box.
Identify Reference Tab (Reference Edit Dialog Box)

Provides visual aids for identifying the reference to edit and controls how the
reference is selected.
832
REFEDIT
Reference Name
Displays the reference selected for in-place editing and

any references nested within the selected reference.
Nested references are displayed only if the selected
object is part of a nested reference. If multiple
references are displayed, choose a specific xref or block
to modify. Only one reference can be edited in place at
a time. References that are inserted into a drawing using
MINSERT cannot be selected for in-place reference
editing.
Preview
Displays a preview image of the currently selected

reference.
The preview image displays the reference as it was last
saved in the drawing. The reference preview image is
not updated when changes are saved back to the
reference.
REFEDIT
833
Path
Displays the file location of the selected reference. If the

selected reference is a block, no path is displayed.
Automatically
Select All Nested
Objects
Controls whether nested objects are included

automatically in the reference editing session.
Prompt to Select
Nested Objects
Controls whether nested objects must be selected

individually in the reference editing session.
If this option is checked, all the objects in the selected

reference will be automatically included in the
reference editing session.
If this option is checked, after you close the Reference

Edit dialog box and enter the reference edit state,
AutoCAD prompts you to select the specific objects in
the reference that you want to edit.
Select nested objects: Select objects within the reference that
you want to edit
Settings Tab (Reference Edit Dialog Box)

Provides options for editing references.
Create Unique
Layer, Style, and
Block Names
Controls whether layers and other named objects

extracted from the reference are uniquely altered.
Display Attribute
Definitions for
Editing
Controls whether all variable attribute definitions in

block references are extracted and displayed during
reference editing.
If selected, named objects in xrefs are altered (names are

prefixed with $#$), similar to the way they are altered
when you bind xrefs. If cleared, the names of layers and
other named objects remain the same as in the
reference drawing. Named objects that are not altered
to make them unique assume the properties of those in
the current host drawing that share the same name.
If Display Attribute Definitions for Editing is selected,

the attributes (except constant attributes) are made
invisible, and the attribute definitions are available for
editing along with the selected reference geometry.
When changes are saved back to the block reference,
the attributes of the original reference remain
unchanged. The new or altered attribute definitions
834
REFEDIT
affect only subsequent insertions of the block; the

attributes in existing block instances are not affected.
Xrefs and block references without definitions are not
affected by this option.
Lock Objects Not
in Working Set
Locks all objects not in the working set. This prevents

you from accidentally selecting and editing objects in
the host drawing while in a reference editing state.
The behavior of locked objects is similar to objects on a
locked layer. If you try to edit locked objects, they are
filtered from the selection set.
REFEDIT Command Line

If you enter -refedit at the Command prompt, REFEDIT displays prompts on
the command line.
Select reference: Select an xref or block in the current drawing
Select nesting level [OK/Next] <Next>: Enter an option or press ENTER
OK
Accepts the currently highlighted reference for in-place

reference editing. References that are inserted into a
drawing using MINSERT cannot be selected for in-place
reference editing.
Enter object selection method [All/Nested]<All>: Enter a,
enter n, or press ENTER .
If you enter a, all the objects in the selected reference
will be automatically included in the reference editing
session. If you enter n, after you close the Reference Edit
dialog box and enter the reference edit state, AutoCAD
prompts you to select the specific objects in the
reference that you want to edit.
Select nested objects: Select objects within the reference
that you want to edit
Display attribute definitions [Yes/No] <No>: Enter y, enter
n, or press ENTER when editing a block reference
Use REFCLOSE or the Refedit toolbar to end reference
editing session.
REFEDIT
835
If you are editing a block reference with attributes, you

can enter y to display the attribute definitions and
make them available for editing. The attributes are
made invisible, and the attribute definitions are
available for editing along with the selected reference
geometry. When changes are saved back to the block
reference, the attributes of the original reference remain
unchanged. The new or altered attribute definitions
affect only subsequent insertions of the block; the
attributes in existing block instances are not affected.
Next
Advances through the reference and nested references

available for selection. The currently selected reference
is highlighted.
AutoCAD forms a working set with the objects you have selected for editing.
The working set includes objects that can be saved back to update the xref or
block definition. When you save back changes, changes made to the objects
in the reference file are saved without actually opening the reference drawing
or recreating the block. The working set is visually distinct from the rest of
the current drawing: all objects in the current drawing, except objects in the
working set, appear faded. The XFADECTL system variable controls the fading
of objects while you edit a reference in place.
You can select objects in xrefs for editing even if they are on a locked layer in
the reference file. When a reference object is part of the working set, you can
unlock the objects layer and make changes to the object. Only the changes
made to the object are saved back to the reference file; the xref layer remains
locked in the reference file.
Note Objects outside of the working set are not faded unless SHADEMODE is set
to a value of 2D Wireframe during in-place reference editing.
See Also
See Edit Selected Objects in Xrefs and Blocks in the Users Guide.
Commands
REFSET adds or removes objects from a working set.

REFCLOSE saves back or discards your changes to the
reference and ends the reference editing session.
836
REFEDIT
System Variables
The REFEDITNAME (read-only) system variable displays

the name of the reference being edited. The XEDIT system variable controls whether the current drawing can
be edited in place when referenced by another drawing.
The BINDTYPE system variable controls how reference
names are handled when the xref bound to the current
drawing. The XFADECTL system variable controls how
objects are displayed while a reference is edited in place.
REFSET
Adds or removes objects from a working set during in-place editing of a reference (an xref
or a block)
REFSET prompts you to add or remove objects to and from a working set while
editing an xref or a block definition in place. The working set is a set of
objects extracted from a reference that can be modified and then saved back
to update the xref or block definition from within the current drawing.
Saving back changes saves changes made to the objects without actually
opening the reference drawing or re-creating the block. You can also add and
remove objects by using the options on the Modify menu or the Refedit toolbar. The Refedit toolbar is activated after a reference is selected for editing;
the toolbar is dismissed after changes to the reference are saved or discarded.
Modify menu: In-place Xref and Block Edit Add to Working Set, or In-place
Xref and Block Edit Remove from Working Set
Command line: refset
Transfer objects between the Refedit working set and host drawing...
Enter an option [Add/Remove] <Add>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Objects that are part of the working set are visually distinct from other
objects in the current drawing. All objects in the current drawing, except
objects in the working set, appear faded.
Add
Adds objects to the working set.

Select objects: Select the objects you want to add
An object that is part of the working set is added to the
reference when changes are saved back, and the object
is removed from the current drawing. The Add to
Workset button on the Refedit toolbar prompts you to
add objects to the working set without using REFCLOSE.
REFSET
837
Remove
Removes objects from the working set.

Select objects: Select the objects you want to remove
An object that is removed from the working set is
removed from the reference when changes are saved
back; the object is also removed from the current
drawing. The Remove from Workset button on the
Refedit toolbar prompts you to remove objects from the
working set without using REFCLOSE.
See Also
Commands
REFEDIT edits a reference in place. REFCLOSE saves back
or discards your changes to the reference and ends the

reference editing session.
REGEN
Regenerates the entire drawing from the current viewport
View menu: Regen
Command line: regen
REGEN regenerates the entire drawing and recomputes the screen coordinates
for all objects in the current viewport. It also reindexes the drawing database
for optimum display and object selection performance.
before REGEN
838
REGEN
after REGEN
See Also
Commands

REDRAWALL refreshes multiple viewports. REGENALL
regenerates the drawing and refreshes all viewports.

REGENAUTO controls automatic regeneration of a
drawing. VIEWRES sets the resolution for object
generation in the current viewport.
REGENALL
Regenerates the drawing and refreshes all viewports
View menu: Regen All
Command line: regenall
REGENALL regenerates the entire drawing and recomputes the screen
coordinates for all objects in all viewports. It also reindexes the drawing
database for optimum display and object selection performance.
before REGENALL
after REGENALL
See Also
Commands

REDRAWALL refreshes multiple viewports. REGEN
regenerates the drawing and refreshes the current viewport. REGENAUTO controls automatic regeneration of a
drawing. VIEWRES sets the resolution for object
generation in the current viewport.
REGENALL
839
REGENAUTO
Controls automatic regeneration of a drawing
AutoCAD drawings regenerate automatically when REGENAUTO, a toggle, is
set to On. If you are working on a large drawing, you may want to set
REGENAUTO to off to save time. The current setting is stored by the
REGENMODE system variable.
Regardless of the REGENAUTO setting, you cannot execute transparent
commands that require regeneration.
Command line: regenauto (or 'regenauto for transparent use)
On
Regenerates the drawing immediately if any suppressed

regenerations exist in the queue and continues to
regenerate automatically whenever you perform an
action that requires regeneration.
Off
Inhibits regeneration of the drawing until you use the

REGEN or REGENALL command, or set REGENAUTO to
on.
If you perform an action that requires a regeneration
and that action is irrevocable (such as thawing layers),
AutoCAD displays Regen queued on the command line.
If you perform an action that requires a regeneration
and that action is revocable, AutoCAD displays the
following message:
About to regenproceed?
If you choose OK, AutoCAD regenerates the drawing. If
you choose Cancel, AutoCAD cancels the last action
that you performed and does not regenerate the
drawing.
See Also
840
REGENAUTO
Commands

REDRAWALL refreshes multiple viewports. REGEN
regenerates the drawing and refreshes the current viewport. REGENALL regenerates the drawing and refreshes
all viewports.
System Variables
REGENMODE stores the current setting of REGENAUTO.
REGION
Converts an object that encloses an area into a region object
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Region
Command line: region
Select objects:
Regions are two-dimensional areas you create from closed shapes or loops.
Closed polylines, lines, and curves are valid selections. Curves include
circular arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, ellipses, and splines.
AutoCAD converts closed 2D and exploded planar 3D polylines in the
selection set to separate regions and then converts polylines, lines, and
curves to form closed planar loops (outer boundaries and holes of a region).
If more than two curves share an endpoint, the resulting region might be
arbitrary.
The boundary of the region consists of end-connected curves where each
point shares only two edges. AutoCAD rejects all intersections and selfintersecting curves.
If a selected polyline has been smoothed by either the Spline or Fit options
of PEDIT, the resulting region contains the line or arc geometry of the
smoothed polyline. The polyline is not converted to a spline object.
AutoCAD deletes the original objects after converting them to regions unless
the system variable DELOBJ is set to 0. If the original objects were hatched,
hatch associativity is lost. To restore associativity, rehatch the region.
REGION
841
See Also
Commands
EXPLODE converts the individual loops of the regions to
lines, circular or elliptical arcs, or NURBS-curve objects.

INTERSECT creates composite solids or regions from the
intersection of several objects. SUBTRACT creates a com-
posite region or solid by subtracting the area of one set

of regions from another and subtracting the volume of
one set of solids from another. UNION creates a composite region or solid.
REINIT
Reinitializes the digitizer, digitizer input/output port, and program parameters file
For AutoCAD to run properly, the input/output ports, digitizer, display, and
AutoCAD program parameters file (acad.pgp) must be initialized. If you
change the settings, you must use REINIT to reinitialize before resuming the
AutoCAD session.
The program parameters file is an ASCII text file that stores command
definitions and shortcuts. AutoCAD reloads acad.pgp each time a new or
existing drawing is opened. REINIT reloadsacad.pgp during an editing session.
Command line: reinit
The Re-initialization dialog box is displayed.
Re-initialization Dialog Box

Defines the I/O port and the device file for reinitialization.
842
I/O Port
Initialization
Reinitializes the I/O port for the digitizer.
Device File
Initialization
Reinitializes the digitizer and the acad.pgp file.
REINIT
See Also
System Variables
RE-INIT reinitializes digitizer, digitizer I/O port, and
acad.pgp file.
RENAME
Changes the names of objects
Blocks, layers, linetypes, and other special objects are stored by name and are
called named objects. Use RENAME to change the names of these objects. You
can also use RENAME to view a list of all blocks and definition table entries in
You can use the wild-card characters * and ? to rename groups of objects. You
can't rename some standard objects, such as layer 0 and the CONTINUOUS
linetype.
Format menu: Rename
Command line: rename
The Rename dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -rename at the Command prompt, RENAME displays prompts on
Rename Dialog Box

Renames named objects.
RENAME
843
Named Objects
Lists named objects in a drawing by category: blocks,

dimension styles, layers, linetypes, plot styles, text
styles, UCSs, views, and model viewport configurations.
Select the objects you want to rename.
Items
Displays named objects of the type specified in Named

Objects. Select the name you want to change.
Old Name
Specifies the named object to be renamed. Enter a name

or select a name from the Items list.
Rename To
Specifies the new name you want to assign to the

object. Enter a name and choose Rename To to apply
the name change.
RENAME Command Line

If you enter -rename at the Command prompt, RENAME displays prompts on
the command line.
Enter object type to rename [Block/Dimstyle/LAyer/LType/Plotstyle/textStyle/
Ucs/VIew/VPort]: Enter a named object type to rename an object
Enter old object name: Enter the old name
Enter new object name: Enter the new name
RENDER
Creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional wireframe or
solid model
RENDER produces an image using information from a scene, the current
selection set, or the current view.
A scene is a combination of a named view and one or more lights. If a scene

is specified, RENDER uses the scenes view and light information. If no scene
or selection set is specified, RENDER uses the current view and all the lights in
the drawing. If there are no lights, RENDER assumes a default over-theshoulder distant light source with an intensity of 1.
If the PICKFIRST system variable is on, and the Query for Selection option is
selected, RENDER uses only the current selection set.
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Render
Command line: render
844
RENDER
AutoCAD displays the Render dialog box, and then opens and minimizes the
Render window (see page 847).
Render Dialog Box

Defines the scene, procedure, options, destination, sampling, and other
settings for rendering.
Rendering Type
Lists Render, Photo Real, Photo Raytrace.
Scene to Render
Lists scenes, including the current view, that you can select for rendering.
Rendering Procedure
Controls how RENDER behaves by default.
Query for
Selections
Displays a prompt to select objects to render.
Crop Window
Creates a render area at render time. When you choose

Render, AutoCAD prompts you to select an area on the
screen before rendering proceeds. This option is
available only when Viewport is selected under
Destination.
RENDER
845
Skip Render
Dialog
Renders the current view without displaying the Render

dialog box for subsequent renderings. You can use the
Render Preferences dialog box to display the Render
dialog box. See RPREF.
Light Icon Scale

Controls the size of the light blocks in the drawing. The value is the current
scale factor (in drawing units) of rendering blocks in the drawing. Enter a real
number to rescale the blocks.
The scale factor affects the following blocks: OVERHEAD, DIRECT, and
SH_SPOT.
Smoothing Angle
Sets the angle at which AutoCAD interprets an edge. The default is 45
degrees. Angles greater than 45 degrees are considered edges. Angles less than
45 degrees are smoothed. To define an edge as less than 45 degrees, reduce
the smoothing angle.
Rendering Options
Controls rendering display.
846
Smooth Shade
Smooths out the rough-edged appearance of a

multifaceted surface. AutoCAD calculates the surface
normal and blends the colors across two or more
adjacent faces.
Apply Materials
Applies the surface materials you define and attach to

an object or AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) in the
drawing. If Apply Materials is not selected, all objects in
the drawing assume the color, ambient, diffuse,
reflection, roughness, transparency, refraction, and
bump map attribute values defined for the GLOBAL
material. For more information, see RMAT.
Shadows
Generates shadows. This option applies only to Photo

Real and Photo Raytrace rendering.
Render Cache
Specifies that rendering information be written to a

cache file on the hard disk. A display list of renderable
objects is cached in a temporary file during the first
rendering. The cached file is used for subsequent
renderings, significantly improving rendering time.
RENDER
More Options
Displays a dialog box that varies depending on whether

you have selected Render, Photo Real, or Photo
Raytrace.
Destination
Controls the setting for image output that the display driver uses for the
rendering.
Viewport
Renders to a viewport.
Render Window
Renders to the Render window.
File
Renders to a file. For information about how to use

RFILEOPT to create a script to render to a file, see the
render function in appendix A, Externally Defined
Commands, in the AutoLISP Reference.

More Options
When File is selected, displays the File Output

Configuration dialog box (see page 891).
Sub Sampling
Reduces rendering time and image quality without dropping effects such as
shadows by rendering a fraction of all pixels. From the list, select one of the
ratios, from 1:1 (best quality) to 8:1 (fastest).
Background
Displays the Background dialog box (see BACKGROUND).
Fog/Depth Cue
Displays the Fog/Depth Cue dialog box (see FOG).
Render Window
Renders objects. Rendered images can be saved, printed, and copied. Using
the Windows Render Options, you can modify the bitmap information and
color screen resolution.
RENDER
847
File Menu
Opens, saves, and prints rendered images.
Open
Opens a saved rendered bitmap (BMP) file.

Displays the Open File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). Select Preview if you want a
preview image of the file to be displayed every time you
select a file. Clearing the Preview option speeds file
loading.
Save
Saves an image to a bitmap file. For more information,

see Save and Redisplay a Rendered Image in the Users
Guide.
You cannot use the SAVEIMG command when rendering
to the Render window. This command applies only
when you are rendering to a viewport.
Print
848
RENDER
Prints to the device currently configured in the

Windows Control Panel. Choosing Print displays the
Print dialog box, in which you can adjust the location
and the size of the image on the page and select the
number of pages to print. You can also tile the image to
print across several pages. See Print Rendered Images
in the Users Guide.
Options
Displays the Windows Render Options dialog box (see

page 849), in which you can select the bitmap size,
color depth, and resolution for bitmap images.
Edit Menu
Copies rendered images.
Copy
Copies an image from the active Render window to the

Clipboard. See Copy Rendered Images to the
Clipboard in the Users Guide.
Window Menu
Provides the standard Windows application window menu. Tile, Cascade,
and Arrange are described in the Windows documentation. The Reuse
Window option is specific to the AutoCAD rendering feature.
Reuse Window
Reuses the current image window instead of creating a

new image window for each new rendering.
Windows Render Options Dialog Box

Controls resolution information, such as the color depth (8-bit or 24-bit
color screen resolution), screen size (in pixels), and whether the render image
fits in the display window.
Other than Fit In Window, these options do not affect the image currently
displayed. They take effect the next time you render.
RENDER
849
Size in Pixels
Specifies the size of the image in pixels. There are three preset sizes from
which you can choose. You can also enter values to set the horizontal and
vertical resolution of the image in pixels.
640 480
Sets the number of pixels to that of a standard VGA

screen.
1024 768
Sets the number of pixels to that of a high-resolution

screen.
Viewport Size
Sets image size to the size of the viewport in pixels.
User
Sets a user-defined size up to a maximum of 4096

4096 pixels.
Horizontal
Specifies the horizontal resolution (in pixels). Available

only when User is selected.
Vertical
Specifies the vertical resolution (in pixels). Available

only when User is selected.
Color Depth
Renders to 8-bit or 24-bit image format.
8-bit
Sets the 8-bits-per-pixel color option, 256 colors total.
24-bit
Sets the 24-bits-per-pixel color option, 16 million colors

(that is, 8 bits for each of the three primary RGB
colorsred, green, and bluethat make up each pixel).
If your system is capable of displaying only 8-bit color, you can still save an
image with 24-bit color information. If you then display the image on a
system capable of displaying 24-bit color, you get the full 24-bit color image.
Fit in Window
Scales the bitmap image to fit the size of the display window while maintaining the aspect ratio of the model. When this option is selected, the Size in
Pixels bitmap options are available.
Fit In Window resizes already-rendered images in all open Render display
windows. When you clear Fit In Window, images return to the size set by the
Size in Pixels bitmap options.
850
RENDER
See Also
See Render 3D Objects for Realism in the Users Guide.
Commands

ObjectARX applications. 3DSIN imports a 3D Studio
file. 3DSOUT exports a 3D Studio file. LIGHT controls
lights and lighting effects in a drawing. MATLIB imports
and exports materials to and from a library of materials.

REPLAY displays saved render files. RMAT creates, edits,
attaches, and detaches rendering materials. RPREF controls the speed and quality of rendering, rendering
options, whether the whole scene or a selected set is
rendered, the colors in the rendering, and information
about the current configuration. SAVEIMG creates a file
from a rendered image. SCENE creates, modifies, and
deletes scenes. STATS displays information about the
most recently rendered image.
System Variables
PICKFIRST determines whether RENDER uses the current

selection set.
RENDSCR
Redisplays the last rendering created with the RENDER command
Command line: rendscr
Use the RENDSCR command on systems with a nonwindowing single
monitor display that is configured for full-screen rendering.
The image fills the whole screen. To return to the drawing area or text
window, press F2 .
See Also
See Render a Model in the Users Guide.
Commands

ObjectARX applications. RENDER creates a photorealis-
tic or realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional

wireframe or solid model using geometry, lighting, and
materials information.
RENDSCR
851
REPLAY
Displays a BMP, TGA, or TIFF image
Tools menu: Display Image View
Command line: replay
AutoCAD displays the Replay dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box). Enter a file name. Valid file names must have one of the following
extensions:
.bmp: Indicates a device-independent bitmap file.

.tga: Indicates a compressed 32-bit RGBA image format used by the
SAVEIMG command.
.tif: Indicates a compressed 32-bit RGBA tagged image file format for
special effects such as transparency creation. Texture maps typically come
from TIFF files.
Choosing Open in the Replay dialog box opens the Image Specifications
dialog box.
Image Specifications Dialog Box

Defines the offset and size of the image and screen.
Image
852
REPLAY
Displays a preview image. Select the area to be

displayed. The size of the image is noted in pixels.
Image Offset
Defines the X and Y coordinate of the images lower-left

corner position. Use positive values not exceeding the
screen size.
Image Size
Defines the size of the image area in pixels.
Screen
Displays the size of the screen or viewport and a

preview image. Adjust the offset location of the
selected, sized image in relation to your screen.
Screen Offset
Defines the X and Y coordinate of the images lower-left

corner position in the display.
Screen Size
Defines the maximum size, in pixels, of the image that

can be displayed on the screen.
Reset
Cancels, changes, or restores size and offset to the

original values.
See Also
See Redisplay a Rendered Image in the Users Guide.
Commands

ObjectARX applications. LIGHT controls lights and
lighting effects in a drawing. RENDER creates a photore-
alistic or realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional wireframe or solid model using geometry,
lighting, and materials information. RMAT creates,
edits, attaches, and detaches rendering materials. RPREF
controls the speed and quality of rendering, rendering
options, whether the whole scene or selected set is
rendered, the colors in the rendering, and information
about the current configuration. SAVEIMG creates a file
REPLAY
853
RESUME
Continues an interrupted script
Command line: resume (or 'resume for transparent use)
You can interrupt a macro script that is running by pressing ESC or
BACKSPACE . Any error encountered while processing input from a script file
causes the script to be suspended. If a script is suspended while AutoCAD is
active, you can use RESUME to continue the script.
See Also
Commands
SCRIPT executes a sequence of AutoCAD commands

from a script file (SCR).
REVCLOUD
Creates a polyline of sequential arcs to form a cloud shape
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Revision Cloud
Command line: revcloud
Minimum arc length: 0.5000 Maximum arc length: 0.5000
Specify start point or [Arc length/Object] <Object>: Drag to draw the revision
cloud, enter an option, or press ENTER
Guide crosshairs along cloud path...
When the start and end lines meet, the following message is displayed on the
command line.
Revision cloud finished
The resulting object is a polyline.
854
RESUME
Note REVCLOUD stores the last used arc length in the system registry. This value
is multiplied by DIMSCALE to provide consistency when the program is used with
drawings that have different scale factors.
Arc Length
Specifies the length of the arcs in a revision cloud.
Specify minimum length of arc <0.5000>: Specify a minimum arc length
Specify maximum length of arc <0.5000>: Specify a maximum arc length
Guide crosshairs along cloud path...
The maximum arc length cannot be set to more than three times the
minimum arc length.
Object
Specifies a closed object to be converted to a revision cloud.
Select object: Select the closed object to convert to a revision cloud
Reverse direction [Yes/No]: Enter y to reverse the direction of the arcs in the
revision cloud, or press ENTER to leave the arcs as is
REVCLOUD
855
REVOLVE
Creates solids by revolving two-dimensional objects about an axis
You can revolve closed polylines, polygons, circles, ellipses, closed splines,
donuts, and regions. You cannot revolve objects contained within a block.
Polylines that have crossing or self-intersecting segments cannot be revolved.
You can revolve only one object at a time.
The right-hand rule determines the positive direction of rotation. See Use
World and User Coordinate Systems in 3D in the Users Guide.
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Revolve
Command line: revolve
REVOLVE ignores the width of a polyline and revolves from the center of the
path of the polyline.

Specify start point for axis of revolution or define axis by [Object/X (axis)/
Y (axis)]: Specify a point or enter an option
Start Point of Axis
Specifies the first and second points of the axis of

revolution. The positive axis direction is from the first
to the second point.
Specify endpoint of axis: Specify a point (2)
Specify angle of revolution <360>: Specify an angle or
press ENTER
AutoCAD revolves individual loops of the region to the
specified angle.
1
2
selected axis points
856
REVOLVE
full circle
specified angle
Object
Selects an existing line or single segment of a polyline

that defines the axis about which to revolve the object.
The positive axis direction is from the closest to the
farthest endpoint of this line.
Select an object: Use an object selection method
press ENTER
selected axis
full circle
specified angle
Uses the positive X axis of the current UCS as the

positive axis direction.
press ENTER
X axis
full circle
Uses the positive Y axis of the current UCS as the

positive axis direction.
Specify angle of revolution <360>:
press ENTER
Y axis
specified angle
full circle
Specify an angle or
specified angle
REVOLVE
857
See Also
Commands
EXTRUDE creates unique solid primitives by extruding

existing AutoCAD two-dimensional objects.
System Variables
DELOBJ controls whether objects used to create other
objects are retained or deleted from the drawing

database.
REVSURF
Creates a revolved surface about a selected axis
REVSURF constructs a polygon mesh approximating a surface of revolution by
rotating a path curve or profile (lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, elliptical arcs,
polylines, or splines, closed polylines, polygons, closed splines, or donuts)
about a specified axis.
Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces Revolved Surface
Command line: revsurf
Current wire frame density: SURFTAB1=current : SURFTAB2=current
Select object to revolve: Select a line, arc, circle, or 2D or 3D polyline
Select object that defines axis of revolution: Select a line or open 2D or 3D
polyline
axis of revolution
The path curve is swept about the selected axis to define the surface. The path
curve defines the N direction of the surface mesh. Selecting a circle or a closed
polyline as the path curve closes the mesh in the N direction.
The vector from a polylines first vertex to its last vertex determines the
rotation axis. Any intermediate vertices are ignored. The axis of revolution
determines the M direction of the mesh.
path curve
Specify start angle <0>: Enter a value or press ENTER

Specify included angle (+=ccw, -=cw) <360>: Enter a value or press ENTER
858
Start Angle
If set to a nonzero value, begins the surface of

revolution at an offset from the generating path curve.
Included Angle
Specifies how far about the axis of revolution the

surface extends.
REVSURF
Specifying a start angle begins the surface of revolution at an offset from the
generating path curve. The included angle is the distance through which the
path curve is swept.
Entering an included angle that is less than a full circle prevents the circle
from closing.
selection point
selection point
direction of
generation
direction of
generation
The point you use to select the axis of revolution affects the direction of
revolution. Each of the surfaces in the examples below was created by
specifying a start angle of 0 degrees and an included angle of 90 degrees.
circle path curve

divided into equally
sized intervals
The density of the generated mesh is controlled by the SURFTAB1 and

SURFTAB2 system variables. SURFTAB1 specifies the number of tabulation lines
that are drawn in the direction of revolution. If the path curve is a line, arc,
circle, or spline-fit polyline, SURFTAB2 specifies the number of tabulation
lines that are drawn to divide it into equal-sized intervals. If the path curve
is a polyline that has not been spline fit, tabulation lines are drawn at the
ends of straight segments, and each arc segment is divided into the number
of intervals specified by SURFTAB2.
tabulation lines
drawn at intervals of
arc segment
polyline path
curve
tabulation lines drawn at the

ends of straight segments
See Also
System Variables
SURFTAB1 determines the mesh density in the M

direction. SURFTAB2 determines the mesh density in the
N direction.
REVSURF
859
RMAT
Manages rendering materials
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Materials
Command line: rmat
AutoCAD displays the Materials dialog box.
Materials Dialog Box

Manages the materials used for rendering.
860
Materials
Lists the available materials. Use MATLIB to add other

materials. The default for objects with no other material
attached is GLOBAL.
Preview
Displays the selected material as either a sphere or a

cube.
Materials Library
Displays the Materials Library dialog box, in which you

select a material. See MATLIB.
Select

an object with the pointing device and display the
attached material. After you select the object, the
Materials dialog box is redisplayed with the method of
attachment specified at the bottom of the dialog box.
RMAT
Modify
Displays one of four dialog boxes, depending on which

material type is selected in the list under the New
button: Standard, Marble, Granite, or Wood (see page
861). Use the dialog box to edit an existing material.
Duplicate
Duplicates a material and displays one of four dialog

boxes, depending on which material type is selected in
the list under the New button: Standard, Marble,
Granite, or Wood (see page 861). Use the dialog box to
name the new material and define attributes.
New
Displays one of four dialog boxes, depending on which

material type is selected in the list under the New
button:
New or Modify Standard Material dialog box (see

page 862)
New or Modify Granite Material dialog box (see page
868)
New or Modify Marble Material dialog box (see page
869)
New or Modify Wood Material dialog box (see page
871)
Use the dialog box to create a new material. The

Attribute options in each dialog box are specific to the
material type. All other options are the same in each
dialog box and are described in New or Modify
Standard Material Dialog Box on page 862.
Attach

an object and attach the current material to it. This
option is not available when GLOBAL is the selected
material.
Detach

an object and detach the material from it.
By ACI
Displays the Attach by AutoCAD Color Index dialog

box (see page 873), in which you can select an ACI to
attach a material to.
By Layer
Displays the Attach by Layer dialog box (see page 874),

in which you can select a layer to attach a material to.
RMAT
861
New or Modify Standard Material Dialog Box

Creates a new material or modifies an existing material.
Material Name
Names or renames the material. The material name you enter must be unique
to the drawing.
Attributes
Specifies the material attribute to change. The Value and Color settings affect
the selected attribute. If a setting does not apply to an attribute, it is not
available while that attribute is selected.
862
Color/Pattern
Adjusts the main (diffuse) color of the material. You can

adjust the color using Value and the controls in the
Color area.
Ambient
Adjusts the materials ambient (shadow) color. You can

adjust the color using Value and the controls in the
Color area. The color swatch displays the color.
Reflection
Adjusts the materials reflective (highlight or specular)

color. You can adjust the color using Value and the
controls in the Color area. The color swatch displays
the color.
RMAT
Roughness
Adjusts the roughness or shininess of the material.

Adjusting Roughness changes the size of the materials
reflective highlight. The lower the level of roughness,
the smaller the highlight.
Transparency
Adjusts the transparency of the object. You can use

Value to specify how transparent the object is. To use an
opacity map with this material, enter a file name in
Bitmap Blend.
Note With the Photo Real and Photo Raytrace renderers,
transparency tends to fall off as you near the edges of
closed objects or when the surface normal is perpendicular
to the line of sight. The effect is that you see less
background through the edges of a hollow object than
through its center. You can turn off this effect by setting
transparency to 1.0. This is especially important when you
apply opacity or texture maps in decal mode when the
intention is to completely remove any suggestion of a
surface where transparency falls to 0.
Refraction
Adjusts refraction of the object. Applies to Photo

Raytrace rendering only. You can use Value to adjust
how refractive the material is. Refraction also affects the
transparency of a material.
Bump Map
Makes the Bitmap Blend area available to specify the file

name of a bump map.
Value
Changes the selected attribute. You can enter a value or use the scroll bar.
Color
Adjusts the materials three color attributesmain, ambient, and reflective.
The current color is shown in a color swatch at the bottom of the Color area,
as well as in the swatch next to the button that shows which color youre
adjusting.
By ACI
Matches the objects material color with the objects

AutoCAD Color Index color. This option is available for
the color attribute only. It is available for the ambient
and reflection attributes only if they are not locked.
Lock
Locks the attributes color to the main color. This

setting is available for the ambient and reflection
attributes only.
RMAT
863
Mirror
Creates mirrored reflections when you render the

material with the Photo Real renderer or raytraced
reflections when you render with the Photo Raytrace
renderer. This setting is available only for the reflection
attribute. If there is an image file specified for the
reflection map, the resulting reflection is a blend of the
background and the reflection map.
Red, Green, Blue
Adjust the colors RGB components directly. You can

enter values or use the scroll bars.
Hue, Lightness,
Saturation
Adjusts the colors HLS (Hue, Lightness, Saturation)

components directly. You can enter values or use the
scroll bars. Adjusting Hue changes the shade of the color.
Increasing Lightness increases the luminance or
brightness of the color by adding white. Increasing
Saturation increases the purity of the color. The higher
the saturation, the less gray in the color.
Color System
Specifies the color system to use. You can specify RGB

(Red, Green, Blue) or HLS (Hue, Lightness, Saturation).
Color Swatch
Displays the Windows Color dialog box, in which you

can adjust a color by HLS or RGB components.
Bitmap Blend
Affects the degree to which a bitmap is used in rendering. A material can
have four different bitmaps specified for it: one each for the Color/Pattern,
Reflectivity, Transparency, and Bump Map rendering attributes.
For pattern and texture maps, the bitmap is blended with the materials main
(diffuse) and ambient colors. Blend affects the amount of reflection or transparency for those attributes and the degree of bumpiness for bump maps.
The Bitmap Blend value can range from 0 to 1.0. The default value is 0.0
when no bitmap is specified, 1.0 when a bitmap is specified.
If the bitmap is not tiled, fixed-scale materials lock all bitmap placement
settings together for Pattern, Transparency, and Bump Map. The bitmap
placement setting for Pattern takes precedence if it is available. If no pattern
map is present, the settings for Transparency are used. If neither Pattern nor
Transparency is present, the settings for Bump Map are used.
Note The blend of an opacity map takes precedence over the value chosen for
Transparency.
864
RMAT
File Name
Specifies a bitmap.
Preview
Displays the selected material as either a sphere or a cube.
Adjust Bitmap
Displays the Adjust Material Bitmap Placement dialog box (see page 865), in
which you can specify the bitmaps offset and scaling, or placement values.
Find File
Displays the Bitmap File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), in
which you can select a bitmap file.
Note When a material includes one or more bitmaps, you should set the
mapping coordinates for objects to which the material is attached. See SETUV.
The Photo Real and Photo Raytrace renderers provide default mapping, but this
doesnt always give the results you want.
Adjust Material Bitmap Placement Dialog Box

Adjusts how the material bitmap is placed on the objects.
In the upper-left corner of the dialog box is a diagram that changes as you
change the bitmap placement values. The diagram shows a projection
RMAT
865
rectangle in red. The projection rectangle represents the extents of an object.

The diagram also shows the bitmap as another rectangle: its top and left
edges are drawn in white, and its right and bottom edges are drawn in
magenta. When you first see this dialog box, the two squares are the same
size. As this implies, the default mapping scale is 1:1.
Note The bitmap adjustmentscaling and offset, and tiling switchcan differ
for each individual bitmap specified for a material. Also, the bitmap adjustments
that are specified for a material interact with the bitmap adjustment specified in
mapping.
Offset
Changes the origin of the bitmap relative to the origin of the UV projection
coordinates. Offset values can range from 1 to 1 in either dimension (U or
V). Adjust the offset by using the two scroll bars to the right and below the
diagram (enclosed by the outer box, labeled Offset) or by entering a value in
Offset U and Offset V. The bitmap rectangle moves to reflect the new offset.
If Tile is selected and you change the offset so that the bitmap rectangle
appears outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap is still applied to the
object when you render it. (During tiling, the offset acts as a displacement,
not an absolute position.) However, if Crop is selected, the bitmap is
rendered only where you place it, as indicated by the diagram; so if the
diagram shows the bitmap outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap does
not appear in a rendering.
Scale
Specifies the number of times the bitmap fits onto the object in the U or V
direction. Adjust the bitmap scaling by using the two scroll bars to the left
and above the diagram (enclosed by the inner box, labeled Scale), or by
entering a value in Scale U or Scale V. The dimensions of the bitmap rectangle
change to reflect the new scaling.

Locks the U and V scaling dimensions together. Moving one scroll bar moves
the other, and a value you enter in Scale U or Scale V changes the other.
Object Size
Adjusts the size of the preview cube. You can use this option to preview the
number of times the pattern tiles across the render objects. The larger the
cube, the more material tiles are displayed.
866
RMAT
Tiling
Controls how the bitmap is tiled.
Tile
Tiles the bitmap.
Crop
Does not tile the bitmap. Outside the bitmap area, the
object or objects are rendered with the material colors.
The upper-left corner pixel of a bitmap defines the bitmap key color. This
color behaves as if it were transparent when you render in cropped mode: all
pixels that have the same color as the upper-left pixel are rendered with the
underlying color of the object material.
If you want to render a cropped pattern that is completely opaque, edit the
bitmap so that the upper-left corner pixel has a color used nowhere else in
the bitmap. Or, if the odd corner-pixel color shows in rendering, surround
the bitmap with a border one pixel wide, using the unique color.
With cropping turned on, a pixel in a bitmap renders either as transparent or
in its original color. To get a soft matte or feathered effect at the edge of a
decal, you first need to create a soft edge in the decal bitmap itself (against
the key color) and then set the material main (diffuse) and ambient colors to
match the bitmap key color.
Map Style
Specifies a scale.
Fixed Scale
Specifies a fixed scale for rendering materials built from

images containing multiple, repeated patterns, such as
bricks, stonework, tile, and wallpaper. The Scale U and
Scale V values control the scale at which the material is
tiled onto drawing objects during rendering.
Fixed Scale applies only to tiled bitmaps.
Fit to Object
Specifies a fit to the object for rendering landscapes or

objects whose material is based on a single image, such
as a billboard or a wall painting. Bitmap placement
offset and scale values must be adjusted manually.
Use Auto Axis

Maps materials on XY-, YZ-, and XZ-oriented surfaces. If this option is not
selected, only XY-oriented surfaces are mapped for fixed scale mapping.
RMAT
867
Auto axis does not use polygon normals when calculating material orientations. Instead, polygons facing in positive XYZ directions are considered
front faces, and polygons facing in negative XYZ directions are considered
back faces. Therefore, some materials might appear backward on some faces,
particularly materials that have an obvious front and back, such as those
containing text. To prevent this inverse mapping, duplicate the material
without using auto axis, assign this new material explicitly to the polygon,
and then apply an entity mapper correcting the projection. You must
explode complex surfaces before mapping a specific polygon.
New or Modify Granite Material Dialog Box

Creates or modifies a material that simulates granite. The dialog box provides
attribute options that are specific to the GRANITE material type. All other
options in this dialog box are the same ones found in the New or Modify
Standard Material dialog box (see page 862).
Granite Attributes
868
RMAT
First, Second,
Third, Fourth
Color
Adjusts the four colors that can be present. The options

in the Color area are the same as for standard materials,
except that Lock is not present. By ACI is available only
when Reflection is selected. To use fewer than four
colors, set a color value equal to one of the other colors,
or set its value to zero. Value specifies the relative
amount of each color in the granite pattern.
Reflection

options in the Color area. The color swatch displays the
color.
Roughness

Sharpness
Defines the sharpness of the stone. Set Sharpness by

specifying a value. A sharpness of 0 is completely
blurred; that is, the four colors are averaged. With a
sharpness of 1.0, the four colors are discrete.
Scale
Defines the scale of the material relative to objects you

attach it to. Set Scale by specifying a value. Smaller Scale
values result in a finer texture and less graininess.
Bump Map

name of a bump map.
New or Modify Marble Material Dialog Box

Creates or modifies a material that simulates marble. The dialog box provides
attribute options that are specific to the MARBLE material type. All other
options in this dialog box are the same ones found in the New or Modify
Standard Material dialog box (see page 862).
RMAT
869
Marble Attributes
870
Stone Color, Vein

Color
Adjusts the marble matrix and vein colors. The options

except that Value doesnt scale the color attributes, and
Lock is not present. By ACI is available only when
Reflection is selected.
Reflection

color.
Roughness

Turbulence
Defines the degree of the veins turbulence. Set

Turbulence by specifying a value. High values result in
more of the vein color, with more swirling. High values
take longer to render; values in the range 110 are
recommended.
RMAT
Sharpness
Defines the sharpness of the veins, that is, the blending

of color at the edges of the veins. Set Sharpness by
specifying a value.
Scale
Defines the scale of the material relative to objects you

attach it to. Set Scale by specifying a value. Larger Scale
values result in more veins.
Bump Map

name of a bump map.
New or Modify Wood Material Dialog Box

Creates or modifies material that simulates grained wood. The dialog box
provides attribute options that are specific to the WOOD material type. All
other options in this dialog box are the same ones found in the New or
Modify Standard Material dialog box (see page 862).
Wood Attributes
the selected attribute. If a setting does not apply to an attribute, it is not available while that attribute is selected.
Light Color,
Dark Color
Adjusts the two colors of the wood grain. The options

except that Value doesnt scale the color attributes, and
Lock is not present. By ACI is available only when
Reflection is selected.
RMAT
871
872
Reflection

color.
Roughness

Light/Dark
Controls the proportion of light to dark rings in the

wood. Set Light/Dark by specifying a value. A ratio of 0
is almost completely dark; a ratio of 1.0 is almost
completely light.
Ring Density
Specifies the number of rings in the wood relative to

objects you attach the material to. Set Ring Density by
specifying a value. Larger values result in a finer texture
and less graininess.
Ring Width
Controls how much the width of the rings varies. Set

Ring Width by specifying a value. A ring width of 0
gives completely uniform rings; a width of 1.0 gives the
greatest variation.
Ring Shape
Controls how irregular the shape of the rings is. Set

Ring Shape by specifying a value. A ring shape of 0 gives
completely circular rings; a shape of 1.0 gives the most
irregular rings.
Scale
Defines the scale of the wood grain relative to objects

you attach it to. Set Scale by specifying a value. Larger
Scale values result in finer grain.
Bump Map

name of a bump map.
RMAT
Attach by AutoCAD Color Index Dialog Box

Associates materials with ACI values.
Select a Material
Specifies the material to be attached or detached.
Select ACI
Selects an ACI color by choosing Attach or Detach.
Preview

cube.
Attach
Attaches the currently selected material to the selected

ACI. Any material previously attached to this ACI is
detached.
Detach
Detaches the material attached to the selected ACI.
RMAT
873
Attach by Layer Dialog Box

Associates materials with layers. All new objects on the layer have the
specified material attached.
Select a Material
Specifies the material AutoCAD attaches to the selected

layer.
Select Layer
Specifies the layer to which AutoCAD attaches the

selected material.
Preview

cube.
Attach
Attaches the currently selected material to the selected

layer. Any material previously attached to this layer is
detached.
Detach
Detaches the material attached to the selected layer.
See Also
See Define and Modify Materials in the Users Guide.
Commands

lighting effects in a drawing. SCENE creates, modifies,
and deletes scenes. STATS displays information on the
most recently rendered image. RENDER creates a photo-
realistic or realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional wireframe or solid model using geometry,
lighting, and materials information. REPLAY displays
874
RMAT
saved render files. RPREF controls the speed and quality

of rendering, rendering options, whether the whole
scene or selected set is rendered, the colors in the
rendering, and information about the current configuration. SAVEIMG creates a file from a rendered image.
RMLIN
Inserts markups from an RML file into a drawing
Insert menu: Markup
Command line: rmlin
The Insert Markup dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed.
If you enter -rmlin at the Command prompt, RMLIN displays prompts on the
You insert redline markup language (RML) in drawings to see comments, corrections, and other changes made by design team members. These markups
range from notes and hyperlinks to simple boxes and circles. They are created
and saved in RML files using a markup tool such as Volo View. Inserted
markups are added to a new layer, the _MARKUP_ layer, which is created automatically. You can insert markups from multiple RML files into a single drawing. After the first insertion, new markups are added to the existing
_MARKUP_ layer.
After you choose an RML file in the Insert Markup dialog box, the Map
Markup dialog box is displayed. With the Map Markup dialog box, you can
match markup layouts in the RML file to model space or to specific layouts
in your drawing.
See Also
See Overview of the Electronic Markup Feature in the Users Guide.
Map Markup Dialog Box

Matches the markup layouts in the markup (RML) file with available layouts
in your drawing.
Markup to Drawing Mappings

Lists mappings of markup layouts to drawing layouts.
RMLIN
875
Remove
Removes a mapping of a markup layout to a drawing layout in the Markup
to Drawing Mappings list.
Remove All
Removes all the mappings of markup layouts to drawing layouts in the
Markup to Drawing Mappings list.
Markup Layouts
Lists unmapped markup layouts from the RML file that you can map to drawing layouts. To map one or more markup layouts to a drawing layout, select
the markup layouts, select a drawing layout, and then click Map. If there are
no layouts in the RML file, as in the case of markups made to a DWF file, the
layout name DEFAULT is substituted.
Drawing Layouts
Lists the layouts in the current drawing, including model space, to which you
can map markup layouts.
Map
Maps the layout or layouts selected in the Markup Layouts list to the layout
selected in the Drawing Layouts list. After you click Map, the mapping is
displayed in the Markup to Drawing Mappings list.
RMLIN Command Line

If you enter -rmlin at the Command prompt, the following prompt is displayed on the command line:
Enter name of RML file: Enter the file name and press ENTER
Enter an option [Single/Multiple/SamesAme] <Single>: Enter an option and press
ENTER
Single
Provides prompts for a single mapping of a markup layout to a drawing layout. You are prompted to enter the markup layout you want to map, and
then you are prompted to enter a drawing layout as the destination for the
markup from the markup layout. You can use the ? option to list the markup
layouts in the RML file.
876
RMLIN
Multiple
Provides prompts for multiple mappings of markup layouts to drawing layouts. You are prompted to enter the markup layout you want to map, and
then you are prompted to enter a drawing layout as the destination for the
markups from the markup layout. You can use the ? option to list the markup
layouts in the RML file.
Same
Maps layouts in the markup file to identically named layouts in the drawing
file.
ROTATE
Moves objects about a base point
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Rotate
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to rotate, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Rotate.
Command line: rotate
Current positive angle in UCS: ANGDIR=current ANGBASE=current
Specify base point: Specify a point (1)
Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle, specify a point, or enter r
selected objects
Rotation Angle
rotation angle
rotated object
Determines how far an object rotates around the base

point.
The axis of rotation passes through the specified base
point and is parallel to the Z axis of the current UCS.
ROTATE
877
Reference
Specifies the absolute current rotation angle and

desired new rotation angle. The Reference option is
used to align an object with the X and Y axes of the UCS
or with geometric features in a drawing.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify an angle by
entering a value or by specifying two points
Specify the new angle: Specify the new absolute angle
When you rotate a viewport object, the borders of the viewport remain
parallel to the edges of the drawing area.
See Also
See Rotate Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
UCS manages user coordinate systems.
ROTATE3D
Moves objects about a three-dimensional axis
Modify menu: 3D Operation Rotate 3D
Command line: rotate3d
Specify first point on axis or define axis by [Object/Last/View/Xaxis/Yaxis/Zaxis/
2points]: Specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER
Object
Aligns the axis of rotation with an existing object.
Select a line, circle, arc or 2D-polyline segment:
Line
Aligns the axis of rotation with the line selected.
Rotation Angle
Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified

amount from the current orientation.
Reference
Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.

Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify the starting angle
Specify the new angle: Specify the ending angle
The difference between the starting angle and the
ending angle is the computed rotation angle.
878
ROTATE3D
Circle
Aligns the axis of rotation with the 3D axis of the circle (perpendicular to the
plane of the circle and passing through the center of the circle).
Rotation Angle

Reference

object selected

Arc
Aligns the axis of rotation with the 3D axis of the arc (perpendicular to the
plane of the arc and passing through the center of the arc).
Rotation Angle

Reference

2D Polyline Segment
Aligns the axis of rotation with a segment of the polyline. Treats a straight
segment as a line segment. Treats an arc segment as an arc.
Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r
Rotation Angle

Reference

ROTATE3D
879
Last
Uses the last axis of rotation.
Rotation Angle

Reference

View
Aligns the axis of rotation with the viewing direction of the current viewport
that passes through the selected point.
Specify a point on the view direction axis <0,0,0>:
Rotation Angle

Reference

X Axis, Y Axis, Z Axis

Aligns the axis of rotation with one of the axes (X, Y, or Z) that pass through
the selected point.
Specify a point on the (X, Y, or Z) axis <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1)
Rotation Angle
880
ROTATE3D

Reference

1
X axis
1
Y axis
Z axis
2 Points
2
Uses two points to define the axis of rotation. Pressing ENTER at the main
ROTATE3D prompt displays the following prompts. Specifying a point at the
main prompt skips the prompt for the first point.
Specify first point on axis: Specify a point (1)
Specify second point on axis: Specify a point (2)
Rotation Angle

Reference

See Also
See Rotate Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
ROTATE changes the orientation of objects about a

specified base point. MIRROR3D reflects objects about a
specified plane. UCS manages user coordinate systems.
ROTATE3D
881
RPREF
Sets rendering preferences
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Preferences
Command line: rpref
AutoCAD displays the Rendering Preferences dialog box.
Rendering Preferences Dialog Box

Defines preferred settings for rendering.
Rendering Type
Lists AutoCAD Render, Photo Real, Photo Raytrace.
Scene to Render
Lists scenes, including the current view, that you can select for rendering.
Rendering Procedure
Controls how RENDER behaves by default.
Query for
Selections
882
RPREF
Displays a prompt to select objects to render.
Crop Window
Creates a render area at render time. When you choose

the Render button with Crop Window selected,
AutoCAD prompts you to specify an area in the
drawing. When youve done so, the rendering proceeds.
Skip Render
Dialog
Renders the current view without displaying the Render

dialog box.
Light Icon Scale

Controls the size of the light blocks in the drawing. The value is the current
scale factor (in drawing units) of rendering blocks in the drawing. Enter a real
number to rescale the blocks.
The scale factor affects the following blocks: OVERHEAD, DIRECT, and
SH_SPOT.
Smoothing Angle
Sets the angle at which AutoCAD interprets an edge. The default is 45
degrees. Angles greater than 45 degrees are considered edges.
smoothing
angle
Angles less than 45 degrees are smoothed. To define an edge as less than 45
degrees, reduce the smoothing angle.
Rendering Options
Controls rendering display.
Smooth Shade
Smooths out the rough-edged appearance of a

multifaceted surface. AutoCAD calculates the surface
normal and blends the colors across two or more
adjacent faces.
RPREF
883
Smooth Shading off
Smooth Shading on
Apply Materials
Applies the surface materials that you define and attach

to an object or ACI in the drawing. If Apply Materials is
not selected, all objects in the drawing assume the
color, ambient, diffuse, reflection, roughness,
transparency, refraction, and bump map attribute
values defined for the GLOBAL material. For more
information, see RMAT.
Shadows
Generates shadows. Applies only to Photo Real and

Photo Raytrace rendering.
Render Cache
Specifies that rendering information be written to a

cache file. As long as the drawing geometry or view is
unchanged, the cached file is used for subsequent
renderings, eliminating the need for AutoCAD to
retessellate. This saves time, especially when rendering
solids.
More Options
Depending on the Rendering Type you select, displays

either the Render Options dialog box (see page 885),
Photo Real Render Options dialog box (see page 886),
or Photo Raytrace Render Options dialog box (see page
888), which provides additional rendering options.
Destination
Controls the setting for image output that the display driver uses for the
rendering.
884
Viewport
Renders to a viewport.
Render Window
Renders to the Render window (see page 847).
File
Renders to a file.
More Options
When File is selected, displays the File Output

Configuration dialog box (see page 891).
RPREF
Sub Sampling
Reduces rendering time and image quality without dropping effects such as
shadows by rendering a fraction of all pixels. From the list, select one of the
ratios: from 1:1 (best quality) to 8:1 (fastest).
Background
Displays the Background dialog box (see BACKGROUND).
Fog/Depth Cue
Displays the Fog/Depth Cue dialog box (see FOG).
Render Options Dialog Box

Controls rendering options. This dialog box is displayed when Render is
selected as the Rendering Type and you choose More Options under
Rendering Options in the Rendering Preferences dialog box.
Render Quality
Controls the type of shading used when you select Smooth Shade in the
Rendering Preferences dialog box.
Gouraud
Calculates light intensity at each vertex and

interpolates intermediate intensities.
Phong
Uses more sophisticated interpolation than Gouraud to

generate shading with more realistic highlights. Phong
calculates light intensity at each pixel.
Face Controls
Controls how RENDER treats the faces of 3D solid objects.
Discard Back
Faces
Prevents AutoCAD from reading the back faces of a 3D

solid object when performing calculations for a
rendering (for hidden faces only). This setting does not
eliminate back faces; it only makes them invisible and
speeds up the rendering process.
RPREF
885
Back Face Normal

Is Negative
Controls which faces AutoCAD considers back faces in

a drawing. In a right-hand coordinate system like
AutoCAD, when you draw a 3D face and enter the
vertices in a counterclockwise direction, a positive
normal vector points outward toward the viewer and
identifies the face as a front face. The back face is
identified by a negative normal vector that points away
from the viewer.
Clearing this option reverses which faces AutoCAD
considers back faces. If Discard Back Faces is selected,
AutoCAD recognizes the faces with negative normal
vectors as back faces and discards them.
Photo Real Render Options Dialog Box

Controls rendering options. This dialog box is available when Photo Real is
selected as the Rendering Type and you choose More Options under
Anti-Aliasing
Controls the level of anti-aliasing used in rendering.
Minimal
886
RPREF
Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing only.
Low
Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing and

four multiple shading samples per pixel. The more
samples per pixel, the more time it takes to render the
image.
Medium

nine multiple shading samples per pixel. The more
image.
High
Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing and 16

multiple shading samples per pixel. The more samples
per pixel, the more time it takes to render the image.
Face Controls
Discard Back
Faces

Back Face Normal

Is Negative

from the viewer.
Depth Map Shadow Controls

Adjusts the shadow map bias, which moves a shadow relative to the shadowcasting object to prevent self-shadowing or detached shadows.
Minimum Bias
Sets the lowest value in the range. The default is 2.0.

The valid range of values depends on the scene to
render, but it should usually be between 2.0 and 20.0.
RPREF
887
Maximum Bias
Sets the highest value in the range. The default is 4.0.

This value should be no more than 10.0 greater than
the minimum bias value.
Texture Map Sampling

Sets the method of sampling a texture map when its projected onto an object
smaller than itself.
Point Sample
Selects the nearest pixel within the bitmap.
Linear Sample
Averages the four pixels nearest to the sample point

within the bitmap.
Mip Map Sample
Averages bitmap pixels using the mip methoda

pyramidal average based on square sample areas.
Photo Raytrace Render Options Dialog Box

Controls rendering options. This dialog box is available when Photo Raytrace
is selected as the Rendering Type and you choose More Options under
Anti-Aliasing
Controls the level of anti-aliasing used in rendering.
Minimal
888
RPREF
Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing only.
Low

four multiple shading samples per pixel. The more
image.
Medium

nine multiple shading samples per pixel. The more
image.
High
Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing and 16

multiple shading samples per pixel. The more samples
per pixel, the more time it takes to render the image.
Adaptive Sampling
Accelerates the anti-aliasing process within the bounds of the sample matrix
size. Given a contrast threshold that you supply, AutoCAD judges whether it
can process fewer samples than specified for the matrix and still get adequate
results.
Enable
Turns on adaptive sampling.
Contrast
Threshold
Sets the sensitivity of adaptive sampling. With a low

threshold, small differences between the initial sample
values force more samples to be taken. At a higher
threshold, the sample value differences must be greater
to force more sampling. This increases rendering speed
at the expense of image quality. You can specify a value
between 0.0 and 1.0.
Ray Tree Depth

Controls the ray tree.
Maximum Depth
Defines the depth of the tree used by the Photo

Raytrace renderer to track reflected and refracted
(transmitted) rays. The default value is 3. Greater values
give more accuracy but increase rendering timeit is
recommended that you not use a maximum depth
greater than 10.
RPREF
889
Cutoff Threshold
Defines a threshold for how much a further ray trace

must contribute to the final pixel value to continue. For
example, a value of 0.03 means that the next bounce
must contribute at least 3 percent to the final pixel or
the ray tree will be pruned at this point. Values between
0.0 and 1.0 are valid. With this feature, you can refine
the trade-off between speed and image quality.
Face Controls
Discard Back
Faces

Back Face Normal

Is Negative

from the viewer.
Depth Map Shadow Controls

Adjusts the shadow map bias, which moves a shadow relative to the shadowcasting object to prevent self-shadowing or detached shadows.
890
Minimum Bias
Sets the lowest value in the range. The default is 2.0.

The valid range of values depends on the scene to
render, but it should usually be between 2.0 and 20.0.
Maximum Bias
Sets the highest value in the range. The default is 4.0.

This value should be no more than 10.0 greater than
the minimum bias value.
RPREF
Texture Map Sampling

Sets the method of sampling a texture map when its projected onto an object
smaller than itself.
Point Sample
Selects the nearest pixel within the bitmap.
Linear Sample
Averages the four pixels nearest to the sample point

within the bitmap.
Mip Map Sample
Averages bitmap pixels using the mip methoda

pyramidal average based on square sample areas.
File Output Configuration Dialog Box

Controls the saved file type and color screen resolution information. The File
Output Configuration dialog box is displayed when you choose More
Options under Destination in the Rendering Preferences dialog boxs (see
page 882).
File Type
Specifies the output file type and rendering resolution. AutoCAD supports
BMP, TGA, PCX, SUN, FITS, PostScript, TIFF, FAX G III, and IFF file formats.
Screen resolution is a function of the number of pixels displayed. The resolution is inversely related to the displayed pixel size; that is, the greater the
screen resolution, the smaller the pixels, given the same screen size. You can
select a resolution from the list or enter values in X and Y.
RPREF
891
Aspect Ratio
Sets the aspect (width to height) ratio in the output file.

This option is available only when User Defined
resolution is selected.
Colors
Sets colors in the output file.
TGA Options
Controls the file compression, scan line direction, and interlacing.
Compressed
Turns on compression for the file types that support it.
Bottom Up
Sets the scan line start point to bottom left instead of

top left.
Interlace
Controls line interlacing. None turns off line

interlacing; 2 to 1 and 4 to 1 turn on line interlacing.
PostScript Options
Controls options for PostScript files.
Landscape,
Portrait
Specifies the orientation of the file.
Auto
Automatically scales the image.
Image Size
Uses the explicit image size.
Custom
Sets the image size in pixels.
See Also
See Render 3D Objects for Realism in the Users Guide.
Commands

lighting effects in a drawing. RENDER creates a photore-
alistic or realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional wireframe or solid model using geometry,
lighting, and materials information. REPLAY displays
saved render files. RMAT creates, edits, attaches, and
detaches rendering materials. SAVEIMG creates a file
892
RPREF
RSCRIPT
Repeats a script file
RSCRIPT is useful for demonstrations that repeat a script; for example, a script
that must run over and over during a trade show or in a showroom.
If RSCRIPT is the last line in a script file, the file runs continuously until
interrupted by ESC .
Note Consider turning off UNDO and any log files if you anticipate running the
script over a long period; otherwise, these log files continue to grow and take up
increasing amounts of disk space.
See Also
Commands
UNDO reverses the effect of commands. LOGFILEON

writes the text window to a file. LOGFILEOFF closes the
file opened by LOGFILEON. SCRIPT executes a sequence
of commands from a script file.
RULESURF
Creates a ruled surface between two curves
RULESURF constructs a polygon mesh representing the ruled surface between
two curves.
Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces Ruled Surface
Command line: rulesurf
Current wire frame density: SURFTAB1=current
Select first defining curve:
Select second defining curve:
The objects you select define the edges of the ruled surface. The objects can
be points, lines, splines, circles, arcs, or polylines. If one of the boundaries is
closed, then the other boundary must also be closed. You can use a point as
the other boundary for either an open or a closed curve, but only one of the
boundary curves can be a point. The 0,0 vertex is the endpoint of each curve
nearest the point you used to select that curve.
RSCRIPT
893
For closed curves, the selection does not matter. If the curve is a circle, the
ruled surface begins at the 0-degree quadrant point, as determined by the current X axis plus the current value of the SNAPANG system variable. For closed
polylines, the ruled surface starts at the last vertex and proceeds backward
along the segments of the polyline. Creating a ruled surface between a circle
and a closed polyline can be confusing. Substituting a closed semicircular
polyline for the circle might be preferable.
The ruled surface is constructed as a 2 N polygon mesh. RULESURF places
half the mesh vertices at equal intervals along one defining curve, and the
other half at equal intervals along the other curve. The number of intervals
is specified by the SURFTAB1 system variable. It is the same for each curve;
therefore, the distance between the vertices along the two curves differs if the
curves are of different lengths.
examples of
ruled surfaces
The N direction of the mesh is along the boundary curves. If both boundaries
are closed, or if one is closed and the other is a point, the resulting polygon
mesh is closed in the N direction and N equals SURFTAB1. If both boundaries
are open, N equals SURFTAB1 + 1, because division of a curve into n parts
requires n + 1 tabulations.
Selecting objects at the same ends creates a polygon mesh.
Selecting objects at opposite ends creates a self-intersecting polygon mesh.
894
RULESURF
See Also
Commands
3DMESH creates a three-dimensional polygon mesh.

EDGESURF creates a three-dimensional polygon mesh
that approximates a Coons surface patch. PFACE creates
a three-dimensional polyface mesh, vertex by vertex.

REVSURF creates a surface of revolution by rotating a
path curve or profile around a selected axis. TABSURF
creates a tabulated polygon mesh from a path curve and
direction vector.
System Variables
SNAPANG stores the snap or grid rotation angle, relative

to UCS, for the current viewport. SURFTAB1 controls the
number of divisions along the N direction of a polygon

mesh.
RULESURF
895
896
SAVE
Saves the drawing under the current file name or a specified name
Command line: save
The Save Drawing As dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Save the drawing under the current file name, or enter a different
file name to save a copy of the drawing under that name.
See Standard File Selection Dialog Boxes on page 621 for a description of
the options in this dialog box.
SAVE is available only from the command line. The Save option on the File
menu or on the Standard toolbar is QSAVE. If the drawing is named, QSAVE
saves the drawing without displaying the Save Drawing As dialog box. If the
drawing is unnamed, AutoCAD displays the Save Drawing As dialog box.
Enter a file name to both name and save the drawing.
See Also
Commands
QSAVE saves the current drawing. QUIT exits AutoCAD
and prompts you to save changes to the current

drawing. SAVEAS renames the current drawing to the
name specified.
System Variables
ISAVEBAK improves the speed of incremental saves,

especially for large drawings. ISAVEPERCENT determines
the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing.
SAVETIME sets the automatic save interval (in minutes).
SAVEAS
Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name
File menu: Save As
Command line: saveas
The Save Drawing As standard file selection dialog box is displayed (see page
621). Enter a file name and type. Saving an AutoCAD 2004 file to any DXF
format affects performance. Set the Save As option to AutoCAD 2004
Drawing to optimize performance while saving.
Note AutoCAD 2000 is the drawing file format used by the AutoCAD 2000,
AutoCAD 2000i, and AutoCAD 2002 releases.
SAVE
897
See Save to Earlier Versions on page 898 for a description of the limitations
that result from saving to an earlier version.
In the Save Drawing As dialog box, Tools Options displays the Saveas
Options dialog box (see page 899), which controls various DWG and DXF
settings.
AutoCAD saves the file under the specified file name. If the drawing is
already named, AutoCAD saves the drawing to the new file name. If you save
the file as a drawing template, AutoCAD displays the Template Description
dialog box (see page 899), where you can provide a description for the
template and set the units of measurement.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), SAVEAS displays prompts on the command
line (see page 901).
Save to Earlier Versions

Saving a drawing in Release 2000/LT 2000 format is subject to the following
limitations:
File size can increase.

Encryption and digital signatures are not preserved.
Saving a drawing in Release 12/LT 2 DXF format is subject to the following

limitations:
898
SAVEAS
Lightweight polylines and hatch patterns are converted to Release 12

polylines and hatch patterns.
All solids, bodies, regions, ellipses, leaders, multilines, rays, tolerances,
and xlines are converted to lines, arcs, and circles as appropriate.
Groups, complex linetypes, OLE objects, and preview images are not
displayed.
Many objects are lost if you save a drawing as Release 12 and open it later
in AutoCAD 2000 or later.
Multiple layouts and layout names are lost. Only the Model tab and the
current layout tab are saved.
Spaces in the names of layers and other objects are converted to
underscores and their maximum length is 32 characters.
The status of external references as unloaded is lost.
Template Description Dialog Box

Sets drawing template options.
Description
Specifies a description for the drawing template. This

description is displayed when you choose the template
in the Startup dialog box or in the Create New Drawing
Measurement
Specifies whether the drawing template uses English or

metric units.
Saveas Options Dialog Box

Sets options for DWG files and for drawing interchange file output.
DWG Options Tab (Saveas Options Dialog Box)

Controls the drawing index and display of custom objects and specifies the
default file format for saving drawings.
Save Proxy Images of Custom Objects

If you save to an earlier drawing file type, or the drawing contains custom
objects from another application, you can select Save Proxy Images of Custom Objects. AutoCAD saves images of the custom objects in the drawing
file. If you do not choose this option, AutoCAD saves a frame for each custom
object in the drawing file.
The Save Proxy Images option sets the PROXYGRAPHICS system variable.
SAVEAS
899
Index Type
Determines whether AutoCAD creates layer or spatial indexes when you save
a drawing. AutoCAD uses the indexes to improve performance during
demand loading. Using indexes may slightly increase the time required to
save a drawing. If a partially open drawing does not already contain spatial
and layer indexes, this option is not available.
None
Creates neither layer nor spatial indexes when you save

a drawing.
Layer
Loads only layers that are on and thawed.
Spatial
Loads only the portion of the drawing within a clipped

boundary.
Layer & Spatial
Optimizes performance by specifying that AutoCAD

loads only layers that are on, thawed, and within a
clipped boundary area.
Save All Drawings As

Specifies the default file format that drawings are saved to. If you change the
specified value, all subsequent uses of SAVE and QSAVE save the drawing to
the new file format. You can also set this option on the Open and Save tab in
the Options dialog box (see OPTIONS). Set the Save As option to AutoCAD
2004 Drawing to optimize performance while saving.
DXF Options Tab (Saveas Options Dialog Box)

Sets drawing interchange file output options.
900
SAVEAS
Format
Specifies whether AutoCAD creates an ASCII or binary

DXF file. ASCII-format DXF files can be read with a text
editor and are compatible with a wider range of
applications. Binary-format DXF files contain all of the
information of an ASCII DXF file but in a more compact
form. You can read and write to binary-format files
faster than to ASCII-format files.
For more information about DXF files, see the DXF
Reference in the Help system.
Select Objects
Controls whether the DXF file consists of selected

objects or the entire drawing. When you select this
option, the output file includes only selected objects
and the block reference portions of any included
blocks. The output file does not include the block
definition tables.
Save Thumbnail
Preview Image
Specifies whether an image of the drawing is displayed

in the Preview area of the Select File dialog box. Save
Thumbnail Preview Image is also controlled by the
RASTERPREVIEW system variable.
Decimal Places of
Accuracy
Saves the file using the specified number of bits of

precision.
The default precision is adequate in most cases;
however, you might need to increase this value for
certain drawings and for certain applications. If you
encounter problems loading a DXF file you create, try
increasing the precision. The only disadvantage of
higher precision is increased file size. Lower precision is
useful for specialized purposes but is not recommended
in general.
SAVEAS Command Line

When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), SAVEAS displays the following prompts on the
command line.
Current file format: current
Enter file format [2000(LT2000)/2004/Standards/DXF/Template] <2004>:
Save drawing as <current>: Enter a name or press ENTER
SAVEAS
901
See Also
See Save a Drawing in the Users Guide.
Commands
QSAVE saves the current drawing. QUIT exits AutoCAD
and prompts you to save changes to the current drawing. SAVE saves the drawing under the current file name
or a specified name.
System Variables
ISAVEBAK improves the speed of incremental saves,

especially for large drawings. ISAVEPERCENT determines
the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing.
PROXYGRAPHICS stores the Save Proxy Images of Custom Objects setting. SAVETIME sets the automatic save
interval (in minutes).
SAVEIMG
Saves a rendered image to a file
SAVEIMG is not available if the current rendering device does not support
scan-line images.
Tools menu: Display Image Save
Command line: saveimg
AutoCAD displays the Save Image dialog box.
Save Image Dialog Box

Defines the format and position of a rendered image.
902
SAVEIMG
Format
Specifies the file format of the rendered image.
BMP
Saves in device-independent bitmap format. Image files

are saved as either 8 or 32 bits per pixel (bpp) depending
on the operating system (OS) video color depth setting.
TGA
Saves in compressed or uncompressed 32-bit RGBA

TrueVision v2.0 format. TGA is also known as Targa
format. Image files are saved as either 8 or 32 bits per
pixel (bpp) depending on the operating system (OS)
video color depth setting.
TIFF
Saves in compressed and uncompressed 32-bit RGBA

tagged image file format. Image files are saved as either
8 or 32 bits per pixel (bpp) depending on the operating
system (OS) video color depth setting.
Options
Displays the TGA Options dialog box (see page 904) if

TGA format is selected. Displays the TIFF Options
dialog box (see page 904) if TIFF format is selected.
Portion
Specifies the portion of the image to be rendered.
Specify lower-left and upper-right points to define the image selection area.
If you use the pointing device, the selection is reflected in X and Y under
Offset and Size.
default XY size
XY size measured (in pixels)
from the offset position
nonzero offset position
0,0 default offset position
image selection area

full display area
Offset and Size

Specifies a partial image in pixels.
Only positive values are allowed. The lower-left corner of the image is 0
pixels in X and Y. The upper-right corner of the image is the maximum
number of pixels in X and Y, which depends upon the resolution of the
display area.
SAVEIMG
903
If you specify size before offset, you can get results that you dont expect. The
most predictable way to define size and offset is to specify offset first.
Offset
Defines the lower-left XY position of the image

selection area. The default is 0,0.
When you specify a nonzero offset, the number of
pixels in Size can change to reflect the remaining
number of pixels to the upper-right corner of the
display area.
Size
Defines the upper-right XY position of the image

selection area. The default is the upper-right corner of
the display area.
default XY size
XY size measured (in pixels)
from the offset position
nonzero offset position
image selection area
0,0 default offset position
full display area
Reset
Resets the Offset and Size values to the full screen defaults. When configured
for rendering to a viewport, resets the Offset and Size values to the size that
corresponds to the option selected under Portion.
TGA Options Dialog Box

Specifies one of the following TGA image compression options.
None
Uses no image compression.
RLE
Uses run-length-encoded image compression.
TIFF Options Dialog Box

Specifies one of the following TIFF image compression options.
904
None
Uses no image compression.
PACK
Uses Macintosh packbits, run-length-encoded image

compression.
SAVEIMG
See Also
See Save a Rendered Image in the Users Guide.
ObjectARX applications. REPLAY displays a BMP,
TGA, or TIFF image. RPREF sets rendering preferences.
Commands
SCALE
Enlarges or reduces selected objects proportionally in the X, Y, and Z directions
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Scale
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to scale, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Scale.
Command line: scale
Specify base point: Specify a point (1)
The base point you specify identifies the point that remains in the same
location as the selected objects change size (and thus move away from the
stationary base point). Drag the cursor to make the image larger or smaller.
1
object selected
Specify scale factor or [Reference]:

Scale Factor
Specify a scale or enter r
Multiplies the dimensions of the selected objects by the

specified scale. A scale factor greater than 1 enlarges the
objects. A scale factor between 0 and 1 shrinks the
objects.
scale factor = .5
scale factor = 2
SCALE
905
Reference
Scales the selected objects based on a reference length

and a specified new length.
Specify reference length <1>:
Specify a distance or press
ENTER
Specify new length: Specify a distance

If the new length is longer than the reference length,
the objects are enlarged.
2
3
1
reference length
new length
result
See Also
Commands
LENGTHEN lengthens an object. STRETCH moves or
stretches an object.
SCALETEXT
Enlarges or reduces selected text objects without changing their locations
Text toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Text Scale
Command line: scaletext
Select objects: Use an object selection method, and press ENTER when you finish
Enter a base point option for scaling [Existing/Align/Fit/Center/Middle/Right/TL/
TC/TR/ML/MC/MR/BL/BC/BR]<Existing>: Specify a location to serve as a base
point for scaling
With the base point prompt, you choose one of several locations to serve as
base points for scaling, which is used individually for each selected text
object. The base point for scaling is established on one of several insertion
point locations for text options, but even though the options are the same as
when you choose an insertion point, the justification of the text objects is
not affected.
906
SCALETEXT
The base point options shown above are decribed in the TEXT command. The
base point options for single line text are similar to those for multiline text
except that the Align, Fit, and Left text options are equivalent to the bottom
left (BL) multiline text attachment point.
Specify text height or [Match Object/Scale Factor]<0.5000>:
height or enter an option
Specify a text
Match Object
Scales the text objects that you originally selected to match the the size of a
selected text object.
Select a text object with the desired height:
Select a text object to match
Scale Factor
Scales the selected text objects based on a reference length and a specified
new length.
Specify scale factor or [Reference]:
Specify a scale factor or enter r
Scale Factor
Scales the selected text objects using the numeric scale

factor that you enter
Reference
Scales the selected text objects relative to a reference

length and a new length.
Specify reference length <1>: Enter a length to serve as a
reference distance
Specify new length: Enter another length in comparison to
the reference length
The selected text is scaled by a ratio of the values that
you entered for the new length and the reference
length. If the new length is less than the reference
length, the selected text objects are reduced in size.
See Also
See Change Text Scale and Justification in the Users Guide.
Commands
SCALE enlarges or reduces selected objects proportionally in the X, Y, and Z directions. STYLE creates,
modifies, or sets named text styles.
SCALETEXT
907
SCENE
Manages scenes in model space
A scene represents a particular view of all or any portion of the drawing, with
or without lights. A drawing can have an unlimited number of scenes.
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Scene
Command line: scene
AutoCAD displays the Scenes dialog box.
Scenes Dialog Box

Controls the scenes in model space.
Scenes
Lists all the scenes in the current drawing.

NONE is the default and includes the current view in the
active viewport and all lights in the drawing. If there are
no lights in the drawing and NONE is selected,
AutoCAD assumes a default over-the-shoulder distant
light source with an intensity of 1 and an ambient light
intensity of 0.
908
New
Displays the New Scene dialog box.
Modify
Displays the Modify Scene dialog box (see page 910).
Delete
Deletes the selected scene from the drawing.
SCENE
New Scene Dialog Box

Adds a new scene to the current drawing.
Scene Name
Specifies the name of the new scene.
Views
Lists model space views in the drawing. The current

view is highlighted. Selecting another view makes it the
new view of the scene. You can have only one view in a
scene.
Lights
Lists lights in the drawing. You can select one or more

lights.
Selecting a light that is not already selected adds that
light to the scene (use the CTRL key to select multiple
lights). Selecting a light that is already selected removes
that light from the scene. If you remove all lights from
a scene, AutoCAD assumes a default over-theshoulder distant light. Removing a light from a scene
does not delete it from the drawing.
SCENE
909
Modify Scene Dialog Box

Changes the scene name and view and adds or deletes lights in the scene.
Scene Name
Changes the name of the scene.
Views
Lists model space views in the drawing. The view in the

current scene is highlighted. Selecting another view
makes it the new view of the scene. You can have only
one view in a scene.
Lights
Lists lights in the drawing. You can select one or more

lights.
Selecting a light that is not already selected adds that
light to the scene (use the CTRL key to select multiple
lights). Selecting a light that is already selected removes
that light from the scene. If you remove all lights from
a scene, AutoCAD assumes a default over-theshoulder distant light. Removing a light from a scene
does not delete it from the drawing.
See Also
Commands

ObjectARX applications. VIEW creates and restores
views. LIGHT adds, modifies, and deletes lights and
lighting effects in a drawing.
910
SCENE
SCRIPT
Executes a sequence of commands from a script file
Tools menu: Run Script
Command line: script (or 'script for transparent use)
AutoCAD displays the Select Script File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box). Enter the file name of a script to run that script.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), SCRIPT displays the following prompt on the
command line.
Enter script file name <current>:
See Also
See Overview of Command Scripts in the Customization Guide.
Commands
DELAY provides a timed pause in scripts. RSCRIPT replays
a script nonstop.
SECTION
Uses the intersection of a plane and solids to create a region
AutoCAD creates regions on the current layer and inserts them at the
location of the cross section. Selecting several solids creates separate regions
for each solid.
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Section
Command line: section
Specify first point on Section plane by [Object/Zaxis/View/XY/YZ/ZX]
<3points>: Specify a point or enter an option
First Point,
3 Points
Uses three points to define the sectioning plane. After

you specify the first point, AutoCAD displays the
following prompts:
Specify second point on plane: Specify a point (2)
Specify third point on plane: Specify a point (3)
SCRIPT
911
3
2
Object
Aligns the sectioning plane with a circle, ellipse,

circular or elliptical arc, 2D spline, or 2D polyline
segment.
Select a circle, ellipse, arc, 2D-spline, or 2D-polyline:
select
object
Z Axis
Defines the sectioning plane by specifying a point on

the sectioning plane and another point on the planes
Z axis, or normal.
Specify a point on the section plane: Specify a point (1)
Specify a point on the Z-axis (normal) of the plane:
Specify a point (2)
normal
cutting
plane
1
2
side view
View
Aligns the sectioning plane with the current viewports

viewing plane. Specifying a point defines the location
of the sectioning plane.
Specify a point on the current view plane <0,0,0>:
Specify a point (1) or press ENTER
912
SECTION
XY
Aligns the sectioning plane with the XY plane of the

current UCS. Specifying a point defines the location of
the sectioning plane.
Specify a point on the XY-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point
(1) or press ENTER
YZ
Aligns the sectioning plane with the YZ plane of the

Specify a point on the YZ-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point
(1) or press ENTER
ZX
Aligns the sectioning plane with the ZX plane of the

Specify a point on the ZX-plane <0,0,0>:
(1) or press ENTER
Specify a point
SECTION
913
SECURITYOPTIONS
Controls security settings using the Security Options dialog box
Command line: securityoptions
The Security Options dialog box is displayed. You can add security settings
that are applied when you save the drawing.
Security Options Dialog Box

Specifies security settings to be used when your drawing is saved.
Password Tab (Security Options Dialog Box)
Adds a password to a drawing when the drawing is saved.
Password or
Phrase to Open
This Drawing
914
SECURITYOPTIONS
Adds, changes, or removes a password the next time the

drawing is saved. If you add or change the password,
the Confirm Password dialog box is displayed. If you
lose the password, it is not recoverable. Before you add
a password, you should create a backup that is not
protected with a password.
Encrypt Drawing
Properties
Encrypts drawing properties, so a password is required

to view them. Drawing properties are details that help
you identify the drawing, including title, author,
subject, keywords that identify the model, or other
important information.
Current
Encryption Type
Specifies the default encryption level supplied by your

operating system, unless you choose an advanced level
by clicking the Advanced Options button.
Advanced
Options
Opens the Advanced Options dialog box, where you

can choose an encryption provider and key length.
Digital Signature Tab (Security Options Dialog Box)

Adds a digital signature to a drawing when the drawing is saved.
Attach Digital
Signatures After
Saving Drawing
Attaches a digital signature to a drawing when the

drawing is saved.
SECURITYOPTIONS
915
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.
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 for comments about the digital

signature or the files you are signing.
Confirm Password Dialog Box

Confirms the password entered in the Security Options dialog box that is
added or changed the next time the drawing is saved.
Warning! If you lose the password, it is not recoverable. Before you add a
password, you should create a backup that is not protected with a password.
Advanced Options Dialog Box

Selects an encryption provider and key length for drawings that you protect
with a password.
916
Choose an
Encryption
Provider
Sets a level of encryption for a drawing. You can choose

from encryption providers supplied by your operating
system.
Choose a Key
Length
Sets a key length. The higher the key length, the higher
the level of protection for your drawing.
SECURITYOPTIONS
SELECT
Places selected objects in the Previous selection set
Command line: select
Select objects:
object selection
target
A small box, called the object selection target, replaces the crosshairs on the
graphics cursor.
AutoCAD requires that objects be selected in order to be processed. The Select
Objects prompt occurs after many commands, including the SELECT
command itself.
You can select objects individually with the pointing device, by drawing a
selection window around them, by entering coordinates, or by using one of
the selection methods listed below. These methods can be used to select
objects regardless of the command that initiated the Select Objects prompt.
To view all options, enter ? on the command line.
Expects a point or
Window/Last/Crossing/BOX/ALL/Fence/WPolygon/CPolygon/Group/Add/
Remove/Multiple/Previous/Undo/AUto/SIngle
Select objects: Specify a point or enter an option
2
Window
Selects all objects completely inside a rectangle defined

by two points. Specifying the corners from left to right
creates a window selection. (Specifying the corners
from right to left creates a crossing selection.)
Specify first corner: Specify a point (1)
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point (2)
1
window selection
Last
Selects the most recently created visible object.
SELECT
917
Crossing
1
2
crossing selection
Selects objects within and crossing an area defined by

two points. A crossing selection is displayed as dashed
or otherwise highlighted to differentiate it from
window selection. Specifying the corners from right to
left creates a crossing selection. (Specifying the corners
from left to right creates a window selection.)
First corner: Specify a point (1)
Other corner: Specify a point (2)
Box
Selects all objects inside or crossing a rectangle specified

by two points. If the rectangles points are specified
from right to left, Box is equivalent to Crossing.
Otherwise, Box is equivalent to Window.
Specify first corner: Specify a point
select all
All
Selects all objects on thawed layers.
Fence
Selects all objects crossing a selection fence. The Fence

method is similar to CPolygon except that AutoCAD
does not close the fence, and a fence can cross itself.
Fence is not affected by the PICKADD system variable.
fence selection
First fence point: Specify a point

Specify endpoint of line or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter
u to undo the last point
WPolygon
WPolygon selection
First polygon point: Specify a point

CPolygon
918
Selects objects completely inside a polygon defined by

points. The polygon can be any shape but cannot cross
or touch itself. AutoCAD draws the last segment of the
polygon so that it is closed at all times. WPolygon is not
affected by the PICKADD system variable.
SELECT
Selects objects within and crossing a polygon defined

by specifying points. The polygon can be any shape but
cannot cross or touch itself. AutoCAD draws the last
segment of the polygon so that it is closed at all times.
CPolygon is not affected by the PICKADD system
variable.
First polygon point: Specify a point

Group
Selects all objects within a specified group.

Enter group name: Enter a name list
CPolygon selection
Add
Switches to the Add method: selected objects can be

added to the selection set by using any of the object
selection methods. Auto and Add are the default
methods.
Remove
Switches to the Remove method: objects can be

removed from the current selection set using any object
selection method. An alternative to Remove mode is to
hold down SHIFT while selecting single objects or use
the Automatic option.
Multiple
Specifies multiple points without highlighting the

objects, thus speeding up the selection process for
complex objects. The Multiple method also selects two
intersecting objects if the intersection point is specified
twice.
Previous
Selects the most recent selection set. The Previous

selection set is cleared by operations that delete objects
from the drawing.
selected object
to add
AutoCAD keeps track of whether each selection set was

specified in model space or paper space. The Previous
selection set is ignored if you switch spaces.
Undo
Cancels the selection of the object most recently added

to the selection set.
Auto
Switches to automatic selection: pointing to an object

selects the object. Pointing to a blank area inside or
outside an object forms the first corner of a box defined
by the Box method. Auto and Add are the default
methods.
Single
Switches to the Single method: selects the first object or

set of objects designated rather than continuing to
prompt for further selections.
SELECT
919
See Also
See Select Objects in the Users Guide.
System Variables
PICKADD controls whether subsequent selections

replace the current selection set or add to it.
SETIDROPHANDLER
Specifies the default type of i-drop content for the current Autodesk application
Command line: setidrophandler
The SETIDROPHANDLER command displays the Set Default i-drop Content
Type dialog box, where you set the default type of i-drop content for the
Autodesk application you are currently working in. This setting determines
the type of content that is inserted into your drawing when you drag a representative i-drop content image from the Web into your drawing.
Set Default i-drop Content Type Dialog Box

With the Set Default i-drop Content Type dialog box, you can specify the
default type of i-drop content from a list of available content types for
installed Autodesk products that provide this i-drop functionality. The
default content type determines the type of content that is inserted in your
drawing.
For example, if you select Block, when you drag a representative i-drop
content image from a web page, the inserted content is an AutoCAD block.
SETUV
Maps materials onto objects
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Mapping
Command line: setuv
Select objects: Select the objects to which you want to assign mapping coordinates
AutoCAD displays the Mapping dialog box.
Mapping Dialog Box

Defines how materials are mapped onto objects.
920
SETIDROPHANDLER
The mapping coordinates that you assign in the Mapping dialog box apply
to the entire selection set and remain with it. When you move the geometry,
the mapping coordinates and other mapping attributes (such as bitmap
scaling) move with it.
Note An object with assigned mapping coordinates attempts to maintain the

orientation of the material that is attached to it when you modify the object
using MOVE, MIRROR, ROTATE, SCALE, or other editing commands. Therefore, it is
recommended that you assign mapping coordinates even if the default coordinates do not alter the bitmap placement. Use mapping coordinates even when
the Fit to Object option is selected in the Adjust Material Bitmap Placement
dialog box in RMAT (see page 865).
To delete mapping coordinates assigned to an object, use the AutoLISP
version of the Render mapping option, as shown in the following example:
Command: (c:setuv "D" (ssget))
Select objects: Select the objects whose mapping you want to delete
Projection
Specifies the type of projection: planar, cylindrical,

spherical, or solid. If the Fixed Scale option is selected
in the Adjust Material Bitmap Placement dialog box
(see page 865), you can only use planar projection. If
you select any other projection type, the material
reverts to the default Fit to Object bitmap placement
setting. Enter new values for the bitmap placement
offset and scale values in the Adjust Object Bitmap
Placement dialog box (see page 928).
SETUV
921
Adjust
Coordinates
Displays one of several dialog boxes used to adjust

projection coordinates relative to the object. Which
dialog box is displayed depends on the projection
selected: planar, cylindrical, spherical, or solid. See
Adjust Planar Coordinates Dialog Box on page 922,
Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates Dialog Box on page
924, Adjust Spherical Coordinates Dialog Box on
page 926, and Adjust UVW Coordinates Dialog Box
on page 927.
Note If the Tile option is selected in the Adjust Object
Bitmap Placement dialog box (see page 928), the extents
of the projection geometry have no effect on projection.
This is true even though the Adjust Planar, Cylindrical, and
Spherical Coordinates dialog boxes represent the
projection systems by geometrybased either on the
extents of the current selection set or on points you specify
in the drawing area. They do not limit where the bitmap is
rendered, unless you select Crop in the Adjust Object
Bitmap Placement dialog box (see page 928).
Acquire From
Temporarily closes the Mapping dialog box so that you

can select a single object in the AutoCAD drawing area.
The object already has mapping coordinates assigned to
itthese become the current mapping settings. After
you make the selection, AutoCAD displays the Mapping
dialog box again. You can choose OK immediately to
accept the acquired mapping coordinates as is or use
Adjust Coordinates to modify them further.
Copy To
Temporarily closes the Mapping dialog box so that you

can select any number of objects. When you finish
making the selection, AutoCAD displays the Mapping
dialog box. When you choose OK, the current mapping
coordinate settings are applied to the objects you
selected.
Preview
Displays a bitmap image of the selected material and its

mapping coordinate. The Preview area displays a gray
image if a material is not attached.
Adjust Planar Coordinates Dialog Box

Specifies the plane used for projecting the bitmap onto the object.
922
SETUV
Parallel Plane
Specifies one of the three perpendicular reference

planes of the world coordinate system (WCS) or a plane
you specify by choosing Pick Points. If you select Picked
Plane and then choose OK without choosing Pick
Points, the XY plane of the WCS is used by default.
You must set the appropriate WCS plane when using
fixed-scale materials on objects using object mapping
coordinates to ensure that the bitmap placement scale,
offset, and rotation work in the correct plane regardless
of the UCS.
Note If you choose Pick Points, and the points you select
correspond to one of the WCS planes, AutoCAD saves this
as the WCS plane. The next time you display the Adjust
Planar Coordinates dialog box, the option indicates the
WCS XY, XZ, or YZ plane (or axis) is selected instead of
Picked Plane (Picked Axis).
Center Position
Shows a parallel projection of the objects mesh onto

the current parallel plane. It also shows the current
projection square in blue (the top of the projection
square is indicated by a small blue tick mark, and the
squares left edge is shown in green). You can move the
projection square by moving the scroll bars.
By default, the projection square is the smallest square
that can be drawn around the parallel projection of the
objects bounding box (its extents).
SETUV
923
Preview

Adjust Bitmap
Displays the Adjust Object Bitmap Placement dialog box

(see page 928), in which you can adjust the bitmaps
offset and scaling.
Pick Points
Temporarily closes the Adjust Planar Coordinates dialog

box so that you can specify a projection plane by
specifying points in the AutoCAD drawing area.
AutoCAD prompts you to specify three points: the lowerleft, lower-right, and upper-left corners of the plane.
After you specify these points, the Adjust Planar
Coordinates dialog box is redisplayed.
Offsets and
Rotations
Changes the X and Y offsets of the map. You can change

the rotation by using the scroll bar or entering a new
value.
Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates Dialog Box

Defines the axis of the cylindrical coordinate system and the wrap line for
the bitmap projection.
Parallel Axis
924
SETUV
Specifies one of the three perpendicular axes of the WCS

or an axis you specify by choosing Pick Points. If you
select Picked Axis and then choose OK without choosing

Pick Points, the Z axis of the WCS is used by default.
Note If you use Pick Points, and the points you select
correspond to one of the WCS axes, the next time you
display the Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates dialog box, the
option indicates the WCS Z, Y, or X axis (or plane) instead of
Picked Axis (Picked Plane).
Central Axis
Position
Shows a parallel projection of the selected objects

meshes on a plane perpendicular to the current axis. It
also shows the projection axis with a blue circle (the
center of the circle is the projection axis). A green radius
shows the wrap line. You can move the axis by using the
scroll bars.
By default, the axis is placed at the center of the selection
sets extents in both directions, with the base of the
cylinder at the minimum vertical extent and its top at
the maximum vertical extent. The wrap line is placed
toward minimum Zor minimum Y when the Z axis is
parallel to the cylindrical coordinate system axis. (When
you select the points for the cylinder, its dimensions
arent based on the extents.)
Preview

Adjust Bitmap
Displays the Adjust Object Bitmap Placement dialog box

(see page 928) for adjusting the bitmaps offset and
scaling.
Pick Points
Temporarily closes the Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates

dialog box so that you can specify a projection cylinder
by specifying points in the AutoCAD drawing area.
AutoCAD prompts you to specify three points: the center
bottom of the mapping cylinder, the center top of the
cylinder, and the direction toward the seam (wrap line).
After you specify these points, the Adjust Cylindrical
Offsets and
Rotations
Changes the X and Y offsets of the map. Changing the

rotation adjusts the position of the wrap line; you can
use the scroll bar or enter a value.
SETUV
925
Adjust Spherical Coordinates Dialog Box

Defines the polar axis of the spherical coordinate system and the wrap line
for the bitmap projection.
Parallel Axis
Specifies one of the three perpendicular axes of the

WCS or an axis you specify by choosing Pick Points. If
you select Picked Axis and then choose OK without
choosing Pick Points, the Z axis of the WCS is used by
default.
Note If you use Pick Points, but the points you select
correspond to one of the WCS axes, AutoCAD saves this as
the WCS axis. The next time you display the Adjust
Spherical Coordinates dialog box, the option indicates the
WCS Z, Y, or X axis (or plane) instead of Picked Axis (Picked
Plane).
Polar Axis
Position
Shows a parallel projection of the objects mesh onto a

plane perpendicular to the current axis. It also shows
the projection axis with a blue circle (the center of the
circle is the projection axis). A green radius shows the
wrap line. You can move the axis by using the scroll
bars.
By default, the axis is placed at the center of the extents
in all three directions, and the wrap line is placed
toward minimum Zor minimum Y when the Z axis is
926
SETUV
parallel to the spherical coordinate system axis. (When

you specify the points for the sphere, its dimensions
arent based on the extents.)
Preview

Adjust Bitmap
Displays the Adjust Object Bitmap Placement dialog

box (see page 928) for adjusting the bitmaps offset and
scaling.
Pick Points
Temporarily closes the Adjust Spherical Coordinates

dialog box so that you can specify a projection sphere
by specifying points in the AutoCAD drawing area.
AutoCAD prompts you to select three points: the center
of the mapping sphere, the radius of the sphere in the
direction of the spheres north pole, and the direction
toward the seam (wrap line). After you specify these
points, the Adjust Spherical Coordinates dialog box is
redisplayed.
Offsets and
Rotations
Changes the X and Y offsets of the map. You can change

the rotation by entering a new value or by using the
scroll bar.
Adjust UVW Coordinates Dialog Box

Adjusts the three coordinate values to shift a solid, 3D material: marble,
granite, or wood.
Unlike the other Adjust Coordinates dialog boxes, this dialog box doesnt
show a map position. Choose Preview to see the effect of shifting a 3D
material.
SETUV
927
U, V, W Scales
Sets the 3D projection coordinates.
Pick Points

specify the 3D projection by specifying points in the
AutoCAD drawing area. AutoCAD prompts you to
specify four points: the origin and the three axes (U, V,
and W). After you specify these points, the Adjust UVW
Maintain Aspect
Ratio
Maintains the aspect ratio of the solid material by

locking the three axis values together. When you
change one axis, the other two change accordingly.
When this option is cleared, you can skew the solid
material by entering disparate values for the axes. The
effect is most noticeable on materials with veins or
grain, such as marble or wood.
Preview

Adjust Object Bitmap Placement Dialog Box

Adjusts the placement of materials on the objects.
In the upper-left part of the dialog box is a diagram that changes as you
change the bitmap placement values. The diagram shows a projection rectangle in red. By default, the projection rectangle represents the extents of an
object or selection set of objects; however, if youve specified points to define
the mapping geometry, the projection rectangle is based on your points and
not on the selected objects extents. The diagram also shows the bitmap as
another rectangle: its top and left edges are drawn in white, and its right and
bottom edges are drawn in magenta. When this dialog box is first displayed,
the two squares are the same size. As this implies, the default mapping scale
is 1:1.
The bitmap adjustments you make in this dialog box are combined with the
bitmap adjustments for the material itself. The offset is added, and the scale
is multiplied. For example, if you set the U scale to 2 for the material and to
3 in this dialog box, the rendering is scaled 6:1 in the U dimension.
928
SETUV
Offset and Scale

Changes the origin of the bitmap relative to the origin of the UV projection
coordinates. Offset values can range from 1 to 1 in either dimension (U or
V). Adjust the offset by using the two scroll bars to the right and below the
diagram (enclosed by the outer box, labeled Offset) or by entering a value in
Offset U and Offset V. The bitmap rectangle moves to reflect the new offset.
If Tile is selected and you change the offset so that the bitmap rectangle
appears outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap is still applied to the
object when you render it. (During tiling, the offset acts as a displacement,
not an absolute position.) However, if Crop is selected, the bitmap is
rendered only where you place it, as indicated by the diagram; so if the
diagram shows the bitmap outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap does
not appear in a rendering.
The bitmap scale is the number of times the bitmap fits onto the object in
the U or V direction. Adjust the bitmap scaling by using the two scroll bars
to the left and above the diagram (enclosed by the inner box, labeled Scale)
or by entering a value in the Scale U and Scale V boxes. The dimensions of
the bitmap rectangle change to reflect the new scaling.

Maintain Aspect Ratio locks the U and V scaling dimensions together. When
Maintain Aspect Ratio is turned on, moving one scroll bar moves the other,
and a value you enter in the Scale U or Scale V box changes the other.
SETUV
929
Tiling
With the following options, you can control how the bitmap is tiled:
Default
The default tiling is the tiling set for the material as a

wholeeither Tile or Crop.
Tile
When this option is selected (the default), the bitmap is

tiled.
Crop
Does not tile the bitmap. Outside the bitmap area, the
object or objects are rendered with the material colors.
The upper-left corner pixel of a bitmap defines the
bitmap key color. This color behaves as if it were
transparent when you render in cropped mode: all
pixels that have the same color as the upper-left pixel
are rendered with the underlying color of the object
material.
If you want to render a cropped pattern that is
completely opaque, edit the bitmap so that the upperleft corner pixel has a color used nowhere else in the
bitmapor, if the odd corner-pixel color shows in
rendering, surround the bitmap with a border one pixel
wide, using the unique color.
With cropping turned on, a pixel in a bitmap renders
either as transparent or in its original color. To get a soft
matte, or feathered, effect at the edge of a decal, you
first need to create a soft edge in the decal bitmap itself
(against the key color), and then set the material main
(diffuse) and ambient colors to match the bitmap key
color.
See Also
See Project a 2D Image onto a Rendered Solid in the Users Guide.
Commands

ObjectARX applications. RENDER creates a shaded
image of a 3D wireframe model.

System Variables
930
SETUV
SHADEDGE determines the shading method used.

SHADEDIF controls diffuse reflection.
SETVAR
Lists or changes the values of system variables
Tools menu: Inquiry Set Variable
Command line: setvar (or 'setvar for transparent use)
Enter variable name or [?] <current>: Enter a variable name, enter ?, or press
ENTER
Variable Name
Specifies the name of the system variable you want to

set.
Enter new value for variable_name <current>: Enter a new
You can also change the value of system variables at the
Command prompt by entering the name of the variable
and its new value.
?List Variables
Lists all system variables in the drawing and their

current settings.
Enter variable(s) to list <*>: Enter a wild-card pattern or
press ENTER
SHADEMODE
Controls the display of solid object shading in the current viewport
SHADEMODE provides shading and wireframe options for the objects in the
current viewport. You can edit shaded objects without regenerating the
drawing.
You can display ambient, point, distant, and spot lights defined with the
LIGHT command in SHADEMODE. To display these lights, you must set
SHADEMODE to Flat Shaded, Gouraud Shaded, Flat Shaded Edges On, or
Gouraud Shaded Edges On. The 2D Wireframe, 3D Wireframe, and Hidden

SHADEMODE options do not display lights. To turn on lights, use the enable
Lights option in the 3D Graphics System Configuration dialog box (see page
813).
View menu: Shade
Command line: shademode
Enter option [2D wireframe/3D wireframe/Hidden/Flat/Gouraud/fLat+edges/
gOuraud+edges] <current>: Enter an option
SETVAR
931
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 system variable is set to 1, it does not appear
in the 2D Wireframe view.
3D Wireframe
Displays the objects using lines and curves to represent

the boundaries. Displays a shaded 3D UCS icon. Raster
and OLE objects, linetypes, and lineweights are not
visible. You can set the COMPASS system variable to 1 to
view the compass. Material colors that you have applied
to the objects are shown.
Hidden
Displays the objects using 3D wireframe representation

and hides lines representing back faces.
Flat Shaded
Shades the objects between the polygon faces. The

objects appear flatter and less smooth than Gouraudshaded objects. Materials that you have applied to the
objects show when the objects are flat shaded.
Gouraud Shaded
Shades the objects and smooths the edges between

polygon faces. This gives the objects a smooth, realistic
appearance. Materials that you have applied to the
objects show when the objects are Gouraud shaded.
Flat Shaded,
Edges On
Combines the Flat Shaded and Wireframe options. The

objects are flat shaded with the wireframe showing
through.
Gouraud Shaded,
Edges On
Combines the Gouraud Shaded and Wireframe options.

The objects are Gouraud shaded with the wireframe
showing through.
See Also
See Add Simple Shading to 3D Objects in the Users Guide.
932
SHADEMODE
SHAPE
Inserts a shape
Before inserting a shape, you must load the file containing the shape you
want using the LOAD command.
Command line: shape
Enter shape name or [?]: Enter a name, or enter ?
Shape Name
Loads the shape.

Specify height <current>: Specify a height or press ENTER
ENTER
If a shape belongs to an external reference (xref)

attached to the current drawing, AutoCAD identifies
the shape file as externally dependent. Externally
dependent shapes cannot be used in the current
drawing unless they are reloaded.
?List Shapes
Lists shapes and the files in which the shapes are

defined. If you enter a question mark (?), AutoCAD
prompts:
Enter shape name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER
If you enter a name, AutoCAD lists the name of the file

in which the shape definition exists and ends SHAPE. If
you enter an asterisk (*), AutoCAD lists shape names
and ends SHAPE.
See Also
For more information about creating and modifying shapes, see Overview
of Shape Files in the Customization Guide.
Commands
LOAD makes shapes available for placement in a
drawing.
SHAPE
933
SHELL
Accesses operating system commands
Command line: shell
OS command: Enter an operating system command or press ENTER
With SHELL, you can execute operating system commands while remaining
in AutoCAD. When SHELL prompts you for an OS command, you can enter
most valid commands for your OS. When the command has been executed,
SHELL returns you to the AutoCAD prompt.
Pressing ENTER at the OS Command prompt displays the system prompt
with an extra close angle bracket (>). You can enter operating system commands as if you were at the normal system prompt. Enter exit to return to
AutoCAD.
Warning! Do not use the SHELL command to delete lock files (file name
extension .??k) or temporary files (file name extensions .ac$ or .$a). Do not use
SHELL to run chkdsk, reset the serial I/O ports, or run external programs that
require disk swapping while editing a drawing stored on a floppy disk. Load
Terminate-and-Stay-Resident programs into memory before starting AutoCAD.
SHOWMAT
Lists the material type and attachment method for a selected object
Command line: showmat
Select object: Use an object selection method to select a single object
Depending on the method used to attach a material to an object, SHOWMAT
reports with one of the following:
Material material name is explicitly attached to the object.
Material material name is attached by ACI to ACI color number.
Material material name is attached by layer to layer layer name.
Material *GLOBAL* is attached by default or by block.
Explicit attachment takes precedence over all other methods, and
attachment by ACI takes precedence over attachment by layer.
See Also
See Define and Modify Materials in the Users Guide.
934
SHELL
Commands

ObjectARX applications. RMAT attaches and manages
rendering materials.
SIGVALIDATE
Displays information about the digital signature attached to a file
Command line: sigvalidate
The Validate Digital Signatures dialog box is displayed. Review the information displayed in the dialog box, and click Close to view the signed file.
See Also
See Overview of Digital Signatures in the Users Guide.
Validate Digital Signatures Dialog Box

Displays information about a digital signature. You can determine if a digital
signature is valid and if the signed file has been modified since it was signed.
Name
Displays the location and name of the file whose digital signature is being
viewed.
Digital Signature Status
Displays the status of the digital signature.
File Status
Displays the status of the signed file.
SIGVALIDATE
935
View Base Signature

Displays the Digital Signature Contents dialog box. This option is available
only if the digital signature is valid and the file has not been modified since
it was signed.
Xref Drawings
Contains detailed information about any xrefs in the signed file.
View Xref Drawings
Displays the xref drawings contained in a files base drawing.
View Xref List
Contains a list of the xref drawings in a signed file. Displays the name, folder,
and status of the xref. This list is available only if the current file contains
xrefs and View Xref Drawings is selected.
View Xref Signature
Displays the Digital Signatures Contents dialog box for the selected xref. This
button is enabled only if the xref has a valid digital signature attached.
Digital Signature Contents Dialog Box

Displays information about a digital signature. You can determine if a digital
signature is valid and if the signed file has been modified since it was signed.
Name
Displays the location and name of the file whose digital signature is being
viewed.
Digital Signature Status
Displays the status of the digital signature.
File Status
Displays the status of the signed file.
Signed By
Displays the name of the organization or individual who attached a digital
signature to the current file.
Other Fields
Contains detailed information about the digital signature. You can choose to
display the following information in the Values box.
Subject
936
SIGVALIDATE
Displays information about the organization or

individual who owns the digital ID and attached the
digital signature.
Issuer
Displays the name of the certificate authority that

originally issued the digital ID.
Valid From
Displays the day, month, year, and exact time from

which the digital ID can be first used and is considered
valid.
Valid To
Displays the day, month, year, and exact time to which

the digital ID ceases to be valid.
Serial Number
Displays the serial number assigned to the digital ID.
Values
Displays information about a digital signature based on the item you select
in the Other Fields list.
Comment
Displays any comments about the digital signature that is attached to the
current file.
Signature Date and Time
Displays the date and time that the digital signature was attached to the
current file. The date and time are based on the time service used when the
signature was attached.
Time Service Used
Displays the time service used to add the time stamp to the current file.
Skip Xref Warnings
Determines if the Digital Signature Contents dialog box is displayed for
signed xrefs. This check box appears only in the Digital Signature Contents
dialog box when a signed drawing is opened.
SKETCH
Creates a series of freehand line segments
Drawing with the SKETCH command controls a screen-based pen with a
pointing device. SKETCH is useful for entering map outlines, signatures, or
other freehand drawings. Sketched lines are not added to the drawing until
they are recorded. The standard digitizer tablet button menu is not available
while SKETCH is in progress. The following information is based on the
assumption that Tablet mode is on.
Command line: sketch
Record increment <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
SKETCH
937
The record increment value defines the length of the line segments. The
pointing device must be moved a distance greater than the increment value
to generate a line.
AutoCAD captures sketching as a series of independent lines. Setting the
SKPOLY system variable to a nonzero value produces a polyline for each
contiguous sequence of sketched lines rather than multiple line objects.
larger record
increment
Sketch. Pen eXit Quit Record Erase Connect. Enter an option or press a
pointer button
Pen (Pick Button)
Raises and lowers the sketching pen. The pen must be

raised before you can select menu items with the
pointing device.
ExitENTER
(button 3)
Records and reports the number of temporary lines

sketched and ends the command.
Quit (button 4)
Discards all temporary lines sketched since the start of

SKETCH or the last use of the Record option, and ends
the command.
Record (button 2)
Records temporary lines as permanent and does not

change the pens position. Reports the number of lines
using the following prompt:
smaller record
increment
nnn lines recorded.

Erase (button 5)
Erases any portion of a temporary line and raises the

pen if it is down.
Select end of delete.
Connect
(button 6)
Lowers the pen to continue a sketch sequence from the

endpoint of the last sketched line or last Erase.
Connect: Move to endpoint of line.
. (Period)
(button 1)
Lowers the pen, draws a straight line from the endpoint

of the last sketched line to the pens current location,
and returns the pen to the up position.
See Also
See Draw Freehand Sketches in the Users Guide.
System Variables
SKETCHINC stores the current SKETCH record increment.

SKPOLY controls whether SKETCH draws lines as
individual line objects or as polylines.
938
SKETCH
SLICE
Slices a set of solids with a plane
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Slice
Command line: slice
Select objects:
AutoCAD ignores regions in the current selection set.

Specify first point on slicing plane by [Object/Zaxis/View/XY/YZ/ZX/3points]
<3points>: Specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER
Object
Aligns the cutting plane with a circle, ellipse, circular or elliptical arc, 2D
spline, or 2D polyline segment.
Select a circle, ellipse, arc, 2D-spline, or 2D-polyline:
object cutting plane
sliced object
You can retain both halves of the sliced solids or just the half you specify. The
sliced solids retain the layer and color properties of the original solids.
Specify a point on the desired side of the plane or [keep Both sides]: Specify a
point (1) or enter b
The descriptions of the Point on the Desired Side of the Plane and Keep Both
Sides options match the descriptions of the corresponding options under 3
Points (see page 942).
SLICE
939
Z Axis
Defines the cutting plane by specifying a point on the plane and another
point on the Z axis (normal) of the plane.
Specify a point on the section plane: Specify a point (1)
Specify a point on the Z-axis (normal) of the plane: Specify a point (2)
normal
cutting
plane
1
2
side view
Z axis cutting plane
sliced object
View
Aligns the cutting plane with the current viewports viewing plane.
Specifying a point defines the location of the cutting plane.
Specify a point on the current view plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press
ENTER
view cutting plane
sliced object
940
SLICE
XY
Aligns the cutting plane with the XY plane of the current user coordinate
system (UCS). Specifying a point defines the location of the cutting plane.
Specify a point on the XY-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER
1
XY cutting plane
sliced object
YZ
Aligns the cutting plane with the YZ plane of the current UCS. Specifying a
point defines the location of the cutting plane.
Specify a point on the YZ-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER
1
YZ cutting plane
sliced object
SLICE
941
ZX
Aligns the cutting plane with the ZX plane of the current UCS. Specifying a
point defines the location of the cutting plane.
Specify a point on the ZX-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER
point or enter b
If AutoCAD slices a single solid into more than two objects, one solid is
created from the objects on one side of the plane and another solid is created
from the objects on the other side.
1
ZX cutting plane
sliced object
3 Points
Defines the cutting plane using three points.
Specify second point on plane: Specify a point (2)
Specify third point on plane: Specify a point (3)
942
SLICE
3
2
1
3-point cutting plane
sliced object
1
Point on the
Desired Side of
the Plane
Uses a point to determine which side of the sliced solids

your drawing retains. The point cannot lie on the
cutting plane.
Keep Both Sides
Retains both sides of the sliced solids. Slicing a single

solid into two pieces creates two solids from the pieces
on either side of the plane. SLICE never creates more
than two new composite solids for each selected solid.
See Also
See Section and Slice 3D Solids in the Users Guide.
Commands
SECTION creates the intersection of a plane and

specified solids as one or more regions.
SNAP
Restricts cursor movement to specified intervals
The points you enter with a pointing device can be locked into regular
intervals on an invisible rectangular snap grid. You can rotate the snap grid,
set differing X and Y spacing, or choose an isometric format for the snap grid.
You can toggle Snap mode on and off with the Snap button on the status bar.
A change in the snap grid affects the cursor location when you specify a point
location using the pointing device.
The snap grid is invisible. Use SNAP with GRID to display a separate visible
grid of dots. Set the spacing of the two grids to equal or related values.
AutoCAD ignores Snap mode in perspective views.
SNAP
943
Command line: snap (or 'snap for transparent use)

Specify snap spacing or [ON/OFF/Aspect/Rotate/Style/Type] <current>: Specify
a distance, enter an option, or press ENTER
Snap Spacing
Activates Snap mode with the value you specify.
On
Activates Snap mode using the current resolution, rotation, and style of the
snap grid.
Off
Turns off Snap mode but retains the current settings.
Aspect
Specifies different spacing in the X and Y directions. This option is not
available if the current snap style is Isometric.
Specify horizontal spacing <current>: Specify a distance, or press ENTER
Specify vertical spacing <current>: Specify a distance, or press ENTER
Rotate
Sets the origin and rotation of the snap grid. The rotation angle is measured
relative to the current UCS. You can specify a rotation angle between 90 and
90 degrees. A positive angle rotates the grid counterclockwise about its base
point. A negative angle rotates the grid clockwise.
Specify base point <current>: Specify a point or press ENTER
Specify rotation angle <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
Style
Specifies the format of the snap grid, which is Standard or Isometric.
Enter snap grid type [Standard/Isometric] <current>: Enter s, enter i, or press
ENTER
944
SNAP
Standard
Displays a rectangular grid that is parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS.
X and Y spacing may differ.
Specify snap spacing or [Aspect] <current>: Specify a distance, enter a, or press
ENTER
Spacing
Specifies the overall spacing of the snap grid.
Aspect
Specifies the horizontal and vertical spacing of the snap

grid separately.
Specify horizontal spacing <current>: Specify a distance
or press ENTER
Specify vertical spacing <current>: Specify a distance or
press ENTER
Isometric
Sets an isometric grid, in which the grid points are initially at 30-degree and
150-degree angles. Isometric snap can be rotated but cannot have different
Aspect values.
Specify vertical spacing <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
left isoplane
top isoplane
right isoplane
ISOPLANE determines whether the crosshairs lie in the top isometric plane
(30- and 150-degree angles), the left isoplane (90- and 150-degree angles), or
the right isoplane (30- and 90-degree angles).
SNAP
945
Type
Specifies the snap type.
Polar
Sets the snap to polar tracking angles that are set in the
POLARANG system variable.
Grid
Sets the snap to grid.
See Also
Commands
DSETTINGS sets drawing aids, including snap settings.

GRID displays a dot grid at the specified spacing and
angle.
SOLDRAW
Generates profiles and sections in viewports created with SOLVIEW
SOLDRAW can only be used in viewports that have been created with
SOLVIEW.
Visible and hidden lines representing the silhouette and edges of solids in the
viewport are created and then projected to a plane perpendicular to the viewing direction. Silhouettes and edges are generated for all solids and portions
of solids behind the cutting plane. For sectional views, cross-hatching is
created using the current values of the HPNAME, HPSCALE, and HPANG system
variables.
Any existing profiles and sections in the selected viewport are deleted, and
new ones are generated. All layers, except those required to display the
profile or section, are frozen in each viewport.
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Setup Drawing
Command line: soldraw
Select viewports to draw ...
Select objects: Select the viewports to be drawn
AutoCAD Release 12 drawings that contain views created with SOLVIEW can
be redrawn with SOLDRAW only after you use AMECONVERT to update the
solids in the views.
946
SOLDRAW
Warning! Do not place permanent drawing information on the view nameVIS, view name-HID, and view name-HAT layers. The information stored on these
layers is deleted and updated when SOLDRAW is run.
To undo a viewport drawn by SOLDRAW, you must use the Back option of
UNDO.
Note SOLDRAW is defined by the acsolids.arx application and is intended to be

used only interactively. For information about using this command from an
application, see Externally Defined Commands in the AutoLISP Reference.
See Also
Commands
AMECONVERT converts AME solid models to AutoCAD

three-dimensional solid objects. SOLPROF creates profile
images of 3D solid and body objects, and SOLVIEW
creates floating viewports using orthographic projection to lay out multi- and sectional view drawings of 3D
solid and body objects.
SOLID
Creates solid-filled triangles and quadrilaterals
Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces 2D Solid
Command line: solid
Specify first point: Specify a point (1)
Specify second point: Specify a point (2)
1
2
The first two points define one edge of the polygon.
3
4
Specify third point: Specify a point (3) diagonally opposite the second
Specify fourth point or <exit>: Specify a point (4) or press ENTER
Pressing ENTER at the Fourth Point prompt creates a filled triangle. Specifying
a point (5) creates a quadrilateral area.
The last two points form the first edge of the next filled area. AutoCAD
repeats the Third Point and Fourth Point prompts. Specifying successive
third and fourth points creates further connected triangles and four-sided
polygons in a single solid object. Pressing ENTER ends SOLID.
SOLID
947
2D solids are filled only when the FILLMODE system variable is on and the
viewing direction is orthogonal to the 2D solid.
7
5
2 4
1
See Also
See Create Solid-Filled Areas in the Users Guide.
Commands
FILL controls Fill mode.
System Variables
FILLMODE stores the current setting for Fill mode.
SOLIDEDIT
Edits faces and edges of 3D solid objects
With SOLIDEDIT, you can edit solid objects by extruding, moving, rotating,
offsetting, tapering, copying, coloring, separating, shelling, cleaning,
checking, or deleting faces and edges.
You select solid objects by using one of the following selection methods:
boundary sets (selecting an internal point on a face of a solid selects the face),
crossing polygons, crossing windows, fences, and individual selection of faces
or edges. See Select Objects in the Users Guide.
Modify menu: Solids Editing
Command line: solidedit
Solids editing automatic checking: SOLIDCHECK=current
Enter a solids editing option
[Face/Edge/Body/Undo/ExiteXit] <eXit>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Face
Edits 3D solid faces by extruding, moving, rotating, offsetting, tapering,
deleting, copying, or changing the color of the selected faces.
Enter a face editing option [Extrude/Move/Rotate/Offset/Taper/Delete/Copy/
coLor/Undo/eXit] <eXit>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Extrude
Extrudes selected planar faces of a 3D solid object to a specified height or
along a path. You can select multiple faces at one time.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces or enter an option
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces or enter an option
948
SOLIDEDIT
Undo
Cancels the selection of the faces you added most recently to the selection
set. AutoCAD then displays the previous prompt. If all faces have been
removed, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Face selection has been completely undone
Remove
Removes previously selected faces from the selection set. AutoCAD then
displays the following prompt.
Remove faces or [Undo/Add/ALL]:
or press ENTER
Undo
Select one or more faces (1), enter an option,
Cancels the selection of the faces you removed most

recently from the selection set. AutoCAD then displays
the previous prompt. If no faces are currently selected,
AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Face selection has been completely undone
face selected
Add
face removed from selection set
Adds faces to the selection set.

Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]:
faces (1) or select an option
Select one or more
selection set
face added to selection set
SOLIDEDIT
949
All
Undo: Cancels selection of the faces you added most

recently to the selection set. AutoCAD then displays
the previous prompt.
Remove: Removes previously selected faces.
AutoCAD then displays the previous prompt.
All: Selects all faces and adds them to the selection
set. AutoCAD then displays the previous prompt.
Selects all faces and adds them to the selection set.
All
Selects all faces and adds them to the selection set.
After you select faces or choose an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces (1), enter an option,
or press ENTER
selection set
all faces added to selection set
Specify height of extrusion or [Path]:
face selected
Height of
Extrusion
950
SOLIDEDIT
Specify a distance or enter p
face extruded
Sets the direction and height of the extrusion. Entering

a positive value extrudes the face in the direction of its
normal. Entering a negative value extrudes the face in

the direction opposite to its normal.
Specify angle of taper for extrusion <0>: Specify an angle
between 90 and +90 degrees or press ENTER
face selected
positive angle
extruded face
negative angle
extruded face
Tapering the selected face with a positive angle tapers

the face in, and a negative angle tapers the face out. The
default angle, 0, extrudes the face perpendicular to its
plane. All selected faces in the selection set are tapered
to the same value. If you specify a large taper angle or
height, you can cause the face to taper to a point before
it reaches the extrusion height.
Path
Sets a path for the extrusion path based on a specified

line or curve. All the profiles of the selected face are
extruded along the chosen path to create the extrusion.
Select extrusion path: Use an object selection method
face selected
path selected
face extruded
SOLIDEDIT
951
Lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, elliptical arcs, polylines, or

splines can be paths. The path should not lie on the
same plane as the face, nor should it have areas of high
curvature.
The extruded face starts from the plane of the profile
and ends on a plane perpendicular to the path at the
paths endpoint. One of the endpoints of the path
should be on the plane of the profile; if not, AutoCAD
moves the path to the center of the profile.
If the path is a spline, the path should be perpendicular
to the plane of the profile and at one of the endpoints
of the path. If not, AutoCAD rotates the profile to be
perpendicular to the spline path. If one of the
endpoints of the spline is on the plane of the face,
AutoCAD rotates the face about the point; otherwise,
AutoCAD moves the spline path to the center of the
profile and rotates the profiles about its center.
If the path contains segments that are not tangent,
AutoCAD extrudes the object along each segment and
then miters the joint along the plane, bisecting the
angle formed by the segments. If the path is closed, the
profile lies on the miter plane. This allows the start and
end sections of the solid to match up. If the profile is
not on the miter plane, AutoCAD rotates the path until
it is on the miter plane.
Move
Moves the selected face on a 3D solid object to a specified height or distance.
You can select multiple faces at one time.
The descriptions of the Undo, Remove, Add, and All options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Extrude (see page 948).
After you select faces or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
or press ENTER
Specify a base point or displacement: Specify a base point (2)
Specify a second point of displacement: Specify a point (3) or press ENTER
952
SOLIDEDIT
face selected
base point and second

point selected
face moved
The two points you specify define a displacement vector that indicates how
far AutoCAD moves the selected face and in what direction. AutoCAD uses
the first point as a base point and places a single copy relative to the base
point. If you specify a single point, usually entered as a coordinate, and then
press ENTER , AutoCAD uses the coordinate as the new location.
Rotate
Rotates one or more faces or a collection of features on a solid about a
specified axis.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces, enter an option, or
press ENTER
Specify an axis point or [Axis by object/View/Xaxis/Yaxis/Zaxis] <2points>:
Enter an option, specify a point, or press ENTER
Axis Point, 2 Points
Use two points to define the axis of rotation. Pressing ENTER at the main
Rotate prompt displays the following prompts. Specifying a point at the
main prompt skips the prompt for the first point.
Specify the first point on the rotation axis: Specify a point (1)
Specify the second point on the rotation axis: Specify a point (2)
Specify a rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r
SOLIDEDIT
953
1
2
face selected
rotation point selected
face rotated about Z axis 35
Rotation Angle

Reference

Specify the reference (starting) angle <0>: Specify the
starting angle
Specify the ending angle: Specify the ending angle
Axis by Object
Aligns the axis of rotation with an existing object. You can select the
following objects:
Line: Aligns the axis with the selected line.

Circle: Aligns with the 3D axis of the circle (perpendicular to the plane of
the circle and passing through the center of the circle).
Arc: Aligns with the 3D axis of the arc (perpendicular to the plane of the
arc and passing through the center of the arc).
Ellipse: Aligns with the 3D axis of the ellipse (perpendicular to the plane
of the ellipse and passing through the center of the ellipse).
2D polyline: Aligns with the 3D axis formed by the polylines start points
and endpoints.
3D polyline: Aligns with the 3D axis formed by the polylines start points
and endpoints.
LW polyline: Aligns with the 3D axis formed by the polylines start points
and endpoints.
Spline: Aligns with the 3D axis formed by the splines start points and
endpoints.
Select a curve to be used for the axis: Use an object selection method
Rotation Angle
954
SOLIDEDIT

Reference

starting angle
View
Aligns the axis of rotation with the viewing direction of the current viewport
that passes through the selected point.
Specify the origin of the rotation <0, 0, 0>: Specify a point
Rotation Angle

Reference

starting angle
X Axis, Y Axis, Z Axis

Align the axis of rotation with the axis (X, Y, or Z) that passes through the
selected point.
Specify the origin of the rotation <0, 0, 0>: Specify a point
Rotation Angle

Reference

starting angle
SOLIDEDIT
955
Offset
Offsets faces equally by a specified distance or through a specified point. A
positive value increases the size or volume of the solid, a negative value
decreases the size or volume of the solid.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces or enter an option (1)
press ENTER
Specify the offset distance: Specify a distance
1
face selected
face offset = 1
face offset = 1
Specify a positive value to increase the size of the solid or a negative value to
decrease the size of the solid.
Note Holes inside a solid object offset smaller as the volume of the solid gets
larger.
Taper
Tapers faces with an angle. The rotation of the taper angle is determined by
the selection sequence of the base point and second point along the selected
vector.
956
SOLIDEDIT
or press ENTER
Specify the base point: Specify a base point (2)
Specify another point along the axis of tapering: Specify a point (3)
Specify the taper angle: Specify an angle between 90 and +90 degrees
1
3
face selected

point selected
face tapered 10
Tapering the selected face with a positive angle tapers the face in, and a
negative angle tapers the face out. The default angle, 0, extrudes the face
perpendicular to its plane. All selected faces in the selection set are tapered
to the same value.
Delete
Deletes or removes faces, including fillets and chamfers.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces
or press ENTER
Solid validation started.
Solid validation completed.
SOLIDEDIT
957
face selected
face deleted
Copy
Copies faces as a region or a body. If you specify two points, AutoCAD uses
the first point as a base point and places a single copy relative to the base
point. If you specify a single point (usually entered as a coordinate) and then
press ENTER , AutoCAD uses the coordinate as the new location.
or press ENTER
Specify a base point or displacement: Specify a base point (2)
Specify a second point of displacement: Specify a point (3)
3
face selected

point selected
face copied
Color
Changes the color of faces.
958
SOLIDEDIT
press ENTER
AutoCAD displays the Select Color dialog box (see page 169).
Undo
Reverses actions as far back as the beginning of the SOLIDEDIT session.
Exit
Exits the face-editing options and displays the Enter a Solids Editing Option
prompt.
Edge
Edits 3D solid objects by changing the color of or copying individual edges.
Enter an edge editing option [Copy/coLor/Undo/eXit] <eXit>: Enter an option
or press ENTER
Copy
Copies 3D edges. All 3D solid edges are copied as a line, arc, circle, ellipse, or
spline.
Select edges or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more edges or enter an option
After you select edges or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Select edges or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more edges (1) or press ENTER
Specify a base point of displacement: Specify a base point (2)
Specify a second point of displacement: Specify a point (3)
1
3
edge selected

point selected
edge copied
SOLIDEDIT
959
Undo
Cancels selection of the edges you added most recently to the selection set.
AutoCAD then displays the previous prompt. If all edges have been removed,
Edge selection has been completely undone
Remove
Removes previously selected edges from the selection set. AutoCAD then
displays the previous prompt.
Remove edges or [Undo/Add]: Select one or more edges, enter an option, or press
ENTER
Undo
Cancels selection of the edges you added most recently

to the selection set. AutoCAD then displays the
previous prompt. If no edges are currently selected,
Edge selection has been completely undone
Add
Adds edges to the selection set.

Select edges or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more edges
or enter an option
Undo: Cancels selection of the edges you added most

recently to the selection set. AutoCAD then displays
the previous prompt.
Remove: Removes previously selected edges.
AutoCAD then displays the previous prompt.
Color
Changes the color of edges.
Select edges or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more edges or enter an option
descriptions of the corresponding options under Copy (see page 959). After
you select edges or enter an option, AutoCAD displays the Select Color dialog
box (see page 169).
Undo
Reverses actions as far back as the beginning of the SOLIDEDIT session.
960
SOLIDEDIT
Exit
prompt.
Body
Edits the entire solid object by imprinting other geometry on the solid, separating the solid into individual solid objects, shelling, cleaning, or checking
the selected solid.
Enter a body editing option [Imprint/seParate solids/Shell/cLean/Check/Undo/
eXit] <eXit>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Imprint
Imprints an object on the selected solid. The object to be imprinted must
intersect one or more faces on the selected solid in order for imprinting to be
successful. Imprinting is limited to the following objects: arcs, circles, lines,
2D and 3D polylines, ellipses, splines, regions, bodies, and 3D solids.
Select a 3D solid: Select an object (1)
Select an object to imprint: Select an object (2)
Delete the source object <N>: Enter y or press ENTER
Select an object to imprint: Select an object or press ENTER
1
2
solid selected
object selected
object imprinted
on solid
Separate Solids
Separates 3D solid objects with disjointed volumes into independent 3D
solid objects.
Select a 3D solid: Select an object
Note Separating solids does not separate Boolean objects that form a single
volume.
SOLIDEDIT
961
Shell
Shelling creates a hollow, thin wall with a specified thickness. You can specify
a constant wall thickness for all the faces. You can also exclude faces from the
shell by selecting them. A 3D solid can have only one shell. AutoCAD creates
new faces by offsetting existing ones outside their original positions.
Remove faces or [Undo/Add]: Select one or more faces or enter an option
Remove faces or [Undo/Add/ALL]:
Select a face (1), enter an option, or press
ENTER
Enter the shell offset distance: Specify a distance

1
face selected
shell offset=0.5
shell offset=0.5
Specifying a positive value creates a shell to the inside perimeter of the solid;
specifying a negative value creates a shell to the outside perimeter of the
solid.
Clean
Removes shared edges or vertices having the same surface or curve definition
on either side of the edge or vertex. Removes all redundant edges and
vertices, imprinted as well as unused geometry.
Select a 3D solid: Select an object (1)
962
SOLIDEDIT
solid selected
solid cleaned
Check
Validates the 3D solid object as a valid ShapeManager solid, independent of
the SOLIDCHECK setting.
This object is a valid ShapeManager solid.
Undo
Undoes the editing action.
Exit
prompt.
Undo
Undoes the editing action.
Exit
Exits the SOLIDEDIT command.
See Also
See Modify Faces of 3D Solids in the Users Guide.
System Variables
SOLIDCHECK turns the solid validation on and off for

the current AutoCAD session. By default, SOLIDCHECK
is on and validates the solid.
SOLIDEDIT
963
SOLPROF
Creates profile images of three-dimensional solids
A profile image displays only the edges and silhouettes of curved surfaces of
the solid for the current view.
SOLPROF can only be used while you are working in a layout tab. If your
drawing does not contain layout viewports, use VPORTS in the layout tab to
create one.
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Setup Profile
Command line: solprof
Display hidden profile lines on separate layer? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER
Yes
Generates only two blocks: one for the visible lines and
one for the hidden lines of the entire selection set.
When you generate hidden lines, solids can partially or
completely hide other solids. The visible profile block is
drawn in the BYLAYER linetype, and the hidden profile
block is drawn in the HIDDEN linetype (if loaded). The
visible and hidden profile blocks are placed on uniquely
named layers using the following naming conventions:
PV-viewport handle for the visible profile layer
PH-viewport handle for the hidden profile layer
For example, if you create a profile in a viewport whose
handle is 4B, the blocks containing the visible lines are
inserted on layer PV-4B, and the block containing the
hidden lines (if requested) is inserted on layer PH-4B. If
these layers do not exist, the command creates them. If
the layers do exist, the blocks are added to the
information already on the layers.
Note To determine the handle of a viewport, select the
viewport while in paper space and use the LIST command.
Choose a layout tab to move from model space to paper
space.
964
SOLPROF
V does not change the display of layers; if you want to
view only the profile lines youve created, turn off the
layer containing the original solid (usually the current
layer).
No
profile with hidden lines

removed
Treats all profile lines as visible lines and creates a block

for the profile lines of each selected solid. All profile
lines for each solid in the selection set are generated,
even if a solid is partially or completely obscured by
another solid. The visible profile blocks are drawn in
the same linetype as the original solid and placed on a
uniquely named layer using the naming convention
described under the Yes option (see page 964).
profile with hidden lines

displayed
Note Solids that overlap each other (share some common volume) produce
dangling edges if you request hidden-line removal. This happens because the
edges must be broken at the point where they enter another solid to separate
them into visible and hidden portions. You can eliminate dangling edges by
combining the overlapping solids (using UNION) before generating a profile.
The next prompt determines whether 2D or 3D objects are used to represent
the visible and hidden lines of the profile.
Project profile lines onto a plane? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
Yes
Creates the profile lines with 2D objects. AutoCAD

projects the 3D profile onto a plane normal to the
viewing direction and passing through the origin of the
UCS. AutoCAD cleans up the 2D profile by eliminating
lines that are parallel to the viewing direction and by
converting arcs and circles that are viewed on edge into
lines.
No
Creates the profile lines with 3D objects.
SOLPROF
965
The next prompt determines whether tangential edges are displayed. A

tangential edge is the transition line between two tangent faces. Its the
imaginary edge at which two faces meet and are tangent. For example, if you
fillet the edge of a box, tangential edges are created where the cylindrical face
of the fillet blends into the planar faces of the box. Tangential edges are not
shown for most drafting applications.
Delete tangential edges? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
profile with tangential

edges deleted
profile with tangential

edges retained
See Also
The SOLPROF command is defined by the solids.arx application. For information about using this command from an application, see Externally Defined
Commands in the AutoLISP Reference.
Commands

three-dimensional solid objects. SOLDRAW generates
profiles and sections in viewports created with
SOLVIEW, and SOLVIEW creates floating viewports using
orthographic projection to lay out multi- and sectional
view drawings of 3D solid and body objects.
SOLVIEW
Creates floating viewports using orthographic projection to lay out multi- and sectional
view drawings of 3D solid and body objects while in a layout
SOLVIEW calculates the projection as it guides you through the process of
creating orthographic, auxiliary, and sectional views. View-specific

information is saved with each viewport you create. This information is used
by SOLDRAW, which does the final generation of the drawing view. SOLVIEW
uses the AutoCAD paper space and viewport-specific layer visibility to set up
drawing views.
966
SOLVIEW
SOLVIEW creates layers that SOLDRAW uses to place the visible lines and
hidden lines for each view. Additionally, SOLVIEW creates layers where you
can place dimensions that are visible in individual viewports. SOLVIEW places
the visible lines, hidden lines, dimensions, and section hatching for each
view on a separate layer using the following naming conventions (view name
is the name given to the view when you created it).
Layers created by SOLVIEW
Layer name
Object type
View name-VIS
Visible lines
View name-HID
Hidden lines
View name-DIM
Dimensions
View name-HAT
Hatch patterns (for sections)
Warning! The information stored on these layers is deleted and updated

when you run SOLDRAW. Do not place permanent drawing information on these
layers.
SOLVIEW places the viewport objects on the VPORTS layer. SOLVIEW creates
this layer if it does not already exist.
SOLVIEW
967
SOLVIEW must be run in a layout tab. If the Model tab is current, the last
active layout tab is made current.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Setup View
Command line: solview
Enter an option [Ucs/Ortho/Auxiliary/Section]: Enter an option or press ENTER
to exit the command
UCS
Creates a profile view relative to a user coordinate system. If no viewports
exist in your drawing, the UCS option is a good way to create an initial viewport from which other views can be created. All other SOLVIEW options
require an existing viewport.
You have the option of using the current UCS or a previously saved one as
the profile plane. The viewport projection is created parallel to the XY plane
of the UCS with the X axis facing right and the Y axis upward.
Enter an option [Named/World/?/Current] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
clip first corner
view center
clip second corner
Named
Uses the XY plane of a named UCS to create a profile

view.
Enter name of UCS to restore: Enter the name of an
existing UCS
Enter view scale <1.0>: Enter a number or press ENTER
968
SOLVIEW
Enter the name of the UCS you want to use and the
scale of your view. Entering a scale is equivalent to
zooming your viewport by a factor relative to paper
space. The default value is 1:1.
Specify view center:
when done
Specify a point and press ENTER
The center is based on the current model space extents.

You can try several points until you are satisfied with
the views location.
At the next prompt, specify the opposite corners of the
viewport.
Specify the first corner of viewport: Specify a point
Specify the other corner of viewport: Specify a point
Enter view name: Enter a name for the view
AutoCAD returns to the initial prompt.
World
Uses the XY plane of the WCS to create a profile view.

when done

the views location.
viewport.
Specify the first corner of viewport:
Specify the other corner of viewport:
SOLVIEW
969
?List Named
UCSs
Lists the names of existing user coordinate systems. The

list is filtered using the wild-card combinations you
enter (wild-card characters accepted by the UCS
command are valid).
Enter UCS names to list <*>:
to list all UCSs
Enter a name or press ENTER
After the list is displayed, press any key to return to the

first prompt.
Current
Uses the XY plane of the current UCS to create a profile

view.
when done

the views location.
viewport.
Specify the first corner of viewport:
Specify the other corner of viewport:
970
SOLVIEW
Ortho
Creates a folded orthographic view from an existing view.
clip first corner
side to fold
view center
clip second corner
Once you select the side of the viewport you want to use for projecting the
new view, a rubber-band line perpendicular to the side of the viewport helps
you locate the center of the new view. You can try several points until you
are satisfied with the views location.
Specify side of viewport to project: Select the edge of a viewport
Specify view center: Specify a point and press ENTER
At the next prompt, specify the opposite corners of the viewport.
Specify first corner of viewport:
Specify opposite corner of viewport:
Auxiliary
Creates an auxiliary view from an existing view. An auxiliary view is one that
is projected onto a plane perpendicular to one of the orthographic views and
inclined in the adjacent view.
SOLVIEW
971
clip first corner
view center
side to view from
inclined planes 1st point
clip second corner
inclined planes 2nd point
Two points define the inclined plane used for the auxiliary projection. Both
points must be located in the same viewport.
Specify first point of inclined plane:
Specify second point of inclined plane:
The next point determines the side from which you view the plane.
Specify side to view from: Specify a point
A rubber-band line perpendicular to the inclined plane helps you select the
center of the new viewport. You can try several points until you are satisfied
with the views location.
972
SOLVIEW
Section
Creates a drafting sectional view of solids, complete with cross-hatching.
When you use SOLDRAW on a sectional view created with this option, it
creates a temporary copy of the solids and uses SLICE to perform the
operation at the cutting plane that you define. SOLDRAW then generates a
profile of the visible half of the solids and discards the original copy. Finally
SOLDRAW sections the solids. Solids not crossing the cutting plane are
generated as full profiles. Because drafting standards recommend not drawing hidden lines in sectional views, SOLVIEW freezes the View Name-HID layer.
clip first corner
side of cutting plane
to view from
cutting plane
1st point
view center
cutting plane 2nd point
clip
second
corner
In the original viewport, specify two points to define the sectioning plane.
Specify first point of cutting plane:
Specify second point of cutting plane:
Define the viewing side by specifying a point on one side of the cutting
plane.
Specify side to view from: Specify a point
Enter the scale of the new view. Entering a scale is equivalent to zooming
your viewport by a factor relative to paper space. The default value is a 1:1
scale, which is equivalent to zoom 1.0xp.
Enter view scale <current>: Enter a positive number
SOLVIEW
973
At the next prompt, specify the center of the new viewport. If you accepted
the default scale (by pressing ENTER ), a rubber-band line perpendicular to the
sectioning plane helps you locate the center of the new view. Otherwise, you
can place the view anywhere. You can try several points until you are satisfied
with the views location.
Note SOLVIEW is defined by the solids.arx application and is intended to be

used only interactively.
See Also
For information about using this command from an application, see
Externally Defined Commands in the AutoLISP Reference.
Commands

three-dimensional solid objects. SOLDRAW generates
profiles and sections in viewports created with
SOLVIEW, and SOLPROF creates profile images of 3D solid
and body objects.
SPACETRANS
Converts length values between model space and paper space
Text toolbar:
Command line: spacetrans
In model space, the prompt is displayed as follows:
Specify paper space distance <1.000>: Enter a length in paper space to convert
to the equivalent length in model space
In a paper space layout, the prompt is displayed as follows:
Select a viewport: Pick a layout viewport object
Specify model space distance <1.000>: Enter a length in model space to convert
to the equivalent length in paper space
974
SPACETRANS
SPACETRANS converts lengths, typically text heights, from either model space
or paper space to its equivalent length in the other space. It is intended to be
invoked transparently at a prompt for text height or other length value.
When used at the Command prompt, SPACETRANS displays the computed
length equivalent in the Command window.
See Also
See Set Text Height in the Users Guide.
SPELL
Checks spelling in a drawing
The SPELL command corrects the spelling of text objects created with the
LEADER, TEXT, MTEXT (multiline or paragraph text), and ATTDEF commands.
Tools menu: Spelling
Command line: spell (or 'spell for transparent use)
Select objects:
If you enter all at the Select Objects prompt, the spelling in all text objects in
the Model tab and all layout tabs is checked.
The Check Spelling dialog box is displayed if AutoCAD finds an unknown
word in the selected text.
Check Spelling Dialog Box

Corrects the spelling in text objects created with TEXT, MTEXT, LEADER, and
ATTDEF. The Check Spelling dialog box is displayed only if AutoCAD finds a
misspelled or unknown word in the specified text.
Spell checking in attributes is limited to attribute values only. The spelling in
text objects within block references and nested block references is checked,
but spell checking in block definitions is performed only if the associated
block reference has been selected.
SPELL
975
976
Current
Dictionary
Displays the name of the current dictionary.
Current Word
Displays the name of the word being checked.
Suggestions
Displays a list of suggested replacement words from the

current dictionary. Select a replacement or enter a
replacement word in the box.
Ignore
Skips the current word.
Ignore All
Skips all remaining words that match the current word.
Change
Replaces the current word with the word in the

Suggestions box.
Change All
Replaces the current word in all selected text objects.
Add
Adds the current word to the current custom

dictionary. The maximum word length is 63 characters.
Lookup
Lists words similar to the word selected in Suggestions.
Change
Dictionaries
Displays the Change Dictionaries dialog box.
Context
Displays the phrase in which AutoCAD located the

current word.
SPELL
Change Dictionaries Dialog Box

Changes to another dictionary. During the spelling check, AutoCAD matches
the words in the drawing to the words in the current main dictionary. Any
spelling exceptions that you identify with the Add option are stored in the
custom dictionary you are using at the time of the spelling check.
If you want to check spelling in another language, you can change to a
different main dictionary. You can also create any number of custom
dictionaries and switch to them as needed.
Main Dictionary
Displays a list of language-specific dictionaries from which you can choose a
different main dictionary. This dictionary is used in conjunction with the
custom dictionary.
Custom Dictionary
Displays the name of the current custom dictionary. To create a new custom
dictionary, enter a name and choose OK.
Browse
Displays the Select Custom Dictionary dialog box (a

standard file selection dialog box), in which you can
select a custom dictionary file to use. The selected
dictionary file is used by AutoCAD until another file is
selected.
SPELL
977
Custom Dictionary Words

Displays a list of the words that currently exist in the specified custom
dictionary. You can add words to or delete words from this list.
Add
Adds the word that you enter in the box to the current
custom dictionary. The maximum length is 63
characters.
Delete
Deletes the word you enter in the box or select from the
custom dictionary.
See Also
See Check Spelling in the Users Guide.
Commands
DDEDIT edits text and attribute definitions. TEXT creates

text on the screen as you enter it. MTEXT creates a paragraph that fits within a specified area. STYLE creates text
styles.
System Variables
DCTCUST displays the path and file name of the current

custom spelling dictionary. DCTMAIN displays the file
name of the current main spelling dictionary.
SPHERE
Creates a three-dimensional solid sphere
The sphere is positioned so that its central axis is parallel to the Z axis of the
current user coordinate system (UCS). Latitudinal lines are parallel to the XY
plane.
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Sphere
Command line: sphere
Specify center of sphere <0,0,0>: Specify a point or press ENTER
Specify radius of sphere or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d
Radius
Defines the radius of the sphere.
Diameter
Defines the diameter of the sphere.

Specify diameter: Specify a distance
978
SPHERE
center
radius
diameter
See Also
See Create 3D Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
The Sphere option of the 3D command creates a

meshed sphere.
SPLINE
Creates a nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) curve
SPLINE fits a smooth curve to a sequence of points within a specified
tolerance. AutoCAD uses NURBS (nonuniform rational B-splines)

mathematics, which stores and defines a class of curve and surface data.
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Spline
Command line: spline
Specify first point or [Object]:
Specify a point or enter o
First Point
Creates a spline using points you specify.
Specify next point:
Specify a point
Enter points until you have defined the spline curve. After you enter two
points, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
SPLINE
979
Specify next point or [Close/Fit Tolerance] <Start tangent>: Specify a point, enter
an option, or press ENTER
6
4
Next Point
Continuing to enter points adds additional spline curve

segments until you press ENTER . Enter undo to remove
the last point specified. Once you press ENTER ,
AutoCAD prompts you to specify the start tangent for
the spline curve. See Start Tangent on page 980.
Close
Closes the spline curve by defining the last point as

coincident with the first and making it tangent to the
joint.
Specify tangent:
Specify a point to define the tangent vector or use the

Tangent and Perpendicular object snap modes to make
the spline tangent or perpendicular to existing objects.
tangent
closed spline
Fit Tolerance
zero tolerance
Changes the tolerance for fitting of the current spline

curve. The spline curve is redefined such that it fits
through the existing points according to the new
tolerance. You can repeatedly change the fit tolerance,
but doing so changes the fit tolerance for all the control
points regardless of the control point that is selected.
Specify fit tolerance <current>: Enter a value or press
ENTER
If you set the tolerance to 0, the spline curve passes

through the fit points. Entering a tolerance greater than
0 allows the spline curve to pass through the fit points
within the specified tolerance.
positive tolerance

Start Tangent
Defines the tangency for the first and last points of the
spline curve.
Specify start tangent: Specify a point or press ENTER
first tangent point
The Specify Start Tangent prompt specifies the

tangency of the spline curve at the first point.
Specify end tangent: Specify a point or press ENTER
The Specify End Tangent prompt specifies the tangency
of the spline curve at the last point.
980
SPLINE
If you specify tangency at both endpoints of the spline,

you can enter a point or use the Tangent and
Perpendicular object snap modes to make the spline
tangent or perpendicular to existing objects. If you
press ENTER , AutoCAD calculates default tangents.
last tangent point
Object
Converts 2D or 3D quadratic or cubic spline-fit polylines to equivalent
splines and (depending on the setting of the DELOBJ system variable) deletes
the polylines.
Select objects to convert to splines...
Select objects: Select 2D or 3D spline-fit polylines and press ENTER when you
finish
See Also
See Draw Splines in the Users Guide.
Commands
SPLINEDIT edits a spline object. PEDIT creates spline-fit
polylines.
System Variables
The order of a spline-fit polyline depends on the

SPLINETYPE system variable.
SPLINEDIT
Edits a spline or spline-fit polyline
Modify II toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Spline
Shortcut menu: Select a spline to edit, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose Spline Edit.
Command line: splinedit
Select spline:
Enter an option [Fit data/Close/Move vertex/Refine/rEverse/Undo]:
When you select a spline object or spline-fit polyline, grips appear at the
control points.
If the selected spline is closed, the Close option changes to Open. If the
selected spline has no fit data, the Fit Data option is not available. Fit data
consists of all fit points, the fit tolerance, and tangents associated with
splines created with the SPLINE command.
SPLINEDIT
981
A spline can lose its fit data if you
Use the Purge option while editing fit data

Refine the spline by elevating the order, adding a control point, or
changing the weight of a control point
Change the fit tolerance
Move a control point
Trim, break, stretch, or lengthen the spline
Note SPLINEDIT automatically converts splined polylines to spline objects. A

splined polyline is converted even if you select it and immediately exit
SPLINEDIT.
Fit Data
Edits fit data using the following options:
Enter a fit data option
[Add/Close/Delete/Move/Purge/Tangents/toLerance/eXit] <eXit>:
Enter an
Note If the selected spline is closed, AutoCAD replaces the Close option with
the Open option.
Add
Adds fit points to a spline.
Specify control point <exit>: Specify a control point or press ENTER
Specify new point <exit>: Specify a point or press ENTER
When you select a point, AutoCAD highlights it and the next point and
interprets the new point to go between the highlighted points. Use the Undo
option to remove the last point added. Selecting the last point on an open
spline highlights only that point, and AutoCAD adds the new point after the
last. If you select the first point on an open spline, you have the option of
placing the new point before or after the first point.
Specify new point or [After/Before] <exit>: Specify a point, enter an option, or
press ENTER
AutoCAD adds the point and refits the spline through the new set of points.
982
SPLINEDIT
new point
selected
point
result
Close/Open
If the selected spline is closed, AutoCAD replaces the Close option with the
Open option.
Close
Closes an open spline and makes it tangent continuous

(smooth) at its endpoints. If the splines start point and
endpoint are the same, this option makes the spline
tangent continuous at both points.
tangent
continuity
open spline
Open
closed spline
Opens a closed spline. If the splines start point and

endpoint were the same before you used the Close
option to make it tangent continuous at both points,
the Open option returns the spline to its original state.
The start point and endpoint remain the same but lose
their tangent continuity (smoothness).
If the spline was open (its start point and endpoint were
not the same) before you used the Close option to make
it tangent continuous where the start point and
endpoint meet, this option returns the spline to its
original open state and removes tangent continuity.
no tangent
continuity
closed spline
open spline
SPLINEDIT
983
Delete
Removes fit points from a spline and refits the spline through the remaining
points.
Specify control point <exit>: Specify a control point or press ENTER
Move
Moves fit points to a new location.
Specify new location or [Next/Previous/Select Point/eXit] <N>:
New Location
Specify a point,
Moves the selected point to the new location you

specify. AutoCAD repeats the previous prompt.
new point
result
Next
Moves selection to the next point.
Previous
Moves selection to the previous point.
Select Point
Selects a point from the set of fit points.

Specify fit point <exit>: Specify a fit point or press ENTER
Exit
Returns to the Enter a Fit Data Option prompt.
Purge
Removes a splines fit data from the drawing database. After purging the
splines fit data, AutoCAD redisplays the main SPLINEDIT prompt without the
Fit Data option.
Tangents
Edits the start and end tangents of a spline.
Specify start tangent or [System default]: Specify a point, enter an option, or press
ENTER
Specify end tangent or [System default]: Specify a point, enter an option, or press
ENTER
984
SPLINEDIT
If the spline is closed, the prompt becomes Specify Tangent or [System

Default].
The System Default option calculates the default tangents at the ends.
You can specify a point or use the Tangent or Perpendicular object snap mode
to make the spline tangential or perpendicular to existing objects.
Tolerance
Refits the spline to the existing points with new tolerance values.
Enter fit tolerance <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Exit
zero tolerance
Returns to the main SPLINEDIT prompt.
Close/Open
If the selected spline is closed, the Close option changes to Open.
Close
Closes an open spline and makes it tangent continuous

(smooth) at its endpoints. If the splines start point and
endpoint are the same, this option makes the spline
tangent continuous at both points.
Open
Opens a closed spline. If the splines start point and

endpoint were the same before you used the Close
option to make it tangent continuous at both points,
the Open option returns the spline to its original state.
The start point and endpoint remain the same but lose
their tangent continuity (smoothness).
positive tolerance
If the spline was open (its start point and endpoint were
not the same) before you used the Close option to make
it tangent continuous where the start point and
endpoint meet, this option returns the spline to its
original open state and removes tangent continuity.
Move Vertex
Relocates a splines control vertices and purges the fit points.
Specify new location or [Next/Previous/Select Point/eXit] <N>:
Specify a point,
SPLINEDIT
985
New Location
Moves the selected point to the new location you

specify.
After you specify a new location for the selected point,
AutoCAD recalculates and displays the spline with a
new set of control points.
Next
Moves selection to the next point. The point marker

spline, even if the spline is closed.
Previous
Moves selection to the previous point. The point

marker does not wrap around from the start to the end
of the spline, even if the spline is closed.
Select Point
Selects a point from the set of control points.

Specify fit point <exit>: Specify a point or press ENTER
Exit
Refine
Fine-tunes a spline definition.
Enter a refine option [Add control point/Elevate order/Weight/eXit] <eXit>:
Add Control Point

Increases the number of control points that control a portion of a spline.
Specify a point on the spline <exit>:
AutoCAD adds a new control point close to the point you select, between the
two control points affecting that portion of the spline.
selected
point
986
SPLINEDIT
new point
Elevate Order
Increases the number of control points on the spline.
Enter new order <current>: Enter an integer or press ENTER
Entering a value greater than the current value increases the number of
control points uniformly across the spline for more localized control. The
maximum value for order is 26.
Weight
Changes the weight at various spline control points. A larger weight value
pulls the spline closer to the control point.
Enter new weight (current = current) or [Next/Previous/Select point/eXit] <N>:
Enter a value, enter an option, or press ENTER
New Weight
Recalculates the spline based on the new weight value

at the selected control point. The larger the integer
value, the more the spline is pulled toward the control
point.
Next
Moves selection to the next point. The point marker

spline, even if the spline is closed.
Previous
Moves selection to the previous point. The point

marker does not wrap around from the start to the end
of the spline, even if the spline is closed.
Select Point
Selects a point from the set of control points.

Specify fit point <exit>: Specify a point or press ENTER
Exit
Returns to the main Refine prompt.
Exit
Reverse
Reverses the splines direction. This option is intended primarily for thirdparty applications.
SPLINEDIT
987
Undo
Cancels the last editing action.
See Also
See Modify Splines in the Users Guide.
Commands
PEDIT edits spline-fit polylines. SPLINE creates an ACIS-
based quadratic or cubic spline (NURBS) curve.
STANDARDS
Manages the association of standards files with AutoCAD drawings.
Tools menu: CAD Standards Configure
Command line: standards
The Configure Standards dialog box is displayed.
Configure Standards Dialog Box

Associates the current drawing with a standards file and lists plug-ins used to
check standards.
Check Standards
Opens the Check Standards dialog box.
Settings
Displays the CAD Standards Settings dialog box, which

specifies additional settings for the Configure Standards
and Check Standards dialog boxes.
The Configure Standards dialog box contains the following tabs:
Standards
Plug-ins
Standards Tab
Displays information about the standards files that are associated with the
current drawing.
988
STANDARDS
Standards Files Associated with the Current Drawing

Lists all standards (DWS) files that are associated with the current drawing.
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 specify layers of the same name but
with different properties), the standards file that is shown first 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.
You can use the shortcut menu to add, remove, or reorder files.
Add Standards
File
Associates a standards (DWS) file with the current

drawing.
Remove
Standards File
Removes a standards file from the list. (Removing a

standards file does not delete it but simply dissociates it
from the current drawing.)
Move Up
Moves a standards file up one position in the list.
Move Down
Moves a standards file down one position in the list.
Description
Provides summary information about the standards file

currently selected in the list.
Plug-ins Tab
Lists and describes 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
Lists the standards plug-ins on the current system. You

can specify which plug-ins to use when auditing a
drawing by selecting plug-ins from this list.
Description
Provides summary information about the standards

plug-in currently selected in the list.
STANDARDS
989
CAD Standards Settings Dialog Box

Tools menu: CAD Standards Configure
Command line: standards or checkstandards
Specifies additional settings for the Configure Standards dialog box and the
Check Standards dialog box.
990
Notification
Settings
Sets an option for notification about standards

violations.
Disable
Standards
Notifications
Turns off notifications for standards violations and for

missing standards files.
Display Alert
upon Standards
Violation
Turns on notification for standards violations in the

current drawing. An alert is displayed when you
commit a standards violation. The alert informs you of
how many nonstandard objects you created or edited
while making changes to the drawing. Once the alert is
displayed, you can choose to fix or not fix the standards
violation. For drawings that use scripts and LISP
routines, the alert is not displayed until the script or
routine has been completed. (STANDARDSVIOLATION
system variable)
Display Standards
Status Bar Icon
Displays an icon in the status bar when you open a file

associated with a standards file and when you create or
modify non-standard objects. (STANDARDSVIOLATION
system variable)
Check Standards
Settings
Sets options for fixing violations and ignoring flagged

problems.
STANDARDS
Automatically Fix
Non-standard
Properties
Switches between automatically fixing or not fixing

nonstandard AutoCAD objects if a recommended fix is
available. Recommended fixes are available only when
a nonstandard object has a name that matches a
standard object, but different properties. In this case,
the properties of the standard object are applied to the
nonstandard object. The Checking Complete alert
summarizes the number of automatically fixed
violations that occur after an audit.
This option is set for each system and applies to all
drawings checked on a system.
Show Ignored
Problems
Switches between displaying or not displaying

problems that have been flagged as ignored. If this
option is checked, standards violations that have been
flagged as ignored are displayed when an audit is
performed on the current drawing.
Preferred
Standards File to
Use for
Replacements
Provides a list of standards files that control the default

selection in the Replace With list in the Check
Standards dialog box.
Regardless of this setting, if a recommended
replacement is found (this is the replacement preceded
by a check mark), it is always the default selection. If no
recommended replacement is found when a standards
file (DWS) is selected in the CAD Standards Settings
dialog box, the default selection in the Replace With list
is the first replacement item from the selected standards
file. If this setting is set to None, and no recommended
replacement is found, no items will be selected in the
Replace With list.
STATS
Displays rendering statistics
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Statistics
Command line: stats
AutoCAD displays the Statistics dialog box.
STATS
991
Statistics Dialog Box

Provides rendering information, such as rendering type, scene name, and
rendering time. The values cannot be altered, but they can be saved to a file.
Statistics not listed are displayed according to their current settings in the
Render dialog box.
992
Rendering Type
Lists the last rendering type used.
Scene Name
Lists the name of the current scene or NONE.
Total Time
Displays time for initialization, rendering, traversal,

display, and cleanup.
Initialization Time
Displays time for initializing rendering buffers,

callbacks, lights, and materials.
Traversal and
Render Time
Displays time for geometry and rendering.
Display Time
Displays time for displaying the rendering.
Cleanup Time
Displays time for cleaning up rendering buffers.
Rendering Time
Displays the time used to generate the last rendering.
Total Faces
Displays the number of faces processed during the last

rendering.
Total Triangles
Displays the number of triangles processed during the

last rendering.
Save Statistics to
File
Saves the information in the Statistics dialog box to an

ASCII file. Enter a file name. If the file already exists,
AutoCAD appends the information to that file.
STATS
See Also
Commands

ObjectARX applications. RENDER creates a photorealis-
tic or realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional

wireframe model using geometry, lighting, and surface
finish information.
STATUS
Displays drawing statistics, modes, and extents
Tools menu: Inquiry Status
Command line: status (or 'status for transparent use)
All coordinates and distances are displayed by STATUS in the format specified
by UNITS.
STATUS reports the number of objects in the current drawing. This includes
graphical objects such as arcs and polylines, and nongraphical objects such
as layers and linetypes, and block definitions. When used at the DIM prompt,
STATUS reports the values and descriptions of all dimensioning system
variables.
In addition, STATUS displays the following information.
Model or Paper
Space Limits Are
Displays the drawing limits defined by LIMITS. The first

line shows the XY coordinate of the limits lower-left
corner, stored in the LIMMIN system variable. The
second line shows the XY coordinate of the limits
upper-right corner, stored in the LIMMAX system
variable. The notation Off to the right of the Y
coordinate value indicates that limits checking is set to
0.
Model or Paper
Space Uses
Displays the drawing extents, which includes all objects

in the database and can exceed the drawing limits. The
first line shows the XY coordinate of the lower-left
corner of the extents. The second line shows the XY
coordinate of the upper-right corner. The notation Over
to the right of the Y coordinate value indicates that the
drawing extends outside the drawing limits.
STATUS
993
Display Shows
Lists the portion of the drawing extents visible in the

current viewport. The first line shows the XY
coordinate of the displays lower-left corner. The second
line shows the XY coordinate of the upper-right corner.
Insertion Base Is
Displays the insertion point of the drawing, stored in

the INSBASE system variable and expressed as an X,Y,Z
coordinate.
Snap Resolution
Is
Displays the snap spacing in the X and Y directions,

stored in the SNAPUNIT system variable.
Grid Spacing Is
Displays the grid spacing in the X and Y directions,

stored in the GRIDUNIT system variable.
Current Space
Shows whether model space or paper space is active.
Current Layer
Lists the current layer of the drawing, stored by the

CLAYER system variable.
Current Color
Lists the current color, stored by the CECOLOR system

variable.
Current Linetype
Lists the current linetype, stored by the CELTYPE system

variable.
Current
Lineweight
Lists the current lineweight, stored by the CELWEIGHT

system variable.
Current Plot Style
Lists the current plot style, stored by the CPLOTSTYLE

system variable.
Current Elevation
Lists the current elevation of the drawing, stored in the

ELEVATION system variable.
994
Thickness
Lists the current thickness, stored in the THICKNESS

system variable.
Fill, Grid, Ortho,

Qtext, Snap,
Tablet
Shows whether these modes are on or off.
Object Snap
Modes
Lists the running object snap modes specified by

OSNAP.
Free Dwg Disk

Space
Lists the amount of disk space available on the drive

specified for AutoCAD temporary files.
STATUS
Free Physical
Memory
Lists the amount of installed memory free on your

system.
Free Swap File

Space
Lists the amount of free space in your swap file.
See Also
Commands
OSNAP controls running object snap modes. UNITS

controls coordinate and angle display formats and
determines precision. ELEV sets the elevation and extrusion thickness of objects. FILL controls the filling of
traces, solids, and wide polylines. GRID displays a dot
grid at the specified spacing. ORTHO constrains cursor
movement to horizontal or vertical or aligns movement
with the current grid rotation angle. QTEXT controls the
display and plotting of text and attribute objects. SNAP
restricts cursor movement to specified intervals. TABLET
turns Tablet mode on and off.
System Variables
CECOLOR sets the color for new objects. CELTYPE sets

the linetype for new objects. CLAYER sets the current
layer. ELEVATION stores the current elevation. GRIDUNIT
stores the grid spacing for the current viewport. INSBASE
stores the insertion base point set by BASE. LIMMAX
stores the upper-right drawing limits for the current
space. LIMMIN stores the lower-left drawing limits of the
current drawing space. SNAPUNIT stores the snap
spacing for the current viewport.
STLOUT
Stores a solid in an ASCII or binary file
Command line: stlout
Select a single solid for STL output...
Create a binary STL file? [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
Enter y or press ENTER to create a binary file. Enter n to create an ASCII file.
AutoCAD displays the Create STL File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box).
STLOUT
995
AutoCAD creates the file and adds the .stl file name extension. The STL file
format is compatible with stereolithography apparatus (SLA). The solid data
is transferred to the SLA as a faceted representation of the model. The facets
consist of a set of triangles (with outward pointing normals) that approximate the faces of the model. From the faceted data, the SLA workstation
produces a set of contours that defines a series of layers representing the part
to be built.
The FACETRES system variable determines how AutoCAD triangulates the
solid. Setting FACETRES to a higher value creates a finer mesh that more
accurately represents the model and also creates a much larger file. The
model must lie in the positive XYZ octant of the WCS.
See Also
See Stereolithograph Files in the Users Guide.
Commands
EXPORT saves objects to other file formats.
System Variables
FACETRES sets the fineness or coarseness of a mesh.
STRETCH
Moves or stretches objects
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Stretch
Command line: stretch
1
996
Select objects to stretch by crossing-window or crossing-polygon...

Select objects: Use the cpolygon or crossing object selection method (1 and 2) and
press ENTER when you finish
AutoCAD stretches arcs, elliptical arcs, lines, polyline segments, 2D solids,
rays, traces, and splines that cross the selection window. STRETCH moves the
endpoints that lie inside the window, leaving those outside the window
unchanged. STRETCH also moves vertices of traces and 2D solids that lie
inside the window and leaves those outside unchanged. Polylines are
handled segment by segment, as if they were primitive lines or arcs. STRETCH
does not modify 3D solids, polyline width, tangent, or curve-fitting
information.
STRETCH
AutoCAD moves any objects entirely within the window or polygon, as if

you were using MOVE.
Specify base point or displacement: Specify a point (3) or press ENTER

Specify second point of displacement: Specify a point (4) or press ENTER
If you enter a second point, the objects are stretched the vector distance from
the base point to the second point. If you press ENTER at the Second Point of
Displacement prompt, STRETCH treats the first point as the X,Y displacement
value.
See Also
Commands
EXTEND extends a line, arc, or polyline to meet another

object. LENGTHEN lengthens an object. MOVE displaces
objects a specified distance in a specified direction.
TRIM trims selected objects precisely at a defined
cutting edge.
STYLE
Creates, modifies, or sets named text styles
AutoCAD provides one standard text style. If you want to create a new style
or modify an existing style, use STYLE. STYLE also sets the current style used
when you create text with TEXT and MTEXT.
If you change the orientation or font file of an existing text style, all text
objects with that style use the new values when the drawing is regenerated.
If REGENAUTO is on, the change causes an automatic regeneration.
You can use RENAME to change the name of an existing text style. If any
existing text object uses the old style name, the text object takes the new
name automatically.
Text toolbar:
Format menu: Text Style
STYLE
997
Command line: style (or 'style for transparent use)

The Text Style dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -style at the Command prompt, STYLE displays prompts on the
Text Style Dialog Box

Creates, modifies, or sets named text styles.
Style Name
Displays text style names, adds new styles, and renames and deletes existing
styles. The list contains defined style names and displays the current style by
default. To change the current style, select another style from the list, or
choose New to create a new style.
Style names can be up to 255 characters long. They can contain letters,
numbers, and the special characters dollar sign ($), underscore (_), and
hyphen (-).
New
998
STYLE
Displays the New Text Style dialog box and

automatically supplies the name stylen (where n is
the number of the supplied style) for the current
settings. You can accept the default or enter a name and
choose OK to apply the current style settings to the new
style name.
Rename
Displays the Rename Text Style dialog box. The text

style listed is renamed when you enter a new name and
choose OK.
You can also use RENAME to change the name of an
existing text style. If any existing text object uses the
old style name, the text object takes the new name
automatically.
Delete
Deletes a text style. Select a name from the list to make

it current, and then choose Delete.
Font
Changes the styles font.
Font Name
Lists the font family name for all registered TrueType

fonts and all AutoCAD compiled shape (SHX) fonts in
the AutoCAD Fonts folder. When you select a name
from the list, AutoCAD reads the file for the specified
font. The files character definitions are loaded
automatically unless the file is already in use by another
text style. You can define several styles that use the
same font.
Font Style
Specifies font character formatting, such as italic, bold,

or regular. When Use Big Font is selected, this option
changes to Big Font Name and is used to select a Big
Font file name.
Height
Sets the text height based on the value you enter. If you
enter 0.0, AutoCAD prompts for the text height each
time you enter text using this style. Entering a height
greater than 0.0 sets the text height for this style.
TrueType fonts can be displayed at a smaller height
than SHX fonts with the same height setting.
Note The text height you specify may not be accurately
represented by uppercase letters in TrueType fonts
supplied with AutoCAD. See Work with Text Styles in the
Users Guide.
Use Big Font
Specifies an Asian-language Big Font file. Use Big Font

is available only if you specify an SHX file under Font
Name. Only SHX files are valid file types for creating Big
Fonts.
STYLE
999
Effects
Modifies characteristics of the font, such as its height, width factor, and
obliquing angle and whether it is displayed upside down, backwards, or
vertically aligned.
Upside Down
Displays the characters upside down.
Backwards
Displays the characters backwards.
Vertical
Displays the characters aligned vertically. Vertical is

available only if the selected font supports dual
orientation. Vertical orientation is not available for
TrueType fonts.
See Assign Text Fonts and Set Text Height in the
Users Guide.
Width Factor
Sets the character spacing. Entering a value less than 1.0

condenses the text. Entering a value greater than 1.0
expands it.
Oblique Angle
Sets the obliquing angle of the text. Entering a value

between 85 and 85 italicizes the text.
Note TrueType fonts using the effects described in this section might appear
bold on the screen. Onscreen appearance has no effect on plotted output. Fonts
are plotted as specified by applied character formatting.
Preview
Displays sample text that changes dynamically as you change fonts and
modify the effects. To change the sample text, enter characters in the box
below the character preview image.
Preview Button
Updates the sample text in the character preview image

according to any changes youve made in the dialog
box.
Note The preview image does not reflect the text height.
1000
STYLE
Apply
Applies style changes made in the dialog box to the text of the current style
in the drawing.
Close
Applies changes to the current style. Cancel changes to Close whenever a
change is made to any of the options under Style Name. Changing, renaming, or deleting the current style and creating a new style are actions that take
place immediately and cannot be canceled.
Cancel
Cancel changes to Close whenever a change is made to any of the options
under Style Name.
STYLE Command Line

If you enter -style at the Command prompt, STYLE displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter name of text style or [?] <current>: Enter a style name, enter ?, or press
ENTER
Text Style Name
Specifies the text style name. Names can have up to 255

characters and can include letters, numbers, spaces, and
any special character not used by Microsoft Windows or
AutoCAD for other purposes. To define a style that uses
Big Fonts, you can use long file names that do not
contain commas. Commas are used to separate SHX
files and Big Font files for defining a Big Font file.
Pressing ENTER displays the following prompt (full font
names are displayed only if the current font is a
TrueType font):
Existing style. Full font name = current:
Specify full font name or font file name <TTF or SHX>:
Enter a TrueType font family name or an SHX font file
name. If you do not enter a file name extension,
AutoCAD searches for an SHX file. If the file is not
located, Windows substitutes the first located registered
TrueType font.
STYLE
1001
All long file names except those containing commas are

accepted at the prompt. The comma is reserved for the
Big Font naming convention: an SHX file followed by a
comma (,), followed by the Big Font file name. A space
is interpreted as part of the font name, not as a carriage
return.
Entering a tilde (~) displays the Select Font File dialog
box.
In the Select Font File dialog box, valid types include
SHX and TTF. AutoCAD reads the specified font file.
The files character definitions are loaded automatically
unless the file is already in use by another text style.
You can define several styles that use the same font file.
Specify height of text <current>: Specify a distance or
press ENTER
If you enter a height of 0.0, AutoCAD prompts you for
the text height each time you enter text using this style.
Entering a height greater than 0.0 sets the text height
for this style.
Specify width factor <current>: Specify a distance or press
ENTER
Entering a value less than 1.0 condenses the text.

Entering a value greater than 1.0 expands it.
Specify obliquing angle <current>: Specify an angle or
press ENTER
Entering a value between 85 and 85 obliques the text.
Display text backwards? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER
Display text upside-down? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER
Vertical? <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
Vertical is available only if the selected font supports
dual orientation.
1002
STYLE
?List Text Styles
Lists the text styles available in the drawing.

Enter text style(s) to list <*>:
press ENTER
Enter the name of a style or
At the Enter Text Style(s) to List prompt, entering the

name of a style displays the name, font file, height,
width factor, obliquing angle, and generation of the
style and exits the command. Entering an asterisk (*) or
pressing ENTER displays the height, width factor,
obliquing angle, and generation (whether text is drawn
backwards, upside-down, vertically, or normally) of
each style, and then exits the command.
See Also
See Overview of Text Styles in the Users Guide.
Commands
DDEDIT edits text and attribute definitions. RENAME

changes the names of objects. TEXT creates text in the
drawing as you enter the text. MTEXT creates a paragraph that fits within a specified area. REGENAUTO controls automatic regeneration of a drawing.
System Variables
TEXTFILL controls the filling of TrueType fonts. TEXTQLTY sets the resolution of TrueType fonts. TEXTSIZE
sets the default height for new text objects drawn with
the current text style. TEXTSTYLE stores the name of the
current text style.
STYLESMANAGER
Displays the Plot Style Manager
File menu: Plot Style Manager
Command line: stylesmanager
The Plot Style Manager is displayed.
In the Plot Style Manager, you can double-click the Add-a-Plot-Style-Table
wizard to add plot style tables. Double-click a plot style table (STB or CTB file)
to start the Plot Style Table Editor.
STYLESMANAGER
1003
Add-a-Plot-Style-Table Wizard
Adds new plot style tables. Plot style tables contain and define plot styles,
which can be assigned to objects. When complete, the wizard produces an
STB or CTB file depending on the type of table you are creating. You can edit
these files in the Plot Style Table Editor. To use your new plot style table, the
selected options on the Plotting tab of the Options dialog box must be
appropriate for the type of table (named or color-dependent) you created.
You can create a plot style table from scratch, use an existing plot style table
as a starting point, use settings from your AutoCAD Release 14 CFG file, or
use settings from a PCP or PC2 file.
You can create either a named plot style table or a color-dependent plot style
table. With a named plot style table, you can add and define plot styles as
you like; the file name has the extension .stb. A color-dependent plot style
table creates 255 plot styles based on color; the file name has the extension
.ctb. You can specify whether you want to use a plot style table for new
drawings or for pre-AutoCAD 2000 drawings when they are saved in a later
format.
Plot Style Table Editor

Modifies the plot styles in a plot style table. If the plot style table is attached
to a layout or the Model tab, and you change a plot style, any objects that
use that plot style are affected. If the plot style table is color-dependent, the
file extension is CTB. If the plot style table is named, the file extension is STB.
For information about plot style tables, see Use Plot Styles to Control Plotted Objects in the Users Guide.
Open the Plot Style Table Editor with any of the following methods:
1004
Double-click a CTB or STB file in the Plot Style Manager.

Right-click a CTB or STB file in the Plot Style Manager, and then choose
Open from the shortcut menu.
Choose Plot Style Table Editor from the Finish screen in the Add Plot Style
Table wizard.
In the Page Setup dialog box, select the Plot Device tab. Under Plot Style
Table (Pen Assignments), choose Edit to edit the currently attached plot
style table.
In the Current Plot Style and Select Plot Style dialog boxes, choose Editor.
In the Options dialog box, choose Add or Edit Style Sheets.
STYLESMANAGER
General Tab (Plot Style Table Editor)

Lists the plot style table file name, description, version number, location
(path name), and table type. You can modify the description, and you can
apply scaling to non-ISO linetypes and fill patterns.
Plot Style Table

Name
Displays the name of the plot style table file you are
editing.
Description
Provides a description area for a plot style table.
File
Information
Displays information about the plot style table you are

editing: number of plot styles, path, and version number
of the Plot Style Table Editor.
Apply Global
Scale Factor to
Non-ISO
Linetypes and
Fill Patterns
Scales all the non-ISO linetypes and fill patterns in the

plot styles of objects controlled by this plot style table.
Scale Factor
Specifies the amount to scale non-ISO linetypes and fill

patterns.
STYLESMANAGER
1005
Delete R14
Color Mapping
Table
Named plot style tables that you create using acadr14.cfg,

PCP, or PC2 files contain plot styles that are created from
your AutoCAD Release 14 pen mappings. Colordependent plot style tables also have color mapping
tables. AutoCAD uses color mapping tables to map plot
styles to colors and thus to objects of each color when
opening pre-AutoCAD 2000 drawings. While the color
mapping table exists, you cannot add, delete, or rename
plot styles in that plot style table.
If you delete a color mapping table, AutoCAD cannot
automatically assign plot styles to objects when preAutoCAD 2000 drawings are opened for the first time.
If you delete the mapping table, the plot style table
becomes an ordinary plot style table and is no longer
useful for applying plot styles to old drawings. It
continues to be useful for new drawings.
Table View and Form View Tabs (Plot Style Table Editor)
Lists all of the plot styles in the plot style table and their settings. Plot styles
are style overrides for your drawings that occur during plotting. You can
modify plot style color, screening, linetype, lineweight, and other settings.
Plot styles are displayed in columns from left to right. You can use either the
Table View tab or the Form View tab to adjust plot style settings. In general,
the Table View tab is convenient if you have a small number of plot styles. If
you have a large number of plot styles, the Form view is more convenient
because the plot style names are listed at the left and the properties of the
selected style are displayed to the right. You dont have to scroll horizontally
to view the style and its properties. The first plot style in a named plot style
table is NORMAL and represents an objects default properties (no plot style
applied). You cannot modify or delete the NORMAL style.
1006
STYLESMANAGER
Name
Displays the names of plot styles in named plot style

tables. Plot styles in named plot style tables can be
changed. Plot style names in color-dependent plot style
tables are tied to object color and cannot be changed.
AutoCAD accepts up to 255 characters for style names.
You cannot have duplicate names within the same plot
style table.
Description
Provides a description for each plot style.
Color
Specifies the plotted color for an object. The default

setting for plot style color is Use Object Color. If you
assign a plot style color, the color overrides the objects
color at plot time.
STYLESMANAGER
1007
You can choose Select Color to display the Select Color

dialog box (see page 169) and select one of the 255
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, a true color, or a color
from a color book. The color you specify is displayed in
the plot style color list as Custom Color. If the plot device
does not support the color you specify, it plots the nearest
available color or, in the case of monochrome devices,
black.
Enable
Dithering
Enables dithering. A plotter uses dithering to approximate

colors with dot patterns, giving the impression of plotting
more colors than available in the AutoCAD Color Index
(ACI). If the plotter does not support dithering, the
dithering setting is ignored.
Dithering is usually turned off in order to avoid false line
typing that results from dithering of thin vectors. Turning
off dithering also makes dim colors more visible. When
you turn off dithering, AutoCAD maps colors to the
nearest color, resulting in a smaller range of colors when
plotting. Dithering is available whether you use the
objects color or assign a plot style color.
Convert to
Grayscale
Converts the objects colors to grayscale if the plotter

supports grayscale. If you clear Convert to Grayscale,
AutoCAD uses the RGB values for object colors. Dithering
is available whether you use the objects color or assign a
plot style color.
Use Assigned
Pen Number
(Pen Plotters
Only)
Specifies a pen to use when plotting objects that use this

plot style. Available pens range from 1 to 32. If plot style
color is set to Use Object Color, or you are editing a plot
style in a color-dependent plot style table, you cannot
change the assigned pen number; the value is set to
Automatic.
If you specify 0, the field updates to read Automatic.
AutoCAD determines the pen of the closest color to the
object you are plotting using the information you
provided under Physical Pen Characteristics in the Plotter
Configuration Editor.
1008
STYLESMANAGER
Virtual Pen
Number
Specifies a virtual pen number between 1 and 255. Many

non-pen plotters can simulate pen plotters using virtual
pens. For many devices, you can program the pens width,
fill pattern, end style, join style, and color/screening from
the front panel on the plotter.
Enter 0 or Automatic to specify that AutoCAD should
make the virtual pen assignment from the AutoCAD
Color Index.
The virtual pen setting in a plot style is used only by nonpen plotters and only if they are configured for virtual
pens. If this is the case, all the other style settings are
ignored and only the virtual pen is used. If a non-pen
plotter is not configured for virtual pens, then the virtual
and physical pen information in the plot style is ignored
and all the other settings are used.
You can configure your non-pen plotter for virtual pens
under Vector Graphics on the Device and Document
Settings tab in the PC3 Editor. Under Color Depth, select
255 Virtual Pens.
Screening
Specifies a color intensity setting that determines the

amount of ink AutoCAD places on the paper while
plotting. The valid range is 0 through 100. Selecting 0
reduces the color to white. Selecting 100 displays the color
at its full intensity. In order for screening to work, the
Enable Dithering option must be selected.
Linetype
Displays a list with a sample and a description of each

linetype. The default setting for plot style linetype is Use
Object Linetype. If you assign a plot style linetype, the
linetype overrides the objects linetype at plot time.
Adaptive
Adjustment
Adjusts the scale of the linetype to complete the linetype

pattern. If you dont select Adaptive Adjustment, the line
might end in the middle of a pattern. Turn off Adaptive
Adjustment if linetype scale is important. Turn on
Adaptive Adjustment if complete linetype patterns are
more important than correct linetype scaling.
STYLESMANAGER
1009
Lineweight
Displays a sample of the lineweight as well as its numeric

value. You can specify the numeric value of each
lineweight in millimeters. The default setting for plot style
lineweight is Use Object Lineweight. If you assign a plot
style lineweight, the lineweight overrides the objects
lineweight at plot time.
Line End Style
Provides the following line end styles: Butt, Square,

Round, and Diamond. The default setting for Line End
Style is Use Object End Style. If you assign a line end style,
the line end style overrides the objects line end style at
plot time.
Line Join Style
Provides the following line join styles: Miter, Bevel,

Round, and Diamond. The default setting for Line Join
Style is Use Object Join Style. If you assign a line join style,
the line join style overrides the objects line join style at
plot time.
Fill Style
Provides the following fill styles: Solid, Checkerboard,

Crosshatch, Diamonds, Horizontal Bars, Slant Left, Slant
Right, Square Dots, and Vertical Bar. The default setting
for Fill Style is Use Object Fill Style. If you assign a fill
style, the fill style overrides the objects fill style at plot
time.
Add Style
Adds a new plot style to a named plot style table. The plot style is based on
Normal, which uses an objects properties and doesnt apply any overrides by
default. You must specify the overrides you want to apply after you create the
new plot style. You cannot add a new plot style to a color-dependent plot
style table; a color-dependent plot style table has 255 plot styles mapped to
color. You also cannot add a plot style to a named plot style table that has a
translation table.
Delete Style
Deletes the selected style from the plot style table. Objects assigned this plot
style retain the plot style assignment but plot as Normal because the plot
style is no longer defined in the plot style table. You cannot delete a plot style
from a named plot style table that has a translation table, or from a colordependent plot style table.
1010
STYLESMANAGER
Edit Lineweights
Displays the Edit Lineweights dialog box. There are 28 lineweights available
to apply to plot styles in plot style tables. If the lineweight you need doesnt
exist in the list of lineweights stored in the plot style table, you can edit an
existing lineweight. You cant add or delete lineweights from the list in the
plot style table.
Save As
Displays the Save As dialog box and saves the plot style table to a new name.
Edit Lineweights Dialog Box

Modifies the values of existing lineweights.
Lineweights
Lists the lineweights in the plot style table. There are a

total of 28 lineweights including Use Object Lineweight.
You can modify existing lineweights, but you cant add or
delete them. If you change a lineweight value, other plot
styles that use the lineweight also change.
When you edit a lineweight value, it is rounded and
displayed with a precision of four places past the decimal
point. Lineweight values must be zero or a positive
number. If you create a lineweight with a zero width, the
line is plotted as thin as the plotter can create it. The
maximum possible lineweight value is 100 millimeters
(approximately four inches).
Units for
Listing
Specifies the units in which to display the list of

lineweights. You can display the list of lineweights in
inches or millimeters.
Edit
Lineweight
Makes the selected lineweight available for editing.
STYLESMANAGER
1011
Sort
Lineweights
Sorts the list of lineweights by value. If you change

lineweight values, choose Sort Lineweights to resort the
list.
See Also
For information about using the Add-a-Plot-Style-Table wizard, see Use Plot
Styles to Control Plotted Objects in the Users Guide.
SUBTRACT
Combines selected regions or solids by subtraction
Modify menu: Solids Editing Subtract
Command line: subtract
Select solids and regions to subtract from...
Select solids and regions to subtract...
AutoCAD subtracts objects in the second selection set from objects in the
first selection set. A single new solid or region is created.
solid to be subtracted
from
region to be subtracted
from
1012
SUBTRACT
solid to subtract
region to subtract
solid after SUBTRACT
region after SUBTRACT
You can only subtract regions from other regions that are on the same plane.
However, you can perform simultaneous SUBTRACT actions by selecting sets
of regions on different planes. AutoCAD then produces separate subtracted
regions on each plane. AutoCAD rejects regions for which there are no other
selected coplanar regions.
See Also
Commands

intersection of several objects. UNION creates a composite
region or solid.
SYSWINDOWS
Arranges windows and icons
SYSWINDOWS is equivalent to the standard Window menu options in
Windows applications. It is intended for use with external applications that

share the AutoCAD window.
Command line: syswindows
Enter an option [Cascade/tile Horizontal/tile Vertical/Arrange icons]:
option
Enter an
Cascade
Overlaps windows, leaving title bars visible.
Tile Horizontal
Arranges windows in horizontal, nonoverlapping tiles.
Tile Vertical
Arranges windows in vertical, nonoverlapping tiles.
Arrange Icons
Arranges the window icons.
SYSWINDOWS
1013
1014
TABLET
Calibrates, configures, and turns on and off an attached digitizing tablet
TABLET controls tablet calibration, turns Tablet mode on and off, and
designates which menu areas are used for screen pointing.

Tools menu: Tablet
Command line: tablet
Enter an option [ON/OFF/CAL/CFG]:
On
Turns on Tablet mode. Setting the TABMODE system variable to 1 also turns
on Tablet mode. Pressing CTRL + T on some systems turns Tablet mode on and
off.
Off
Turns off Tablet mode. Setting the TABMODE system variable to 0 also turns
off Tablet mode. Pressing CTRL + T on some systems turns Tablet mode on
and off.
Cal
Calibrates the digitizer with a paper drawing or photograph, creating the
tablet transformation, which is the mapping of points from the tablet to the
coordinate drawing system. Calibration is digitizing points on the drawing
and mapping them to their real coordinates.
Calibration can be performed in model space or paper space. The Cal option
turns on Tablet mode in the space in which the tablet is calibrated. When the
space is changed, the Cal option turns off Tablet mode.
The paper should be flat (with no bumps or wrinkles) and securely fastened
to the digitizing tablet. The paper can be oriented at any angle.
Digitize point #1: Digitize a point on the paper drawing
Enter coordinates for point #1: Specify an X,Y coordinate at the digitized point
Digitize point #2: Digitize a point on the paper drawing
Enter coordinates for point #2: Specify an X,Y coordinate at the digitized point
Digitize point #3 (or ENTER to end): Digitize a point on the tablet or press ENTER
Enter coordinates for point #3: Specify an X,Y coordinate in the drawing
TABLET
1015
The points you enter cannot be duplicates. The points need not be the origin
on either axis, and you can enter as many points as you like. The more points
you enter, the more accurate the drawing will be.
If you enter only two points, the program automatically computes an
orthogonal transformation. If it is successful, the command ends.
If you enter three or more points, the program computes the transformation
in each of the three transformation types (Orthogonal, Affine, and
Projective) to determine which best fits the calibration points. If you enter
more than four points, computing the best-fitting projective transformation
can take a long time. You can cancel the process by pressing ESC .
When the computations are complete, the program displays a table with the
number of calibration points and a column for each transformation type. For
a description of the information contained in the table, see Transformation
Table on page 1017.
If there have been no failures of projection transformation, the program
prompts you to choose a transformation type.
Enter transformation type [Orthogonal/Affine/Projective/Repeat table] <Repeat>:
Only transformation types for which the outcome was Success, Exact, or
Canceled are included in this prompt. A projective transformation can be
specified even if it was canceled. The program uses the result computed at the
time you canceled.
Orthogonal
Specifies translation, uniform scaling, and rotation

with two calibration points.
Use Orthogonal for dimensionally accurate paper
drawings and paper drawings in which the portion to
be digitized is long and narrow, with most points
confined to single lines.
Note You must specify the lower-left point location
before specifying the upper-right point location.
Affine
1016
TABLET
Specifies arbitrary linear transformation in two

dimensions consisting of translation, independent Xand Y-scaling, rotation, and skewing with three
calibration points.
Use Affine when horizontal dimensions in a paper

drawing are stretched with respect to vertical
dimensions, and lines that are supposed to be parallel
actually are parallel.
The RMS (root mean square) error reported after
calibration measures how close the program has come
to making a perfect fit. Affine should be used if the RMS
is small.
Projective
Specifies a transformation equivalent to a perspective

projection of one plane in space onto another plane
with four calibration points. A projective
transformation provides a limited form of what
cartographers call rubber sheeting, in which different
portions of the tablet surface are stretched by varying
amounts. Straight lines map into straight lines. Parallel
lines do not necessarily stay parallel.
Projective transformation corrects parallel lines that
appear to converge.
Repeat Table
Redisplays the computed table, which rates the

transformation types.
Transformation Table
Reports the number of calibration points and provides information about
each transformation type.
Outcome of Fit
Reports the outcome of fit for each of the transformation types. If the outcome of fit is not Success or Exact for any of the transformation types, the
program reports failure of the entire calibration process and ends the
command. The remaining entries in each column are blank unless Outcome
of Fit is Success.
Exact
Indicates the correct number of points for a valid

transformation.
Success
Indicates more than enough points. The program

succeeded in fitting a transformation to the data.
Impossible
Indicates not enough points.
TABLET
1017
Failure
Indicates enough points, but the program was unable to

fit a transformation to the points, usually because some
points were colinear or coincident.
Canceled
Indicates that the fit process was canceled. This

outcome occurs only with the projective
transformation.
RMS Error
Reports the RMS (root mean square) error, which measures how close the
program has come to finding a perfect fit. The goal is the smallest RMS error.
Standard Deviation
Reports the standard deviation of the residuals. If it is near zero, the residual
at each calibration point is about the same.
Largest Residual/At Point
Reports the point at which the mapping is least accurate. The residual is the
distance between where the point was mapped during transformation and
where it would be mapped if the fit were perfect. The distance is given in the
current linear units.
Second-Largest Residual/At Point
Reports the point at which the mapping is second-least accurate. The residual
is the distance between where the point was mapped during transformation
and where it would be mapped if the fit were perfect. The distance is given
in the current linear units.
Cfg
Designates or realigns the tablet menu areas or designates a small portion of
a large tablet as a screen pointing area.
Enter number of tablet menus desired (04) <current>: Enter a value or
press ENTER
If tablet menus are in use and the same number of menus is selected, the
following prompts are displayed:
Do you want to realign tablet menus? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n or press ENTER
Digitize upper-left corner of menu area n: Digitize a point (1)
Digitize lower-left corner of menu area n: Digitize a point (2)
Digitize lower-right corner of menu area n: Digitize a point (3)
1
3
In the prompt, n is the menu number (14).
1018
TABLET
The printed menu form must be affixed to the tablet surface, and the
requested points must be digitized. The set of three points must form a
90-degree angle. Tablet menu areas can be skewed at any angle.
Enter the number of columns for menu area n: Enter a positive value
Enter the number of rows for menu area n: Enter a positive value
After all interaction concerning tablet menus is complete, the following
Do you want to respecify the screen pointing area? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n
or press ENTER
If you enter y, the following prompts are displayed:
Digitize lower-left corner of the pointing area: Digitize a point
Digitize upper-right corner of the pointing area: Digitize a point
A small portion of the tablets surface is designated as the fixed screen
pointing area. The following prompt is displayed:
Do you want to specify the Floating Screen Pointing area? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter
y or n or press ENTER
If you responded y to the previous prompt, respond to the following prompt:
Do you want the Floating Screen Area to be the same size as the Fixed Screen
Pointing Area? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n or press ENTER
If you responded n to the previous prompt, respond to the following
prompts:
Digitize lower-left corner of the Floating Screen pointing area: Digitize a point
Digitize upper-right corner of the Floating Screen pointing area: Digitize a point
Respond to the following prompt:
The F12 Key will toggle the Floating Screen Area ON and OFF. Would you also
like to specify a button to toggle the Floating Screen Area? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter
y or n or press ENTER
If you responded y to the previous prompt, respond to the following prompt:
Press any non-pick button on the digitizer puck that you wish to designate as the
toggle for the Floating Screen Area
See Also
System Variables
TABMODE turns Tablet mode on and off.
TABLET
1019
TABSURF
Creates a tabulated surface from a path curve and a direction vector
TABSURF constructs a polygon mesh representing a general tabulated surface
defined by a path curve and a direction vector.
direction
vector
selection
point
path curve
Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces Tabulated Surface
Command line: tabsurf
Select object for path curve:
The path curve defines the surface of the polygon mesh. It can be a line, arc,
circle, ellipse, or 2D or 3D polyline. AutoCAD draws the surface starting at
the point on the path curve closest to the selection point.
extrusion
upward
Select object for direction vector: Select a line or open polyline

direction
vector
selection
point
path curve
AutoCAD considers only the first and last points on a polyline, ignoring
intermediate vertices. The direction vector indicates the direction and length
of the shape to be extruded. The end selected on the polyline or line determines the direction of the extrusion. The original path curve is drawn with
wide lines to help you visualize how the direction vector dictates the construction of a tabulated surface.
TABSURF constructs a 2 n polygon mesh, where n is determined by the
SURFTAB1 system variable. The M direction of the mesh is always 2 and lies
along the direction vector. The N direction lies along the path curve. If the
path curve is a line, arc, circle, ellipse, or spline-fit polyline, AutoCAD draws
tabulation lines that divide the path curve into intervals of equal size set by
SURFTAB1. If the path curve is a polyline that has not been spline fit, AutoCAD
draws tabulation lines at the ends of straight segments, and each arc segment
is divided into intervals set by SURFTAB1.
extrusion
downward
polyline spline fit
1020
TABSURF
polyline not spline fit
See Also
Commands
RULESURF creates a polygon mesh representing the

ruled surface between two curves. REVSURF creates a
surface of revolution by rotating a path curve or profile

around a selected axis. EDGESURF creates a 3D polygon
mesh.
System Variables
SURFTAB1 controls the number of divisions along the N
direction of a polygon mesh.
TEXT
Creates a single-line text object
You can use TEXT to enter several lines of text that you can rotate, justify, and
resize. As you type at the Enter Text prompt, the text you are typing is
displayed on the screen. Each line of text is a separate object. To end a line
and begin another, press ENTER after entering characters at the Enter Text
prompt. To end TEXT, press ENTER without entering any characters at the
Enter Text prompt.
By applying a style to the text, you can use a variety of character patterns or
fonts that you can stretch, compress, make oblique, mirror, or align in a
vertical column.
Draw menu: Text Single Line Text
Command line: text
Current text style: current Current text height: current
Specify start point of text or [Justify/Style]: Specify a point or enter an option
If TEXT was the last command entered, pressing ENTER at the Specify Start
Point of Text prompt skips the prompts for height and rotation angle and
immediately displays the Enter Text prompt. The text is placed directly
beneath the previous line of text. The point specified at the prompt is also
stored as the insertion point of the text.
You can enter special characters and format text by entering Unicode strings
and control codes.
Use -TEXT to honor the TEXTEVAL system variable (see page 1028).
TEXT
1021
Start Point
Specifies a start point for the text object.
Specify height <current>: Specify a point (1), enter a value, or press ENTER
height
The Specify Height prompt is displayed only if the current text style does not
have a fixed height.
1
Specify rotation angle of text <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER

Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the command
rotation
angle
Justify
Controls justification of the text.
Enter an option [Align/Fit/Center/Middle/Right/TL/TC/TR/ML/MC/MR/BL/BC/
BR]:
You can also enter any of these options at the Specify Start Point of Text
prompt.
2
Align
Specifies both text height and text orientation by

designating the endpoints of the baseline.
Specify first endpoint of text baseline: Specify a point (1)
Specify second endpoint of text baseline: Specify a point
(2)
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command
Fit
2
The size of the characters adjusts in proportion to their

height. The longer the text string, the shorter the
characters.
Specifies that text fits within an area and at an
orientation defined with two points and a height.
Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify first endpoint of text baseline: Specify a point (1)
Specify second endpoint of text baseline: Specify a
point (2)
command
1022
TEXT
The height is the distance in drawing units that the

uppercase letters extend from the baseline. Designated
text height is the distance between the start point and
a point you specify. The longer the text string, the
narrower the characters. The height of the characters
remains constant.
Center
1
Aligns text from the horizontal center of the baseline,

which you specify with a point.
Specify center point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
command
The rotation angle specifies the orientation of the text
baseline with respect to the center point. You can
designate the angle by specifying a point. The text
baseline runs from the start point toward the specified
point. If you specify a point to the left of the center
point, the text is drawn upside down.
Middle
1
Aligns text at the horizontal center of the baseline and

the vertical center of the height you specify. Middlealigned text does not rest on the baseline.
Specify middle point of text: Specify a point (1)
command
The Middle option differs from the MC option in that
it uses the midpoint of all text, including descenders.
The MC option uses the midpoint of the height of
uppercase letters.
TEXT
1023
Right
1
Right-justifies the text at the baseline, which you

specify with a point.
Specify right endpoint of text baseline: Specify a point (1)
command
TL (Top Left)
Left-justifies text at a point specified for the top of the

text. Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify top-left point of text: Specify a point (1)
command
TC (Top Center)
Centers text at a point specified for the top of the text.

Specify top-center point of text: Specify a point (1)
command
TR (Top Right)
Right-justifies text at a point specified for the top of the

text. Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify top-right point of text: Specify a point (1)
command
1024
TEXT
ML (Middle Left)
Left-justifies text at a point specified for the middle of

the text. Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify middle-left point of text: Specify a point (1)
command
MC (Middle
Center)
Centers the text both horizontally and vertically at the

middle of the text. Available for horizontally oriented
text only.
Specify middle-center point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height of text <current>:
command
The MC option differs from the Middle option in that
it uses the midpoint of the height of uppercase letters.
The Middle option uses the midpoint of all text,
including descenders.
MR (Middle
Right)
Right-justifies text at a point specified for the middle of

the text. Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify middle-right point of text: Specify a point (1)
command
TEXT
1025
BL (Bottom Left)
1
Left-justifies text at a point specified for the baseline.

Specify bottom-left point of text: Specify a point (1)
command
BC (Bottom
Center)
Centers text at a point specified for the baseline.

Specify bottom-center point of text: Specify a point (1)
command
BR (Bottom
Right)
Right-justifies text at a point specified for the baseline.

Specify bottom-right point of text: Specify a point (1)
command
Style
Specifies the text style, which determines the appearance of the text
characters. Text you create uses the current text style.
Enter style name or [?] <current>: Enter a text style name or enter ? to list all text
styles
various styles
1026
Entering ? lists the current text styles, associated font files, height, and other
parameters.
TEXT
Special Unicode Characters

When entering text, you can create special characters, including the degree
symbol, plus/minus tolerance symbol, and the diameter symbol, by entering
the following Unicode character strings:
\U+00B0
Degrees symbol ()
\U+00B1
Tolerance symbol ()
\U+2205
Diameter symbol ()
See Unicode Font Descriptions in the Customization Guide.
Control Codes and Special Characters

Besides using Unicode characters for entering special characters, you can also
overscore text, underscore text, or insert a special character by including
control information in the text string. Use a pair of percent signs to introduce
each control sequence.
You can use this control code with standard AutoCAD text fonts and
PostScript fonts:
%%nnn
Draws character number nnn.
You can use these control codes with standard AutoCAD text fonts only:
%%o
%%u
Toggles overscoring on and off.

Toggles underscoring on and off.
%%d
Draws degrees symbol ().
%%p
Draws plus/minus tolerance symbol ().
%%c
Draws circle diameter dimensioning symbol ().
%%%
Draws a single percent sign (%).
Overscoring and underscoring can be in effect at the same time. Both turn
off automatically at the end of the text string.
You can use the %%nnn control sequence to display special characters using
the PostScript fonts.
A sample drawing (truetype.dwg) showing the character map for each font is
provided in the AutoCAD 2004/sample folder.
TEXT
1027
The Euro Symbol

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.
TEXT and the TEXTEVAL System Variable

Entering -text at the Command prompt displays the same prompts as the
TEXT command. Unlike the TEXT command, -TEXT honors the setting of the
TEXTEVAL system variable. When the TEXTEVAL system variable is set to 2,
AutoCAD evaluates AutoLISP expressions when the -TEXT command ends.
AutoLISP expressions that are entered using this method must begin with an
exclamation point or left parenthesis.
The TEXT command honors the TEXTEVAL system variable setting only if used
in a script or AutoLISP expression and all the TEXT command prompts are
included within the script or AutoLISP expression.
See Also
See Create Single-Line Text in the Users Guide.
Commands
DDEDIT edits text content. STYLE creates text styles.

MTEXT creates a multiline text object that fits within a
specified area. SPELL checks the spelling of text.
TEXTSCR
Opens the text window
View menu: Display Text Window
Command line: textscr (or 'textscr for transparent use)
TEXTSCR displays the command line in a separate window. You can press F2
to toggle between the drawing area and the text window. This command is
ignored on dual-screen systems.
See Also
Commands
1028
TEXTSCR
GRAPHSCR switches from the text window to the

drawing area.
TIFOUT
Saves selected objects to a file in TIFF file format
Command line: tifout
The Create Raster File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Enter the file name in the dialog box.
AutoCAD creates a TIFF file that contains the objects you select. The file
reflects what is displayed on the screen.
TIME
Displays the date and time statistics of a drawing
Tools menu: Inquiry Time
Command line: time (or 'time for transparent use)
TIME displays the following information:
Current time: Wednesday, September 03, 1997 at 9:54:51:406 AM

Times for this drawing:
Created:
Friday, July 25, 1994 at 1:21:36:203 AM
Last Updated:Wednesday, September 03, 1997 at 9:49:19:208 AM
Total Editing Time: 0 days 06:44:10.520
Elapsed Timer (on):0 days 00:07:05.312
Next Automatic Save In:0 days 01:59:15.570
Enter option [Display/On/OFF/Reset]: Enter an option or press ENTER
Current Time
Displays current date and time. AutoCAD displays all

times to the nearest millisecond using a 24-hour clock.
Created
Displays date and time the current drawing was created.
Last Updated
Displays the date and time of the latest update of the

current drawing. This date and time is initially the
drawing creation time. AutoCAD revises it with each
use of END or SAVE and applies the default file name.
TIFOUT
1029
Total Editing
Time
Displays time spent editing the current drawing. This

timer is updated by AutoCAD and cannot be reset or
stopped. Plotting time is not included in the total
editing time. If you quit the editing session without
saving the drawing, the time you spent in the editing
session is not added to the accumulated editing time.
Elapsed Timer
Runs as another timer while AutoCAD is running. You

can turn it on and off or reset it whenever you like.
Next Automatic
Save In
Indicates time remaining until the next automatic save.

You can set the time interval using OPTIONS or the
SAVETIME system variable.
Display
Repeats the display with updated times.
On
Starts the user elapsed timer if it was off.
Off
Stops the user elapsed timer.
Reset
Resets the user elapsed timer to 0 days 00:00:00.000.
See Also
Commands
OPTIONS sets the time interval for automatic saves.
System Variables
SAVETIME sets the time interval for automatic saves.

CDATE stores the current date. TDCREATE sets the time
and date of the drawing creation. TDINDWG calculates
the total editing time. TDUPDATE sets the time and date
of the last update. TDUSRTIMER calculates the user
elapsed timer.
TOLERANCE
Creates geometric tolerances
Geometric tolerances define the maximum allowable variations of form or
profile, orientation, location, and runout from the exact geometry in a
drawing. They specify the required accuracy for proper function and fit of the
objects you draw in AutoCAD.
1030
TOLERANCE
AutoCAD adds geometric tolerances to a drawing in feature control frames.

These are frames divided into compartments that contain the geometric
characteristic symbols followed by one or more tolerance values. Where
applicable, the tolerance is preceded by the diameter symbol and followed by
datums and symbols for their material conditions.
Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Tolerance
Command line: tolerance
The Geometric Tolerance dialog box is displayed.
Geometric Tolerance Dialog Box

Specifies the symbols and values for a feature control frame.
After you select geometric characteristic symbols, the Geometric Tolerance

dialog box closes and AutoCAD displays this prompt:
Enter tolerance location: Specify a location
AutoCAD places the feature control frame at the specified location.
Sym
Displays the geometric characteristic symbol, which you select from the
Symbol dialog box (see page 1033). The dialog box is displayed when you
select one of the Sym boxes.
Tolerance 1
Creates the first tolerance value in the feature control frame. The tolerance
value indicates the amount by which the geometric characteristic can deviate
from a perfect form. You can insert a diameter symbol before the tolerance
value and a material condition symbol after it.
TOLERANCE
1031
First Box
Inserts a diameter symbol () in front of the tolerance

value. Click the box to insert the diameter symbol.
Second Box
Creates the tolerance value. Enter a value in the box.
Third Box
Displays the Material Condition dialog box (see page

1035), in which you select a modifying symbol. These
symbols act as modifiers to the geometric characteristic
and the tolerance value of features that can vary in size.
Select the symbol you want to use. AutoCAD closes the
Material Condition dialog box and inserts the symbol
into the MC box for the first tolerance value in the
Geometric Tolerance dialog box.
Tolerance 2
Creates the second tolerance value in the feature control frame. Specify the
second tolerance value in the same way as the first.
Datum 1
Creates the primary datum reference in the feature control frame. The datum
reference can consist of a value and a modifying symbol. A datum is a
theoretically exact geometric reference used to establish the tolerance zone
for a feature.
First Box
Creates the datum reference value. Enter a value in the

box.
Second Box
Displays the Material Condition dialog box (see page

1035), in which you select a modifying symbol. These
symbols act as modifiers to the datum reference.
Select the symbol you want to use. AutoCAD closes the
Material Condition dialog box and inserts the symbol
into the MC box for the primary datum reference in the
Geometric Tolerance dialog box.
1032
TOLERANCE
Datum 2
Creates the secondary datum reference in the feature control frame in the
same way as the primary datum reference.
Datum 3
Creates the tertiary datum reference in the feature control frame in the same
way as the primary datum reference.
Height
Creates a projected tolerance zone value in the feature control frame. A
projected tolerance zone controls the variation in height of the extended
portion of a fixed perpendicular part and refines the tolerance to that
specified by positional tolerances. Enter a value in the box.
Projected Tolerance Zone

Inserts a projected tolerance zone symbol,
zone value.
, after the projected tolerance
Datum Identifier
Creates a datum-identifying symbol consisting of a reference letter. A datum
is a theoretically exact geometric reference from which you can establish the
location and tolerance zones of other features. A point, line, plane, cylinder,
or other geometry can serve as a datum. Enter the letter in the box.
Symbol Dialog Box

Displays the geometric characteristic symbols for location, orientation, form,
profile, and runout.
tolerance value
geometric characteristic
symbol
material condition symbol

datum reference letter
diameter symbol
TOLERANCE
1033
Select the symbol you want to use. AutoCAD closes the dialog box and inserts
the symbol into the Sym text box in the Geometric Tolerance dialog box. The
following table describes the symbols.
Geometric characteristic symbols
Symbol
1034
TOLERANCE
Characteristic
Type
Position
Location
Concentricity or coaxiality
Location
Symmetry
Location
Parallelism
Orientation
Perpendicularity
Orientation
Angularity
Orientation
Cylindricity
Form
Flatness
Form
Circularity or roundness
Form
Straightness
Form
Profile of a surface
Profile
Profile of a line
Profile
Circular runout
Runout
Total runout
Runout
Material Condition Dialog Box

Specifies a modifying symbol. These symbols act as modifiers to the
geometric characteristic and the tolerance value of features that can vary in
size.
regardless of
feature size
at least material
condition
at maximum
material condition
Select the symbol you want to use. AutoCAD closes the Material Condition
dialog box and inserts the symbol into the MC box for the first or second
tolerance value in the Geometric Tolerance dialog box (see page 1031).
See Also
See Overview of Geometric Tolerances in the Users Guide.
Commands
DIMSTYLE controls dimension styles and settings such

as lateral and limits tolerancing for dimensions.
QLEADER creates leader lines to which you can attach
geometric tolerances.
System Variables
DIMCLRD controls the color of the feature control

frame. DIMCLRT controls the color of the tolerance text.
DIMGAP controls the gap between the feature control
frame and the text. DIMTXT controls the size of the
tolerance text. DIMTXSTY controls the style of the
tolerance text.
TOOLBAR
Displays, hides, and customizes toolbars
View menu: Toolbars
Shortcut menu: Right-click any toolbar and choose Customize.
Command line: toolbar
AutoCAD displays the Customize dialog box (see CUSTOMIZE).
If you enter -toolbar at the Command prompt, TOOLBAR displays prompts on
TOOLBAR
1035
TOOLBAR Command Line

If you enter -toolbar at the Command prompt, TOOLBAR displays prompts on
the command line.
Enter toolbar name or [ALL]: Enter a name or enter all
Toolbar Name
Specifies a toolbar to display, close, or position.
Enter a valid toolbar name. If the default menu is loaded, the following
names are available:
3d_orbit
layouts
render
text
cad_standards
modify
shade
ucs
dimension
modify_ii
solids
ucs_ii
draw
object_snap
solids_editing
view
inquiry
properties
standard_toolbar
viewports
insert
refedit
styles
web
layers
reference
surfaces
zoom
Enter an option [Show/Hide/Left/Right/Top/Bottom/Float] <Show>: Enter an

Show
Displays the specified toolbar.
Hide
Closes the specified toolbar.
Left
Docks the specified toolbar at the left side of the screen.

Enter new position (horizontal, vertical) <0,0>: Specify a
position or press ENTER
The Enter New Position prompt sets the position of the
toolbar in columns and rows relative to a toolbar dock.
The first value is horizontal. The second value is
vertical.
1036
TOOLBAR
Right
Docks the specified toolbar at the right side of the

screen.
vertical.
Top
Docks the specified toolbar at the top of the screen.

vertical.
Bottom
Docks the specified toolbar at the bottom of the screen.

Enter new position (horizontal, vertical) <0,0>:
Specify a

vertical.
Float
Changes the toolbar from docked to floating.

Enter new position (screen coordinates) <0,0>: Specify a
Enter number of rows for toolbar <1>: Enter a value
The Enter New Position prompt specifies the location of
the floating toolbar in screen coordinate values. The
Enter Number of Rows for Toolbar prompt specifies the
number of rows in the floating toolbar.
TOOLBAR
1037
All
Displays or closes all toolbars.
Enter an option [Show/Hide]: Enter s or h
Show
Displays all toolbars.
Hide
Closes all toolbars.
See Also
See Toolbars in the Users Guide and Create Custom Toolbars and Customize Toolbars in the Customization Guide.
Commands
CUSTOMIZE customizes toolbars, buttons, and shortcut
keys.
System Variables
TOOLTIPS turns tooltips text on or off.
TOOLPALETTES
Opens the Tool Palettes window
Standard toolbar:
Tools menu: Tool Palettes Window
Command line: toolpalettes
The Tool Palettes window opens. You can click the Properties button or rightclick the title bar, the current tool palette, the tab on a tool palette, or a tool
to display a shortcut menu. The options displayed on each shortcut menu are
appropriate to the cursor location. All the options on these shortcut menus
are listed alphabetically and described below.
1038
Allow Docking
Controls whether the tool palette docks when you drag

it over a docking area at the side of the drawing. Clear
this option to undock a docked tool palette.
Auto-hide
Controls display of the tool palette. When this option

is checked, only the tool palette title bar is displayed
when the cursor moves outside the tool palette. When
this option is not checked, the full tool palette is
displayed when the cursor moves.
TOOLPALETTES
Close
Closes the tool palette window.
Copy
Copies the selected tool to the Clipboard.
Customize
Displays the Tool Palettes tab in the Customize dialog

box.
Cut
Removes the selected tool from the tool palette and

places it on the Clipboard.
Delete Tool
Removes the selected tool from the tool palette.
Delete Tool
Palette
Removes the current tool palette.
Move
Changes the cursor to a four-direction arrow.
Move Up
Moves the selected tool palette up one position.
Move Down
Moves the selected tool palette down one position.
New Tool Palette
Creates a new tool palette. Enter a name or press ENTER

to use the default name.
Paste
Pastes a tool from the Clipboard to the current tab.
Properties
Displays the Tool Properties dialog box, where you can

change the properties of the selected tool.
Rename
Renames the selected tool.
Rename Tool
Palette
Renames the current tool palette.
Size
Changes the cursor to a four-direction arrow. Drag the

right edge or the bottom edge of the tool palette to
change its size.
Transparency
Displays the Transparency dialog box.
View Options
Displays the View Options dialog box, where you can

control how tools are displayed.
View Options Dialog Box

Controls the display of tools in the current tool palette or in all tool palettes.
Image Size
Controls the display size of the selected tool palette icon.
TOOLPALETTES
1039
View Style
Controls the text displayed with a tool palette icon.
Icon Only
Displays the tool icon only.
Icon with Text
Displays the tool icon with the tool name below.
List View
Displays the tool icon with the tool name to the right.
Apply To
Controls whether the view options are applied to the current tool palette or
to all tool palettes in the Tool Palettes window.
Tool Properties Dialog Box

Controls the properties associated with the selected tool.
Name
Displays the name of the selected block or hatch pattern tool.
Description
Displays a description of the selected block or hatch pattern tool.
Insert (for block tools)
Displays the properties specific to block tools.
Name
Specifies the name of the block.
Source File
Specifies the file name for the block definition.
Scale
Specifies the XYZ scale factor of the block
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the block.
Explode
Determines whether or not the block is exploded when

inserted. If the block is exploded, the individual parts of
the block are inserted instead of the block.
Pattern (for hatch tools)

Type
Specifies the pattern type of the hatch.
1040
Pattern Name
Specifies the pattern name of hatch.
Angle
Specifies the pattern angle of hatch.
Scale
Specifies the pattern scale of hatch.
TOOLPALETTES
Spacing
Specifies the pattern spacing of hatch.
ISO Pen Width
Specifies the ISO pen width of an ISO hatch pattern.
Double
Determines whether the hatch pattern is double or not.
General
Color
Specifies the color override for the selected tool.
Layer
Specifies the layer override for the selected tool.
Linetype
Specifies the linetype override for the selected tool.
Plot Style
Specifies the plot style override for the selected tool.
Lineweight
Specifies the lineweight override for the selected tool.
See Also
See Tool Palettes in the Users Guide.
Commands

keys. TOOLPALETTES opens the Tool Palettes window.
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE
Closes the Tool Palettes window
Tools menu: Tool Palettes Window
Command line: toolpalettesclose
Closes the Tool Palettes window.
See Also
See Tool Palettes in the Users Guide.
Commands

keys. TOOLPALETTES opens the Tool Palettes window.
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE
1041
TORUS
Creates a donut-shaped solid
A torus is defined by two radius values, one for the tube and the other for the
distance from the center of the torus to the center of the tube.
You can also create self-intersecting tori. A self-intersecting torus has no
center hole: the radius of the tube is greater than the radius of the torus. If
both radii are positive and the radius of the tube is greater than the radius of
the torus, the result looks like a sphere with a depression at each pole. If the
radius of the torus is negative and the radius of the tube has a greater positive
magnitude than the radius of the torus, the result looks like a sphere with
pointed poles.
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Torus
Command line: torus
Specify center of torus <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER
Specify radius of torus or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d
Radius
Defines the radius of the torus: the distance from the center of the torus to
the center of the tube. A negative radius creates a solid shaped like an
American football.
tube
radius
Specify radius of tube or [Diameter]:
torus
radius
Radius
Defines the radius of the tube.
Diameter
Defines the diameter of the tube.

Specify diameter: Specify a nonzero distance
Diameter
Defines the diameter of the torus.
Specify diameter: Specify a distance
Specify radius of tube or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d
1042
TORUS
tube
diameter
Radius
Defines the radius of the tube.
Diameter
Defines the diameter of the tube.

Specify diameter: Specify a nonzero distance
See Also
torus
diameter
Commands
The Torus option of the 3D command creates a surfacemeshed torus.
TRACE
Creates solid lines
Command line: trace
2
3
1
specify endpoint
Specify trace width <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

Specify next point: Specify a point (2)
Specify next point: Specify a point (3) or press ENTER to end the command
The endpoints of a trace are on the center line and are always cut square.
TRACE automatically calculates the correct bevels for connection to adjacent
endpoint
segments. AutoCAD delays drawing each segment until you either specify
the next segment or press ENTER . Because of the way bevels are handled,
TRACE has no undo option.
Traces are solid filled when Fill mode is on. When Fill mode is off, only the
outline of a trace is displayed.
TRACE completed
See Also
Commands
System Variables
FILL turns interior filling of objects on or off. PLINE

draws two-dimensional polylines.
TRACEWID stores the current width used for TRACE.
TRACE
1043
TRANSPARENCY
Controls whether background pixels in an image are transparent or opaque
Several image file formats allow images with transparent pixels. Setting
image transparency to On allows AutoCAD to recognize the transparent
pixels so that graphics on the screen show through those pixels. Transparency is available for both bitonal and nonbitonal (Alpha RGB or gray-scale)
images. By default, images are attached with transparency turned off.
Transparency is controlled on a per-object basis.
TRANSPARENCY supports the PICKFIRST system variable, and you can select
multiple images. Objects that are not images are filtered from the selection
set.
Note The PALETTEOPAQUE system variable controls whether windows can be

made transparent.
Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Image Transparency
Shortcut menu: Select an image, right-click in the drawing area, and choose
Image Transparency.
Command line: transparency
Select image(s):
Enter transparency mode [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter an option or press ENTER
On
Turns transparency on so that objects beneath the

image are visible.
Off
Turns transparency off so that objects beneath the

image are not visible.
See Also
Commands

brightness, contrast, and fade values for individual

images. IMAGEATTACH attaches an image object and
definition. IMAGECLIP creates new clipping boundaries
for single image objects. IMAGEFRAME controls whether
the image frame is displayed on the screen or is hidden
from view.
1044
TRANSPARENCY
TRAYSETTINGS
Controls the display of icons and notifications in the status bar tray
Shortcut menu: Right-click the status bar and click Tray Settings.
Command line: traysettings
The Tray Settings dialog box is displayed.
Tray Settings Dialog Box

Controls the display of icons and notifications in the tray at the right end of
the status bar.
Display Icons from Services
Displays the tray at the right end of the status bar and displays icons from
services. When this option is cleared, the tray is not displayed.
Display Notifications from Services
Displays notifications from services. When the Display Icons from Services
option is cleared, this option is unavailable.
Display Time
Sets the time in seconds that a notification is displayed.
Display Until
Closed
Displays a notification until you click the Close button.
See Also
Commands
STANDARDS displays an icon in the status bar tray if the

drawing has a standards file attached. SECURITYOPTIONS displays an icon in the status bar tray if the
drawing has a digital signature. The XREF and XATTACH
commands display an icon in the status bar tray if there

are xrefs attached to the drawing.
System Variables
TRAYICONS controls whether the status bar tray is displayed. TRAYNOTIFY controls whether service notifications are displayed in the status bar tray. TRAYTIMEOUT
controls the length of time (in seconds) that service

notifications are displayed.
TRAYSETTINGS
1045
TREESTAT
Displays information about the drawings current spatial index
AutoCAD indexes objects in a region by recording their positions in space.
The result is called a spatial index. The spatial index is tree structured and has
branching nodes to which objects are attached. The index has two major
branches. The paper space branch is called a quad-tree and treats objects as
two-dimensional. The model space branch is called an oct-tree and treats
objects as either two- or three-dimensional. The model space branch can also
be changed to a quad-tree when you are working on two-dimensional
drawings.
Command line: treestat (or 'treestat for transparent use)
AutoCAD displays information about each branch. The most important
information is in the first two lines of the reportnumber of nodes, number
of objects, maximum depth of the branch, and average number of objects per
node.
If REDRAW and object selection are very slow, you can improve their performance. For example, if AutoCAD has 50 megabytes of memory available and
the current drawing has 50,000 objects with only 1,000 nodes in the index
tree, increase the TREEDEPTH value to improve performance.
Each node consumes about 80 bytes of memory. The fewer objects per node
of the oct-tree, the better the performance.
See Also
System Variables
1046
TREESTAT
TREEDEPTH specifies the maximum depth of a drawings

spatial index. TREEMAX limits memory consumption
during regeneration by limiting the maximum number
of nodes in a drawings spatial index.
TRIM
Trims objects at a cutting edge defined by other objects
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Trim
Command line: trim
Current settings: Projection = current Edge = current
Select cutting edges...
Select objects: Select one or more objects and press ENTER , or press ENTER to
select all objects (implied selection)
Objects that can be trimmed include arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, lines, open
2D and 3D polylines, rays, splines, and xlines.
selected
cutting edge
Select the objects that define the cutting edges at which you want to trim an
object or press ENTER to select all objects as potential cutting edges. Valid
cutting edge objects include 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, circles, ellipses, lines,
layout viewports, rays, regions, splines, text, and xlines. TRIM projects the
cutting edges and the objects to be trimmed onto the XY plane of the current
user coordinate system (UCS).
Select object to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: Select an object to trim, press SHIFT
and select an object to extend, or enter an option
When AutoCAD prompts you to select boundary edges, you can press ENTER
and select the object to be trimmed. AutoCAD trims the object against the
nearest candidate. You can use only the single, crossing, fence, and implied
selection options to select boundaries that include blocks.
Object to Trim
Specifies the object to trim. AutoCAD repeats the prompt for the object to
trim so that you can trim multiple objects. Pressing SHIFT while selecting an
object extends it to the nearest boundary rather than trimming it. Pressing
ENTER ends the command.
If the selection point is between the end of the object and a cutting edge,
TRIM removes the portion of the object that extends beyond the cutting edge.
objects to trim
If the selection point is between two cutting edges, the portion between is
deleted and the portions outside are preserved, turning one object into two.
TRIM
1047
AutoCAD trims 2D wide polylines at their center lines. If the polyline is

tapered, the width at the cutting edge is the same after trimming. The ends
of a wide polyline are always square. Cutting a wide polyline at an angle
causes portions of the end to extend beyond the cutting edge. Trimming a
spline-fit polyline removes the curve-fit information and changes the splinefit segments into ordinary polyline segments.
Project
Specifies the projection AutoCAD uses when trimming objects.
Enter a projection option [None/Ucs/View] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
None
Specifies no projection. AutoCAD trims only objects

that intersect with the cutting edge in 3D space.
object not intersecting

with cutting edge in
3D space
object intersecting with
cutting edge in 3D
space
UCS
Specifies projection onto the XY plane of the current

UCS. AutoCAD trims objects that do not intersect with
the cutting edge in 3D space.
projection of objects onto

current UCS intersecting
with cutting edge
View
1048
TRIM
Specifies projection along the current view direction.

AutoCAD trims objects that intersect the boundary in
the current view.
left viewport
object to trim
right viewport
Edge
Determines whether an object is trimmed at another objects implied edge or
only to an object that intersects it in 3D space.
selected cutting
edge
Extend
Enter an implied edge extension mode [Extend/No extend] <current>: Enter an

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.
Undo
Reverses the most recent change made by TRIM.
No extend
See Also
See Trim or Extend Objects in the Users Guide.
Commands
BREAK erases parts of an object or splits an object in two.

EXTEND extends an object to meet another object.
FILLET rounds and fillets the edges of objects. CHAMFER
bevels the edges of objects.

System Variables
EDGEMODE determines whether an object is trimmed to

another objects implied edge or only to an object that
intersects it in 3D space. PROJMODE specifies the
Projection AutoCAD uses when trimming objects.
TRIM
1049
1050
U
Reverses the most recent operation
Standard toolbar:
Edit menu: Undo
Shortcut menu: With no commands active and no objects selected, rightclick in the drawing area and choose Undo.
Command line: u
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, AutoCAD displays the command
name but performs no action. Operations external to the current drawing,
such as plotting or writing to a file, cannot be undone.
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
Manages user coordinate systems
The user coordinate system (UCS) is a movable coordinate system for
coordinate entry, planes of operation, and viewing. Most AutoCAD
geometric editing commands are dependent on the location and orientation
of the UCS; objects are drawn on the XY plane of the current UCS.
The UCS command sets the orientation of the user coordinate system in
three-dimensional space. It defines the orientation for two-dimensional
objects and the extrusion direction for the THICKNESS system variable. It also
provides the axis of rotation for ROTATE and the default projection plane for
specifying points.
When you use the pointing device to locate a point, its normally placed on
the XY plane. If the UCS is rotated so that the Z axis lies in a plane parallel
to the viewing planethat is, if the XY plane is edge-on to the viewerit
may be difficult to visualize where the point will be located. In this case, the
point will be located on a plane parallel to your viewing plane that also contains the UCS origin point. For example, if the viewing direction is along the
1051
X axis, coordinates specified with a pointing device will be located on the YZ

plane, which contains the UCS origin point.
Changing from one UCS to another does not change the drawing view unless
the UCSFOLLOW system variable is on.
UCS toolbar:
Tools menu: New UCS
Command line: ucs
Enter an option [New/Move/orthoGraphic/Prev/Restore/Save/Del/Apply/?/
World] <World>:
New
Defines a new coordinate system by one of six methods.
Specify origin of new UCS or [ZAxis/3point/OBject/Face/View/X/Y/Z] <0,0,0>:
UCS at new
origin
Origin
Defines a new UCS by shifting the origin of the current UCS, leaving the
direction of its X, Y, and Z axes unchanged.
Specify new origin point <0,0,0>: Specify a point
before
Specify a new origin point relative to the origin of the current UCS. If you do
not specify a Z coordinate value for the origin, this option uses the current
elevation.
after
Z Axis
Defines a UCS with a particular positive Z axis.
Specify new origin point <0,0,0>: Specify a point
Specify point on positive portion of Z-axis <current>: Specify a point
Specify a new origin and a point that lies on the new positive Z axis. The Z
axis option tilts the XY plane.
1052
UCS
3 Point
Specifies the new UCS origin and the direction of its positive X and Y axes.
The Z axis follows by applying the right-hand rule. (For information about
the right-hand rule, see Use World and User Coordinate Systems in 3D in
the Users Guide.) You can use this option to specify any possible coordinate
system.
Specify new origin point <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1)
Specify point on positive portion of X-axis <current>: Specify a point (2)
Specify point on positive-Y portion of the UCS XY plane <current>: Specify a
point (3)
3
2
1
The first point specifies the origin of the new UCS. The second point defines
the positive X axis. The third point defines the positive Y axis. The third
point can be anywhere on the positive Y portion of the new UCS XY plane.
Object
Defines a new coordinate system based on a selected 3D object. The new UCS
has the same extrusion direction (positive Z axis) as that of the selected
object.
select object
Select object to align UCS: Select an object

The following objects cannot be used with this option: 3D solids, 3D polylines, 3D meshes, viewports, mlines, regions, splines, ellipses, rays, xlines,
leaders, multiline text.
new UCS established
For objects other than 3D faces, the XY plane of the new UCS is parallel to
the XY plane in effect when the object was drawn. However, the X and Y axes
can be rotated differently.
UCS
1053
The new UCS is defined as shown in the following table.

Define a UCS by selecting an object
1054
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. AutoCAD chooses the new X axis so that the line lies in the XZ
plane of the new UCS. The lines second endpoint has a Y coordinate
of zero in the new system.
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 around its
extrusion direction. The object you select to establish a new UCS has
a rotation angle of zero in the new UCS.
UCS
Face
Aligns the UCS to the selected face of a solid object. To select a face, click
within the boundary of the face or on the edge of the face. The face is highlighted and the UCS X axis is aligned with the closest edge of the first face
found.
Select face of solid object:
Enter an option [Next/Xflip/Yflip] <accept>:
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.
View
Establishes a new coordinate system with the XY plane perpendicular to your
viewing direction (parallel to your screen). The UCS origin remains
unchanged.
X, Y, Z
before
after
Rotates the current UCS about a specified axis.

Specify rotation angle about n axis <0>: Specify an angle
In the prompt, n is X, Y, or Z. Enter a positive or negative angle to rotate the
UCS. AutoCAD uses the right-hand rule to determine the positive direction
of rotation around the axis. (For information about the right-hand rule, see
Use World and User Coordinate Systems in 3D in the Users Guide.)
You can define any UCS by specifying an origin and one or more rotations
around the X, Y, or Z axes.
world coordinate
system
rotation about
X axis = 90
rotation about
Y axis = 90
rotation about Z
axis = 90
UCS
1055
Move
Redefines a UCS by shifting the origin or changing the Z-depth of the current
UCS, leaving the orientation of its XY plane unchanged. Changing the
Z-depth moves the UCS along its Z axis in a positive or negative direction
relative to the current origin.
Specify new origin point or [Zdepth] <0,0,0>: Specify a point or enter z
New Origin
Changes the origin of the UCS.
Zdepth
Specifies the distance along the Z axis to move the UCS

origin.
Specify Zdepth <0>:
Enter a distance or press ENTER
If you have multiple viewports active, and you change viewports to specify a
new origin or Z-depth, the change is applied to the UCS of the viewport that
was current when the command was started and that viewport becomes
current once the command has finished.
Note The UCS Move option does not add a UCS to the Previous list.
Orthographic
Specifies one of the six orthographic UCSs provided with AutoCAD. These
UCS settings are typically used when viewing and editing 3D models.
Enter an option [Top/Bottom/Front/BAck/Left/Right] <current>: Enter an option
or press ENTER
1056
UCS
back
left
front
right
top
origin
bottom
By default the orthographic UCS settings orient the current UCS relative to
the world coordinate system (WCS) origin and orientation. The UCSBASE
system variable controls the UCS upon which the orthographic settings are
based. The origin or Z-depth of the orthographic UCS settings can be
changed using the Move option of the UCS command (see page 1056).
Prev
Restores the previous UCS. AutoCAD retains the last 10 coordinate systems
created in paper space and the last 10 coordinate systems created in model
space. Repeating the Prev 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, AutoCAD does not retain the different UCSs in
the Previous list. However, if you change a UCS setting within a viewport,
AutoCAD does retain the last UCS setting 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. See the
UCSVP system variable.
UCS
1057
Restore
Restores a saved UCS so that it becomes the current UCS. Restoring a saved
UCS does not reestablish the viewing direction in effect when the UCS was
saved.
Enter name of UCS to restore or [?]: Enter a name or enter ?
Name
Specifies a named UCS.
?List UCSs
Lists the names of currently defined UCSs. AutoCAD

prompts:
Enter UCS name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER to list all UCSs
Save
Saves the current UCS to a specified name. 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 AutoCAD for other
purposes.
Enter name to save current UCS or [?]: Enter a name or enter ?
Name
Saves the current UCS with the specified name.
?List UCSs
Lists the names of currently defined UCSs. AutoCAD

prompts:
UCS name(s) to list <*>:
to list all UCSs
Enter a name list or press ENTER
Del
Removes the specified UCS from the list of saved user coordinate systems.
Enter UCS name(s) to delete <none>: Enter a name list or press ENTER
AutoCAD deletes the named UCS you enter. If you delete a named UCS that
is current, AutoCAD renames the current UCS UNNAMED.
1058
UCS
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. The UCSVP
system variable determines whether a UCS is saved with a viewport.
Pick viewport to apply current UCS or [All] <current>: Specify a viewport by
clicking inside it, enter a, or press ENTER
Viewport
Applies the current UCS to the specified viewport and

ends the UCS command.
All
Applies the current UCS to all active viewports.
?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 its the
same as the WCS.
UCS name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list
World
Sets the current user coordinate system to the world coordinate system. The
WCS is the basis for all user coordinate systems and cannot be redefined.
before
after
See Also
For information about 3D orientation, see Control the User Coordinate System in 3D in the Users Guide.
Commands
UCSMAN renames, restores, deletes, lists defined coordinate systems, and selects a preset user coordinate system. PLAN displays the plan view of a specified user
coordinate system. UCSICON controls the style, display,
and placement of the UCS icon.
UCS
1059
System Variables
UCSVP determines whether a viewport saves a UCS

setting applied to it or always updates to display the
same UCS as the current viewport. UCSBASE controls the
orientation of the orthographic UCSs and views and the
initial origin of the orthographic UCSs. UCSORTHO
determines whether one of the six orthographic UCSs is
automatically restored when an orthographic view is
restored. UCSFOLLOW displays the new UCS in plan
view. UCSAXISANG sets the default angle to rotate the
UCS around an axis when the UCS X,Y, and Z command
options are used (current default is always zero).
UCSICON controls visibility and placement of the UCS
icon in viewports. UCSNAME displays the name of the
current coordinate system for the current viewport.
UCSORG displays the origin point of the current coordinate system for the current viewport in the current
space. UCSXDIR displays the X direction of the current
UCS for the current viewport in the current space.
UCSYDIR displays the Y direction of the current UCS for
the current viewport in the current space.
UCSICON
Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon
The UCS icon represents the orientation of the user coordinate system (UCS)
axes and the location of the current UCS origin relative to your viewing
direction. A UCS can be stored with a viewport if the UCSVP system variable
is set to 1 for that viewport. If the UCSVP system variable is set to 0 for a viewport, the current UCS is active in that viewport regardless of the viewport in
which the UCS is changed.
View menu: Display UCS Icon
Command line: ucsicon
AutoCAD displays different UCS icons 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. With the 2D UCS icon, 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.
1060
UCSICON
With the 2D UCS icon, a box is formed at the base of the icon if you are
viewing the UCS from above (positive Z axis). 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.
If the UCS is rotated so that the Z axis lies in a plane parallel to the viewing
planethat is, if the XY plane is edge-on to the viewerthe 2D UCS icon is
replaced by a broken pencil icon. The 3D UCS icon does not use a broken
pencil icon.
model space 2D
UCS icon
model space
3D UCS icon
paper space 2D
UCS icon
paper space 3D
UCS icon
Enter an option [ON/OFF/All/Noorigin/ORigin/Properties] <current>: Enter an

(0,0,0)
All
No origin
(0,0,0)
Origin
On
Displays the UCS icon.
Off
Turns off display of the UCS icon.
UCSICON
1061
All
Applies changes to the icon in all active viewports.

Otherwise, UCSICON affects only the current viewport.
Enter an option [ON/OFF/Noorigin/ORigin] <current>:
Enter an option to apply to all active viewports or press
ENTER
No Origin
Displays the icon at the lower-left corner of the

viewport regardless of the location of the UCS origin.
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 appears 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

Controls the display properties of the UCS icon.
1062
UCSICON
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.
Cone
Displays 3D cone arrowheads for the X and Y axes if the

3D UCS icon is selected. If Cone is cleared, 2D
arrowheads are displayed instead.
Line Width
Controls the line width of the UCS icon if the 3D UCS

icon is selected. Available selections are 1, 2, or 3 pixels.
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 12, 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. Click Select Color to open the Select Color
dialog box. You can use the Select Color dialog box to
define the color of window elements by selecting from
the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, True
Colors, and Color Book colors.
Layout Tab Icon

Color
Controls the UCS icon color in layout tabs. Click Select

Color to open the Select Color dialog box. You can use
the Select Color dialog box to define the color of
window elements by selecting from the 255 AutoCAD
Color Index (ACI) colors, True Colors, and Color Book
colors.
UCSICON
1063
See Also
See Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon in the Users
Guide.
Commands
UCSMAN and UCS save, restore, rename, delete, and list

defined coordinate systems. PLAN displays the plan
view of a specified user coordinate system.
System Variables
The UCSICON system variable controls the icon setting

for the current viewport. UCSFOLLOW generates a plan
view when the UCS changes. UCSNAME displays the
name of the current coordinate system. UCSORG displays the origin point of the current coordinate system
for the current viewport and space. UCSXDIR displays
the X direction of the current UCS for the current viewport and space. UCSYDIR displays the Y direction of the
current UCS for the current viewport and space.
UCSMAN
Manages defined user coordinate systems
UCS toolbar:
Tools menu: Named UCS
Command line: ucsman
The UCS dialog box is displayed.
UCS Dialog Box

Displays and modifies defined and unnamed user coordinate systems,
restores named and orthographic UCSs, and specifies UCS icon and UCS settings for viewports.
Named UCSs Tab (UCS Dialog Box)

Lists user coordinate systems and sets the current UCS.
1064
UCSMAN
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 (when the UCSVP system variable is set to
1 in that viewport) are not listed in the current viewport. A pointer indicates
the current UCS.
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. To
rename or delete a customized UCS, right-click the UCS name in the list and
use the shortcut menu.
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. The Current UCS text is updated.
UCSMAN
1065
Details
Displays the UCS Details dialog box (see page 1069), 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. You can also
rename a UCS by double-clicking its name in the list.
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
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. The Depth column lists the distance between
the orthographic coordinate system and the parallel plane passing through
the origin of the UCS base setting (stored in the UCSBASE system variable).
Name
1066
UCSMAN
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 (Shortcut Menu or
Double-Click) on page 1067.
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 BoxUCS Details dialog box (see page 1069),
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. The list displays all the named
UCSs in the current drawing.
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 can be changed from its default 0,0,0 position using the Move option
of the UCS command. To reset the origin of the selected orthographic coordinate system, right-click the name in the list and choose Reset Origin from
the shortcut menu. 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.
UCSMAN
1067
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

UCS Settings
Specifies UCS behavior when the UCS setting is updated.
1068
Save UCS with

Viewport
Saves the coordinate system setting with the viewport.

This option sets the 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
Restores Plan view when the coordinate system in the

viewport is changed. (UCSFOLLOW system variable)
UCSMAN
UCS Details Dialog Box

Displays information about the origin and axes of the selected UCS.
By default, the origin and the values for the X, Y, and Z axes are calculated
relative to the world coordinate system.
Name
Displays the name of the current named UCS. By

default, this is set to World.
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

Z Axis
Displays the values for the Z axis relative to the UCS

Relative To
Sets a base coordinate system for calculating the values

for Origin, X Axis, Y Axis, and Z Axis. This option resets
the UCSBASE system variable.
See Also
Commands
UCS defines or modifies the current user coordinate

system on the command line. VIEW creates, restores,
renames, and deletes named views or restores orthographic or isometric views.
UCSMAN
1069
System Variables
UCSVP determines whether the coordinate system

setting is saved with the viewport. UCSFOLLOW displays
the new UCS in plan view whenever the UCS is

changed. UCSAXISANG presets the angle of rotation for
UCS orientation. UCSICON controls visibility and placement of the UCS icon in viewports. UCSNAME displays
the name of the current coordinate system in the current viewport. UCSORG displays the origin point of the
current coordinate system in the current viewport.
UCSXDIR displays the X direction of the current UCS in
the current viewport. UCSYDIR displays the Y direction
of the current UCS in the current viewport.
UNDEFINE
Allows an application-defined command to override an internal AutoCAD command
Command line: undefine
Enter command name:
Entering an AutoCAD command name suppresses 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 via 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 (.).
For ObjectARX application commands registered via acedRegCmd, you can
access them by preceding the command name with a period (.), followed by
the commands 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.
1070
UNDEFINE
See Also
Commands
REDEFINE restores AutoCAD built-in commands that

have been disabled with UNDEFINE.
UNDO
Reverses the effect of commands
Reverses your last action. To reverse more than one action at a time, click the
arrow next to the Undo button on the Standard toolbar and select the last in
the sequence of actions you want to undo.
You can use the options of UNDO on the command line to undo more than
one action at a time. Begin and End define a number of actions as a group,
and Mark and Back work together to undo all actions back to a predetermined point.
When you use Back or Number to undo multiple actions, AutoCAD regenerates or redraws the drawing, if necessary. This occurs at the end of the UNDO
command; therefore, entering undo 5 causes one regeneration, and u u u u u
could cause as many as five.
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.
Standard toolbar:
Command line: undo
Enter the number of operations to undo or [Auto/Control/BEgin/End/Mark/
Back]: Enter a positive number, enter an option, or press ENTER to undo a single
operation
UNDO displays the command or system variable name on the command line
to indicate that you have stepped past the point where the command was
used.
Number
Undoes the specified number of preceding operations. The effect is the same
as entering u multiple times.
UNDO
1071
Auto
Groups the actions of a single command, making them reversible by a single
U command. When the Auto option is on, starting a command groups all
actions until you exit that command. You can undo the group of actions as
if it were one action.
UNDO Auto is not available if the Control option has turned off or limited
the UNDO feature.
Enter UNDO Auto mode [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter on or off, or press ENTER
Control
Limits or turns off UNDO.
Enter an UNDO control option [All/None/One] <All>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
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] <All>:
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 a Control
option or a single step of the UNDO command is
available when the One option is in effect.
Control/<1>:
If you enter c, AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt:
Enter an UNDO control option [All/None/One] <All>:
1072
UNDO
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, AutoCAD informs you
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? <Y>: Enter y or n or press ENTER
Entering y undoes all commands entered since you last started AutoCAD.
Entering n causes AutoCAD to ignore the Back option.
When you use the Number option to undo multiple actions, UNDO stops if
it encounters a mark.
See Also
Commands
System Variables
U undoes the most recent operation.

UNDOCTL stores a bitcode indicating the state of the
Auto and Control options of the UNDO command.
UNDOMARKS stores the number of marks placed in the
UNDO control stream by the Mark option.
UNDO
1073
UNION
Combines selected regions or solids by addition
A composite region is the result of combining the total area of two or more
existing regions. A composite solid is the result of combining the total volume of two or more existing solids. You can join regions or solids that do not
share a common area or volume.
Modify menu: Solids Editing Union
Command line: union
selecting objects
solids before UNION

solids before UNION
solids after UNION
The selection set can contain regions and solids that lie in any number of
arbitrary planes. AutoCAD divides the selection sets 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.
The next region that is not coplanar with the first region and all subsequent
coplanar regions are grouped in the third set, and so on until all regions
belong to a subset.
regions before UNION
regions after UNION
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.
1074
UNION
See Also
Commands

intersection of several objects. SUBTRACT creates a composite region or solid by subtraction.
UNITS
Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision
Format menu: Units
Command line: units (or 'units for transparent use)
The Drawing Units dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -units at the Command prompt, UNITS displays prompts on the
Drawing Units Dialog Box

Defines the unit and angle formats.
Length
Specifies the current unit of measurement and the precision for the current
units.
UNITS
1075
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
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.

AutoCAD uses the following conventions 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"
Surveyors 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 AutoCAD prompts for an angle, you can point in
the desired direction or enter an angle regardless of the
setting specified for Clockwise.
1076
UNITS
Drag and Drop Scale

Controls the unit of measurement for blocks that are dragged into the current drawing using a tool palette, DesignCenter, or i-drop . 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.
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, the Drag-and-Drop Scale is set to Unitless.
Sample Output
Displays an example of the current settings for units and angles.
Direction
Displays the Direction Control dialog box.
Direction Control Dialog Box

Defines the angle for 0 degrees and specifies the direction angles are measured. When AutoCAD prompts 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.
UNITS
1077
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. You can specify the angle by entering a value.
Pick an Angle
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. Available only
when Other is selected.
UNITS Command Line

If you enter -units at the Command prompt, UNITS displays prompts on the
command line.
The text window displays the following prompt:
Report formats:
1. Scientific
2. Decimal
3. Engineering
4. Architectural
5. Fractional
(Examples)
1.55E+01
15.50
1'-3.50"
1'-3 1/2"
15 1/2
Enter choice, 1 to 5 <current>: Enter a value (15) or press ENTER

AutoCAD prompts for decimal precision if you specify the scientific, decimal,
or engineering format.
Enter number of digits to right of decimal point (0 to 8) <current>: Enter a value
(08) or press ENTER
1078
UNITS
AutoCAD prompts for the denominator of the smallest fraction 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) <current>: Enter a value (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32,
64, 128, or 256) or press ENTER
AutoCAD prompts for angle formats and precision:
Systems of angle measure:
1. Decimal degrees
2. Degrees/minutes/seconds
3. Grads
4. Radians
5. Surveyor's units
(Examples)
45.0000
45d0'0"
50.0000g
0.7854r
N 45d0'0" E
Enter choice, 1 to 5 <current>: Enter a value (15) or press ENTER

Enter number of fractional places for display of angles (0 to 8) <current>: Enter
a value (08) or press ENTER
AutoCAD prompts for the direction for angle 0:
Direction for angle 0:
East
3 o'clock =
North 12 o'clock =
West
9 o'clock =
South 6 o'clock =
Enter direction for angle 0 <current>:
0
90
180
270
Enter a value or press ENTER
The default direction for 0 degrees is to the east quadrant, or 3 oclock. The
default direction for positive angular measurement is counterclockwise.
Measure angles clockwise? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y or n or press ENTER
UNITS
1079
See Also
See Set Units of Measurement in the Users Guide.
Commands
INSERT places a named block or drawing into the current drawing.
System Variables
ANGBASE stores the angle 0 direction with respect to the

current UCS. ANGDIR stores the setting for clockwise or
counterclockwise direction with respect to the current

UCS. AUNITS stores the Angular Units mode. AUPREC
stores the number of decimal places for angular units.
LUNITS stores the setting for Linear Units mode. LUPREC
stores the number of decimal places or the denominator for linear units. UNITMODE controls the display format for units. INSUNITS determines how units are
assigned to applicable content that you insert with
DesignCenter. Applicable content includes drawings,
blocks, images with resolution, and custom content.
AutoCAD stores entries from User Preferences in the
Options dialog box in INSUNITSDEFSOURCE to use
source content units setting, and in INSUNITSDEFTARGET to use target drawing units setting when Insert
Units are not defined.
1080
UNITS
VBAIDE
Displays the Visual Basic Editor
Tools menu: Macro Visual Basic Editor
Command line: vbaide
AutoCAD displays the Visual Basic Editor.
Use the Visual Basic Editor to 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.
See Also
For more information about using the Visual Basic Editor, see the ActiveX and
VBA Developers Guide.
Commands
VBAMAN displays the VBA Manager. VBARUN runs a VBA
macro.
VBALOAD
Loads a global VBA project into the current AutoCAD session
Tools menu: Macro Load Project
Command line: vbaload
AutoCAD displays the Open VBA Project dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box).
There is no limit to the number of 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.
If you select Open Visual Basic Editor, AutoCAD opens the Visual Basic Editor
after the selected project is loaded. For information about the Visual Basic
Editor, see the ActiveX and VBA Developers Guide.
VBAIDE
1081
If FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero) or if you enter -vbaload at the Command prompt,

VBALOAD displays prompts on the command line.
Open VBA project <>: Enter the path and file name of the project to open
If the selected project contains macros, AutoCAD displays the AutoCAD
Macro Virus Protection dialog box.
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection Dialog Box

Disables macro viruses. A macro virus is a type of computer virus thats stored
in the macros of a VBA project. 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.
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 only be harmful if it is allowed
to run. If you disable the macros, you can open the drawing or project file
safely.
The AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog box provides the following
options:
Always Ask Before
Opening Projects
with Macros
When cleared, prevents the AutoCAD Macro Virus

Protection dialog box from displaying again. You can
later enable macro virus protection using the VBA
Options dialog box, available from the VBARUN
command (see page 1088).
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
arent certain about the reliability of their source.
Once you disable the macros, you cant 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
1082
VBALOAD
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 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 an
AutoCAD drawing with an embedded project, the
drawing is opened with the macros disabled.
See Also
For more information about loading projects, see the ActiveX and VBA Developers Guide.
Commands
VBAMAN displays the VBA Manager. VBAUNLOAD

unloads a global project from the current AutoCAD
session.
VBAMAN
Loads, unloads, saves, creates, embeds, and extracts VBA projects
Tools menu: Macro VBA Manager
Command line: vbaman
AutoCAD displays the VBA Manager.
VBA Manager
Loads, unloads, saves, creates, embeds, and extracts VBA projects.
VBAMAN
1083
Drawing
Specifies the active drawing. The list contains all of the drawings open in the
current AutoCAD session.
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, AutoCAD prompts you to save it.
If you choose Yes, the File Save dialog box is displayed,
in which you can specify a file name and location for
the project.
If you choose No, the project is extracted and assigned
a temporary project name.
If you choose Cancel, the extraction is canceled and
you are returned to the VBA Manager.
Projects
Lists the name and location of all the projects currently available in the
AutoCAD 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 AutoCAD session.
1084
VBAMAN
Unload
Unloads the selected global project.
Macros
Displays the Macros dialog box (see page 1086), 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.
See Also
For more information about using the VBA Manager, see the ActiveX and VBA
Developers Guide.
Commands
VBARUN displays the Macros dialog box.
VBARUN
Runs a VBA macro
A macro is a public (executable) subroutine. Each project usually contains at
least one macro.
Tools menu: Macro Macros
Command line: vbarun
AutoCAD displays the Macros dialog box.
If you enter -vbarun at the Command prompt, VBARUN displays a prompt on
VBARUN
1085
Macros Dialog Box

Runs, edits, or deletes a VBA macro. You can also create new macros, set the
VBA options, and display the VBA Manager.
Macro Name
Specifies the name of the macro you want to run, edit,

delete, or create. Select a name from the list of available
macros, or enter a name.
Macro List
Lists all macros found in the drawing and/or project

selected in Macros In. You can double-click a macro
name in this list to run the macro.
Macros In
Specifies the project and/or drawing whose macros are

available from the macro list. You can choose to list the
macros in
All drawings and projects

All drawings
All projects
Any individual drawing currently open in AutoCAD
Any individual project currently loaded in AutoCAD
If your project or drawing is not listed, choose VBA

Manager to display the VBA Manager (see page 1083),
in which you can load the desired project.
1086
VBARUN
Description
Describes the selected macro. You can add or modify

the description by directly entering your changes.
AutoCAD saves the new description when you move to
a different part of the dialog box.
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, AutoCAD displays the Select Project dialog box.
If a macro with the specified name already exists, a
prompt asks if you want to replace the existing macro.
If you choose Yes, the code in the existing macro is
deleted and a new, empty macro is created with the
specified name.
If you choose No, you are returned to the Macros dialog
box, in which you can enter a new name for the macro.
Delete
Deletes the selected macro.
VBA Manager
Displays the VBA Manager (see page 1083).
Options
Displays the VBA Options dialog box (see page 1088).
VBARUN
1087
Select Project Dialog Box

Prompts you to select a project or drawing in which to create the new macro.
Select a project or drawing from the list and choose OK. The macro is created
in the selected project or drawing, and the Visual Basic Editor is opened.
VBA Options Dialog Box

Sets VBA-specific options for the AutoCAD session.
Enable Auto
Embedding
Automatically creates an embedded VBA project for all

drawings when you open the drawing.
Allow Break on
Errors
Allows VBA to enter Break mode when an error is

encountered. 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
1088
VBARUN
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
Enables the virus protection mechanism for VBA

macros. The virus protection mechanism displays a
built-in warning message whenever you open a
drawing that might contain macro viruses.
VBARUN Command Line

If you enter -vbarun at the Command prompt, VBARUN displays prompts on
the command line.
Macro name: Enter the name of the macro to run
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
AutoCAD automatically loads the Acad_Projects.dvb file and executes the Test
macro. The Acad_Projects.dvb file remains loaded once the macro has been
completed.
See Also
For more information about running VBA macros, see the ActiveX and VBA
Developers Guide.
Commands
VBAMAN displays the VBA Manager. VBALOAD loads a

global project into the current AutoCAD session.
VBARUN
1089
VBASTMT
Executes a VBA statement on the AutoCAD command line
Command line: vbastmt
Expression: Enter the VBA statement to execute
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 active drawing.
See Also
Commands
VBARUN displays the Macros dialog box. VBAMAN
displays the VBA Manager.
VBAUNLOAD
Unloads a global VBA project
Command line: vbaunload
Unload VBA Project:
Enter the name of the project to unload
If you do not enter a project name, the active global project is unloaded.
See Also
For more information about unloading projects, see the ActiveX and VBA
Developers Guide.
Commands
VBAMAN displays the VBA Manager. VBALOAD loads a

global VBA project into the current AutoCAD session.
VIEW
Saves and restores named views
A view is a portion of a drawing that is displayed in a viewport. You can save
and restore views by name for convenient access. Views are saved separately
in model space and paper space.
Note The VIEW command cannot be used transparently.
1090
VBASTMT
View menu: Named Views

Command line: view
The View dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -view at the Command prompt, VIEW displays prompts on the
View Dialog Box

Saves and restores named views and orthographic views.
Named Views Tab (View Dialog Box)

Creates, sets, renames, and deletes named views.
Current View
Displays the name of the current view. When the View

dialog box is first displayed, it lists the current view as
CURRENT.
View Names
Lists the named views in the current drawing. A pointer

indicates the current view. The list also indicates
whether the view represents Model space or a layout,
the name of any user coordinate system (UCS) saved
with the view, and whether the view was saved in
perspective or clipped. To sort the list of named views,
click any of the column headings. If the UCS that was
saved with the view is unnamed, the list displays
UNNAMED. If no UCS was saved with the view, the UCS
column is blank.
VIEW
1091
Set Current
Restores the selected view. You can also restore a

selected view by double-clicking its name in the list or
by right-clicking the name and choosing Set Current.
New
Displays the New View dialog box (see page 1093).
Details
Displays the View Details dialog box (see page 1094).

You can also display details by right-clicking the view
name and choosing Details.
Rename
(Shortcut Menu
Only)
Renames the selected view. Select a view, right-click,

and choose Rename from the shortcut menu, or press
F2 . You cannot use this option to rename the current
view. To rename the current view, select it, choose New,
and enter a new name in the New View dialog box.
Delete (Shortcut
Menu Only)
Deletes a named view. Select a view, right-click, and

choose Delete from the shortcut menu. You cannot
delete the current view.
Orthographic and Isometric Views Tab (View Dialog Box)

Restores orthographic or isometric views.
1092
Current View
Displays the name of the current view. The default

value is CURRENT.
View Names
Lists the orthographic and isometric views. A pointer

indicates the current orthographic or isometric view.
The views are relative to the UCS listed in the Relative
To list.
VIEW
Set Current
Restores the selected orthographic view. You can also

restore a selected view by double-clicking its name in
the list or by right-clicking the name and choosing Set
Current. When an orthographic view is restored,
AutoCAD automatically zooms to the extents of the
view.
Relative To
Specifies the base coordinate system for defining the

orthographic view. By default, the world coordinate
system (WCS) is the base coordinate system. Relative To
sets the value of the UCSBASE system variable.
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.
AutoCAD displays a warning message when you change
the value of the UCSBASE system variable.
Restore
Orthographic
UCS with View
Restores the associated UCS when you make an

orthographic view current. This option sets the
UCSORTHO system variable.
New View Dialog Box

Creates a view.
View Name
Specifies the view name. View names can have up to 255 characters and can
include letters, numbers, blank spaces, and any special character not used by
Microsoft Windows and AutoCAD for other purposes.
Current Display
Uses the current display as the new view.
VIEW
1093
Define Window
Uses a window as the new view, defined in the drawing area by specifying
two opposite corners.
Define View Window Button

Temporarily closes the dialog boxes so that you can use the pointing device
to define the opposite corners of the new view window. This option is available only if Define Window is selected.
UCS Settings
Provides options for saving a UCS.
Save UCS with
View
UCS Name
Saves a UCS with the new view. This option sets the
UCSVIEW system variable.
Specifies the UCS saved with the new view. This option
is available only when Save UCS with View is selected.
View Details Dialog Box

Displays information about the selected view.
1094
Name
Displays the name of the current view. The default

value is CURRENT.
Area
Displays view area in width, height, and twist.
Target
Displays view target location as a coordinate.
Direction
Displays view direction as a normal vector coordinate.
VIEW
Clipping
Displays the front and back clipping distance and

whether each clipping plane is turned on or off.
Perspective
Displays lens length and whether perspective is turned

on or off.
Relative To
Sets the base coordinate system that defines the

orientation of the view.
VIEW Command Line

If you enter -view at the Command prompt, VIEW displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter an option [?/Orthographic/Delete/Restore/Save/Ucs/Window]:
?List Views
Lists the named views in the drawing.

Enter view names(s) to list <*>: Enter a wild-card pattern
or press ENTER
AutoCAD lists the name of each specified view and the
space in which it was defined. M designates model
space, and P designates paper space.
Orthographic
Restores the predefined orthographic view you specify

to the current viewport.
Enter an option [Top/Bottom/Front/BAck/Left/Right]
<Top>: Enter an option or press ENTER
top view
isometric view
X
Z
X
Z
right side view
front view
X
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, AutoCAD zooms to
the extents in the current viewport.
VIEW
1095
Delete
Deletes one or more named views.

Enter view name(s) to delete:
names separated by commas
Restore
Enter a name or a list of
Restores the view you specify to the current viewport. If

a UCS setting was saved with the view, it is also restored.
Enter view name to restore: Enter a name
AutoCAD also restores the center point and
magnification of the saved view. If you restore a model
space view while working in paper space, AutoCAD
prompts you to select a viewport in which to restore
that view.
Restoring model space view.
Select Viewport for view: Select a viewport
Select the viewport by choosing its border. The
viewport you select must be on and active. AutoCAD
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, AutoCAD switches to paper
space and restores the view. You cant 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.
Enter view name to save:
Enter a name
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.
1096
VIEW
UCS
Determines whether the current UCS and elevation

settings are saved when a view is saved.
Save current UCS with named views? [Yes/No]
The UCS option of VIEW sets the UCSVIEW system
variable. Turning this option on saves the current UCS
for each named view that you save.
Window
Saves a portion of the current display as a view.

Enter view name to save:
Specify opposite corner:
Enter a name
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.
See Also
See Save and Restore Views in the Users Guide.
Commands

viewport. PSPACE switches from a model space viewport
to paper space. DVIEW defines parallel projection or
perspective views on the screen as you change views.

PLOT prints a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file.
System Variables
UCSORTHO determines whether the associated orthographic UCS is restored automatically when an orthographic view is restored. UCSVIEW determines whether
the current UCS is saved with a named view when it is
saved. TILEMODE turns paper space on and off.
VIEW
1097
VIEWRES
Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport
Command line: viewres
Do you want fast zooms [Yes/No] <Y>: Press ENTER (Fast Zoom is no longer a
functioning option of this command and remains for script compatibility only.)
Enter circle zoom percent (120000) <current>: Enter an integer from 1 to
20,000 or press ENTER
AutoCAD regenerates the model.
VIEWRES controls the appearance of circles, arcs, ellipses, and splines 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. Decreasing the zoom percentage has the opposite effect.
VIEWRES at 15
Note Increasing the zoom percentage in VIEWRES may increase the time it takes
VIEWRES at 500
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.
See Also
Commands
PAN moves the drawing display in the current viewport.

REDRAW refreshes the current viewport by removing
marker blips and redrawing partially erased objects.

VIEW saves and restores named views. ZOOM increases
or decreases the apparent size of objects in the current

viewport. REGEN regenerates the drawing and refreshes
System Variables
1098
VIEWRES
FACETRES further adjusts the smoothness of rendered

objects, shaded objects, and objects with hidden lines
removed. WHIPARC controls whether the display of
circles and arcs is smooth.
VLISP
Displays the Visual LISP interactive development environment (IDE)
Tools menu: AutoLISP Visual LISP Editor
Command line: vlisp
AutoCAD displays the Visual LISP interactive development environment
(IDE). Use Visual LISP to develop, test, and debug AutoLISP programs.
Note VLIDE is used by AutoCAD to transfer control to Visual LISP. It performs

the same function as the VLISP command.
See Also
For information about using the Visual LISP interactive development
environment, see the Visual LISP Developers Guide.
VPCLIP
Clips viewport objects
Clips the specified viewport objects. Reshapes the viewport border to
conform to a user-drawn boundary.
Shortcut menu: Select the viewport to clip, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Viewport Clip.
Command line: vpclip
Select viewport to clip:
Select clipping object or [Polygonal/Delete] <Polygonal>:
Object
Specifies an object to act as a clipping boundary.

Objects that are valid as clipping boundaries include
closed polylines, circles, ellipses, closed splines, and
regions.
Polygonal
Draws a clipping boundary. You can draw line segments

or arc segments by specifying points. The following
Specify start point:
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Length/Undo]:
VLISP
1099
The descriptions of the Next Point, Arc, Close, Length,

and Undo options match the descriptions of the
corresponding options in the PLINE command (see page
713).
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
Sets layer visibility within viewports
VPLAYER makes a layer visible in one or more viewports and invisible in all
other viewports.
The VPLAYER command can be used only while you are working in a layout
tab.
Command line: vplayer
Enter an option [?/Freeze/Thaw/Reset/Newfrz/Vpvisdflt]:
?List Frozen Layers

Displays the names of frozen layers in a selected viewport.
Select a viewport:
Freeze
Freezes a layer or set of layers in one or more viewports. AutoCAD does not
display, regenerate, or plot objects on frozen layers.
Enter layer name(s) to freeze: Enter one or more layer names
Enter an option [All/Select/Current] <Current>: Enter an option or press ENTER
1100
All
Applies the changes in all viewports.
Select
Temporarily switches to paper space, allowing you to

select the viewports where you can apply the layer
settings.
VPLAYER
Select objects: Select one or more viewports and press

ENTER
Current
Applies the changes in the current viewport only.
Thaw
Thaws layers in specific viewports.
Enter layer name(s) to thaw: Enter one or more layer names
All
Select
Applies the changes in selected viewports.

ENTER
Current
Reset
Sets the visibility of layers in specified viewports to their current default
setting.
Enter layer name(s) to reset: Enter one or more layer names
All
Select
Applies the changes in selected viewports.

ENTER
Current
Newfrz (New Freeze)

Creates new layers that are frozen in all viewports.
Enter name(s) of new layers frozen in all viewports: Enter one or more layer
names
VPLAYER
1101
Vpvisdflt (Viewport Visibility Default)

Thaws or freezes the specified layers in subsequently created viewports.
Enter layer name(s) to change viewport visibility: Enter one or more layer names
Enter a viewport visibility option [Frozen/Thawed] <current>: Enter f or t, or
press ENTER
See Also
Commands
LAYER controls layer creation and visibility and other
layer settings.
VPOINT
Sets the viewing direction for a three-dimensional visualization of the drawing
VPOINT puts the viewer in a position to look at the drawing as if looking back
at the origin (0,0,0) from a specified point in space. VPOINT cannot be used
in paper space.
View menu: 3D Views Viewpoint
Command line: vpoint
Current view direction: VIEWDIR=current
Specify a view point or [Rotate] <display compass and tripod>: Specify a point,
enter r, or press ENTER to display a compass and axis tripod
View Point
Using the X,Y,Z coordinate you enter, 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).
Z
viewing
direction
(0,0,0)
X
1102
VPOINT
X
as seen by viewer
Rotate
Specifies a new viewing direction using two angles.

Enter angle in XY plane from X axis <current>: Specify an
angle
The first angle is specified with respect to the X axis, in
the XY plane.
Enter angle from XY plane <current>: Specify an angle
The second angle is specified up or down from the XY
plane.
viewing direction
angle from XY plane

(0,0,0)
compass
Z
Compass and
Axis Tripod
X
axis tripod
angle from X axis
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).
You can move the small crosshairs on the compass to
any portion of the globe with your pointing device. 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.
VPOINT
1103
See Also
See Define a 3D View with Coordinate Values or Angles in the Users Guide.
System Variables
TARGET is the location, expressed as a UCS coordinate,

of the target point for the current viewport. VIEWDIR is
the current viewport viewing direction. WORLDVIEW
determines whether input to VPOINT, DVIEW, and
3DORBIT are relative to the WCS (default), the current
UCS, or the UCS specified by the UCSBASE system vari-
able.
VPORTS
Creates multiple viewports
The number and layout of active viewports and their associated settings are
called viewport configurations.
VPORTS determines the viewport configuration for model space and paper
space (layout) environments. In model space (the Model tab), you can create
multiple model viewport configurations. In paper space (a layout tab), you
can create multiple layout viewport configurations.
Layouts toolbar:
View menu: Viewports
Command line: vports
The Viewports dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -vports at the Command prompt, VPORTS displays prompts on
Viewports Dialog Box

Creates new viewport configurations, or names and saves a model viewport
configuration. The options available in this dialog box depend on whether
you are configuring model viewports (on the Model tab) or layout viewports
(on a layout tab).
New Viewports TabTiled (Viewports Dialog Box)

Displays a list of standard viewport configurations and configures model
viewports.
1104
VPORTS
New Name
Specifies a name for the new model viewport

configuration you are creating. If you do not enter a
name, the viewport configuration you create 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 viewport configuration to the entire

display or to the current viewport.
Display: Applies the viewport configuration to the

entire Model tab display. Display is the default
setting.
Current Viewport: Applies the viewport configuration
to the current viewport only.
VPORTS
1105
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.
Named Viewports TabTiled (Viewports Dialog Box)

Displays any saved viewport configurations in the drawing. When you select
a viewport configuration, the layout of the saved configuration is displayed
in Preview.
Current Name
Displays the name of the current viewport

configuration.
New Viewports TabFloating (Viewports Dialog Box)

Displays a list of standard viewport configurations and configures layout
viewports.
1106
VPORTS
Standard
Viewports
Displays a list of standard viewport configurations and

configures layout viewports.
Viewport Spacing
Specifies the spacing you want to apply between the

layout viewports you are configuring.
Preview
Displays a preview of the viewport configuration you

select and the default views assigned to each individual
viewport in the configuration.
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.
VPORTS
1107
Named Viewports TabFloating (Viewports Dialog Box)

Displays any saved and named model viewport configurations for you to use
in the current layout. You cannot save and name a layout viewport
configuration.
VPORTS Command Line

The prompts available on the command line depend on whether you are
configuring model viewports (on the Model tab) or layout viewports (on a
layout tab).
VPORTS Command LineTiled Viewports

If you enter vports at the Command prompt from the Model tab, VPORTS
displays prompts on the command line.
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.
Enter name for new viewport configuration or [?]: Enter
a name or enter ? to list saved viewport configurations
Restore
Restores a previously saved viewport configuration.

Enter name of viewport configuration to restore or [?]:
Enter a name or enter ? to list saved viewport configurations
Delete
Deletes a named viewport configuration.

Enter name(s) of viewport configurations to delete
<none>: Enter a name or enter ? to list saved viewport
configurations
1108
VPORTS
Join
Combines two adjacent viewports into one larger

viewport. The resulting viewport inherits the view of
the dominant viewport.
Select dominant viewport <current>: Press ENTER or
select a viewport
Select viewport to join: Select a viewport
dominant viewport
viewport to join
Single
viewports after Join
Returns the drawing to a single viewport view, using the

view from the current viewport.
current viewport
viewport after Single
?List Viewport
Configurations
Displays the identification numbers and screen

positions of the active viewports.
Enter name(s) of viewport configuration(s) to list <*>:
Enter a name or press ENTER
The lower-left and upper-right corners of the viewport
define its location. For these corners, AutoCAD uses
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).
The current viewport is listed first.
Divides the current viewport in half.

Enter a configuration option [Horizontal/Vertical]
<Vertical>: Enter h or press ENTER
VPORTS
1109
Divides the current viewport into three viewports.

Enter a configuration option [Horizontal/Vertical/Above/
Below/Left/Right] <Right>: Enter an option or press ENTER
The Horizontal and Vertical options split the area into
thirds. The Above, Below, Left, and Right options specify
where the larger viewport is placed.
Divides the current viewport into four viewports of equal

size.
VPORTS Command LineFloating Viewports

If you enter vports at the Command prompt from a layout tab, VPORTS
displays prompts on the command line.
Specify corner of viewport or ON/OFF/Fit/Shadeplot/Lock/Object/Polygonal/
Restore/2/3/4 <Fit>: Enter an option
The number and layout of active viewports and their associated settings are
called viewport configurations.
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.

Shade plot? [As displayed/Wireframe/Hidden/Rendered]
<As displayed >: Enter a shade plot option
1110
As Displayed: plots the same way it is displayed

Wireframe: plots wireframe regardless of display
Hidden: plots with hidden lines removed regardless of
display
Rendered: plots rendered regardless of display
Lock
Locks the current viewport. This is similar to layer

locking.
Object
Specifies a closed polyline, ellipse, spline, region, or circle

to convert into a viewport. The polyline you specify must
VPORTS
be closed and contain at least three vertices. It can be selfintersecting, and it can contain arcs as well as line
segments.
Polygonal
Creates an irregularly shaped viewport defined by

specifying points. For a description of this option, see the
Polygonal option under XCLIP (see page 1134).
Enter an arc boundary option
[Angle/CEnter/CLose/Direction/Line/Radius/Second pt/
Undo/Endpoint of arc] <Endpoint>: Enter an option
Restore
Restores a previously saved viewport configuration.

Enter viewport configuration name or [?]: Enter a name or
enter ? to list saved viewport configurations
Divides the current viewport in half.

Enter viewport arrangement [Horizontal/
Vertical]<Vertical>: Enter h or press ENTER
2/Vertical
Divides the current viewport into three viewports.

Enter viewport arrangement [Horizontal/Vertical/Above/
Below/Left/Right] <Right>: Enter an option or press ENTER
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.
3/Right
Divides the current viewport into four viewports of equal

size.
See Also
See Set Model Tab Viewports in the Users Guide.
4
Commands
MVIEW creates viewport objects in paper space and

controls the display of objects in those viewports.
System Variables
CVPORT sets the current viewport. PSVPSCALE sets the

current scale for new viewports. MAXACTVP specifies the
maximum number of viewports to be regenerated at one

time. TILEMODE controls paper space access and viewport
behavior.
VPORTS
1111
VSLIDE
Displays an image slide file in the current viewport
Command line: vslide
The Select Slide File dialog box, a standard file selection dialog box, is
displayed. Enter a slide file name (.sld extension) to display. When you
press ENTER or choose Open, the slide file is opened in AutoCAD.
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.
See Also
See View Slides in the Customization Guide.
Commands
REDRAW restores the current drawing. MSLIDE creates

slide files for viewing.
Utilities
SLIDELIB creates slide libraries (SLB files). This utility is
found in the AutoCAD support folder.
1112
VSLIDE
WBLOCK
Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file
Command line: wblock
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
prompts on the command line (see page 1115). If FILEDIA is set to 0, the
standard file selection dialog box is suppressed.
Write Block Dialog Box

Saves objects or converts a block to a file.
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.
Source
Specifies blocks and objects, saves them as a file, and specifies insertion
points.
WBLOCK
1113
Block
Specifies an existing block to save as a file. Select a name from the list.
Entire Drawing
Selects current drawing as a block.
Objects
Specifies objects to be saved as a file.
Base Point
Specifies a base point for the block. The default value is 0,0,0.
X
Specifies the X coordinate value for the base point.
Specifies the Y coordinate value for the base point.
Specifies the Z coordinate value for the base point.
Pick Insertion
Base Point

specify an insertion base point in the current drawing.
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.
Convert to Block
Converts the selected object or objects to a block in the

current drawing after saving them as a file. The block is
assigned the name in File Name.
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.
1114
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.
WBLOCK
Insert Units
Specifies the unit value to be used for automatic scaling

when the new file is dragged from DesignCenter and
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.
WBLOCK Command Line

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 on the command line.
Enter name of output file:
Once you specify a filenameeither through the dialog box or through the
command linethe following prompt is displayed.
Enter name of existing block or
[= (block=output file)/* (whole drawing)] <define new drawing>:
name of an existing block, enter =, enter *, or press ENTER
Enter the
Entering the name of an existing block writes that block to a file. You cannot
enter the name of an external reference (xref) or one of its dependent blocks.
Entering an equal sign (=) specifies that the existing block and the output file
have the same name. If no block of that name exists in the drawing, the
prompt is displayed again.
Entering an asterisk (*) 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.
If you press ENTER , AutoCAD prompts you for an insertion base point for
the block file and then prompts you to select the objects to write to the block
file.
Specify insertion base point: Specify a point (1)
selecting objects
After AutoCAD creates the file, the selected objects are deleted from the
drawing. You can use OOPS to restore the objects.
objects selected
for a block
In the new drawing, the world coordinate system (WCS) is set parallel to the
user coordinate system (UCS).
WBLOCK
1115
See Also
See Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks in the Users Guide.
Commands
BLOCK saves a block definition in the current drawing

or as a separate drawing file using a dialog box. -BLOCK
saves a block definition in the current drawing using

the command line. INSERT places a previously defined
block or drawing in the current drawing. INSUNITS
specifies a unit value when you drag an object into a
drawing. EXPORT saves objects to other file formats.
MINSERT inserts multiple instances of a block in a rectangular array. OOPS restores erased objects. QSAVE saves
the current drawing. SAVE saves the current drawing
with the current file name or a specified name. SAVEAS
saves an unnamed drawing with a file name and
renames the current drawing. XREF controls external
references to drawing files.
WEDGE
Creates a 3D solid with a sloped face tapering along the X axis
Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Wedge
Command line: wedge
1
Specify first corner of wedge or [CEnter] <0,0,0>:

or press ENTER
Specify a point (1), enter ce,
Corner of Wedge
Defines the first corner of the wedge.
Specify corner or [Cube/Length]:
1116
WEDGE
Specify a point (2) or enter an option
Corner
height
2
Specifies the other corner of the wedge. If both corner

points have the same Z value, you must specify the
height of the wedge. Otherwise, AutoCAD uses the
difference in Z values for the height.
Specify height:
positive Z axis of the current user coordinate system
(UCS). Entering a negative value draws the height along
the negative axis.
Cube
Creates a wedge with sides of equal length.

Specify length:
positive X axis of the current UCS. Entering a negative
value draws the length along the negative axis.
Length
height
Creates a wedge with specified length, width, and

height values. The length corresponds to the X axis, the
width to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis.
Specify length:
Specify width:
Specify height:
length
width
Entering a positive value draws the length, width, and

UCS. Entering a negative value draws them along the
negative axes.
Center
Creates the wedge by a specified center point.
Specify center of wedge <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER
Specify opposite corner or [Cube/Length]: Specify a point (2) or enter an option
WEDGE
1117
Corner
Specifies the corner of the wedge.

Specify height:

value draws the height along the negative axis.
Cube
Creates a wedge with sides of equal length.

Specify length:
height

positive X axis of the current UCS. Entering a negative
value draws the length along the negative axis.
Length
Creates a wedge with specified length, width, and

height values. The length corresponds to the X axis, the
width to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis.
Specify length:
Specify width:
Specify height:
Entering a positive value draws the length, width, and
UCS. Entering a negative value draws them along the
negative axes.
height
See Also
length
width
Commands
The Wedge option of 3D creates a meshed wedge.
WHOHAS
Displays ownership information for opened drawing files
Command line: whohas
You can use WHOHAS to track which users have certain drawing files open.
WHOHAS displays the Select Drawing to Query dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). After you select a file, AutoCAD displays the ownership
information on the command line. The information includes the current
users computer name, login ID, and full name (if available) and the date and
time the drawing file was opened.
1118
WHOHAS
Note AutoCAD displays similar information automatically when you try to

open a drawing file that another user has open.
WIPEOUT
Covers existing objects with a blank area
Creates a polygonal area that masks underlying objects with the current
background color. This area is bounded by the wipeout frame. You can turn
on the wipeout frame for editing and turn it off for plotting.
Draw menu: Wipeout
Command line: wipeout
Specify first point or [Frames/Polyline]<Polyline>:
First Point
Specify a point or an option
Determines the polygonal boundary of the wipeout

object from a series of points.
Next point: Specify the next point or press ENTER to exit
Frames
Determines whether the edges of all wipeout objects are

displayed or hidden.
ON/OFF:<varies> Enter on or off
Enter on to display all wipeout frames. Enter off to
suppress the display of all wipeout frames.
Polyline
Determines the polygonal boundary of the wipeout

objects from a selected polyline.
Select a closed polyline: Use an object selection method to
select a closed polyline
Erase polyline? [Yes/No]<N>:
Enter y or n
Enter y to erase the polyline that was used to create the

wipeout object. Enter n to retain the polyline.
WIPEOUT
1119
WMFIN
Imports a Windows metafile
Unlike bitmaps or raster files, metafiles contain vector information, which
can be scaled and printed without loss of resolution.
Insert menu: Windows Metafile
Command line: wmfin
The Import WMF dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. Enter a file name. AutoCAD adds the .wmf file extension.
In the Import WMF dialog box, if you choose Tools Options, AutoCAD
displays the WMF In Options dialog box (see page 1125). You can also open
this dialog box directly by using WMFOPTS. After opening the selected WMF
file, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
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.

Enter a value or
AutoCAD multiplies all X and Y dimensions of the

metafile 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
1120
WMFIN
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.

point and the insertion point determine the X and Y
scale factors for the WMF file.
Scale
X
WMFIN
1121
Y
Z
Rotate
Sets the angle of insertion for the WMF file.
specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER
X Scale Factor
Sets the X and Y scale factors.

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.
1122
WMFIN
Enter a value or
XYZ
Scales the metafile in all three dimensions.

point and the insertion point determine the X and Y
scale factors for the block.
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.
The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 1122).
PX
Sets the temporary scale factor for the X axis to control the display of the
WMF file as it is dragged into position.
WMFIN
1123
PY
Sets the temporary scale factor for the Y axis to control the display of the
PZ
Sets the temporary scale factor for the Z axis to control the display of the
PRotate
Sets the temporary rotation angle of the WMF file as it is dragged into
position.
See Also
Commands
IMPORT imports various file formats into AutoCAD.

EXPORT exports AutoCAD drawings to various file
formats. WMFOPTS sets options for WMFIN. WMFOUT
saves selected objects to a Windows metafile format

file.
1124
WMFIN
WMFOPTS
Sets options for WMFIN
Controls the way objects such as rectangles, polygons, and circles are
imported from Windows metafiles.
Command line: wmfopts
The WMF In Options dialog box is displayed.
WMF In Options Dialog Box

Controls whether metafiles maintain relative line widths and whether they
are imported as wireframes or solid objects.
Wire Frame (No

Fills)
Imports objects as wireframes. If you clear this option,

objects are imported as filled objects.
Wide Lines
Maintains the relative line width of lines and borders. If

you clear this option, lines are imported with zero
width.
See Also
Commands
COPYCLIP copies vector objects to the Clipboard.

WMFIN imports a file in WMF format. WMFOUT saves
selected objects to a WMF file.
WMFOUT
Saves objects to a Windows metafile
Command line: wmfout
The Create WMF standard file selection dialog box is displayed. Enter a file
name. AutoCAD adds a .wmf file extension.
selecting objects
WMFOPTS
1125
The selected objects are saved to a file in Windows metafile format.
Note If one or more raster objects are attached to the drawing and if the image
application (ism.arx) is loaded, the maximum resolution of the resulting WMF file
is 2K by 2K. The image application is loaded the first time you run IMAGE, IMAGEADJUST, IMAGEATTACH, IMAGECLIP, IMAGEFRAME, or IMAGEQUALITY.
See Also
Commands
System Variables
WMFIN imports a file in WMF format. WMFOPTS sets

options for WMFIN.
WMFBKGND controls the background and border of the
Windows metafile that results from the WMFOUT
command.
1126
WMFOUT
XATTACH
Attaches an external reference to the current drawing
Reference toolbar:
Insert menu: External Reference
Command line: xattach
AutoCAD displays the Select Reference File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). The External Reference dialog box is displayed after a
file is selected.
External Reference Dialog Box

Attaches a drawing as an external reference (xref). If you attach a drawing
that itself 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, the drawing attached is based on the most recently
saved version.
XATTACH
1127
Name
Displays the xref name in the list after an xref is attached. When an attached
xref is selected in the list, its path is displayed in Path.
Browse
Choose Browse to display the Select a Reference dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box), in which you can select new xrefs for the current
drawing.
Found In
Displays the path where the xref was found.
If no path was saved for the xref or if the xref is no longer located at the
specified path, AutoCAD searches for the xref in the following order:
Current folder of the host drawing

Project search paths defined on the Files tab in the Options dialog box and
in the PROJECTNAME system variable
Support search paths defined on the Files tab in the Options dialog box
Start-in folder specified in the Windows application shortcut
Saved Path
Displays the saved path, if any, that is used to locate the xref. This path can
be an absolute (fully specified) path, a relative (partially specified) path, or no
path.
Reference Type
Specifies whether the xref is an attachment or an overlay.
See Attach External References and Nest and Overlay External References
in the Users Guide.
Path Type
Specifies whether the saved path to the xref is the full path, a relative path,
or no path. You must save the current drawing before you can set the path
type to Relative Path. For a nested xref, a relative path always references the
location of its immediate host and not necessarily the currently open
drawing.
The Relative Path option is not available if the referenced drawing is located
on a different local disk drive or on a network server.
1128
XATTACH
Insertion Point
Specifies the insertion point of the selected xref.
Specify
On-Screen
Displays prompts on the command line and makes the

X, Y, and Z options unavailable. The descriptions of the
options displayed on the command line match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under
Insertion Point in INSERT (see page 440).
Specifies the X coordinate value for the point at which

an xref instance is inserted into the current drawing.
The insertion point in the current drawing is aligned
with the insertion point defined in the BASE command
in the referenced file.
Specifies the Y coordinate value for the point at which

with the insertion point defined in the BASE system
variable in the referenced file.
Specifies the Z coordinate value for the point at which

with the insertion point defined in the BASE system
variable in the referenced file.
Scale
Specifies the scale factors for the selected xref.
Specify
On-Screen

X, Y, and Z Scale Factor options unavailable. The
descriptions of the options displayed on the command
line match the descriptions of the corresponding
options under Insertion Point in INSERT (see page 440).
X Scale Factor
Specifies the X scaling factor for the xref instance.
Y Scale Factor
Specifies the Y scaling factor for the xref instance.
Z Scale Factor
Specifies the Z scaling factor for the xref instance.
XATTACH
1129
Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle for the xref instance.
Specify
On-Screen

Angle option unavailable. AutoCAD prompts for a
rotation angle, as described in INSERT.
Angle
Specifies the rotation angle at which an xref instance is

inserted into the current drawing.
See Also
See Attach External References in the Users Guide.
Commands
XREF controls xrefs (external references).
XBIND
Binds one or more definitions of named objects in an xref to the current drawing
An external reference (xref) is a drawing that you attach to or overlay on your
current drawing. In xrefs, dependent definitions are named objects such as
blocks, dimension styles, layers, linetypes, and text styles.
XBIND adds the selected dependent definitions to the current drawing and
saves them with the drawing at the end of the session. You can manipulate
them as you would any other named object. AutoCAD replaces the vertical
bar symbol (|) from each dependent definition name with three new characters: a number (usually 0) between two dollar signs ($).
If you specify a layer whose associated linetype is not CONTINUOUS,
AutoCAD also binds the referenced linetype. If you apply XBIND to a block,
all named objects that are referenced by the objects in the block are also
bound. If the block contains a reference to an xref, AutoCAD binds that xref
and all of its dependent definitions.
Note Use the Bind option of XREF binds the xref file. Use XBIND for individual
dependent definitions.
Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Object External Reference Bind
Command line: xbind
The Xbind dialog box is displayed.
1130
XBIND
If you enter -xbind at the Command prompt, XBIND displays prompts on the
Xbind Dialog Box

Adds xref-dependent named objects (such as blocks, dimension styles, layers,
linetypes, and text styles) to your drawing.
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
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 xrefdependent definition table.
XBIND Command Line

If you enter -xbind at the Command prompt, XBIND displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter symbol type to bind [Block/Dimstyle/LAyer/LType/Style]: Enter an option
Depending on the option, AutoCAD prompts 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 xrefdependent named objects (symbols) from that definition table
XBIND
1131
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. AutoCAD
replaces the vertical bar character ( | ) from each xref-dependent named
object with three new characters: a number (usually 0) between two dollar
signs ($).
If you specify a layer whose associated linetype is not CONTINUOUS,
AutoCAD also binds the referenced linetype. If you apply XBIND to a block,
any block, dimension style, layer, linetype, or text style thats referenced by
objects in the block is also bound. If the block contains a reference to an xref,
AutoCAD binds that xref and all its dependent named objects.
See Also
For information about xref-dependent named objects and how theyre
named, see Resolve Name Conflicts in External References in the Users
Guide.
Commands
XREF controls xrefs. The Bind option of the XREF command makes the entire reference a permanent part of
the host drawing.
XCLIP
Defines an xref or block clipping boundary and sets the front or back clipping planes
XCLIP is used on external references and blocks to set both a clipping
boundary and a front or back clipping plane. A clipping boundary consists

of planar straight line segments. Clipping boundaries can also be generated
from polylines. If the polyline has arcs, the clipping boundary is created as if
it had been decurved before it was used as a clipping boundary. If the
polyline is a curve-fit polyline, the clipping boundary is created as a straightedged representation of the curve-fit polyline. When a clipping boundary is
defined by a splined polyline, the spline is recognized, and it is not converted
back to a straight-edged representation. XCLIP can be applied to single or
multiple external references or blocks, and it can generate or delete a clipping
boundary, generate a polyline from the clipping boundary, or suppress the
appearance of the clip on an external reference. When XCLIP is turned off for
an xref or a block, the clipping boundary is ignored and the entire xref or
block is displayed.
Reference toolbar:
1132
XCLIP
Shortcut menu: Select an xref, right-click in the drawing area, and choose
Xref Clip.
Command line: xclip
selecting objects
Enter clipping option [ON/OFF/Clipdepth/Delete/generate Polyline/
New boundary] <New>: Select an option or press ENTER
On
Displays the clipped portion of the xref or block in the host drawing.
Off
Displays all of the geometry of the xref or block in the host 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.
Specify front clip point or [Distance/Remove]:
Front Clip Point
Creates a clipping plane passing through and

perpendicular to the clipping boundary.
Specify back clip point or [Distance/Remove]:
Distance
Creates a clipping plane the specified distance from and

parallel to the clipping boundary.
Specify distance from 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.
XCLIP
1133
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. If a boundary already exists,
AutoCAD prompts:
Delete old boundary? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
AutoCAD continues the command only if all previous boundaries are
deleted.
Specify clipping boundary(s):
[Select polyline/Polygonal/Rectangular] <Rectangular>: Specify a clipping
boundary option or press ENTER
Select Polyline
Defines the boundary using the selected polyline. The

polyline can be open but must consist of straight line
segments and cannot intersect itself. The boundary
created using this method is parallel to the user
coordinate system (UCS) plane on which the polyline
lies.
Polygonal
Defines a polygonal boundary by using the points you

specify for the vertices of a polygon. The clipping
boundary is applied in the current UCS regardless of the
current view.
Rectangular
Defines a rectangular boundary by using the points you

specify for opposite corners. The clipping boundary is
applied in the current UCS and is independent of the
current view.
See Also
See Clip External References and Blocks in the Users Guide.
Commands
1134
XCLIP
XREF controls external references to drawing files.
System Variables
XCLIPFRAME turns the display of the clipping boundary
on or off.
XLINE
Creates an infinite line
XLINE creates infinite lines, which are commonly used as construction lines.
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Construction Line
Command line: xline
Specify a point or [Hor/Ver/Ang/Bisect/Offset]: Specify a point or enter an option
Point
Specifies the location of the infinite line using two points through which it
passes.
1
2
Specify through point: Specify the point (2) through which you want the xline to
pass, or press ENTER to end the command
AutoCAD creates the xline through the specified point.
Hor
Creates a horizontal xline passing through a specified point.
1
AutoCAD creates the xline parallel to the X axis.
Ver
Creates a vertical xline passing through a specified point.
AutoCAD creates the xline parallel to the Y axis.
XLINE
1135
Ang
Creates an xline at a specified angle.
1
Enter angle of xline (0) or [Reference]:

Angle of Xline
Specify an angle or enter r
Specifies the angle at which to place the line.

Specify through point:
AutoCAD creates an xline through the specified point,
using the specified angle.
angle
Reference
Specifies the angle from a selected reference line. The

angle is measured counterclockwise from the reference
line.
Select a line object: Select a line, polyline, ray, or xline
Enter angle of xline <0>:
Specify through point: Specify the point through which
you want the xline to pass, or press ENTER to end the
command
AutoCAD creates an xline through the specified point,
using the specified angle.
Bisect
Creates an xline that passes through the selected angle vertex and bisects the
angle between the first and second line.
3
1
2
Specify angle vertex point: Specify a point (1)

Specify angle start point: Specify a point (2)
Specify angle end point: Specify a point (3) or press ENTER to end the command
The xline lies in the plane determined by the three points.
Offset
Creates an xline parallel to another object.
Specify offset distance or [Through] <current>: Specify an offset distance, enter
t, or press ENTER
1136
XLINE
Offset Distance
Specifies the distance the xline is offset from the

selected object.
Select a line object: Select a line, polyline, ray, or xline, or
press ENTER to end the command
Specify side to offset? Specify a point and press ENTER to
exit the command
Through
Creates an xline offset from a line and passing through

a specified point.
Select a line object: Select a line, polyline, ray, or xline, or
press ENTER to end the command
Specify through point: Specify the point through which
you want the xline to pass and press ENTER to exit the
command
See Also
See Draw Construction Lines (and Rays) in the Users Guide.
Commands
PROPERTIES modifies the properties of an xline. LINE

creates straight line segments. MLINE creates multiple
parallel lines. PLINE creates two-dimensional polylines.
RAY creates a semi-infinite line.
System Variables
OFFSETDIST stores the current offset value.
XOPEN
Opens a selected external reference (xref) in a new window
XOPEN opens the selected xref for editing in a new window. The new window
is displayed after the Xref Manager is closed.

Command line: xopen
Select Xref: Select an object in the external reference
After an object is selected, the xref to which it belongs opens in a separate
window. If the xref contains nested xrefs, the deepest-level xref of the
selected object is opened.
XOPEN
1137
XPLODE
A compound object comprises more than one AutoCAD object. For example,
a block is a compound object. You can explode multiple compound objects
at the same time and change the color, layer, lineweight, and linetype of each
object individually or change the entire selection set globally. You can specify
a color, layer, lineweight, and linetype, or these properties can be inherited
from the object being exploded.
block before
XPLODE
component ob
after XPLODE
You can explode blocks with scale factors of equal absolute value. Equal
absolute value means the scale factors are equal if you remove any minus
signs (). For example, you can explode blocks with X, Y, and Z scale factors
of 1, 1, and 1, including mirrored blocks.
Command line: xplode
Select objects to XPlode.
selecting objects
AutoCAD reports how many objects were selected and, of those, how many
objects cannot be exploded. If you select more than one valid object,
AutoCAD displays the following prompt.
Enter an option [Individually/Globally] <Globally>: Enter i, enter g, or press
ENTER
Individually
Applies changes to the selected objects one at a time. AutoCAD displays the
following prompt for each object.
Enter an option [All/Color/LAyer/LType/Inherit from parent block/Explode]
<Explode>: Enter an option or press ENTER
All
Sets the color, linetype, lineweight, and layer of the

component objects after you explode them. AutoCAD
displays the prompts associated with the Color,
Linetype, Lineweight, and Layer options.
Color
Sets the color of the objects after you explode them.

[Red/Yellow/Green/Cyan/Blue/Magenta/White/BYLayer/
BYBlock/Truecolor/Colorbook] <BYLAYER>: Enter an
option, enter a color number, or press ENTER
1138
XPLODE
Entering bylayer causes the component objects to

inherit the color of the exploded objects layer. Entering
byblock causes the component objects to inherit the
color of the exploded object.
Enter t for a true color to be used for the selected object.
Enter c for a color from a loaded color book to be used
for the selected object.
selected color book such as PANTONE 573
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.
Enter new layer name for exploded objects <current>:
Enter an existing layer name or press ENTER
LType
Sets the linetype of the component objects after you

explode them.
Enter new linetype name for exploded objects <BYLAYER>:
Enter a linetype name, or press ENTER
You can enter the name of any linetype that is loaded
in the drawing. Entering bylayer causes the component
objects to inherit the linetype of the exploded objects
layer. Entering byblock causes the component objects
to inherit the linetype of the exploded object.
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.
XPLODE
1139
Explode

exactly as the EXPLODE command does.
Globally
Applies changes to all the selected objects.
Enter an option [All/Color/LAyer/LType/Inherit from parent block/Explode]
<Explode>: Enter an option or press ENTER
The descriptions of the All, Color, Layer, LType, Inherit from Parent Block,
and Explode options match the descriptions of the corresponding options
under Individually (see page 1138).
See Also
Commands
EXPLODE breaks a compound object into its component
objects regardless of the X, Y, and Z scale factors. It does

not provide control over the final layer, color,
lineweight, and linetype of the component objects.
XREF
Controls external references to drawing files
An external reference (xref) is a drawing that you attach to or overlay on your
current drawing. When you open or plot a drawing containing xrefs,
AutoCAD automatically reloads the latest version of each xref.
Attaching or overlaying an xref is similar to inserting an entire drawing as a
block. The contents of the specified drawing, and any attached xrefs within
it, are copied into a new block definition. Instances of the xref in the drawing
are block references. If the xref has overlaid, not attached, xrefs within it,
they are not displayed when the xref is attached to or overlaid on another
drawing.
Because the xref is linked to but not inserted in the drawing, attaching an
xref does not significantly increase the drawing file size.
Reference toolbar:
Insert menu: Xref Manager
Shortcut menu: Select an xref, right-click in the drawing area, and choose
Xref Manager.
Command line: xref
The Xref Manager is displayed.
1140
XREF
If you enter -xref at the Command prompt, XREF displays prompts on the
Xref Manager
Attaches, overlays, lists, binds, detaches, reloads, unloads, renames, and
modifies paths to external references (xrefs) in the current (or host) drawing.
List of External References

Displays the xrefs in the drawing in a tree view or a list view. You can use the
F3 and F4 keys to switch between list view and tree view. Selecting any field
selects the xref.
List View
Displays a flat listing of the attached xrefs and their associated data. You can
sort the list of references by name, status, type, file date, file size, or the saved
path and file name.
Reference Name
Lists the names of the xrefs as stored in the definition

table for the drawing.
XREF
1141
Status
Shows whether the xref is loaded, unloaded,

unreferenced, not found, unresolved, orphaned, or
marked for unloading or reloading.
Loaded: Currently attached to the drawing.

Unloaded: Marked to be unloaded from the drawing
once the Xref Manager is closed.
Unreferenced: Attached to the drawing but erased.
Not Found: No longer exists in the valid search paths.
Unresolved: Cannot be read by AutoCAD.
Orphaned: Attached to another xref that is
unreferenced, unresolved, or not found.
Size
Shows the file size of the corresponding reference

drawing. The size is not displayed if the xref is
unloaded, not found, or unresolved.
Type
Indicates whether the xref is an attachment or an

overlay.
Date
Displays the last date the associated drawing was

modified. This date is not displayed if the xref is
unloaded, not found, or unresolved.
Saved Path
Shows the saved path of the associated xref (this is not

necessarily where the xref is found).
Tree View
Displays a hierarchical representation of the xrefs, displaying the relationships between xref definitions. Tree view shows the level of nesting
relationship of the attached xrefs, whether they are attached or overlaid, and
whether they are loaded, unloaded, marked for reload or unload, or not
found, unresolved, or unreferenced.
Attach
Displays the External Reference dialog box if an external reference is selected
or displays the Select Reference File dialog box if no external reference is
selected. See XATTACH.
Detach
Detaches one or more xrefs 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. AutoCAD cannot
detach an xref referenced by another xref or block.
1142
XREF
Reload
Marks one or more xrefs for reloading. This option rereads and displays the
most recently saved version of the drawing.
Unload
Unloads one or more xrefs. Unloaded xrefs can be easily reloaded. Unlike
detaching, unloading does not remove the xref permanently. It merely
suppresses the display and regeneration of the xref definition to improve
performance.
Bind
Displays the Bind Xrefs dialog box (see page 1143). The Bind option makes
the selected xref and its dependent named objects (such as blocks, text styles,
dimension styles, layers, and linetypes) a part of the current drawing.
Open
Opens the selected xref for editing in a new window. The new window is
displayed after the Xref Manager is closed.
Xref Found At
Displays the full path of the currently selected xref. This is where the xref is
actually found and is not necessarily the same as the saved path.
Browse
Displays the Select New Path dialog box (a standard file

selection dialog box), in which you can select a
different path or file name.
Save Path
Saves the path, as it appears in Xref Found At, to the

currently selected xref.
Bind Xrefs Dialog Box

Converts xref definitions to standard local block definitions. 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 xrefdependent 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.
XREF
1143
Bind
Binds the selected xref definition 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 incremented 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 xref 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 xrefdependent 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.
1144
XREF
XREF Command Line

If you enter -xref at the Command prompt, XREF displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter an option [?/Bind/Detach/Path/Unload/Reload/Overlay/Attach] <Attach>:
?List Xrefs
Lists the xref name, path, and type and the number of
xrefs currently attached to your drawing. AutoCAD
Enter xref name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER to list all xrefs in the drawing
Bind
Converts a specified xref into a block, making it a

permanent part of the drawing.
Enter xref name(s) to bind: Enter a name or a list of names
separated by commas
The xref-dependent named objects, such as layer
names, of the former xref are added to your drawing. In
each xref-dependent named object, AutoCAD replaces
the vertical bar (|) with three new characters: a number
(usually 0) between two dollar signs ($). The number is
incremented if the same name already exists in the
current drawing.
Detach
Detaches one or more xrefs 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.
Enter xref name(s) to detach:
AutoCAD does not detach an xref referenced by
another xref or block.
XREF
1145
Path
Displays and edits the path name associated with a

particular xref. This option is useful if you change the
location of or rename the drawing file associated with
the xref.
Edit xref name(s) to edit path:
AutoCAD lists the xref and its old path and prompts for
the new path:
xref name: name
Old path: path
Enter new path: Enter new path and drawing name
If you enter an invalid path, or AutoCAD cannot find
the drawing at the location you enter, you are
prompted for the new path name.
Unload
Unloads the selected xrefs.

Enter xref name(s) to unload:
A marker is left in place of the xref so that it can be
reloaded later.
Reload
Reloads one or more xrefs. This option reloads and

displays the most recently saved version of that
drawing.
Enter xref name(s) to reload:
If AutoCAD 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). Select the file you
want to attach to a drawing as an external reference
(xref) overlay. If you reference a drawing that contains
an overlaid xref, the overlaid xref does not appear in the
current drawing.
Unlike blocks and attached xrefs, overlaid xrefs cannot
be nested. If another person is currently editing the xref
file, AutoCAD overlays the most recently saved version.
1146
XREF
If the xref you specify is not already overlaid, AutoCAD

creates a new xref, using the name of the referenced file.
AutoCAD then prompts you for an insertion point,
scale, and rotation angle, as described for the INSERT
command.
If FILEDIA is set to 0, AutoCAD presents the following
prompt:
Enter name of file to overlay:
For example, to attach a file named !.dwg to the current
drawing, enter the following (where myxref substitutes
a drawing file name):
Enter name of file to attach: Enter myxref=!
Attach
Displays the External Reference dialog box, if an xref is

selected, or the Select Reference File dialog box, if no
xref 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, AutoCAD
attaches the most recently saved version.
If the xref you specify is not already attached or
overlaid, AutoCAD creates a new xref, using the name
of the referenced file. AutoCAD then prompts you for
an insertion point, scale, and rotation angle, as
described for the INSERT command.
When reading objects from the xref into the new block,
AutoCAD copies only those objects created in model
space and ignores objects created in paper space. Thus,
viewports and other objects in paper space do not
become a part of the block definition.
XREF
1147
In a master drawing, the 0 and DEFPOINTS layers and

the CONTINUOUS linetype override entries with the
same name that exist in the attaching or overlaying
xref. Any objects on these layers remain unaffected. If
the DEFPOINTS layer exists in the attaching or
overlaying xref but not in the master drawing, the
DEFPOINTS layer becomes a permanent part of the
master drawing.
If FILEDIA is set to 0, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt:
Enter name of file to attach:
You can enter a tilde (~) to display a dialog box.
See Also
See Attach, Update, and Bind External References in the Users Guide.
Commands
BLOCK creates a compound object (a block definition)

from a group of objects. PROPERTIES modifies the properties of an xref instance. INSERT places a previously
defined block or drawing into the current drawing.

LAYER controls the creation and visibility of layers along
with layer settings. XBIND binds xref-dependent named
objects to a drawing. XCLIP defines an xref clipping
boundary and sets the front or back clipping planes.

System Variables
FILEDIA controls the display of dialog boxes used to read

and write files. XREFCTL controls the creation of the xref
log file. INDEXCTL controls whether layer or spatial
indexes are saved with the drawing. XLOADCTL controls
whether demand loading is enabled. XLOADPATH
controls the location of temporary xref drawing files

used for demand loading. PROJECTNAME controls the
search paths used to find xrefs. VISRETAIN controls
whether changes to xref-dependent layers and linetypes and nested xref paths are saved with the current
drawing.
1148
XREF
ZOOM
Increases or decreases the apparent size of objects in the current viewport
You cannot use ZOOM transparently during VPOINT or DVIEW or while ZOOM,
PAN, or VIEW is in progress.
Standard toolbar:
View menu: Zoom
Shortcut menu: With no objects selected, right-click in the drawing area and
choose Zoom to zoom in real time.
Command line: zoom (or 'zoom for transparent use)
Specify corner of window, enter a scale factor (nX or nXP), or
[All/Center/Dynamic/Extents/Previous/Scale/Window] <real time>:
All
Zooms to display the entire drawing in the current

viewport. In a plan view, AutoCAD zooms to the
drawing limits or current extents, whichever is greater.
In a 3D view, ZOOM All is equivalent to ZOOM Extents.
The display shows all objects even if the drawing
extends outside the drawing limits.
before ZOOM All
after ZOOM All
In the illustration, LIMITS is greater than the extents of

the drawing.
Because it always regenerates the drawing, you cannot
use ZOOM All transparently.
Center
Zooms to display a window defined by a center point

and a magnification value or height. A smaller value for
the height increases the magnification. A larger value
decreases the magnification.
Specify center point: Specify a point (1)
Enter magnification or height <current>: Enter a value or
press ENTER
ZOOM
1149
before ZOOM Center
Dynamic
after ZOOM Center,

magnification increased
Zooms to display the generated portion of the drawing

with a view box. The view box represents your
viewport, which you can shrink or enlarge and move
around the drawing. Positioning and sizing the view
box pans or zooms to fill the viewport with the image
inside the view box.
view box
new view
The panning view box is displayed first. Drag it to the

location you want and click. The zooming view box is
then displayed. Resize it and press ENTER to zoom, or
click to return to the panning view box.
Press ENTER to fill the current viewport with the area
currently enclosed by the view box.
Extents
Zooms to display the drawing extents and results in the

largest possible display of all the objects.
before ZOOM Extents
1150
ZOOM
after ZOOM Extents
Previous
original view
Zooms to display the previous view. You can restore up

to 10 previous views.
current view
after ZOOM Previous
Note If you change the shading with the SHADEMODE

command, the view is changed. If you enter ZOOM
Previous after changing the shading, it restores the
previous view, which is shaded differently, but not zoomed
differently.
Scale
Zooms the display at a specified scale factor.

Enter a scale factor (nX or nXP): Specify a value
Enter a value followed by x to specify the scale relative
to the current view. For example, entering .5x causes
each object to be displayed at half its current size on the
screen.
ZOOM .5x
Enter a value followed by xp to specify the scale relative

to paper space units. For example, entering .5xp
displays model space at half the scale of paper space
units. You can create a layout with each viewport
displaying objects at a different scale.
Enter a value to specify the scale relative to the limits of
the drawing. (This option is rarely used.) For example,
entering 2 displays objects at twice the size they would
appear if you were zoomed to the limits of the drawing.
ZOOM
1151
ZOOM 2
Window
Zooms to display an area specified by two opposite

corners of a rectangular window.
Specify first corner: Specify a point (1)
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point (2)
2
before ZOOM Window
Real Time
ZOOM Realtime cursor
after ZOOM Window
Using the pointing device, zooms interactively to a

logical extent.
Press ESC or ENTER to exit, or right-click to display the
shortcut menu
The cursor changes to a magnifying glass with plus (+)
and minus () signs. See Zoom Shortcut Menu on
page 1153 for a description of the options that are
available while zooming in real time.
The current drawing area is used to determine the
zooming factor. ZOOM uses half of the window height
to move to a zoom factor of 100%. Holding down the
pick button at the midpoint of the window and moving
vertically to the top of the window zooms in to 100%.
Conversely, holding the pick button down at the
1152
ZOOM
midpoint of the window and moving vertically to the

bottom of the window zooms out by 100%.
Note If you place the cursor at the bottom of the window,
hold down the pick button, and move vertically to the top
of the window, the zoom-in factor is 200%.
When you have reached the zoom-in limit, the plus
sign in the cursor disappears, indicating that you can
no longer zoom in. When you have reached the zoomout limit, the minus sign in the cursor disappears,
indicating that you can no longer zoom out.
When you release the pick button, zooming stops. You
can release the pick button, move the cursor to another
location in the drawing, and then press the pick button
again and continue to zoom the display from that
location.
To exit zooming at the new position, press ENTER or
ESC .
Zoom Shortcut Menu

When the ZOOM command is active, you can exit ZOOM or switch to PAN or
3DORBIT using the options on the Zoom shortcut menu. To access the Zoom
shortcut menu, right-click in the drawing area while ZOOM is active.
Exit
Cancels ZOOM or PAN.
Pan
Switches to PAN.
Zoom
Switches to ZOOM in real time.
3D Orbit
Switches to 3DORBIT.
Zoom Window
Zooms to display an area specified by a rectangular

window.
Zoom Original
Restores the original view.
Zoom Extents
Zooms to display the drawing extents.
ZOOM
1153
See Also
See Magnify a View (Zoom) in the Users Guide.
Commands
1154
ZOOM
DVIEW creates and restores perspective and parallel

projection views. LIMITS sets and controls the drawing
boundaries. PAN moves the drawing display in the
current viewport. VIEW saves and restores named views.
VIEWRES sets the resolution for circle, arc, and linetype
generation in the current viewport. VPOINT sets the
viewing direction for a 3D visualization of the current
drawing.
Command Aliases
Command aliases are shortcuts or alternative names for
In this appendix
commands that you enter at the keyboard. This table
Command aliases
lists the command aliases provided in the standard

acad.pgp file. You can change or delete these aliases, or
you can add some of your own by editing the acad.pgp
file.
The acad.pgp file also defines aliases for external commands for Windows and DOS, which are not listed
here.
1155
Command aliases
Command aliases (continued)
Command
Alias
Command
Alias
3DARRAY
3a
CHANGE
-ch
3DFACE
3f
CIRCLE
3DORBIT
3do
COLOR
col, colour, ddcolor
3DPOLY
3p
COPY
co, cp
ADCENTER
adc
DBCONNECT
aad, aex, ali, asq, aro,

ase, dbc
ALIGN
al
DDEDIT
ed
APPLOAD
ap
DDVPOINT
vp
ARC
a
DIMALIGNED
dal, dimali
AREA
aa
DIMANGULAR
dan, dimang
ARRAY
ar
DIMBASELINE
dba, dimbase
-ARRAY
-ar
DIMCENTER
dce
ATTDEF
att, ddattdef
DIMCONTINUE
dco, dimcont
-ATTDEF
-att
DIMDIAMETER
ddi, dimdia
ATTEDIT
ate
DIMEDIT
ded, dimed
-ATTEDIT
-ate, atte
DIMDISASSOCIATE
dda
ATTEXT
ddattext
DIMLINEAR
dli, dimlin
BHATCH
h, bh
DIMORDINATE
dor, dimord
BLOCK
b
DIMOVERRIDE
dov, dimover
-BLOCK
-b
DIMRADIUS
dra, dimrad
BOUNDARY
bo
DIMSTYLE
d, ddim, dst, dimsty
-BOUNDARY
-bo
DIMREASSOCIATE
dre
BREAK
br
DIMTEDIT
dimted
CHAMFER
cha
DIST
di
1156
Appendix A
Command Aliases
Command
Alias
Command
Alias
DIVIDE
div
IMAGECLIP
icl
DONUT
do
IMPORT
imp
DRAWORDER
dr
INSERT
ddinsert, i
DSETTINGS
ds, ddrmodes, rm, se
-INSERT
-i
DSVIEWER
av
INTERFERE
inf
DVIEW
dv
INTERSECT
in
ELLIPSE
el
INSERTOBJ
io
ERASE
LAYER
ddlmodes, la
EXPLODE
-LAYER
-la
EXPORT
exp
-LAYOUT
lo
EXTEND
ex
LEADER
lead
EXTRUDE
ext
LENGTHEN
len
FILLET
LINE
FILTER
fi
LINETYPE
lt, ltype, ddltype
GROUP
-LINETYPE
-lt, -ltype
-GROUP
-g
LIST
li, ls
HATCH
-h
LTSCALE
lts
HATCHEDIT
he
LWEIGHT
lw, lineweight
HIDE
hi
MATCHPROP
ma
IMAGE
im
MEASURE
me
-IMAGE
-im
MIRROR
mi
IMAGEADJUST
iad
MLINE
ml
IMAGEATTACH
iat
MOVE
Command Aliases
1157
Command
Alias
Command
Alias
MSPACE
ms
QLEADER
le
MTEXT
t, mt
QUIT
exit
-MTEXT
-t
RECTANG
rec
MVIEW
mv
REDRAW
OFFSET
REDRAWALL
ra
OPTIONS
ddgrips, gr, op, pr
REGEN
re
OSNAP
ddosnap, os
REGENALL
rea
-OSNAP
-os
REGION
reg
PAN
RENAME
ren
-PAN
-p
-RENAME
-ren
PASTESPEC
pa
RENDER
rr
PEDIT
pe
REVOLVE
rev
PLINE
pl
RPREF
rpr
PLOT
print
ROTATE
ro
POINT
po
SCALE
sc
POLYGON
pol
SCRIPT
scr
PREVIEW
pre
SECTION
sec
PROPERTIES
ch, ddchprop,
ddmodify, mo, props
SETVAR
set
SLICE
sl
PROPERTIESCLOSE
prclose
SNAP
sn
PSPACE
ps
SOLID
so
PUBLISHTOWEB
ptw
SPELL
sp
PURGE
pu
SPLINE
spl
-PURGE
-pu
1158
Appendix A
Command Aliases
Command
Alias
Command
Alias
SPLINEDIT
spe
XCLIP
xc
STRETCH
XLINE
xl
STYLE
st
XREF
xr
SUBTRACT
su
-XREF
-xr
TABLET
ta
ZOOM
THICKNESS
th
TILEMODE
ti, tm
TOLERANCE
tol
TOOLBAR
to
TORUS
tor
TRIM
tr
UNION
uni
UNITS
un, ddunits
-UNITS
-un
VIEW
ddview, v
-VIEW
-v
VPOINT
-vp
WBLOCK
-WBLOCK
-w
WEDGE
we
XATTACH
xa
XBIND
xb
-XBIND
-xb
Command Aliases
1159
1160
System Variables
AutoCAD stores the values for its operating environ-
In this appendix
ment and some of its commands in system variables.
Descriptions of the AutoCAD
Each system variable has an associated type: integer,

real, point, switch, or text string. You can examine any
system variable and change any writable system variable
system variables, including data

types, initial values, and
whether the values are stored
in the drawing or the system
registry
directly on the command line 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.
1161
System Variables
Variable
ACADLSPASDOC
Characteristic
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Description
Controls whether AutoCAD loads the acad.lsp file into
every drawing or just the first drawing opened in an
AutoCAD session.
0
1
Loads acad.lsp into just the first drawing opened in

an AutoCAD session
Loads acad.lsp into every drawing opened
ACADPREFIX
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Stores the directory path, if any, specified by the ACAD

environment variable, with path separators appended if
necessary.
ACADVER
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Stores the AutoCAD version number. This variable differs

from the DXF file $ACADVER header variable, which
contains the drawing database level number.
ACISOUTVER
Type: Integer
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, 40, 50, 60, and 70.
ADCSTATE
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: varies
Determines whether DesignCenter is active or not. For

developers who need to determine status through
AutoLISP.
0
1
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 0
AFLAGS
DesignCenter is not active

DesignCenter is active
Sets attribute flags for ATTDEF bitcode. The value is the

sum of the following:
0
1
2
4
8
No attribute mode selected

Invisible
Constant
Verify
Preset
ANGBASE
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000
Sets the base angle to 0 with respect to the current UCS.
ANGDIR
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
1
1162
Appendix B
System Variables
Counterclockwise
Clockwise
APBOX
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Turns 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
1
Aperture box is not displayed

Aperture box is displayed
APERTURE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 10
Sets the display size for the aperture, in pixels. The aperture is the selection tool used in drawing commands.
AREA
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Not saved
AREA is both a command and a system variable. The

AREA system variable stores the last area computed by
the AREA command. Because entering area at the
Command prompt invokes the AREA command, you
must use the SETVAR command to access the AREA
system variable.
ATTDIA
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the INSERT command uses a dialog box

for attribute value entry. See INSERT Command Line on
page 442.
0
1
ATTMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls display of attributes.

0
1
2
ATTREQ
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Assumes the defaults for the values of all attributes

Turns on prompts or dialog box for attribute values,
as specified by ATTDIA
Controls whether the AUDIT command creates an audit

report (ADT) file.
0
1
AUNITS
Off: Makes all attributes invisible

Normal: Retains current visibility of each attribute:
visible attributes are displayed; invisible attributes
are not
On: Makes all attributes visible
Determines whether the INSERT command uses default

0
1
AUDITCTL
Issues prompts on the command line

Uses a dialog box
Prevents writing of ADT files

Writes ADT files
Sets units for angles.

0
1
2
3
4
Decimal degrees
Degrees/minutes/seconds
Gradians
Radians
Surveyors units
APBOX
1163
AUPREC
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the number of decimal places for all read-only angular

units displayed on the status line, and for all editable angular units whose precision is less than or equal to the current
AUPREC value. For editable angular units whose precision
is greater than the current AUPREC value, the true precision is displayed. AUPREC does not affect the display precision of dimension text (see DIMSTYLE).
AUTOSNAP
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 63
Controls AutoSnap marker, tooltip, and magnet. Also turns

on polar and object snap tracking, and controls the display
of polar and object snap tracking tooltips. The system variable value is the sum of the following bit values:
0
Turns off the AutoSnap marker, tooltips, and magnet.

Also turns off polar tracking, object snap tracking, and
tooltips for polar and object snap tracking
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 and object snap
tracking
BACKZ
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the back clipping plane offset from the target

plane for the current viewport, in drawing units. Meaningful only if the back clipping bit in VIEWMODE is on.
The distance of the back clipping plane from the camera
point can be found by subtracting BACKZ from the
camera-to-target distance.
BINDTYPE
Type: Integer
Not Saved
Initial value: 0
Controls how xref names are handled when binding xrefs

or editing xrefs in place.
0
1
BLIPMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether marker blips are visible. BLIPMODE is

both a command and a system variable. Use the SETVAR
command to access this variable.
0
1
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Not saved
CDATE
1164
Appendix B
Traditional binding behavior ("xref1|one" becomes

"xref$0$one")
Insert-like behavior ("xref1|one" becomes "one")
Turns off marker blips

Turns on marker blips
Sets calendar date and time.
System Variables
CECOLOR
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: "BYLAYER"
Sets the color of new objects. 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.
CELTSCALE
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
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
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: "BYLAYER"
Sets the linetype of new objects.
CELWEIGHT
Type: Integer
Saved In: Drawing
Initial value: -1
Sets the lineweight of new objects.

-1
-2
-3
Sets the lineweight to "BYLAYER."

Sets the lineweight to "BYBLOCK."
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.)
CHAMFERA
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the first chamfer distance.
CHAMFERB
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the second chamfer distance.
CHAMFERC
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the chamfer length.
CHAMFERD
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the chamfer angle.
CECOLOR
1165
CHAMMODE
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 0
Sets the input method by which AutoCAD creates

chamfers.
0
1
Requires two chamfer distances

Requires one chamfer distance and an angle
CIRCLERAD
Type: Real
Not saved
Sets the default circle radius. A zero indicates no default.
CLAYER
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: "0"
Sets the current layer.
CMDACTIVE
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Stores the bitcode that indicates whether an ordinary

command, transparent command, script, or dialog box
is active. The value is the sum of the following:
1
2
Ordinary command is active

Ordinary command and a transparent command are
active
4 Script is active
8 Dialog box is active
16 DDE is active
32 AutoLISP is active (only visible to an ObjectARXdefined command)
64 ObjectARX command is active
CMDECHO
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 1
Controls whether AutoCAD echoes prompts and input

during the AutoLISP command function.
0
1
CMDNAMES
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Turns off echoing

Turns on echoing
Displays the names of the active and transparent commands. 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 on AutoCAD programming
interfaces, see Introduction to Programming Interfaces
in the Customization Guide.
1166
Appendix B
System Variables
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies multiline justification.
CMLSCALE
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
Type: String
Sets the multiline style that AutoCAD uses to draw the
Saved in: Drawing
multiline.
Initial value: "STANDARD"
COMPASS
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 0
CMLJUST
0
1
2
Controls whether the 3D compass is on or off in the

current viewport.
0
1
COORDS
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
1
2
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Turns off the 3D compass

Turns on the 3D compass
Controls when coordinates are updated on the status

line.
0
CPLOTSTYLE
Top
Middle
Bottom
Coordinate display is updated as you specify points

with the pointing device
Display of absolute coordinates is updated
continuously
Display of absolute coordinates is updated continuously, and distance and angle from last point are
displayed when a distance or angle is requested
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 readonly 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 colordependent plot styles, use CONVERTPSTYLES.
CMLJUST
1167
CPROFILE
Displays the name of the current profile. For more infor(Read-only)

mation on profiles, see the OPTIONS command.
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: <<Unnamed
Profile>>
CTAB
(Read-only)
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
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.
CURSORSIZE
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.
CVPORT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2
Sets the identification number of the current viewport.

You can change this value, which changes the current
viewport, if the following conditions are met:
1168
Appendix B
System Variables
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.
DATE
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Not saved
Stores the current date and time. 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 :
<Julian day number>.<Decimal fraction of a day>
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.
DBCSTATE
DBMOD
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Stores the state of the dbConnect Manager, active or not

active.
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Indicates the drawing modification status using bitcode.

The value is the sum of the following:
0
1
1
4
8
16
The dbConnect Manager is not displayed.

The dbConnect Manager is displayed.
Object database modified

Database variable modified
Window modified
View modified
AutoCAD resets the DBMOD value to 0 when you save

the drawing.
DATE
1169
DCTCUST
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: ""
Displays the path and file name of the current custom

spelling dictionary.
DCTMAIN
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: varies by
country
Displays the file name of the current main spelling dictionary. The full path is not shown because this file is
expected to reside in the support directory.
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 AutoCAD, not all
dictionaries may be available.
Keyword
enu
ena
ens
enz
ca
cs
da
nl
nls
fi
fr
fra
de
ded
it
no
non
pt
ptb
ru
rui
es
esa
sv
DEFLPLSTYLE
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Language name
American English
Australian English
British English (ise)
British English (ize)
Catalan
Czech
Danish
Dutch (primary)
Dutch (secondary)
Finnish
French (unaccented capitals)
French (accented capitals)
German (Scharfes s)
German (Dopple s)
Italian
Norwegian (Bokmal)
Norwegian (Nynorsk)
Portuguese (Iberian)
Portuguese (Brazilian)
Russian (infrequent io)
Russian (frequent io)
Spanish (unaccented capitals)
Spanish (accented capitals)
Swedish
Specifies the default plot style for layer 0. If the current

drawing you are working in is in color-dependent mode
(PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1), DEFLPLSTYLE 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), DEFLPLSTYLE is writable and has a default value
of NORMAL.
1170
Appendix B
System Variables
DEFPLSTYLE
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Specifies the default plot style for new objects. If the

current drawing you are working in is in color-dependent
mode (PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1), DEFPLSTYLE is readonly 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), DEFPLSTYLE is writable and
has a default value of BYLAYER.
DELOBJ
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether objects used to create other objects are

retained or deleted from the drawing database.
0
1
DEMANDLOAD
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial Value: 3
Specifies if and when AutoCAD demand-loads a thirdparty application if a drawing contains custom objects
created in that application.
0
1
DIASTAT
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Turns off demand-loading.

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 applications commands.
invoke one of the applications commands. This setting does not demand-load the application when
you open a drawing that contains custom objects.
open a drawing that contains custom objects or
when you invoke one of the applications commands.
Stores the exit method of the most recently used dialog

box.
0
1
DIMADEC
Objects are retained

Objects are deleted
Cancel
OK
Controls the number of precision places displayed in

angular dimensions.
-1
Angular dimension is drawn using the number of

decimal places corresponding to the DIMDEC
setting.
0-8 Angular dimension is drawn using the number of
decimal places corresponding to the DIMADEC
setting.
DEFPLSTYLE
1171
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
DIMALT
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
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2
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
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
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
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.00
Rounds off the alternate dimension units.
DIMALTTD
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2
Sets the number of decimal places for the tolerance

values in the alternate units of a dimension.
DIMALTTZ
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Toggles suppression of zeros in tolerance values.

0
1
2
3
Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches

Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches
Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches
Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet
To suppress leading or trailing zeros, add the following

values to one of the preceding values:
4
8
1172
Appendix B
System Variables
Suppresses leading zeros

Suppresses trailing zeros
DIMALTU
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2
Sets the units format for alternate units of all dimension

style family members except Angular.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
DIMALTZ
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Scientific
Decimal
Engineering
Architectural (stacked)
Fractional (stacked)
Architectural
Fractional
Windows Desktop (decimal format using Control
Panel settings for decimal separator and number
grouping symbols)
Controls the suppression of zeros for alternate unit dimension values. DIMALTZ values 03 affect feet-and-inch
dimensions only.
0
1
2
3
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)
DIMAPOST
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 (.).
DIMASO
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: On
Controls the associativity of dimension objects.

Obsolete. See DIMASSOC.
DIMALTU
1173
DIMASSOC
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2
Controls the associativity of dimension objects.

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.
Creates non-associative dimension objects. The
elements of the dimension are formed into a single
object. If the definition point on the object moves,
the dimension value is updated.
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 association point on the geometric
object moves, the dimension location, orientation,
and value is 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. If a legacy
drawing is opened in AutoCAD 2002, the DIMASSOC
system variable takes on the value of the legacy drawings
DIMASO system variable.
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
DIMASZ
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
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 3
Determines how dimension text and arrows are arranged

when space is not sufficient to place both within the
extension lines.
0
1
2
3
Places both text and arrows outside extension lines

Moves arrows first, then text
Moves text first, then arrows
Moves either text or arrows, whichever fits best
A leader is added to moved dimension text when

DIMTMOVE is set to 1.
1174
Appendix B
System Variables
DIMAUNIT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the units format for angular dimensions.

0
1
2
3
Decimal degrees
Degrees/minutes/seconds
Gradians
Radians
DIMAUNIT sets this value when entered on the command line or when set from the Primary Units area in the
Annotation dialog box.
DIMAZIN
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Suppresses zeros for angular dimensions.

0
1
2
3
DIMBLK
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: ""
Displays all leading and trailing zeros

Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal dimensions (for
Suppresses leading and trailing zeros (for example,
0.5000 becomes .5)
Sets the arrowhead block displayed at the ends of

dimension lines or leader 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, Modify and Override Dimension Style
dialog boxes are shown below. You can also enter the
names of user-defined arrowhead blocks.
"" 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
"_CLOSEDBLANK" closed blank
"_DATUMFILLED" datum triangle filled
"_DATUMBLANK" datum triangle
"_INTEGRAL" integral
"_ARCHTICK" architectural tick
DIMAUNIT
1175
DIMBLK1
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.
DIMBLK2
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, closedfilled arrowhead display, enter a single period (.). For a list
of arrowhead entries, see DIMBLK.
DIMCEN
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
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
>0 Center marks are drawn
The absolute value specifies the size of the center mark.
DIMCLRD
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. The color can
be any valid color number. Integer equivalents for the
BYBLOCK and BYLAYER properties are 0 and 256,
respectively.
DIMCLRE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Assigns colors to dimension extension lines. The color can

be any valid color number. See DIMCLRD.
DIMCLRT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Assigns colors to dimension text. The color can be any

valid color number. See DIMCLRD.
DIMDEC
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 4
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.
DIMDLE
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the distance the dimension line extends beyond the

extension line when oblique strokes are drawn instead of
arrowheads.
DIMDLI
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
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.
1176
Appendix B
System Variables
DIMDSEP
Type: Single character

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Decimal
point
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 line. 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), AutoCAD uses the decimal point as
the dimension separator.
DIMEXE
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Specifies how far to extend the extension line beyond the

dimension line.
DIMEXO
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Specifies how far extension lines are offset from origin

points. If you point directly at the corners of an object to
be dimensioned, the extension lines do not touch the
object.
DIMFIT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 3
Obsolete. Has no effect except to preserve the integrity

of scripts. DIMFIT is replaced by DIMATFIT and DIMTMOVE.
DIMFRAC
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the fraction format when DIMLUNIT is set to 4

(Architectural) or 5 (Fractional).
0
1
2
DIMGAP
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Horizontal
Diagonal
Not stacked (for example, 1/2)
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.
AutoCAD also uses DIMGAP as the minimum length for
pieces of the dimension line. When calculating the
default position for the dimension text, AutoCAD
positions the text 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).
DIMDSEP
1177
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
DIMJUST
Controls the horizontal positioning of dimension text.

0
1
2
3
4
Positions the text above the dimension line and center-justifies it between the extension lines
Positions the text next to the first extension line
Positions the text next to the second extension line
Positions the text above and aligned with the first
extension line
Positions the text above and aligned with the second
extension line
DIMLDRBLK
Type: String
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.
DIMLFAC
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
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.
DIMLFAC has no effect on angular dimensions, and is not
applied to the values held in DIMRND, DIMTM, or
DIMTP.
If you create associative dimensions in paper space,
AutoCAD multiplies the model space distance measured
by the absolute value of DIMLFAC. In model space,
negative values for DIMLFAC are ignored, and the value
1.0 is used instead. For nonassociative dimensions,
DIMLFAC must be set manually to accommodate viewport
scaling.
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
DIMLIM
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
DIMLUNIT
DIMLWD
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2
Sets units for all dimension types except Angular.
Type: Enum
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: -2
Assigns lineweight to dimension lines. Values are standard

lineweights.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Scientific
Decimal
Engineering
Architectural
Fractional
Windows desktop
-3 BYLAYER
-2 BYBLOCK
integer representing 100th of mm
1178
Appendix B
System Variables
DIMLWE
Type: Enum
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: -2
Assigns lineweight to extension lines. Values are standard

lineweights.
-3 BYLAYER
-2 BYBLOCK
integer representing 100th of mm
DIMPOST
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: ""
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.
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
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
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
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls the display of dimension line arrowhead blocks.
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the overall scale factor applied to dimensioning

variables that specify sizes, distances, or offsets. Also
affects the scale of leader objects created with the
LEADER command.
DIMSCALE
Off Use arrowhead blocks set by DIMBLK

On Use arrowhead blocks set by DIMBLK1 and DIMBLK2
0.0 AutoCAD computes a reasonable default value 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 AutoCAD computes a scale factor 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.
DIMLWE
1179
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls suppression of the first dimension line.
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls suppression of the second dimension line.
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Suppresses display of the first extension line.
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Suppresses display of the second extension line.
DIMSHO
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: On
Obsolete. Has no effect except to preserve the integrity of

scripts.
DIMSOXD
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Suppresses drawing of dimension lines outside the

extension lines.
DIMSD1
DIMSD2
DIMSE1
DIMSE2
When turned on, suppresses the display of the dimension

line and arrowhead between the first extension line and
the text.
When turned on, suppresses the display of the dimension

line and arrowhead between the second extension line
and the text.
Off Extension line is not suppressed

On Extension line is suppressed
Off Extension line is not suppressed

On Extension line is suppressed
Off Dimension lines are not suppressed

On Dimension lines are suppressed
If the dimension lines would be outside the extension
lines and DIMTIX is on, setting DIMSOXD to On suppresses the dimension line. If DIMTIX is off, DIMSOXD
has no effect.
DIMSTYLE
1180
(Read-only)
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Appendix B
DIMSTYLE is both a command and a system variable.

The DIMSTYLE system variable shows the current
dimension style. To display the DIMSTYLE system
variable, use the SETVAR command. The DIMSTYLE
system variable is read-only; you cannot change its
value on the command line. To change the current
dimension style, use the DIMSTYLE command.
System Variables
DIMTAD
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the vertical position of text in relation to the

dimension line.
0
1
2
3
Centers the dimension text between the extension

lines.
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.
Places the dimension text on the side of the dimension line farthest away from the defining points.
Places the dimension text to conform to Japanese
Industrial Standards (JIS).
DIMTDEC
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 4
Sets the number of decimal places to display in tolerance

values for the primary units in a dimension.
DIMTFAC
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
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 0.100, the text
height of fractions and tolerances is three-quarters the
size of dimension text.
DIMTIH
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: On
Controls the position of dimension text inside the extension lines for all dimension types except Ordinate.
0 or Off
1 or On
DIMTIX
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Aligns text with the dimension line

Draws text horizontally
Draws text between extension lines.

0 or Off
Varies with the type of dimension. For
linear and angular dimensions, AutoCAD places text
inside the extension lines if there is sufficient room.
For radius and diameter dimensions that dont fit
inside the circle or arc, DIMTIX has no effect and
always forces the text outside the circle or arc.
1 or On
Draws dimension text between the extension lines even if AutoCAD ordinarily places it outside
those lines.
DIMTAD
1181
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
DIMTM
Sets the minimum (or lower) tolerance limit for dimension text when DIMTOL or DIMLIM is on. AutoCAD
accepts signed values for DIMTM. If DIMTOL is on and
DIMTP and DIMTM are set to the same value, AutoCAD
draws a tolerance value.
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, AutoCAD 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
DIMTOFL
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets dimension text movement rules.
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls whether a dimension line is drawn between the

extension lines even when the text is placed outside. 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.
0
1
2
Moves the dimension line with dimension text

Adds a leader when dimension text is moved
Allows text to be moved freely without a leader
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
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: On
Controls the position of dimension text outside the extension lines.

0 or Off
1 or On
Aligns text with the dimension line

Draws text horizontally
DIMTOL
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Appends tolerances to dimension text. Setting DIMTOL

to on turns DIMLIM off.
DIMTOLJ
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Sets the vertical justification for tolerance values relative

to the nominal dimension text.
0
1
2
1182
Appendix B
System Variables
Bottom
Middle
Top
DIMTP
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
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, AutoCAD draws a tolerance
value.
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
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
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
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Controls the vertical position of dimension text above or

below the dimension line. AutoCAD uses the DIMTVP
value 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. AutoCAD splits the dimension line to
accommodate the text only if the absolute value of
DIMTVP is less than 0.7.
DIMTXSTY
Type: String
Specifies the text style of the dimension.
Saved in: Drawing
DIMTXT
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Specifies the height of dimension text, unless the current

text style has a fixed height.
DIMTZIN
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the suppression of zeros in tolerance values.

DIMTZIN stores this value when you enter it on the command line or set it under Primary Units in the Annotation
dialog box. DIMTZIN values 03 affect feet-and-inch
dimensions only.
0
1
2
3
4

12 Suppresses both leading and trailing zeros (for example, 0.5000 becomes .5)
DIMTP
1183
DIMUNIT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2
Obsolete. Has no effect except to preserve the integrity of

scripts. DIMUNIT is replaced by DIMLUNIT and DIMFRAC.
DIMUPT
Type: Switch
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Controls options for user-positioned text.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the suppression of zeros in the primary unit value.

DIMZIN stores this value when you enter it on the command line or set it under Primary Units in the Annotation
dialog box. DIMZIN values 03 affect feet-and-inch
dimensions only.
DIMZIN
0 Cursor controls only the dimension line location

1 or On Cursor controls both the text position and the
0
1
2
3
4

12 Suppresses both leading and trailing zeros (for
DIMZIN also affects real-to-string conversions performed
by the AutoLISP rtos and angtos functions.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
DISPSILH
Controls display of silhouette curves of solid objects in

Wireframe mode. Also controls whether mesh is drawn or
suppressed when a solid object is hidden.
0
1
Off
On
DISTANCE
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Not saved
Stores the distance computed by the DIST command.
DONUTID
Type: Real
Not saved
Sets the default for the inside diameter of a donut.
DONUTOD
Type: Real
Not saved
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.
1184
Appendix B
System Variables
DRAGMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls the display of objects being dragged. When

Drag mode is on, AutoCAD shows the image of an object
as you drag it to another position. With some computer
configurations, dragging can be time-consuming. Use
DRAGMODE to suppress dragging.
0
1
2
Does not display an outline of the object as you drag

it
Displays the outline of the object as you drag it only
if you enter drag on the command line after selecting the object to drag
Auto; always displays an outline of the object as you
drag it
DRAGP1
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 10
Sets the regen-drag input sampling rate.
DRAGP2
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 25
Sets the fast-drag input sampling rate.
DWGCHECK
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial Value: 0
Checks drawings for potential problems when opening

them.
0
1
2
3
If a drawing that you try to open is found to have a

potential problem, you are warned before the drawing is opened.
potential problem, or if it was saved by an application other than AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, you are
warned before the drawing is opened.
potential problem, you are notified on the command
line after the drawing is opened.
potential problem, or if it was saved by an application other than AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, you are
notified on the command line after the drawing is
opened.
DWGCODEPAGE
(Read-only)
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the same value as SYSCODEPAGE (for compatibility

reasons).
DWGNAME
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Stores the drawing name as entered by the user. If the

drawing has not been named yet, DWGNAME defaults to
Drawing.dwg. If the user specified a drive/directory
prefix, the prefix is stored in DWGPREFIX.
DWGPREFIX
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Stores the drive/directory prefix for the drawing.
DRAGMODE
1185
DWGTITLED
EDGEMODE
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Indicates whether the current drawing has been named.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls how the TRIM and EXTEND commands determine cutting and boundary edges.
0
1
0
1
Drawing has not been named

Drawing has been named
Uses the selected edge without an extension

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.
ELEVATION
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
(viewport specific)
Stores the current elevation relative to the current UCS

for the current viewport in the current space.
ERRNO
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
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 Developers Guide for more information.
1186
Appendix B
System Variables
EXPERT
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 0
Controls whether certain prompts are issued.

0
1
2
4
5
Issues all prompts normally.

Suppresses About to regen, proceed? and Really
want to turn the current layer off?
Suppresses the preceding prompts and Block already defined. Redefine it? (BLOCK) and A drawing with this name already exists. Overwrite it?
(SAVE or WBLOCK).
Suppresses the preceding prompts and those issued
by the LINETYPE command if you try to load a linetype thats already loaded or create a new linetype in
a file that already defines that linetype.
Suppresses the preceding prompts and those issued
by UCS Save and VPORTS Save if the name you supply already exists.
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.
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.
EXPLMODE
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 1
Controls whether the EXPLODE command supports

nonuniformly scaled (NUS) blocks.
0
1
Does not explode NUS blocks

Explodes NUS blocks
EXTMAX
(Read-only)
Type: 3D Point
Saved in: Drawing
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
(Read-only)
Type: 3D Point
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the lower-left 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.
EXPERT
1187
EXTNAMES
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
FACETRATIO
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial Value: 0
Uses 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 (-).
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.
Controls the aspect ratio of faceting for cylindrical and

conic ShapeManager solids. A setting of 1 increases the
density of the mesh to improve the quality of rendered
and shaded models.
0
1
Creates an N by 1 mesh for cylindrical and conic

ShapeManager solids
Creates an N by M mesh for cylindrical and conic
ShapeManager solids
FACETRES
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.5
Adjusts the smoothness of shaded and rendered objects

and objects with hidden lines removed. Valid values are
from 0.01 to 10.0.
FILEDIA
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes and the

Create New Drawing 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 commands prompt.
The same is true for AutoLISP and ADS functions.
Displays dialog boxes. However, if a script or
AutoLISP/ObjectARX program is active, AutoCAD
displays an ordinary prompt.
FILLETRAD
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the current fillet radius.
FILLMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies whether hatches (including solid fills and

gradient fills), two-dimensional solids, and wide polylines
are filled in.
0
1
1188
Appendix B
System Variables
Objects are not filled

Objects are filled
FONTALT
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value:
"simplex.shx"
Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified

font file cannot be located. If an alternate font is not
specified, AutoCAD displays the Alternate Font dialog box
(see page 664). The dialog box is displayed in the
following cases:
1.
2.
3.
A Release 13 drawing is opened; FONTALT is not set

or not found; and a TrueType, SHX, or PostScript
font is not found for a defined text style.
A Release 14 drawing is opened, FONTALT is not set
or not found, and an SHX or PostScript font is not
found for a defined text style. For missing TrueType
fonts in Release 14 drawings, AutoCAD automatically
substitutes the closest TrueType font available.
The Browse button is chosen in the Options dialog
box (see page 633) when you specify an alternate
font.
AutoCAD validates the alternate font specified for

FONTALT. If the font name or font file name is not found,
the message Font not found is displayed. Enter either a
TrueType font name (for example, Times New Roman
Bold) or a TrueType file name (for example timebd.ttf).
When a TrueType file name is entered for FONTALT,
AutoCAD returns the font name in place of the file name
if the font is registered with the operating system.
For more information about font substitution, see
Substitute Fonts in the Users Guide.
FONTMAP
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, AutoCAD uses the font defined
in the style. If the font in the style is not found, AutoCAD
substitutes the font according to substitution rules.
For more information about font substitution, see
Substitute Fonts in the Users Guide.
FONTALT
1189
FRONTZ
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the front clipping plane offset from the target

plane for the current viewport, in drawing units. Meaningful only if the front clipping bit in VIEWMODE is on
and the front-clip-not-at-eye bit is also on. The distance
of the front clipping plane from the camera point is
found by subtracting FRONTZ from the camera-to-target
distance.
FULLOPEN
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Indicates whether the current drawing is partially open.
GFANG
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 0
Specifies the angle of a gradient fill. Valid values are 0

through 360 degrees.
GFCLR1
Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: RGB 000,
000, 255
Specifies the color for a one-color gradient fill or the first

color for a two-color gradient fill. Valid values are RGB
000, 000, 000 through RGB 255, 255, 255.
GFCLR2
Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: RGB 255,
255, 153
Specifies the second color for a two-color gradient fill.

Valid values are RGB 000, 000, 000 through RGB 255,
255, 255.
GFCLRLUM
Type: Real
Not saved
Makes the color a tint (mixed with white) or a shade

(mixed with black) in a one-color gradient fill. Valid values
are 0.0 (darkest) to 1.0 (lightest).
GFCLRSTATE
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 1
Specifies whether a gradient fill uses one color or two

colors.
0
1
0
1
GFNAME
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 1
Appendix B
Two-color gradient fill

One-color gradient fill
Specifies the pattern of a gradient fill. Valid values are 1

through 9.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1190
Indicates a partially open drawing

Indicates a fully open drawing
System Variables
Linear
Cylindrical
Inverted cylindrical
Spherical
Inverted spherical
Hemispherical
Inverted hemispherical
Curved
Inverted curved
GFSHIFT
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 0
Specifies whether the pattern in a gradient fill is centered

or is shifted up and to the left.
0
1
Centered
Shifted up and to the left
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies whether the grid is turned on or off.
GRIDUNIT
Type: 2D point
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value:
0.5000,0.5000
Specifies the grid spacing (X and Y) for the current

viewport.
GRIPBLOCK
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the assignment of grips in blocks.
GRIPCOLOR
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 160
Controls the color of nonselected grips. The valid range is

1 to 255.
GRIPHOT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the color of selected grips. The valid range is 1

to 255.
GRIPHOVER
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 3
Controls the fill color of a grip when the cursor pauses

over the grip. The valid range is 1 to 255.
GRIPOBJLIMIT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 100
Suppresses the display of grips when the initial selection

set includes more than the specified number of objects.
The valid range is 0 to 32,767. When the value is set to 0,
grips are always displayed on selected objects.
GRIPS
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the use of selection set grips for the Stretch,

Move, Rotate, Scale, and Mirror Grip modes.
GRIDMODE
0
1
0
1
0
1
Turns the grid off

Turns the grid on
Assigns a grip only to the insertion point of the block

Assigns grips to objects within the block
Turns off grips

Turns on grips
To adjust the size of the grips and the effective selection

area used by the cursor when you snap to a grip, use
GRIPSIZE.
GFSHIFT
1191
GRIPSIZE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 5
Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. The valid range is
1 to 255.
GRIPTIPS
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of grip tips when the cursor hovers

over grips on custom objects that support grip tips.
0
1
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
HALOGAP
Turns off the display of grip tips

Turns on the display of grip tips
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. A haloed line is shortened
at the point where it is hidden when HIDE or the Hidden
option of SHADEMODE are used.
The HALOGAP setting can also be set in the Hidden Line
Settings dialog box (see page 414), Halo Gap Percentage
area.
HANDLES
(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.
HIDEPRECISION
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial Value: 0
Controls the accuracy of hides and shades. 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
1
Single precision; uses less memory

Double precision; uses more memory
The HIDEPRECISION setting can also be set in the Hidden

Line Settings dialog box (see page 414), Hide Precision
area.
HIDETEXT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial Value: 1
Specifies whether text objects created by the TEXT,

DTEXT, or MTEXT commands are processed during a
HIDE command.
0
1
Text is not hidden and does not hide other objects.

Text is hidden but does hide other objects.
When dealing with text objects, legacy behavior is

achieved by setting HIDETEXT to 0.
The HIDETEXT setting can also be set in the Hidden Line
Settings dialog box (see page 414).
1192
Appendix B
System Variables
HIGHLIGHT
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 1
Controls object highlighting; does not affect objects

selected with grips.
0
1
Turns off object selection highlighting

Turns on object selection highlighting
HPANG
Type: Real
Not saved
Initial value: 0
Specifies the hatch pattern angle.
HPASSOC
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether hatch patterns and gradient fills are

associative.
0
1
HPBOUND
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 1
Controls the object type created by the BHATCH and

BOUNDARY commands.
0
1
HPDOUBLE
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 0
Hatch patterns and gradient fills are not associated

with their boundaries
Hatch patterns and gradient fills are associated with
their boundaries and are updated when the boundaries change
Creates a region
Creates a polyline
Specifies hatch pattern doubling for user-defined

patterns. Doubling specifies a second set of lines drawn at
90 degrees to the original lines.
0
1
Turns off hatch pattern doubling

Turns on hatch pattern doubling
HPNAME
Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: "ANSI31"
Sets a default hatch pattern name of up to 34 characters

without spaces. Returns "" if there is no default. Enter a
period (.) to reset HPNAME to the default value.
HPSCALE
Type: Real
Not saved
Specifies the hatch pattern scale factor, which must be

nonzero.
HPSPACE
Type: Real
Not saved
Specifies the hatch pattern line spacing for user-defined

simple patterns, which must be nonzero.
HYPERLINKBASE
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.
IMAGEHLT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the entire raster image or only the

raster image frame is highlighted.
0
1
Highlights only the raster image frame

Highlights the entire raster image
HIGHLIGHT
1193
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
INDEXCTL
Controls whether layer and spatial indexes are created

and saved in drawing files.
0
1
2
3
No indexes are created

Layer index is created
Spatial index is created
Layer and spatial indexes are created
INETLOCATION
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: "http://
www.autodesk.com"
Stores the Internet location used by the BROWSER

command and the Browse the Web dialog box.
INSBASE
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
Type: String
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
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of

blocks or images dragged from DesignCenter and
inserted into a drawing.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
1194
Appendix B
System Variables
Unspecified (No units)

Inches
Feet
Miles
Millimeters
Centimeters
Meters
Kilometers
Microinches
Mils
Yards
Angstroms
Nanometers
Microns
Decimeters
Decameters
Hectometers
Gigameters
Astronomical Units
Light Years
Parsecs
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE Type: Integer

Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Sets source content units value. 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
10 Yards
11 Angstroms
12 Nanometers
13 Microns
14 Decimeters
15 Decameters
16 Hectometers
17 Gigameters
18 Astronomical Units
19 Light Years
20 Parsecs
INSUNITSDEFTARGET Type: Integer

Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Sets target drawing units value. 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
10 Yards
11 Angstroms
12 Nanometers
13 Microns
14 Decimeters
15 Decameters
16 Hectometers
17 Gigameters
18 Astronomical Units
19 Light Years
20 Parsecs
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE
1195
INTERSECTIONCOLOR Type: Integer

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 257
Specifies the color of intersection polylines. Value 0

designates entity color BYBLOCK, value 256 designates
entity color BYLAYER, and value 257 designates entity
color BYENTITY. Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD
color index (ACI).
An intersection polyline is what displays as the face-toface intersection of 3D surfaces when the HIDE
command is used or the SHADEMODE command is set
to Hidden.
The INTERSECTIONCOLOR setting is visible only if the
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY is turned on by setting it to a
value of 1.
The INTERSECTIONCOLOR setting can also be specified
in the Hidden Line Settings dialog box (see page 414),
Face Intersections area, Color control.
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY Type: Switch

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off
Specifies the display of intersection polylines.

0 or Off
Turns off the display of intersection
polylines
1 or On
Turns on the display of intersection
polylines
An intersection polyline displays at the face-to-face
intersection of 3D surfaces when the HIDE command is
used or the SHADEMODE command is set to Hidden.
The INTERSECTIONDISPLAY setting can also be set in
the Hidden Line Settings dialog box (see page 414),
Face Intersections area, Display Intersections check box.
1196
Appendix B
System Variables
ISAVEBAK
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 Windows, copying the file data to
create a BAK file for large drawings takes a major portion
of the incremental save time.
0
1
No BAK file is created (even for a full save)

A BAK file is created
WARNING In some cases (such as a power failure in the

middle of a save), its possible that drawing data can be
lost.
ISAVEPERCENT
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 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
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 4
Specifies the number of contour lines per surface on

objects. Valid integer values are from 0 to 2047.
LASTANGLE
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Not saved
Stores the end angle of the last arc entered relative to the
XY plane of the current UCS for the current space.
LASTPOINT
Type: 3D point
Not saved
Initial value:
0.0000,0.0000,0.0000
Stores the last point entered, expressed as a UCS coordinate for the current space; referenced by the at symbol
(@) during keyboard entry.
LASTPROMPT
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: ""
Stores the last string echoed to the command line. This

string is identical to the last line seen at the command
line and includes any user input.
ISAVEBAK
1197
LAYOUTREGENCTL
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
1
The drawing is regenerated each time you switch

tabs.
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.
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 tabs 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
environment.
NOTE 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.
LENSLENGTH
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the length of the lens (in millimeters) used in

perspective viewing for the current viewport.
LIMCHECK
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the creation of objects outside the drawing

limits.
0
1
1198
Appendix B
System Variables
Objects can be created outside the limits

Objects cannot be created outside the limits
LIMMAX
Type: 2D point
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value:
12.0000,9.0000
Stores the upper-right drawing limits for the current

space, expressed as a world coordinate. LIMMAX is
read-only when paper space is active and the paper
background or paper margins are displayed.
LIMMIN
Type: 2D point
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value:
0.0000,0.0000
Stores the lower-left drawing limits for the current space,

expressed as a world coordinate. LIMMIN is read-only
when paper space is active and the paper background or
paper margins are displayed.
LISPINIT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
When single-document interface is enabled, specifies

whether AutoLISP-defined functions and variables are
preserved when you open a new drawing or whether
they are valid in the current drawing session only.
0
1
AutoLISP functions and variables are preserved from

drawing to drawing
AutoLISP functions and variables are valid in the current drawing only
When SDI is set to 0, AutoLISP always behaves as if

LISPINIT were set to 1. For information about the
behavior of AutoLISP-defined functions and variables in
a multiple-document interface, see Designing for a
Multiple Document Environmentin the AutoLISP
Developers Guide.
LOCALE
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: "enu"
Displays the International Standards Organization (ISO)

language code of the current AutoCAD version youre
running.
LOCALROOTPREFIX
(Read-only)
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: "pathname"
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\productname\version\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.
LOGFILEMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Specifies whether the contents of the text window are

written to a log file.
0
1
LOGFILENAME
(Read-only)
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Log file is not maintained

Log file is maintained
Specifies the path and name of the log file for the current
drawing. The initial value varies depending on the name
of the current drawing and where you installed AutoCAD.
LIMMAX
1199
LOGFILEPATH
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Specifies the path for the log files for all drawings in a
session. You can also specify the path by using the
OPTIONS command. The initial value varies depending
on where you installed AutoCAD.
LOGINNAME
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Displays the users name as configured or as input when

AutoCAD is loaded. The maximum length for a login
name is 30 characters.
LTSCALE
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the global linetype scale factor. The linetype scale

factor cannot equal zero.
LUNITS
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2
Sets linear units.
LUPREC
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 4
Sets the number of decimal places displayed for all readonly linear units, and for all editable linear units whose
precision is less than or equal to the current LUPREC
value. For editable linear units whose precision is greater
than the current LUPREC value, the true precision is displayed. LUPREC does not affect the display precision of
dimension text (see DIMSTYLE).
LWDEFAULT
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.
1
2
3
4
5
Scientific
Decimal
Engineering
Architectural
Fractional
All values must be entered in hundredths of millimeters.

(Multiply a value by 2540 to convert values from inches
to hundredths of millimeters.)
LWDISPLAY
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the lineweight is displayed. The setting

is saved with each tab in the drawing.
0
1
Type: Integer
Saved In: Registry
Initial value: 1
LWUNITS
Controls whether lineweight units are displayed in inches

or millimeters.
0
1
MAXACTVP
1200
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 64
Appendix B
Lineweight is not displayed

Lineweight is displayed
Inches
Millimeters
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.
System Variables
MAXSORT
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.
MBUTTONPAN
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial Value: 1
Controls the behavior of the third button or wheel on the

pointing device.
0
1
MEASUREINIT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: varies by
country
Sets the initial drawing units as imperial or metric. Specifically, MEASUREINIT controls which hatch pattern and
linetype files an existing drawing uses when its opened.
Also controls which template is used.
0
1
MEASUREMENT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Supports the action defined in the menu (.mnu) file

Supports panning when you hold and drag the
button or wheel
Imperial; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file

designated by the ANSIHatch and ANSILinetype
registry settings
Metric; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file
designated by the ISOHatch and ISOLinetype
registry settings
Sets drawing units as imperial or metric for the current

drawing only. Specifically, MEASUREMENT controls which
hatch pattern and linetype files an existing drawing uses
when it is opened.
0
1
Imperial; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file

designated by the ANSIHatch and ANSILinetype
registry settings
Metric; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file
designated by the ISOHatch and ISOLinetype
registry settings
The drawing units for new drawings are controlled by

MEASUREINIT (MEASUREINIT uses the same values as
MEASUREMENT). The MEASUREMENT setting of a
drawing always overrides the MEASUREINIT setting.
MENUCTL
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the page switching of the screen menu.

0
1
Screen menu does not switch pages in response to

keyboard command entry
Screen menu does switch pages in response to keyboard command entry
MAXSORT
1201
MENUECHO
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 0
Sets menu echo and prompt control bits. The value is the
sum of the following:
1
2
4
8
Suppresses echo of menu items (^P in a menu item

toggles echoing)
Suppresses display of system prompts during menu
Disables ^P toggle of menu echoing
Displays input/output strings; debugging aid for
DIESEL macros
MENUNAME
(Read-only)
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Stores the menu file name, including the path for the file
name.
MIRRTEXT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls how the MIRROR command reflects text.
Type: String
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.
MODEMACRO
0
1
Retains text direction

Mirrors the text
Use MODEMACRO to display a string of text, or use special text strings written in the DIESEL macro language to
have AutoCADevaluate the macro from time to time and
base the status line on user-selected conditions. For details, see DIESEL in the Customization Guide.
MTEXTED
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: "Internal"
Sets the name of the application to use for editing

multiline text objects. You can specify a different text
editor for the MTEXT and DDEDIT commands. If you set
MTEXTED to internal or to null, AutoCAD displays the
internal Multiline Text Editor. You set MTEXTED to null
by entering a period (.). If you specify a path and the
name of the executable file for another text editor or
word processor, AutoCAD displays that path and file
name instead.
If the multiline text object is fewer than 80 characters,
you can specify :lisped to use the LISP editor.
Text editors other than the internal one show the
formatting codes in paragraph text.
1202
Appendix B
System Variables
MTEXTFIXED
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the appearance of the Multiline Text Editor.

0
MTJIGSTRING
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: "abc"
MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX(Read-only)
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
NOMUTT
Type: Short
Not Saved
Initial Value: 0
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 . (period) to display no sample text.
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".
Suppresses the message display (muttering) when it
wouldnt normally be suppressed. Displaying messages
is the normal mode of AutoCAD, but message display is
suppressed during scripts, AutoLISP routines, and so on.
0
1
OBSCUREDCOLOR
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 257
Displays both 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.
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.
Resumes normal muttering behavior

Suppresses muttering indefinitely
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 and is visible only when
the HIDE or SHADEMODE commands are used.
The OBSCUREDCOLOR setting is visible only if the
OBSCUREDLTYPE is turned ON by setting it to a value
other than 0.
The OBSCUREDCOLOR setting can also be set in the
Hidden Line Settings dialog box (see page 414),
Obscured Lines area, Color pull-down menu.
MTEXTFIXED
1203
OBSCUREDLTYPE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Specifies the linetype of obscured lines. Obscured

linetypes are independent of zoom level, unlike regular
AutoCAD linetypes. Value 0 will turn off display of
obscured lines and is the default. The linetype values are
defined as follows:
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Off
Solid
Dashed
Dotted
Short Dash
Medium Dash
Long Dash
Double Short Dash
Double Medium Dash
Double Long Dash
Medium Long Dash
Sparse Dot
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
An obscured line is a hidden line made visible by
changing its color and linetype and is visible only when
the HIDE or SHADEMODE commands are used.
The OBSCUREDLTYPE setting can also be set in the
Hidden Line Settings dialog box (see page 414),
Obscured Lines area, Linetype pull-down menu.
OFFSETDIST
1204
Type: Real
Not saved
Appendix B
Sets the default offset distance.

<0 Offsets an object through a specified point
>0 Sets the default offset distance
System Variables
OFFSETGAPTYPE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls how potential gaps between segments are

treated when polylines are offset.
0
1
2
Fills the gaps by extending the polyline segments

Fills the gaps with filleted arc segments (the radius of
each arc segment is equal to the offset distance)
Fills the gaps with chamfered line segments (the perpendicular distance to each chamfer is equal to the
offset distance)
fillet
radius
offset with gaps

offset
distance
OFFSETGAPTYPE=1
OLEHIDE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
OFFSETGAPTYPE=0
distance from
vertex to chamfer
OFFSETGAPTYPE=2
Controls the display of OLE objects in AutoCAD.

0
1
2
3
All OLE objects are visible

OLE objects are visible in paper space only
OLE objects are visible in model space only
No OLE objects are visible
OLEHIDE affects both screen display and printing.

OLEQUALITY
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the default quality level for embedded OLE

objects.
0
1
2
3
4
Line art quality, such as an embedded spreadsheet

Text quality, such as an embedded Word document
Graphics quality, such as an embedded pie chart
Photograph quality
High quality photograph
OFFSETGAPTYPE
1205
OLESTARTUP
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
1
ORTHOMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Constrains cursor movement to the perpendicular. When

ORTHOMODE is turned on, the cursor can move only
horizontally or vertically relative to the UCS and the current grid rotation angle.
0
1
OSMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 4133
Does not load the OLE source application

Loads the OLE source application when plotting
Turns off Ortho mode

Turns on Ortho mode
Sets running Object Snap modes using the following

bitcodes:
0
1
2
4
8
16
32
64
128
256
512
1024
2048
4096
8192
NONe
ENDpoint
MIDpoint
CENter
NODe
QUAdrant
INTersection
INSertion
PERpendicular
TANgent
NEArest
QUIck
APParent Intersection
EXTension
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 write applications for AutoCAD, and 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.
1206
Appendix B
System Variables
OSNAPCOORD
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls whether coordinates entered on the command

line override running object snaps.
0
1
2
PALETTEOPAQUE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial Value: 0
Running object snap settings override keyboard

coordinate entry
Keyboard entry overrides object snap settings
Keyboard entry overrides object snap settings except
in scripts
Controls whether windows can be made transparent.

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, and
when hardware accelerators are in use.
When transparency is available and turned on, you can
use the Transparency option on the shortcut menu to set
a different degree of transparency in individual palettes.
0
1
2
3
PAPERUPDATE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial Value: 0
Transparency turned on by user

Transparency turned off by user
Transparency unavailable though turned on by user
Transparency unavailable and turned off by user
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
1
Displays a warning dialog box if the paper size specified in the layout is not supported by the plotter
Sets paper size to the configured paper size of the
plotter configuration file
PDMODE
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
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
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
OSNAPCOORD
1207
PEDITACCEPT
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
1
PELLIPSE
PERIMETER
The prompt is displayed

The prompt is suppressed
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the ellipse type created with ELLIPSE.
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Not saved
Stores the last perimeter value computed by the AREA,

DBLIST, or LIST commands.
0 Creates a true ellipse object.

1 Creates a polyline representation of an ellipse.
NOTE The LIST command does not update the

computed perimeter for circles.
PFACEVMAX
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Sets the maximum number of vertices per face.
PICKADD
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether subsequent selections replace the

current selection set or add to it.
0
PICKAUTO
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects

prompt.
0
1
1208
Appendix B
Turns off PICKADD. The objects most recently selected become the selection set. Previously selected
objects are removed from the selection set. Add
more objects to the selection set by pressing SHIFT
while selecting.
Turns on PICKADD. Each object selected, either individually or by windowing, is added to the current
selection set. To remove objects from the set, press
SHIFT while selecting.
System Variables
Turns off PICKAUTO

Draws a selection window (for either a window or a
crossing selection) automatically at the Select
Objects prompt
PICKBOX
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 3
Sets the object selection target height, in pixels.
PICKDRAG
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the method of drawing a selection window.

0
1
PICKFIRST
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb

selection) or after you issue a command.
0
1
PICKSTYLE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Draws the selection window using two points. Click

the pointing device at one corner, and then click to
select another corner.
Draws the selection window using dragging. Click
one corner and drag the pointing device; release the
button at the other corner.
Turns off PICKFIRST; you select objects after you issue

a command
Turns on PICKFIRST; you select objects before you
issue a command
Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch

selection.
0
1
2
3
No group selection or associative hatch selection

Group selection
Associative hatch selection
Group selection and associative hatch selection
PLATFORM
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Indicates which AutoCAD platform is in use.
PLINEGEN
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
1
Generates polylines to start and end with a dash at

each vertex
Generates the linetype in a continuous pattern
around the vertices of the polyline
PICKBOX
1209
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 2
PLINETYPE
Specifies whether AutoCAD uses optimized 2D polylines.

PLINETYPE controls both the creation of new polylines
with the PLINE command and the conversion of existing
polylines in drawings from previous releases.
0
1
2
Polylines in older drawings are not converted when

opened; PLINE creates old-format polylines
Polylines in older drawings are not converted when
opened; PLINE creates optimized polylines
Polylines in R14 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
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the default polyline width.
PLOTROTMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls the orientation of plots.

0
1
2
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial Value: 0
PLQUIET
Controls the display of optional dialog boxes and nonfatal

errors for batch plotting and scripts.
0
1
1210
Appendix B
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
lower-left corner.
Aligns the lower-left corner of the effective plotting
area with the lower-left corner of the paper.
Works the same as 0 value except that the X and Y
origin offsets are calculated relative to the rotated
origin position.
System Variables
Displays plot dialog boxes and nonfatal errors

Logs nonfatal errors and doesnt display plot-related
dialog boxes
POLARADDANG
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: null
Contains user-defined polar angles. You can add up to 10

angles. Each angle can be up to 25 characters, separated
with semicolons (;). AutoCADdisplays angles in the format set in the AUNITS system variable.
Unlike POLARANG, POLARADDANG angles do not result
in multiples of their values.
NOTE 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
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.
POLARDIST
Type: Real
Saved in: Registry
Sets the snap increment when the SNAPTYPE system

variable is set to 1 (PolarSnap).
POLARMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls settings for polar and object snap tracking. The

value is the sum of four bitcodes:
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
Use additional polar tracking angles
0 No
4 Yes
Acquire object snap tracking points
0 Acquire automatically
8 Press SHIFT to acquire
POLYSIDES
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 4
Sets the default number of sides for the POLYGON

command. The range is 3 to 1024.
POLARADDANG
1211
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
POPUPS
Displays the status of the currently configured display

driver.
0
1
Does not support dialog boxes, the menu bar, and

icon menus
Supports these features
PRODUCT
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: "AutoCAD"
Returns the product name.
PROGRAM
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: "acad"
Returns the program name.
PROJECTNAME
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: ""
Assigns a project name to the current drawing. Used

when an xref or image 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
and images when drawings are exchanged between
customers, or if users have different drive mappings to
the same location on a server.
If the xref or image is not found at the original path, the
project paths associated with the project name are
searched. If the xref or image is not found there, the
AutoCAD search path is searched.
PROJMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Sets the current Projection mode for trimming or

extending.
0
1
2
PROXYGRAPHICS
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies whether images of proxy objects are saved in

the drawing.
0
1
1212
Appendix B
True 3D mode (no projection)

Project to the XY plane of the current UCS
Project to the current view plane
System Variables
Does not save image with the drawing; a bounding

box is displayed instead
Saves image with the drawing
PROXYNOTICE
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 objects parent application.
0
1
PROXYSHOW
PROXYWEBSEARCH
No proxy warning is displayed

Proxy warning is displayed
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of proxy objects in a drawing.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Specifies whether AutoCAD 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
1
2
0
1
Proxy objects are not displayed

Graphic images are displayed for all proxy objects
Only the bounding box is displayed for all proxy
objects
Prevents checking for Object Enablers.

Checks for Object Enablers only if a live Internet connection is present.
For more information about Object Enablers, see Work

with Custom and Proxy Objects, in the Users Guide.
PSLTSCALE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls paper space linetype scaling.

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.
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 commands to update the linetype scales in each viewport.
PROXYNOTICE
1213
PSTYLEMODE
PSTYLEPOLICY
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Indicates whether the current drawing is in a ColorDependent or Named Plot Style mode.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether an objects color property is associated

with its plot style. The new value you assign affects only
newly created drawings and pre-AutoCAD2000
drawings.
0
1
Uses named plot style tables in the current drawing

Uses color-dependent plot style tables in the current
drawing
No association is made between color and plot style.

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.
An objects plot style is associated with its color.
PSVPSCALE
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Initial Value: 0
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.
PUCSBASE
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.
QTEXTMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls how text is displayed.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the

drawing.
RASTERPREVIEW
0
1
0
1
REFEDITNAME
1214
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not Saved
Initial value: ""
Appendix B
Turns off Quick Text mode; displays characters

Turns on Quick Text mode; displays a box in place of
text
No preview image is created

Preview image created
Displays the name of the reference being edited.
System Variables
REGENMODE
RE-INIT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 0
Controls automatic regeneration of the drawing.

0
1
Turns off the REGENAUTO command

Turns on the REGENAUTO command
Reinitializes the digitizer, digitizer port, and acad.pgp file

by using the following bitcodes:
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
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the default path for the Look In or Save In

option in standard file selection dialog boxes.
0
REPORTERROR
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
This setting restores the legacy behavior of

AutoCAD 2000 and previous releases. When you
start AutoCAD by double-clicking an AutoCAD icon,
if a Start In path is specified for the icon, that path is
used as the default for all standard file selection dialog boxes.
The last used paths in each particular standard file
selection dialog box are remembered across and
within sessions. The Start In folder specified for the
AutoCAD icon is not used.
Controls whether an error report can be sent to

Autodesk if AutoCAD closes unexpectedly.
Error reports help Autodesk diagnose problems with the
software.
0
1
ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX(Read-only)
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
The Error Report message is not displayed, and no

report can be sent to Autodesk.
The Error Report message is displayed, and an error
report can be sent to Autodesk.
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".
REGENMODE
1215
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
RTDISPLAY
Controls the display of raster images during Realtime

ZOOM or PAN.
0
1
Displays raster image content

Displays raster image outline only
RTDISPLAY is saved in the current profile.

Stores the current automatic save file name.
SAVEFILE
(Read-only)
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: ""
SAVEFILEPATH
Type: String
Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save
Saved in: Registry
files for the AutoCADsession. You can also change the
Initial value: "C:\TEMP\" path on the Files tab in the Options dialog box (see page
633).
SAVENAME
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: ""
Stores the file name and directory path of the current

drawing after you save it.
SAVETIME
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 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
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
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.
SCREENMODE
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Stores a bitcode indicating the graphics/text state of the

AutoCAD display. It is the sum of the following bit values:
0
1
2
SCREENSIZE
1216
(Read-only)
Type: 2D point
Not saved
Appendix B
Text screen is displayed

Drawing area is displayed
Dual-screen display is configured
Stores current viewport size in pixels (X and Y).
System Variables
SDI
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether AutoCADruns in single- or multipledocument interface. Helps third-party developers update
applications to work smoothly with the AutoCAD
multiple-drawing mode.
0
1
2
Turns on multiple-drawing interface.

Turns off multiple-drawing interface.
(Read-only) Multiple-drawing interface is disabled
because AutoCADhas loaded an application that
does not support multiple drawings. SDI setting 2 is
not saved.
(Read-only) Multiple-drawing interface is disabled
because the user has set SDI to 1 and AutoCAD has
loaded an application that does not support multiple
drawings. (SDI was set to 1 before the application
was loaded.) SDI setting 3 is not saved.
If SDI is set to 3, AutoCAD switches it back to 1 when
the application that doesnt support multiple drawings is unloaded.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 3
Controls the shading of edges in rendering.
SHADEDIF
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 70
Sets the ratio of diffuse reflective light to ambient light in

percentage of diffuse reflective light, when SHADEDGE is
set to 0 or 1.
SHORTCUTMENU
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 11
Controls whether Default, Edit, and Command mode

shortcut menus are available in the drawing area.
SHORTCUTMENU uses the following bitcodes:
SHADEDGE
0
1
2
3
0
1
2
4
8
Faces shaded, edges not highlighted

Faces shaded, edges drawn in background color
Faces not filled, edges in object color
Faces in object color, edges in background color
Disables all Default, Edit, and Command mode shortcut menus, restoring R14 legacy behavior.
Enables Default mode shortcut menus.
Enables Edit mode shortcut menus.
Enables Command mode shortcut menus. In this
case, the Command mode shortcut menu is available
whenever a command is active.
Enables Command mode shortcut menus only when
command options are currently available from the
command line.
To enable more than one type of shortcut menu at once,

enter the sum of their values. For example, entering 3
enables both Default (1) and Edit (2) mode shortcut
menus.
SDI
1217
SHPNAME
Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: ""
Sets a default shape name that must conform to symbolnaming conventions. If no default is set, it returns "".
Enter a period (.) to set no default.
SIGWARN
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
1
Warning is not presented if a file has a valid

signature.
Warning is presented.
SKETCHINC
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the record increment for the SKETCH command.
SKPOLY
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Determines whether the SKETCH command generates

lines or polylines.
0
1
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
SNAPANG
Generates lines
Generates polylines
Sets the snap and grid rotation angle for the current
viewport. The angle you specify is relative to the current
UCS.
Changes to this variable are not reflected in the grid until
the display is refreshed. AutoCADdoes not redraw automatically when system variable settings are changed.
SNAPBASE
SNAPISOPAIR
SNAPMODE
1218
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.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the isometric plane for the current viewport.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Turns the Snap mode on and off.
Appendix B
Changes to this variable are not reflected in the grid until

the display is refreshed. AutoCADdoes not redraw automatically when system variable settings are changed.
0
1
2
0
1
System Variables
Left
Top
Right
Snap off
Snap on for the current viewport
SNAPSTYL
SNAPTYPE
SNAPUNIT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the snap style for the current viewport.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial Value: 0
Sets the type of snap for the current viewport.
Type: 2D point
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value:
0.5000,0.5000
Sets the snap spacing for the current viewport. If SNAPSTYL

is set to 1, AutoCAD adjusts the X value of SNAPUNIT automatically to accommodate the isometric snap.
0
1
0
1
Standard (rectangular snap)

Isometric snap
Grid, or standard snap.

PolarSnap. Snaps along polar angle increments. Use
PolarSnap with polar and object snap tracking.
Changes to this system variable are not reflected in the

grid until the display is refreshed. AutoCADdoes not redraw automatically when system variable settings are
changed.
SOLIDCHECK
Type: Integer
Saved in: Not Saved
Initial value: 1
Turns the solid validation on and off for the current

AutoCAD session.
0
1
SORTENTS
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 127
Turns off solid validation

Turns on solid validation
Controls the OPTIONS command (from the User

Preferences tab) object sort order operations. SORTENTS
uses the following bitcodes:
0
1
2
4
8
16
32
64
Disables SORTENTS
Sorts for object selection
Sorts for object snap
Clears all the checkboxes
Sorts for MSLIDE command slide creation
Sorts for REGEN commands
Sorts for plotting
Clears all the checkboxes
To select more than one setting, enter the sum of the

settings codes. For example, enter 3 to specify sorting for
both object selection and object snap.
The initial value of 96 enables sorting for plotting and
PostScript output only. Setting additional sorting options
can result in slower regeneration and redrawing times.
SNAPSTYL
1219
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
SPLFRAME
Controls the display of splines and spline-fit polylines.

0
SPLINESEGS
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 8
Does not display the control polygon for splines and

spline-fit polylines. Displays the fit surface of a polygon mesh, not the defining mesh. Does not display
the invisible edges of 3D faces or polyface meshes.
Displays the control polygon for splines and spline-fit
polylines.
Sets the number of line segments to be generated for

each spline-fit polyline generated by the Spline option of
the PEDIT command.
Valid settings range from 32768 to 32767. If you set
SPLINESEGS to a negative value, AutoCADgenerates segments using the absolute value of the setting, and then
applies a fit-type curve 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
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 6
Sets the type of curve generated by the Spline option of

the PEDIT command.
5
6
Type: Integer
STANDARDSVIOLATION
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 2
Quadratic B-spline
Cubic B-spline
Specifies whether a user is notified of standards violations

that exist in the current drawing when a non-standard
object is created or modified.
0 Notification is turned off
1 An alert is displayed when a standards violation
occurs in the drawing
2 Displays an icon in the status bar when you open a
file associated with a standards file and when you create
or modify non-standard objects.
STARTUP
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial Value: 0
Controls whether the Create New Drawing dialog box is

displayed when starting a new drawing with the NEW
and QNEW commands. Also controls whether the Startup
dialog box is displayed when the application is started.
If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0, no dialog boxes
are displayed.
0
1
1220
Appendix B
System Variables
Displays the Select Template dialog box, or uses a

default drawing template file set in the Options dialog box, on the Files tab.
Displays the Startup and the Create New Drawing
dialog boxes.
SURFTAB1
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.
SURFTAB2
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 6
Sets the mesh density in the N direction for the REVSURF

and EDGESURF commands.
SURFTYPE
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
6
8
Quadratic B-spline surface

Cubic B-spline surface
Bezier surface
SURFU
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 6
Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the M

direction.
SURFV
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 6
Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the N

direction.
SYSCODEPAGE
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Indicates the system code page, which is determined by

the operating system. To change the code page, see Help
in your operating system.
TABMODE
Type: Integer
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
1
Turns off Tablet mode

Turns on Tablet mode
TARGET
(Read-only)
Type: 3D point
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the location (as a UCS coordinate) of the target

point for the current viewport.
TDCREATE
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the local time and date the drawing was created.
TDINDWG
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the total editing time, which is the total elapsed

time between saves of the current drawing. The format is:
<number of days>.<decimal fraction of a day>
To compute the number of seconds, multiply the decimal
fraction in TDINDWG by 86400 seconds.
SURFTAB1
1221
TDUCREATE
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the universal time and date that the drawing was
created.
TDUPDATE
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the local time and date of the last update/save.
TDUSRTIMER
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the user-elapsed timer.
TDUUPDATE
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the universal time and date of the last update/save.
TEMPPREFIX
(Read-only)
Type: String
Not saved
Contains the directory name (if any) configured for

placement of temporary files, with a path separator
appended.
TEXTEVAL
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 0
Controls the method of evaluation of text strings entered

with the TEXT or -TEXT commands.
0
1
All responses to prompts for text strings and

attribute values are taken literally
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
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while plotting and

rendering.
0
1
DIsplays text as outlines

Displays text as filled images
TEXTQLTY
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 50
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.
TEXTSIZE
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with
the current text style (has no effect if the style has a fixed
height).
1222
Appendix B
System Variables
TEXTSTYLE
Type: String
Sets the name of the current text style.
Saved in: Drawing
THICKNESS
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the current 3D thickness.
TILEMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Makes the Model tab or the last layout tab current.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls the display of tooltips.
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: varies
Determines whether the Tool Palettes window is active or

not.
TRACEWID
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Sets the default trace width.
TRACKPATH
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls the display of polar and object snap tracking

alignment paths.
TOOLTIPS
TPSTATE
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
2
3
TRAYICONS
TRAYNOTIFY
Turns off the display of tooltips

Turns on the display of tooltips
The Tool Palettes window is not active

The Tool Palettes window is active
Displays full-screen object snap tracking path

Displays object snap tracking path only between the
alignment point and From point to cursor location
Does not display polar tracking path
Does not display polar or object snap tracking paths
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether a tray is displayed on the status bar.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether service notifications are displayed in the

status bar tray.
0
1
0
1
TRAYTIMEOUT
Makes the last active layout tab (paper space) active

Makes the Model tab active
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 5
Does not display a tray

Displays a tray
Does not display notifications

Displays notifications
Controls the length of time (in seconds) that service

notifications are displayed. Valid values are 0 to 10.
TEXTSTYLE
1223
TREEDEPTH
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, making it
unnecessary ever to set SORTENTS.
>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.
NOTE You cannot use TREEDEPTH transparently.
TREEMAX
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
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 systems 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 AutoCAD runs out of memory allocating oct-tree nodes,
restart AutoCAD, set TREEMAX to a smaller number, and
try loading the drawing again.
AutoCAD might occasionally run into the limit you set
with TREEMAX. Follow the resulting prompt instructions.
Your ability to increase TREEMAX depends on your computers available memory.
1224
Appendix B
System Variables
TRIMMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Controls whether AutoCAD trims selected edges for

chamfers and fillets.
0
1
Leaves selected edges intact

Trims selected edges to the endpoints of chamfer
lines and fillet arcs
TSPACEFAC
Type: Real
Not saved
Initial value: 1.0
Controls the multiline text line-spacing distance measured as a factor of text height. Valid values are 0.25 to
4.0.
TSPACETYPE
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
2
At Least
Exactly
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls the vertical alignment of stacked text.
TSTACKSIZE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 70
Controls the percentage of stacked text fraction height

relative to selected texts current height. Valid values are
from 25 to 125.
UCSAXISANG
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 options 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
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: "WORLD"
Stores the name of the UCS that defines the origin and
orientation of orthographic UCS settings. Valid values
include any named UCS.
TSTACKALIGN
0
1
2
Bottom aligned
Center aligned
Top aligned
TRIMMODE
1225
UCSFOLLOW
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
(viewport specific)
Initial value: 0
Generates a plan view whenever you change from one

UCS to another. Set UCSFOLLOW separately for each
viewport. If UCSFOLLOW is on for a particular viewport,
AutoCAD generates a plan view in that viewport whenever you change coordinate systems. 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
1
UCS does not affect the view

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
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
(viewport specific)
Initial value: 3
Displays the UCS icon for the current viewport using

bitcode. UCSICON is both a command and a system
variable. It is the sum of the following:
0
1
2
3
No icon displayed
On; icon is displayed
Origin; if icon is displayed, the icon floats to the UCS
origin if possible
On and displayed at origin
The UCSICON command controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. Because entering ucsicon at the
Command prompt invokes the UCSICON command, you
must use the SETVAR command to access the UCSICON
system variable.
UCSNAME
(Read-only)
Type: String
Saved in: Drawing
(viewport specific)
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
(Read-only)
Type: 3D point
Saved in: Drawing
(viewport specific)
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.
1226
Appendix B
System Variables
UCSORTHO
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
1
UCSVIEW
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1
Determines whether the current UCS is saved with a

named view.
0
1
UCSVP
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
(viewport specific)
Initial value: 1
Specifies that the UCS setting remains unchanged

when an orthographic view is restored
Specifies that the related orthographic UCS setting is
restored automatically when an orthographic view is
restored
Does not save current UCS with a named view

Saves current UCS whenever a named view is created
Determines whether the UCS in viewports remains fixed

or changes to reflect the UCS of the current viewport.
0
1
Unlocked; UCS reflects the UCS of the current

viewport
Locked; UCS stored in viewport, and is independent
of the UCS of the current viewport
UCSXDIR
(Read-only)
Type: 3D point
Saved in: Drawing
(viewport specific)
Stores the X direction of the current UCS for the current

viewport in the current space.
UCSYDIR
(Read-only)
Type: 3D point
Saved in: Drawing
(viewport specific)
Stores the Y direction of the current UCS for the current

viewport in the current space.
UNDOCTL
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Stores a bitcode indicating the state of the Auto and

Control options of the UNDO command. Its the sum of
the following values:
0
1
2
4
8
UNDOMARKS
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
UNDO is turned off

UNDO is turned on
Only one command can be undone
Auto is turned on
A group is currently active
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.
UCSORTHO
1227
UNITMODE
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the display format for units.

0
1
Displays fractional, feet-and-inches, and surveyors

angles as previously set
Displays fractional, feet-and-inches, and surveyors
angles in input format
USERI1-5
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
USERI1, USERI2, USERI3, USERI4, and USERI5 are used for

storage and retrieval of integer values.
USERR1-5
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
USERR1, USERR2, USERR3, USERR4, and USERR5 are used

for storage and retrieval of real numbers.
USERS1-5
Type: String
Not saved
Initial Value: ""
USERS1, USERS2, USERS3, USERS4, and USERS5 are used

for storage and retrieval of text string data.
VIEWCTR
(Read-only)
Type: 3D point
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the center of view in the current viewport.

Expressed as a UCS coordinate.
VIEWDIR
(Read-only)
Type: 3D vector
Saved in: Drawing
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
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the View mode for the current viewport using

bitcode. The value is the sum of the following:
0
1
2
4
8
16
1228
Appendix B
System Variables
Turned off.
Perspective view active.
Front clipping on.
Back clipping on.
UCS Follow mode on.
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.
VIEWSIZE
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the height of the current viewport in drawing

units.
VIEWTWIST
(Read-only)
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the view twist angle for the current viewport.
VISRETAIN
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls the visibility, color, linetype, lineweight, and plot

styles (if PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 0) of xref-dependent
layers.
0
The layer table, as stored in the reference drawing

(xref) takes precedence. Changes made to xrefdependent 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 those settings. The
layer settings affected are On, Off, Freeze, Thaw,
Color, Ltype, LWeight, and PStyle (if PSTYLEPOLICY is
set to 0).
Xref-dependent layer changes made in the current
drawing take precedence. Layer settings are saved
with the current drawings layer table and persist
from session to session.
VSMAX
(Read-only)
Type: 3D point
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the upper-right corner of the current viewports

virtual screen. Expressed as a UCS coordinate.
VSMIN
(Read-only)
Type: 3D point
Saved in: Drawing
Stores the lower-left corner of the current viewports

virtual screen. Expressed as a UCS coordinate.
WHIPARC
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether the display of circles and arcs is

smooth.
0
1
Circles and arcs are not smooth, but rather are displayed as a series of vectors
Circles and arcs are smooth, displayed as true circles
and arcs
VIEWSIZE
1229
WHIPTHREAD
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 3
Controls whether to use an additional processor (known

as multithreaded processing) to improve the speed of
operations such as ZOOM and PAN that redraw or
regenerate the drawing. WHIPTHREAD has no effect on
single processor machines.
0
1
2
3
No multithreaded processing; restricts regeneration

and redraw processing to a single processor. This
setting restores the legacy behavior of AutoCAD
2000 and previous releases.
Regeneration multithreaded processing only; regeneration processing is distributed across two
processors on a multiprocessor machine.
Redraw multithreaded processing only; redraw processing is distributed across two processors on a
multiprocessor machine.
Regeneration and redraw multithreaded processing;
regeneration and redraw processing is distributed
across two processors on a multiprocessor machine.
NOTE 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.
WMFBKGND
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: Off
Controls whether the background display of AutoCAD

objects is transparent in other applications when these
objects are
Output to a Windows metafile using the WMFOUT

command
Copied to the Clipboard in AutoCAD and pasted as a
Windows metafile
Dragged and dropped from AutoCAD as a Windows
metafile
The AutoCAD defined values are:

Off The background color is transparent. The foreground
color will depend on the setting of WMFFOREGND.
On The background color is the same as the AutoCAD
current background color, whether in model space
or in a layout. The foreground color remains
unchanged.
1230
Appendix B
System Variables
WMFFOREGND
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: Off
Controls the assignment of the foreground color of

AutoCAD objects in other applications when these
objects are:
Output to a Windows metafile using the WMFOUT

command
Copied to the Clipboard in AutoCAD and pasted as a
Windows metafile
Dragged and dropped from AutoCAD as a Windows
metafile
WMFFOREGND applies only when WMFBKGND is set to

Off.
The AutoCAD defined values are:
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
WORLDVIEW
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Indicates whether the UCS is the same as the WCS.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Determines whether input to the 3DORBIT, DVIEW, and

VPOINT commands is relative to the WCS (default) or the
current UCS.
0
1
0
1
WRITESTAT
(Read-only)
Type: Integer
Not saved
Initial value: 1
UCS differs from the WCS

UCS matches the WCS
UCS remains unchanged

UCS changes to the WCS for the duration of the
command; the command input is relative to the current UCS
Indicates whether a drawing file is read-only or can be

written to. For developers who need to determine write
status through AutoLISP.
0
1
Cant write to the drawing

Can write to the drawing
WMFFOREGND
1231
XCLIPFRAME
XEDIT
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Controls the visibility of xref clipping boundaries.
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls whether the current drawing can be edited inplace when being referenced by another drawing.
0
1
0
1
Clipping boundary is not visible

Clipping boundary is visible
Cant use in-place reference editing

Can use in-place reference editing
XFADECTL
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 50
Controls the fading intensity percentage for references

being edited in-place. Valid values are from 0 to 90
XLOADCTL
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 2
Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls

whether referenced drawing files are opened or copies of
referenced drawing files are opened.
0
1
2
Turns off demand-loading; the entire drawing is

loaded.
Turns on demand-loading. Referenced drawings are
kept open and locked.
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.
1232
Appendix B
System Variables
XLOADPATH
Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: ""
Creates a path for storing temporary copies of demandloaded xref files. For more information, see XLOADCTL.
XREFCTL
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Controls whether AutoCAD writes external reference log

(XLG) files.
0
1
XREFNOTIFY
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 2
Controls the notification for updated or missing xrefs.

0
1
ZOOMFACTOR
Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 60
Does not write log files

Writes log files
Disables xref notification

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 (!).
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.
Accepts an integer between 3 and 100 as valid values.

The higher the number, the more incremental the
change applied by each forward/backward movement of
a mouse-wheel.
XLOADPATH
1233
1234
Dimension Variables
Quick Reference
This section shows where dimension variables are set on
In this appendix
each tab in the Dimension Styles dialog box and lists the
Map of Dimension Variables in
Dimension Style Dialog Boxes
dimension variable settings to use for certain dimension

standards.
Dimension Variable Settings for
Common Dimensioning
Standards
1235
Map of Dimension Variables in Dimension

Style Dialog Boxes
The illustrations show how the dimension system variables are organized on
tabs in the New Dimension Style dialog box. These system variables are organized the same way in the Modify Dimension Style and Override Dimension
Style dialog boxes.
DIMCLRD
DIMLWD
DIMDLE
DIMDLI
DIMSD1
DIMSD2
DIMBLK1
DIMBLK2
DIMCLRE
DIMLWE
DIMLDRBLK
DIMEXE
DIMASZ
DIMEXO
DIMCEN
DIMSE1
DIMSE2
Lines & Arrows tab (New Dimension Style dialog box)
1236
Appendix C
Dimension Variables Quick Reference
DIMTXSTY
DIMCLRT
DIMTXT
DIMTFAC
DIMGAP
DIMTOH
DIMTIH
DIMTAD
DIMJUST
DIMGAP
Text tab (New Dimension Style dialog box)
DIMATFIT
DIMTIX
DIMSOXD
DIMSCALE
DIMUPT
DIMTMOVE
DIMTOFL
Fit tab (New Dimension Style dialog box)
Map of Dimension Variables in Dimension Style Dialog Boxes
1237
DIMLUNIT
DIMDEC
DIMFRAC
DIMDSEP
DIMRND
DIMPOST
DIMAUNIT
DIMLFAC
DIMADEC
DIMZIN
DIMAZIN
Primary Units tab (New Dimension Style dialog box)
DIMALT
DIMALTU
DIMALTD
DIMALTF
DIMALTRND
DIMAPOST
DIMAPOST
DIMALTZ
Alternate Units tab (New Dimension Style dialog box)
1238
Appendix C
DIMTOL
DIMTDEC
DIMTP
DIMTM
DIMTFAC
DIMTOLJ
DIMALTTD
DIMALTTZ
DIMTZIN
Tolerances tab (New Dimension Style dialog box)
Dimension Variable Settings for Common

Dimensioning Standards
The following table lists the dimension system variable settings for certain
common dimensioning standards.
ANSI (American National Standards Institute) is the same as the

STANDARD dimension style when you select imperial in Start From
Scratch. ANSI is also the default style for ANSI templates.
ISO-25 is the default when you select metric units, and the default ISO
(International Standards Organization) template dimension style.
DIN is the default DIN (Deutsches Insitut fr Normung eV) template style.
JIS is the default JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) template style.
1239
Dimension Style Variables

Variable
Description
ANSI
ISO-25
DIN
JIS
DIMADEC
Decimal places for angular

dimensions
DIMALT
Alternate units selected
Off
Off
Off
Off
DIMALTD
Alternate unit decimal places 2
DIMALTF
Alternate unit scale factor
25.4000
0.0394
0.0394
0.0394
DIMALTRND
Alternate units rounding

value
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
DIMALTTD
Alternate tolerance decimal

places
DIMALTTZ
Alternate tolerance zero

suppression
DIMALTU
Alternate units
DIMALTZ
Alternate unit zero

suppression
DIMAPOST
Prefix and suffix for alternate

text
DIMASZ
Arrow size
0.1800
2.5000
2.5000
2.5000
DIMATFIT
Arrow and text fit
DIMAUNIT
Angular unit format
DIMAZIN
Angular zero suppression
DIMBLK
Arrow block name
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
DIMBLK1
First arrow block name
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
DIMBLK2
Second arrow block name
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
DIMCEN
Center mark size
0.0900
2.500
2.500
0.0000
DIMCLRD
Dimension line and leader

color
ByBlock
ByBlock
ByBlock
ByBlock
DIMCLRE
Extension line color
ByBlock
ByBlock
ByBlock
ByBlock
1240
Appendix C
Dimension Style Variables (continued)

Variable
Description
ANSI
ISO-25
DIN
JIS
DIMCLRT
Dimension text color
ByBlock
ByBlock
ByBlock
ByBlock
DIMDEC
Decimal places for

dimensions
DIMDLE
Dimension line extension
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
DIMDLI
Dimension line spacing
0.3800
3.7500
3.7500
7.0000
DIMDSEP
Decimal separator
DIMEXE
Extension above dimension

line
0.1800
1.2500
1.2500
1.0000
DIMEXO
Extension line origin offset
0.0625
0.0625
0.0625
1.0000
DIMFRAC
Fraction format
DIMGAP
Gap from dimension line to

text
0.0900
0.6250
0.6250
0.0000
DIMJUST
Justification of text on
dimension line
DIMLDRBLK
Leader arrowhead block

name
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
ClosedFilled
DIMLFAC
Linear unit scale factor
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
DIMLIM
Generate dimension limits
Off
Off
Off
Off
DIMLUNIT
Linear unit format
DIMLWD
Dimension line and leader

lineweight
-2
-2
-2
-2
DIMLWE
Extension line lineweight
-2
-2
-2
-2
DIMPOST
Prefix and suffix for

dimension text
DIMRND
Rounding value
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
DIMSAH
Separate arrow blocks
Off
Off
Off
Off
DIMSCALE
Overall scale factor
1.0000
1.0000
1.0000
1.0000
1241

Variable
Description
ANSI
ISO-25
DIN
JIS
DIMSD1
Suppress the first dimension

line
Off
Off
Off
Off
DIMSD2
Suppress the second

dimension line
Off
Off
Off
Off
DIMSE1
Suppress the first extension

line
Off
Off
Off
Off
DIMSE2
Suppress the second

extension line
Off
Off
Off
Off
DIMSOXD
Suppress outside dimension

lines
Off
Off
Off
On
DIMTAD
Place text above the

dimension line
DIMTDEC
Tolerance decimal places
DIMTFAC
Text height within tolerance

objects
1.0000
1.0000
1.0000
1.0000
DIMTIH
Text inside extensions is

horizontal
On
Off
Off
Off
DIMTIX
Place text inside extensions
Off
Off
Off
On
DIMTM
Minus tolerance
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
DIMTMOVE
Text movement
DIMTOFL
Force line inside extension

lines
Off
On
On
On
DIMTOH
Text outside horizontal
On
Off
Off
Off
DIMTOL
Tolerance dimensioning
Off
Off
Off
Off
DIMTOLJ
Tolerance vertical justification 1
DIMTP
Plus tolerance
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
DIMTSZ
Tick size
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
DIMTVP
Text vertical position
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
1242
Appendix C

Variable
Description
ANSI
ISO-25
DIN
JIS
DIMTXSTY
Text style
STANDARD
STANDARD
STANDARD
STANDARD
DIMTXT
Text height
0.1800
2.5000
2.5000
2.5000
DIMTZIN
Tolerance zero suppression
DIMUPT
User positioned text
Off
Off
Off
Off
DIMZIN
Zero suppression
1243
1244
Utilities
This section describes the AutoCAD utilities. You run
In this appendix
these utilities separately from AutoCAD.
Attach Digital Signatures

Batch Standards Checker
Batch Plot
SLIDELIB
1245

Attaches a digital signature to files
Start menu (Windows): Programs Autodesk AutoCAD Attach Digital
Signatures
Command line: (DOS) AcSignApply.exe
The Attach Digital Signatures dialog box is displayed.
Attach Digital Signatures Dialog Box

Selects the files for attachment of digital signatures.
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).
1246
Appendix D
Utilities
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.
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

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.

Audits a set of drawings for standards violations
Start menu (Windows): Programs Autodesk AutoCAD Batch
Standards Checker
The Batch Standards Checker is displayed.
1247

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
Standards
Plug-ins
Notes
Progress
The Batch Standards Checker toolbar contains additional options.
Drawings Tab (Batch Standards Checker)

Allows you to create a list of drawings to audit for standards violations.
1248
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 cant 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.
Appendix D
Utilities
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 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

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.
1249
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

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.
Batch Standards Checker Toolbar
1250
Appendix D
Utilities
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 plug-in 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 button 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.
1251
AutoCAD Batch Plot

Automatically plots multiple AutoCAD drawings on one or more devices
The Batch Plot utility builds a list of AutoCAD drawings to be plotted. You
can use the list to plot immediately or save the list in a batch plot list (BP3)
file.
For more information about using the Batch Plot utility, see Plot Batches of
Drawings in the Users Guide.
SLIDELIB
Compiles slide files listed in an ASCII file into a slide library file
You can construct slide library files (SLB) from slide files (SLD) by using the
SLIDELIB utility program supplied in the AutoCAD support directory. The fol-
lowing operating system command line syntax constructs a slide library:

slidelib library [ < slidelist ]
where
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 redi-
recting 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 AutoCAD can access only
one of the slides.
To generate the slide library mlib from mylist, enter the following:
slidelib mlib < mylist
1252
Appendix D
Utilities
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.
1253
1254
Standard Libraries
AutoCAD provides standard library files for you to
In this appendix
define linetypes, hatch patterns, text fonts, and symbols
Standard Linetypes
for geometric dimensioning and tolerancing. This section provides illustrations of the contents of these files.
Complex Linetypes
Standard Hatch Patterns
PostScript Fill Patterns
Standard Text and Symbol Fonts
TrueType Fonts
Geometric Characteristic
Symbols
1255
Standard Linetypes
AutoCAD provides a library of standard linetypes in the acad.lin file.
Border
Border2
BorderX2
Center
Center2
CenterX2
Dashdot
Dashdot2
DashdotX2
Dashed
Dashed2
DashedX2
Divide
Divide2
DivideX2
Dot
Dot2
DotX2
Hidden
Hidden2
HiddenX2
Phantom
Phantom2
PhantomX2
1256
Appendix E
Standard Libraries
AutoCAD provides a library of ISO linetypes in the acad.lin file.

ACAD_ISO02W1000
ACAD_ISO03W1000
ACAD_ISO04W1000
ACAD_ISO05W1000
ACAD_ISO06W1000
ACAD_ISO07W1000
ACAD_ISO08W1000
ACAD_ISO09W1000
ACAD_ISO010W1000
ACAD_ISO011W1000
ACAD_ISO012W1000
ACAD_ISO013W1000
ACAD_ISO014W1000
ACAD_ISO015W1000
Complex Linetypes
AutoCAD provides some sample complex linetypes in the ltypeshp.lin file.
FENCELINE1
FENCELINE2
TRACKS
BATTING
HOW_WATER_SUPPLY
GAS_LINE
ZIGZAG
Complex Linetypes
1257

AutoCAD provides a library of standard hatch patterns in the acad.pat file.
1258
ANGLE
ANS131
ANS132
ANS133
ANS134
ANS135
ANS136
ANS137
AND138
AR-B816
AR-B816C
AR-B88
Appendix E
Standard Libraries
AR-BRELM
AR-BRSTD
AR-CONC
AR-HBONE
AR-PARQ1
AR-RROOF
AR-RSHAKE
AR-SAND
AR-BOX
BRASS
BRICK
BRSTONE
1259
1260
CLAY
CORK
CROSS
DASH
DOLMIT
DOTS
EARTH
ESCHER
FLEX
GRASS
GRATE
HEX
Appendix E
Standard Libraries
HONEY
HOUND
INSUL
LINE
MUDST
NET
NET3
PLAST
PLASTI
SACNCR
SQUARE
STARS
1261
1262
STEEL
SWAMP
TRANS
TRIANG
ZIGZAG
ACAD_ISO02W100
ACAD_ISO03W100
ACAD_ISO04W100
ACAD_ISO05W100
ACAD_ISO06W100
ACAD_ISO07W100
ACAD_ISO08W100
Appendix E
Standard Libraries
ACAD_ISO09w 100
ACAD_ISO10w 100
ACAD_ISO11w 100
ACAD_ISO12w 100
ACAD_ISO13 100
ACAD_ISO14w 100
ACAD_ISO15w 100
1263
PostScript Fill Patterns

AutoCAD provides standard PostScript fill patterns in the acad.psf file.
RGBCOLOR is designed for color output. On monochrome output, it appears
as a shade of gray.
aaaaa
aaaaa
aaaaa
aaaaa
aaaaa

1264
GRAYSCALE
RGBCOLOR
LINEARGRAY
RADIALGRAY
WAFFLE
ZIGZAG
BRICK
SPECKS
Appendix E
Standard Libraries
AILOGO
SQUARE
STARS

AutoCAD provides numerous text and symbol fonts. You can expand, compress, or slant these fonts as needed. You can also draw text of any height, at
any baseline angle, and with horizontal or vertical orientation.
In all but the monospaced text font (monotxt), characters are proportionally
spaced; that is, the space needed for the letter i is narrower than that for the
letter m. Each font resides in a separate disk file with the name font.shx.
AutoCAD provides font.shp files that you can use as examples if you want to
define your own text fonts.
Each font includes the standard punctuation characters and numbers, but
several fonts provide special alphabets or symbols that you access by typing
particular keys on the keyboard.
List of Standard Text and Symbol Fonts

The fonts in the table are supplied with AutoCAD.
Standard text and symbol fonts
Font
Description
txt
The standard AutoCAD text font. This simple font is described by a minimum
of vectors so it can be drawn very quickly.
monotxt
Monospaced txt font. The characters in this font are the same as those in the
txt font, except that the space allotted to each character is the same (monospaced). Thus, this font is preferable for construction of lists or tables where
the items must line up vertically.
romans
A simplex (single stroke, sans serif) roman font drawn by means of many
short line segments. This font produces smoother-looking characters than
those of the txt font.
romand
Similar to the romans font, but defined using double strokes. This font
produces thicker, darker characters and is highly recommended for plotting on high-resolution printers such as laser printers.
romanc
A complex (double stroke, with serifs) roman font.
romant
A triplex (triple stroke, with serifs) roman font similar to romanc.
italicc
A complex italic font (double stroke, with serifs).
italict
A triplex italic font (triple stroke, with serifs).
1265
Standard text and symbol fonts (continued)
1266
Font
Description
scripts
A simplex script font (single stroke).
scriptc
A complex script font (double stroke).
greeks
A simplex Greek font (single stroke, sans serif).
greekc
A complex Greek font (double stroke, with serifs).
gothice
Gothic English.
gothicg
Gothic German.
gothici
Gothic Italian.
syastro
Astronomical symbols.
symap
Mapping symbols.
symath
Mathematical symbols.
symeteo
Meteorological symbols.
symusic
Musical symbols.
Appendix E
Standard Libraries
Examples of Standard Text and Symbol Fonts

The fonts in the following examples are supplied with AutoCAD.
Fast fonts
txt
monotxt
Simplex fonts
romans
scripts
greeks
Duplex fonts
romand
ISO fonts
isocp
isoct
Triplex fonts
romant
italict
Complex fonts
romanc
italicc
scriptc
greekc
Gothic fonts
gothice
gothicg
gothici
1267
Symbol Fonts
syastro
symap
symath
symeteo
symusic
TrueType Fonts
The following TrueType fonts (file name extension .ttf ) are provided with
AutoCAD. To see an example of each font, open the truetype.dwg drawing.
TrueType fonts
1268
TrueType font family
Type
Font name
Description
Swiss 721 Regular
sans serif
swiss
swissl
swissli
swissi
swissb
swissbi
swissk
swisski
roman
light
light italic
italic
bold
bold italic
black
black italic
Swiss 721 Condensed
sans serif,
condensed
swissc
swisscl
swisscli
swissci
swisscb
swisscbi
swissck
swisscki
condensed
condensed light
condensed light italic
condensed italic
condensed bold
condensed bold italic
condensed black
condensed black italic
Swiss 721 Expanded
sans serif,
expanded
swisse
swisseb
swissek
expanded
expanded bold
expanded black
Swiss 721 Outline
sans serif,
outlined
swissbo
swissko
swisscbo
bold outline
black outline
condensed bold outline
Appendix E
Standard Libraries
TrueType fonts (continued)

TrueType font family
Type
Font name
Description
Monospace 821
sans serif,
monospace
monos
monosi
monosb
monosbi
roman
italic
bold
bold italic
Dutch 801 Regular
serif
dutch
dutchi
dutchb
dutchbi
roman
italic
bold
bold italic
Dutch 801 Expanded
serif, expanded dutcheb
expanded bold
Bank Gothic
all caps
bgothl
bgothm
light
medium
Commercial Script
script
comsc
regular
Vineta
shadow
vinet
regular
Commercial Pi
symbol
compi
regular
Universal Math 1
math
umath
regular
Geometric Characteristic Symbols

The following table shows the geometric characteristic symbols used in geometric tolerancing. These symbols adhere to both ANSI and ISO standards.
Geometric characteristic symbols
Symbol
Name
Position
Concentricity/coaxiality
Symmetry
Parallelism
Perpendicularity
Angularity
Geometric Characteristic Symbols
1269
Geometric characteristic symbols (continued)

Symbol
Name
Cylindricity
Flatness
Circularity or roundness
Straightness
Profile of a surface
Profile of a line
Circular runout
Total runout
Diameter
Maximum material condition (MMC)
Least material condition (LMC)
Regardless of feature size (RFS)
Projected tolerance
1270
Appendix E
Standard Libraries
AutoCAD Graphical
Objects
Every piece of geometry you create is a distinct
In this appendix
AutoCAD object type. Most AutoCAD object types
Descriptions of the AutoCAD
can take several forms. For example, polygons and
object types with related

commands
rectangles are both polyline objects. Boxes, cones, and

cylinders are all three-dimensional solid (3DSolid)
objects.
1271
The table lists the AutoCAD object types and their descriptions. Use LIST to
identify the object type of any piece of geometry.
AutoCAD Graphical Objects
Object type
Description
3DFace
A 3D triangular or quadrilateral plane section.

Related command: 3DFACE
3DSolid
A solid object with free-form surface support.

Related commands: AMECONVERT, BOX, CONE, CYLINDER,
EXTRUDE, INTERSECT, REVOLVE, SLICE, SPHERE, SUBTRACT,
TORUS, WEDGE, UNION
Arc
A circular arc.
Related command: ARC
Attribute Definition
A text string that describes the characteristics of an attribute.

Related command: ATTDEF
Attribute
An object containing text that links to a block.

Related commands: ATTEXT, BLOCK, INSERT, MINSERT
Body
Any structure that uniformly represents solids and free-form,

trimmed, nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surfaces.
Related commands: ACISIN, EXPLODE
Circle
A full circle.
Related command: CIRCLE
Dimension
An object that can be composed of a dimension line, extension

lines, arrowheads, a leader, and annotative text including
alphanumeric characters and tolerances. Dimensions are
measurements of a particular type, which include Aligned,
Rotated, Radial, Diametric, 2LineAngular, 3PointAngular, and
Ordinate.
Related commands: DIMALIGNED, DIMANGULAR,
DIMBASELINE, DIMCENTER, DIMCONTINUE, DIMDIAMETER,
DIMLINEAR, DIMORDINATE, DIMRADIUS
Ellipse (including
elliptical arcs)
1272
Appendix F
A full ellipse.
Related command: ELLIPSE
AutoCAD Graphical Objects (continued)

Object type
Description
End Sequence
An object that marks the ending vertex of a polyline or the end

of an inserted blocks attributes. Optimized polylines do not
have an end sequence.
Related commands: 3DMESH, 3DPOLY, BOUNDARY, ELLIPSE,
INSERT, MINSERT, PFACE, PLINE, POLYGON
Hatch
A pattern of lines repeated at a specified angle and spacing. The

object is repeated or clipped to fit the area being hatched.
Related commands: BHATCH, HATCH
Image
An object that contains and displays a raster or bit-mapped

bitonal, 8-bit gray, 8-bit color, or 24-bit color image file. Valid file
types include BMP, TIFF, RLE, JPG, PCX, and TGA.
Related commands: IMAGE, IMAGEATTACH
Insert (also known as

a Block Reference)
An object that references and displays an external reference or a

block (this includes both single block instances inserted with
INSERT and multiple block instances inserted in a rectangular
array with MINSERT).
Related commands: INSERT, MINSERT, XATTACH, XREF
Leader
A polyline with or without an arrow at one end and annotative

text at the other.
Related command: LEADER
Line
A single line segment.

Related command: LINE
Lwpolyline
A 2D line of adjustable width composed of line and arc

segments. Lightweight polylines are optimized to display more
quickly than standard polylines and save system resources. The
decision to use a lightweight polyline or a standard polyline is
controlled by the PLINETYPE system variable.
Related commands: BOUNDARY, DONUT, PLINE, POLYGON,
RECTANG
Mline
An object composed of multiple parallel lines.

Related command: MLINE
Multiline Text
A paragraph of alphanumeric characters.

Related command: MTEXT
1273

Object type
Description
Point
A point marker that can appear as a dot, square, circle, X, tick, or

plus sign (+), or as a combination of these figures.
Related commands: POINT, DIVIDE, MEASURE
Polyline
A 2D line or mesh of adjustable width or a 3D line or mesh of

nonadjustable width composed of line and arc segments. The
decision to use a polyline or a lightweight polyline is controlled by the PLINETYPE system variable.
Related commands: 3DMESH, 3DPOLY, BOUNDARY, DONUT,
EDGESURF, ELLIPSE, PFACE, PLINE, POLYGON, RECTANG,
REVSURF, RULESURF, TABSURF
Proxy
Ray
A substitute object that represents an original object whose

parent ObjectARX application is currently not loaded.
A construction line infinite in one direction.
Related command: RAY
Region
A bounded planar face that can contain lines, circles, arcs,

elliptical arcs, and spline curves.
Related commands: AMECONVERT, BOUNDARY, EXPLODE,
INTERSECT, REGION, SECTION, SUBTRACT, UNION
Shape
An object containing lines, arcs, and circles and defined in an

SHX file.
Related commands: COMPILE, LOAD, SHAPE
Solid
A filled 2D area.
Related command: SOLID
Spline
A quadratic or cubic nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS)

curve.
Related command: SPLINE
Text
A single line of alphanumeric characters.

Related commands: STYLE, TEXT
Tolerance
An object that shows deviations of form, profile, orientation,

location, and runout of a feature, contained in a feature control
frame.
Related command: TOLERANCE
Trace
A 2D solid line of specified width.

Related command: TRACE
1274
Appendix F

Object type
Description
Wipeout
Covers existing objects with a blank area.

Related command: WIPEOUT
Vertex
For 3D meshes, the point at which the sides of an angle

intersect. For polylines, the point at which line or arc segments
intersect.
Related commands: 3DMESH, 3DPOLY, EDGESURF, PFACE,
PLINE, REVSURF, RULESURF, TABSURF
Viewport
A rectangular area in paper space that contains a view of model

space.
Related command: VPORTS
Xline
A construction line infinite in both directions.

Related command: XLINE
1275
1276
Unicode
When you open drawings created in other countries,
In this appendix
you may need to be familiar with Unicode fonts.
Overview of Unicode Fonts
Understanding Unicode fonts is also required if you

frequently enter hexadecimal equivalents of Unicode
characters while using one of the text commands. This
Code Page Independent Format
(CIF)
Multibyte Interchange Format
(MIF)
Code Page Information
topic describes Unicode fonts and how they are used

with AutoCAD.
1277
Overview of Unicode Fonts

AutoCAD supports the Unicode character encoding standard, which provides a unique number for every character, regardless of the platform, program, or language. A Unicode font can contain 65,535 characters, including
those for many languages. Unicode fonts contain many more characters than
those defined in your operating systems code page. Most AutoCAD fonts are
Unicode-encoded. Fonts that are not Unicode-encoded include
Syastro
Symath
Symeteo
Symbol
Symusic
Symap

The Code Page Independent format (CIF) enables drawings to be opened
both in the language the drawing was created and in the language of a
different country to which the drawing might be sent without any loss of
information.
The current code page is dependent upon the operating system. To change
the code page, see your operating system documentation. When you open a
drawing containing fonts or characters unsupported by your operating
system, the unsupported characters are converted to control characters with
the format \U+xxxx before a text string is actually drawn. U represents the
Unicode shape number, and xxxx is the hexadecimal value of the Unicode
character.
You can enter Unicode hexadecimal values for all Unicode-encoded fonts
using any of the text commands.
For example, if the phrase
were converted to CIF, it would look like this:

JA, DET \U+00C4R DANS PA BR\U+00C4NN\U+00D6 BRYGGA
Converting this string back to its original Unicode font would bring back all
the original characters.
1278
Appendix G
Unicode
Note These control characters are also used by the AutoCAD database handler.
Any Unicode shape numbers not representable in the current code page are
converted to such control codes.
Characters in text strings that are unavailable in the current font, including
any Unicode control characters, are displayed as question marks. However,
Unicode control characters are not interpreted if the current font does not
support Unicode. In that case, the control characters are displayed literally.
You can use Unicode fonts (as the normal font) in conjunction with Big
Fonts.
The special dimensioning symbols degree sign (), plus-or-minus sign(), and
diameter symbol () in a font are assigned to the hexadecimal Unicode
values in the following table.
Special symbol values
Symbol
Value
Degree sign
0x00B0
Plus or minus sign
0x00B1
Diameter symbol
0x2205
Note You can also use the (degree sign) %%d (), (plus or minus sign) %%p
(), and (diameter symbol) %%c () with Unicode fonts, as with regular
AutoCAD fonts. These symbols can also be accessed from the shortcut menu
in the Multiline Text Editor.
You can mix \U+ (CIF) sequences with normal text, for example
"A \U+0074ext string"
This string is displayed as

"A text string"
Because t exists in every system code page, the sequence is converted to a real
character when the object is regenerated.
Warning! If you are using CIF sequences as symbol table names, they must be
entered correctly. Otherwise, you can corrupt your drawing.
1279
Multibyte Interchange Format (MIF)

The Multibyte Interchange format (MIF) converts Asian language character
strings. The following string represents an Asian character displayed on a
system other than the native one:
\M+nxxxx
Multibyte shape number. The n is a digit identifying the originating multibyte code page ID. The xxxx is the hexadecimal value of the multibyte
character.
The code page identifications that AutoCAD supports are listed in the
following table.
Supported code page identification
Code page ID
Code page number
Language
undefined
Undefined
932
Japanese (Shift-JIS)
950
Traditional Chinese (Big 5)
949
Wansung (KS C-5601-1987)
1361
Johab (KS C-5601-1992)
936
Simplified Chinese (GB 2312-80)
If a Big Font is used, the sequence is converted to a 16-bit value, and if a

character exists for it, that character is drawn in the drawing area.
Characters that dont readily map in the system-character representation
appear in DXF as \U+xxxx sequences or as \M+nxxxx sequences for multibyte
code pages (non-Unicode mapped). Also, 8-bit and multibyte characters, as
well as \U+xxxx and \M+nxxxx sequences, are accepted in symbol table
names.
Warning! If you are using MIF sequences as symbol table names, they must
be entered correctly. Otherwise, you can corrupt your drawing.
1280
Appendix G
Unicode

You can find out which code page or language is installed on your operating
system by double-clicking the Regional Settings or Regional Options icon in
the Control Panel. (On some platforms you need to choose the International
Settings icon.) For more information, see your Windows documentation.
To find out which code page AutoCAD is referencing, enter syscodepage at
the Command prompt.
The following table lists all the ANSI code pages supported by Windows.
ANSI code pages supported by Windows
Identifier
Meaning
874
Thai
932
Japanese
936
Chinese (PRC, Singapore)
949
Korean
950
Chinese (Taiwan, Hong Kong)
1200
Unicode (BMP of ISO 10646)
1250
Windows 3.1 Eastern European
1251
Windows 3.1 Cyrillic
1252
Windows 3.1 Latin 1 (U.S., Western Europe)
1253
Windows 3.1 Greek
1254
Windows 3.1 Turkish
1255
Hebrew
1256
Arabic
1257
Baltic
1281
1282
Command Modifiers
You can use command modifiers to help you locate
In this appendix
points or select objects while a command is in progress.
Coordinate Filters (Command
Modifier)
Use the Coordinate Filter, Direct Distance Entry, From,

and Tracking command modifiers at any prompt that
requires point specification. Use the Selection Mode
command modifiers at any prompt that requires object
selection.
Direct Distance Entry
(Command Modifier)
FROM (Command Modifier)
TRACKING (Command
Modifier)
Object Snaps (Command
Modifier)
Selection Modes (Command
Modifier)
1283
Coordinate Filters (Command Modifier)

Combines X, Y, and Z values from different points to specify a single point
Command line: Enter .x, .y, .xy, .xz, or .yz
At any AutoCAD prompt for locating a point, you can enter point filters to
specify a single coordinate by extracting the X, Y, and Z values of several
points. In the following example, the start point for the line has a coordinate
constructed from the X value of the midpoint of the first object you select,
with the Y and Z values of the midpoint of the second object you select.
Command: line
Specify first point: .x
of mid
of Select an object
of (need YZ) mid
of Select another object
To point: Specify a point
Direct Distance Entry (Command Modifier)

Locates the next point at a specified distance in the direction of your cursor
Command line: At a prompt to locate a point, enter a numeric value
With direct distance entry, you can quickly specify a point relative to the last
point you entered. At any AutoCAD prompt for a point location, you move
the cursor first to specify the direction, and then enter a numeric distance.
In the following example, the second point for the line will be located 5 units
toward the direction of the cursor. The direct distance that you enter is measured along the path from the last point to the current location of the cursor.
This feature is usually used with Ortho or Snap mode turned on.
Command: line
Specify next point: Move the cursor in the desired direction and enter 5
1284
Appendix H
Command Modifiers

Locates a point offset from a reference point within a command
Object Snap toolbar:
Command line: At a prompt to locate a point, enter from
Base Point: Specify a point to use as a base point
of <offset>: Enter a relative offset
At an AutoCAD 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.
TRACKING (Command Modifier)

Locates a point from a series of temporary points
Command line: At a prompt to locate a point, enter tracking
Tracking turns on Ortho mode and can be used with Snap mode.
At any AutoCAD 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.
1285
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)

Specifies a snap point at an exact location on an object
Command line: At a prompt to locate a point, enter one of the valid object snap
modes described in the -OSNAP command, or choose an object snap from the Object
Snap toolbar
When you specify an object snap, the cursor changes to an object snap target
box. When you select an object, AutoCAD snaps to the eligible snap point
closest to the center of the target box or aperture.
If you choose an individual object snap on the toolbar, or enter its name on
the command line, the snap stays in effect only for the next point you specify. Using the OSNAP command, you can set running object snaps, that is, one
or more object snaps that remain in effect as you work. Choose None to turn
off both single and running object snaps.
Selection Modes (Command Modifier)

Controls how you create selection sets
Command line: 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.
1286
Appendix H
Command Modifiers
Index
.chx extension for standards check files, 1250

< > (angle brackets), 752
$#$ prefixes on names, 834
255 AutoCAD colors. See AutoCAD Color Index
(ACI)
< > (angle brackets)
generated measurement indicators, 269,
272
prefixes and suffixes in annotations, 484
' (apostrophe), transparent command character,
3
* (asterisk)
as a wild-card character, 843
to write an entire drawing to an output file,
1115
as a wild-card character, 50
finding files, 626
@ (at sign)
to reference the last point, 423
\ (backslash)
in attribute definitions, 90
to select null attribute values, 89
^ (caret)
stacked text indicator, 578, 584
crtc notation, 590
3D Graphics System Configuration dialog box
about, 667
displaying, 652
dynamic tessellation, 667
object smoothness, 667
3D objects
adaptive degradation, 21
command line options, 20
display options, 651
geometry, 24
3D objects (continued)
removing hidden lines in. See removing
hidden lines in 3D objects
rendering options, 23
3DCONFIG command
about, 20
acceleration, 25
geometry, 24
render options, 23
(degree sign), creating, 589, 1027
(diameter symbol), entering, 589, 1027, 1031
$ (dollar sign)
external reference names, 1144, 1145
in dependent symbols, 1130, 1132
3DORBITCTR command, 35
.dxx extension for DXF template extraction files,
92, 94
[...] (ellipsis) button, 458
= (equal sign)
specifying same name for a block and output
file, 1115
(Euro symbol), 580
! (exclamation mark), for drawings not located in
batch standards audits, 1248
/ (forward slash), stacked text indicator, 578, 584
% (percent sign)
entering, 1027
. (period), to access a built-in AutoCAD
command, 1070
+ (plus sign)
UCS icon symbol, 1060
# (pound sign), stacked text indicator, 578, 584
1287
? (question mark)
as wild card for searching, 50
finding files, 626
[ ] (square brackets)
generated measurement indicators, 273
~ (tilde)
to display a standard file selection dialog
box, 544, 691, 826, 1002, 612,
632
(tolerance symbol), entering, 589, 1027, 589
_ (underscore character), in field names, 354
| (vertical bar)
in dependent symbols, 1130, 1132, 1145
2D UCS icon, 1061, 1063
broken pencil icon replacement, 1061
2D viewport configuration setup, 1106, 1107
2P circle specification, 168
3 Point method for defining a UCS, 1053
3D arrays, 16
3D boxes, 7
3D command, 7
3D face properties, 774
3D faces
changing edge visibility of, 355
creating, 27
3D mirror images, 554
3D Orbit shortcut menu, 33
3D Orbit view
properties displayed in, 773
3D Orbit view, center of rotation, 35
3D Orbit view properties, 773
3D polygon mesh objects
creating, 357
editing, 707
3D polylines
adding vertices to, 705
aligning the axis of rotation with, 954
closed, 704
converting to splines, 981
creating, 36
decurving, 707
editing vertices of, 705
exploding, 369
opening, 704
properties of, 788
trimming, 1047
3D projection coordinates for mapping, 927
3D rectangular arrays, 16
3D solid edges
changing color of, 960
copying, 959
removing from a selection set, 960
undoing changes to, 960, 963
3D solid faces, 957
changing color of, 958
creating, 27
extruding, 948
1288
Index
3D solid faces (continued)

moving, 952
of polyface meshes, defining, 711
offsetting, 956
properties of, 774
render options for, 885, 887, 890
rotating, 953
tapering, 956
undoing actions to, 949, 959, 963
3D solid properties, 774
3D solids
See also solids
3D Studio File Export Options dialog box, 40
3D Studio File Import Options dialog box, 37
3D Studio files
exporting to, 39
importing, 37
3D UCS icon, 1061, 1063
3D viewing direction, setting, 250
3D viewport configuration setup, 1106, 1107
3DARRAY command, 16
3DCLIP command
about, 18
3DCORBIT command, 26, 32
3DDISTANCE command, 27, 32
3DFACE command, 27
3DFace object type, 1272
3DMESH command, 29
3DORBIT command
about, 30
cursor icons, 31
presetting the view, 34
projection options, 33
resetting the view, 34
shading modes, 33
starting 3DCLIP with, 18
starting 3DCORBIT with, 26
starting 3DDISTANCE with, 27
starting 3DPAN with, 35
starting 3DSWIVEL with, 42
starting 3DZOOM with, 42
target point of, 30
view options, 32
visual aids, 34
3DORBIT shortcut menu, 32
3DPAN command, 32, 35
3DPOLY command, 36
3DSIN command
about, 37
3DSolid object type, 1272
3DSOUT command
about, 39
3DSWIVEL command, 32, 42
3DZOOM command, 32, 42
3P circle specification, 167
(degree sign), creating, 1027
3DCONFIG command
using Lights option to display lights in
drawing, 489
A
ABOUT command, 43
abs function (CAL command), 143
AC$ (temporary) files, 645
acad.dwt file, 1220
acad.lin (linetype library) file, 1256
acad.lsp file, 653, 1162
acad.mln (multiline library) file, 568, 569
acad.mnu (template menu) file, 540
acad.pat (hatch pattern library) file, 110, 117,
403, 1258
acad.pgp (program parameters) file, 842, 1070,
1155
acad.psf (PostScript fill pattern library) file, 1258,
1264
acad_asi.hlp file, 225
acadiso.pat (pattern) file, 110, 117, 403
ACADLSPASDOC system variable, 653, 1162
ACADPREFIX system variable, 1162
ACADVER system variable, 1162
acceleration
in 3D view, 25
accelerator key options, 655
accumulation options, 227
AcEd-registered commands, 75
ACI. See AutoCAD Color Index (ACI)
ACIS files (SAT format)
exporting to, 44
importing, 43
ACISIN command, 43
ACISOUT command, 44
ACISOUTVER system variable, 1162
Active Assistance
display settings, 78
opening, 76
Active Assistance icon shortcut menu (Windows
system tray), 76
Active Assistance Settings dialog box
about, 78
displaying, 77
Active Assistance window
displaying, 76, 77, 78
navigating, 77
shortcut menu, 77
specifying when to display, 78
adaptive adjustment linetype setting, 1009
adaptive degradation
bounding box, 21
display options, 21
flat shaded, 21
FPS speed, 21
wireframe, 21
adaptive sampling
render options, 889
ADCCLOSE command, 44
ADCENTER command
DesignCenter, 45
Search dialog box, 49
ADCNAVIGATE command, 52
ADCSTATE system variable, 1162
Add mode (AREA command), 65
Add object selection method, 919
Add Plot Style Table wizard, 677
Add Profile dialog box, 669
Add/Modify FTP Locations dialog box
about, 628
displaying, 624
Add-a-Plot-Style-Table wizard, 1004
Add-a-Plotter wizard, 747
adding
drawing sheets from other drawings, 802
standards files to current drawings, 989
Adjust Background Bitmap Placement dialog
box, 100
Adjust Clipping Planes window, 19
shortcut menu, 19
Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates dialog box, 924
Adjust Material Bitmap Placement dialog box,
865
Adjust Object Bitmap Placement dialog box, 928
Adjust Planar Coordinates dialog box, 922
Adjust Spherical Coordinates dialog box, 926
Adjust UVW Coordinates dialog box, 927
ADT (audit) files, 96
Advanced Options dialog box, 739, 916
Advanced Settings for COM dialog box, 762
Advanced Setup wizard, starting drawings, 610
Advanced tab
Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box, 112
Hatch Edit dialog box, 409
Search dialog box (DesignCenter), 51
Aerial View window
about, 328
Auto Viewport and Dynamic Update options
(Options menu), 330
zoom and view options, 329
Affine transformation type, 1016
AFLAGS system variable, 81, 83, 1162
alerts
beep on error, 653
standards violations, 990
aliases
for commands, table listing of, 1155
ALIGN command, 53
aligned dimensions
linear, 255, 282
aligning
attribute tags, 82
axis of rotation, 878, 954
Index
1289
aligning (continued)
cutting planes, 939, 940
dimension text, 296, 312
landscape objects, 519, 521
mirroring planes, 555
objects in 2D or 3D, 44
sectioning planes, 912
text, 455, 1022
fractions in text, 583
multiline text, 586
viewport base points, 596
alignment vector display options, 659
All object selection method, 918
Alternate Font dialog box, 636, 664
alternate font file, specifying location of, 636
alternate units (for dimensions)
settings, 302, 307
Alternate Units tab (New Dimension Style dialog
box), 302
system variables updated by, 1238
altitude
displayed in the Sun Angle Calculator, 500
for distant light, 495
ambient color (of materials)
adjusting, 862
ambient light
adjusting, 491
turning on, 489, 931
AME (Advanced Modeling Extension)
converting to AutoCAD solids, 55
AMECONVERT command, 55
ang function (CAL command), 149
ANGBASE system variable, 1162
ANGDIR system variable, 1162
angle brackets
open and close (< >), 269
generated measurement indicators,
272
plotter setting changes, 752
prefixes and suffixes in annotations,
484
angle direction
settings (in Advanced Setup wizard), 611
angle measure settings, Advanced Setup wizard,
611
angled alignment for viewports, 597
angles
for arc segments, 714
for arcs, 62, 63
changing with LENGTHEN, 486
base angle direction controls, 1077
for camera positioning, 333, 335
for construction lines, 1136
current, precision for, 1076
for dimension text
DIMALIGNED command and, 258
DIMANGULAR command and, 260
1290
Index
angles (continued)
DIMDIAMETER command and, 267
DIMEDIT command and, 270
DIMLINEAR command and, 273
DIMORDINATE command and, 278
DIMRADIUS command and, 281
DIMTEDIT command and, 313
for elliptical arcs, 360
for extrusion, 375
format and precision settings, 1075
formatting for CAL command, 137
for gradient fills, 116
for hatch patterns, 111, 403, 406
for leader segments, 818
for multiline end caps, 572
obtaining, 149
between points, measuring, 314
for polar arrays, 74
positive, calculating, 1076, 1079
of revolution, 856
setting format and direction with the
Advanced Setup wizard, 611
setting viewing angles, 250
of taper, for extrusion, 950
angtos AutoLISP function, 302, 307
angular dimensions
arc selection, 258
associativity, 282
circle selection, 259
creating
with DIMBASELINE, 261
with DIMCONTINUE, 264
line selection, 259
three-point specification, 259
zero suppression, 302
annotation layers, creating, 464
Annotation tab (Leader Settings dialog box), 817
annotations
for leader lines, in XML standards reports,
483, 814
anonymous logons, 628
ANSI (American National Standards Institute),
116
ANSI code pages supported by Windows, 1281
anti-aliasing
lines
in 3D view, 26
render options
and anti-aliasing lines, 26
for Photo Raytrace rendering type, 888
for Photo Real rendering type, 886
APBOX system variable, 659, 660, 1163
aperture box (AutoSnap), 659
APERTURE command, 56
aperture display size option, 660
APERTURE system variable, 660, 1163
apex point
cones, 176
elliptical cones, 177
pyramids, 12
tetrahedrons, 13
apostrophe ('), transparent command character,
3
Apparent Intersection object snap, 672
applications
adding to the history list, 59
adding to the Startup Suite, 61
loading/unloading, 57
APPLOAD command
about, 57
applications/file types supported by, 57
Load/Unload Applications dialog box, 58
Startup Suite dialog box, 60
ARC command, 61
arc-fit polylines, 701
Arc object type, 1272
arc properties, 775
arc segments, adding to 2D polylines, 714
arcball (3D Orbit view), 30
architectural units, 1076, 1078
specifying, 609
arcs
adding segments to 2D polylines, 714
aligning the axis of rotation with, 879, 954
center marks/centerlines, 263, 266
cloud shapes, 854
creating, 61
creating regions from, 841
for defining angular dimensions, 258
diameter dimensions for, 266
display resolution option, 640
dividing, 314
exploding, 369
extending, 371
filleting, 377
joining to polylines, 697
properties of, 775
radial dimensions for, 279
tangents for arcs, 63
trimming, 1047
VIEWRES and, 1098
See also elliptical arcs
AREA command, 64
AREA system variable, 64, 1163
areas
calculating
selecting objects, 64, 66
selecting points, 64, 65
using Add mode, 65
using Subtract mode, 66
defining
with the Advanced Setup wizard, 611
with the Quick Setup wizard, 609
ARG (profile text) files, 664

ARRAY command, 66
Array dialog box
about, 67
displaying, 67
arrays (multiple copies)
creating, 66
offsetting copies, 68
polar, 69, 73
rectangular, 67, 72
rotated, 73, 75
arrowheads
dimension, properties of, 291
including with leader lines, 292, 484, 818
placement of, 296
ARX command, 75
ARX files, loading, 57
ASCII text files. See text files
ASCII text, pasting from the Clipboard, 693
ASE commands. See DBCONNECT command
ASE links, converting to format of AutoCAD 2000
or later, 235
ASE Select dialog box. See Link Select dialog box
Asian-language fonts. See Big Font file
Aspect grid setting, 394, 944
aspect ratio
for backgrounds, 100
for material bitmaps, 866, 929
for OLE objects, 619
for rendering output files, 892
for solid material mapping, 928
ASSIST command
about, 76
Active Assistance icon shortcut menu, 76
Active Assistance Settings dialog box, 77,
78
Active Assistance window shortcut menu,
77
associative dimensions
disassociating, 268
options, 657
reassociating, 282
system variables, 1173, 1174
updating
dimension locations, 284
manually, 284
associative gradient fills
BHATCH and, 109
boundaries, 117
associative hatches
associativity, 109
BHATCH and, 106, 109, 117, 120
disassociating, 410
effects of chamfering, 154
filleting, 378
selecting, 662
updating, 178
Index
1291
asterisk (*)
finding files, 626
as wild card for searching, 50
to write an entire drawing to an output file,
1115
at sign (@)
reference to the last point, 423
Attach by AutoCAD Color Index dialog box, 873
Attach by Layer dialog box, 874
Attach Digital Signatures dialog box, 1246
Attach Digital Signatures utility
about, 1246
Attach Digital Signatures dialog box, 1246
Search Folders dialog box, 1247
attaching
digital signatures, 1246
hyperlinks, to objects, 416
images, to drawings, 425, 428, 433
leader lines, 818
materials, 535, 861, 873, 874, 934
overlays vs. attaching method, 1140
xrefs, 1142, 1147
with External Reference dialog box,
1127
with XATTACH, 1127
attachment methods for materials, 934
Attachment tab (Leader Settings dialog box), 818
ATTACHURL command, 79
ATTDEF command
about, 80
Attribute Definition dialog box, 80
command line prompts, 82
ATTDIA system variable, 1163
ATTDISP command, 81, 84
ATTEDIT command
about, 85
Edit Attributes dialog box, 86
editing attribute values
independent of a block, 85, 86
for a specific block, 85
attenuation of light
point light, 492
spotlight, 496
ATTEXT command
about, 91
Attribute Extraction dialog box, 91
ATTMODE system variable, 84, 1163
ATTREDEF command, 94
ATTREQ system variable, 1163
Attribute Definition dialog box, 80
Attribute Definition object type, 1272
attribute definition properties, 776
Attribute Extraction dialog box, 91
Attribute Extraction wizard, 351
Attribute object type, 1272
1292
Index
attribute prompts
for constant attributes, 83
displaying, 349
editing, 248
Attribute tab
Edit Attribute dialog box, 104
Enhanced Attribute Editor, 350
attribute tags
aligning, 82
changing, 160
displaying, 80, 349
duplicate tags, 105
editing, 248
specifying, 81, 83, 104
attribute values
for constant attributes, 83
display modes, 81, 104
editing, 85, 104, 349
preset defaults, 104
specifying the default, 248
verification, 104
attributes (of blocks), 102, 349, 351
assigned to redefined blocks, 94
Block Attribute Manager, 102, 105
changing text and text properties of, 104,
160, 455
constant attributes, 104
defaults, 104
defining, 80, 104
displaying/hiding, 84, 104
editing, 85, 102, 247, 349
extracting information from, 91, 351
formatting text display, 350
properties of, 776
spell checking, 975
updating, 95
verification, 104
attributes (of files), displaying information
about, 343
attributes (of materials)
adjusting
for granite material, 868
for marble material, 869
for materials, 862
for wood material, 871
ATTSYNC command, 95
AUDIT command, 95
AUDITCTL system variable, 96, 1163
auditing drawings
for standards violations, 991, 1247
AUNITS system variable, 1163
AUPREC system variable, 322, 1164
author of drawings, displaying/specifying, 344
Auto Axis
for material bitmap mapping, 867
Auto object selection method, 919

Auto Viewport (Options menu in Aerial View
window), 330
AutoCAD
environment
customizing, 633
file formats used by, 897
graphical objects, table listing of, 1271
rendering type, 882, 885
serial number and license information, 43
version and service pack installed, 43
AutoCAD Batch Plot utility, 1252
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI)
applying
to layers, 462, 470
to window elements, 666
attaching materials by, 861
distant light colors, 495
selecting colors from, 169, 289, 290, 293
specifying colors by ACI number, 171
spotlight colors, 497
AutoCAD DesignCenter. See DesignCenter
AutoCAD drawings. See drawings
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog box,
621, 1082
AutoCAD Runtime Extension. See ObjectARX
applications, 7
AutoCAPS (for multiline text), 580
Autodesk DesignCenter. See DesignCenter
Autodesk Express Viewer
starting, 807
Autodesk Favorites folder (DesignCenter), 47
Autodesk Map, 822
Autodesk Plotter Manager. See Plotter Manager
AutoLISP (LSP) applications
AutoCAD system variables for, 1162
creating splines and, 703
developing applications, 1099
entering AutoLISP expressions, 1028
loading applications, 57
LSP routines and standards violations, 990
using AutoLISP variables with CAL, 139
automatic Active Assistance, 78
automatic regeneration of drawings, 840
automatic saves
options, 644
search path for, 637
automatic stacking of multiline text, 584
Autosave files, 644
AutoSnap
options, 658
AUTOSNAP system variable, 321, 323, 658, 659,
1164
AutoSpool
option, 751
AutoStack Properties dialog box, 584
AutoTarget feature, overriding, 35
AutoTrack
settings, 659
tracking vector colors, 666
auxiliary views, creating, 971
axis of cylindrical coordinate system, 924
axis (UCS icon symbols), 1062
axis endpoint
for ellipses, 359
for elliptical arcs, 360
for elliptical cylinders, 198
axis of revolution/rotation
aligning with a viewport, 955
aligning with an object, 954
aligning with X, Y, or Z axis, 955
defining with points, 953
rotating a point about, 146
specifying
with REVOLVE, 856
with REVSURF, 858
with ROTATE3D, 878
axis tripod (in 3D model space)
defining a viewing direction with, 1103
azimuth
displayed in the Sun Angle Calculator, 500
B
back faces (of 3D objects)
3D graphics view, 24
back faces (of 3D solids)
rendering, 885, 887, 890
Back option in undoing, 1071
background colors
background fills, for multilines, 572
background transparency for WMFOUT,
Clipboard, and drag and drop
objects, 1230
BACKGROUND command, 97
Background dialog box, 97
backgrounds (for scenes)
adjustment controls, 100
applying fog to, 390
aspect ratio, 100
environment definition, 99
previewing, 98
specifying, 97
types of, 97
backslash (\)
in attribute definitions, 90
to select null attribute values, 89
backup copy option, 644
backup files
saving, automatically, 644
backwards character display, 577, 1000, 1002
BACKZ system variable, 1164
base angle direction controls, 1077
Index
1293
BASE command, 101, 1129

base points
for locating offset points, 1285
base points (as reference points)
for copying
3D faces, 958
edges, 959
objects, 183
for scaling text objects, 906
for moving selected faces, 953
for panning, 684
for specifying objects, polar arrays, 71
for stretching objects, 997
for taper angle of faces, 956
base points (for grid), 944
base points (for insertion point)
for inserting blocks, 1114, 1115
setting, 101
base points (for object rotation), 877
baseline dimensions
creating, 261
a series of, 813
dimension line spacing, 290
baselines of text, 587
batch audit reports
adding notes to, 1250
creating, 1248
exporting, 1251
batch plot lists, 1252
Batch Plot utility, 1252
Batch Standards Checker, 1247, 1248
Drawings tab, 1248
exclamation marks in lists, 1248
Notes tab, 1250
Plug-ins tab, 1249
Progress tab, 1250
standards files, 1248
Standards tab, 1249
toolbar, 1250
BATTMAN command, 102
Settings dialog box, 105
baud rate
adjusting, 761
beep on error option, 653
beveling objects. See chamfering
BHATCH command
about, 106
Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box, 116
See also HATCH command
Big Font file, 999, 1002, 1280
Big Fonts
substituting, 665
1294
Index
binary files
DXF, 901
importing, 347
storing solids in, 995
Bind Xrefs dialog box, 1143
binding
dependent named objects to drawings,
1131, 1144
xref-dependent symbols to a drawing, 1130
xrefs to drawings, 1143, 1145
binding options (press) in PC3 files, 730
BINDTYPE system variable, 1164
bisecting
construction lines, 1136
bitmap blend, 863, 864
granite material and, 869
marble material and, 871
wood material and, 872
bitmaps (BMP images)
format, saving objects in, 127
material, 865
placement values of materials, adjusting,
928
See also BMP (bitmap) files
blank drawings
starting, 605, 819
blank spaces before fractions, 584
BLIPMODE command, 121
BLIPMODE system variable, 1164
BLK files, 352
BLOCK command
about, 122
Block Definition dialog box, 122
Block Definition dialog box, 122
block definitions
associating hyperlinks with, 124
converting xref definitions to, 1143, 1145
descriptions, 124
editing attributes, 103
listing, 102
Block Reference (Insert) object type, 1273
block reference properties, 777
BLOCKICON command, 126
blocks
binding referenced objects, 1130
changing position of, 160
colors
text, 579
defining, 122
defining clipping boundaries and clipping
planes, 1132
as DesignCenter content, 45, 49
editing
blocks (continued)
attribute definitions, 834, 836
attribute properties, 102, 349
attribute values, 85, 95, 349
in-place, adding/removing objects,
837
selecting for, 102, 349, 832
exploding, 369, 1138
generating for hidden/visible profile lines,
964
grips in, 662
inserting
into the current drawing, 440
with leader lines, 484, 815
multiple instances of, 544
prompts, 104
unit of measure for, 1077
listing by name, 102, 443
naming, 122, 124, 834
nested, 352
object selection, 123, 125
pasting into drawings, 693
placing
at equal intervals, 315
at measured intervals, 537
preview icons for, 123, 126
previously defined, 125
properties
of multiple block insertions, 786
of objects in, 777
purging from the drawing database, 811
redefining, 94, 443
renaming, 844
saving or discarding changes to, 830, 836
saving to a file, 1113
specifying the insertion point, 123, 124
synchronizing instances, 102
in translated layers, 481
updating
attributes, 95
definitions of, 443
vs. xrefs, 1140
blue components of colors, 172
BMAKE command. See BLOCK command
BMP (bitmap) files
displaying images, 852
options for rendering output, 891
saving
objects to, 127
rendered images to, 903
BMPOUT command, 127
Body object type, 1272
body objects
exploding, 370
properties of, 778
body properties, 778
bold typeface, formatting multiline text in, 578
bottom-up render option, 892

boundaries
creating, 127
clipping boundaries, 436
frame-only display option, 642
nonprinting
multiline text and, 576, 585
of regions, 841
setting drawing limits for, 502
See also gradient boundaries
See also hatch boundaries
BOUNDARY command
about, 127
Boundary Creation dialog box, 127
Boundary Creation dialog box, 127
boundary edges
for extending objects, 371
Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box
about, 107
Advanced tab, 112
Gradient tab, 115
Hatch tab, 110
boundary sets
for gradient boundaries, 114
for hatch boundaries, 114
defining, 118, 127, 129
bounding box
BOX command, 129
Box object selection method, 918
boxes
2D UCS icon symbol, 1061
rectangular polylines, 826
BREAK command, 131
Break mode, Visual Basic Editor and, 1088
break points, specifying, 131
breaking
2D polylines, 699
3D polylines, 705
double lines, 327
brightness (of image display), adjusting, 431,
433
broken pencil icon, 1061
Browse for Folder dialog box, 638
Browse the Web dialog box
displaying, 623
browser (Web), launching, 133
BROWSER command, 133
browsing
for folders or files, 634, 638
the Internet, 623
B-spline curves
fitting to control points, 703, 706
bump maps, 864
granite material and, 869
marble material and, 871
Index
1295
bump maps (continued)

specifying, 863
wood material and, 872
Button Editor dialog box
about, 193
displaying, 188
Button Properties tab (Customize dialog box),
188
buttons. See pick button (mouse)
Buzzsaw icon
in Places list, 622
project hosting sites, 623
BYBLOCK property
color values, 161, 164, 168, 170, 174, 579,
1139
linetype values, 507, 512, 1139
lineweight values, 522, 524
BYLAYER property
color values, 161, 164, 168, 170, 174, 579,
1139
in layer translations, 480
linetype values, 507, 512, 964, 1139
lineweight values, 522, 524
C
cache
3D, 22
file, writing rendering information to, 846
regeneration and, 652
CAD Standards Settings dialog box, 990
CAL command
about, 135
angles
formatting, 137
obtaining, 149
AutoCAD system variables used with, 139
AutoLISP variables used with, 139
converting points between UCS and WCS,
145
converting units of measurement, 140
feet and inches, formatting, 136
filtering components of points or vectors,
145
intersection point, obtaining, 147
last-specified point, obtaining, 143
normal vectors, calculating, 150
numeric expression operators, 135
numeric functions supported by, 140
point by cursor, obtaining, 143
point calculations, 141
points used with, 137
rotating a point about an axis, 146
rules of precedence for evaluating
expressions, 135
snap modes used with, 144
vector expression operators, 136
1296
Index
CAL command (continued)

vectors used with, 138
calculating
areas, 64
dimension text tolerances, 306
distances, 147
length of vectors, 143
mass properties of regions or solids, 527
mathematical and geometric expressions,
135
normal vectors, 150
perimeters, 64
points on lines, 146
positive angles, 1076, 1079
sun position, 500
using shortcut functions, 152
vectors from two points, 141
See also CAL command
calculator. See CAL command
calibrating
digitizing tablets, 1015
calibration points, 1015, 1017
camera (in 3D views)
changing the target location, 153
positioning, 153
rotating about the target point, 333
swiveling, 42
camera point, specifying, 337
caps, of multilines, 571
caret (^), stacked text indicator, 578, 584
cascading windows, 1013
case of text, 580
CDATE system variable, 1164
CDF (comma-delimited) files
for storing extracted attribute data, 92
CDF (comma-delimited format) files
for storing extracted attribute data, 93
CECOLOR system variable, 994, 1165
Cell shortcut menu (Data View window in
dbConnect), 211
CELTSCALE system variable, 509, 1165
CELTYPE system variable, 507, 994, 1165
CELWEIGHT system variable, 994, 1165
center marks
creating, 263
diameter dimensions and, 266
dimension properties of, 292
Center object snap, 324, 672
center points
arc segments, 715
arcs, 62
base of cones, 176
base of elliptical cones, 177
boxes, 130
center definition of polygons, 765
circles, 167
ellipses, 361
center points (continued)

elliptical arcs, 361
elliptical cylinders, 198
gradient fills, 116
polar arrays, 73
for specifying objects, polar arrays, 69
wedges, 1117
zooming to, 1149
centering
background images, 101
text, 586, 1023, 1024
centerlines
creating, 263
diameter dimensions and, 266
dimension properties of, 292
certificate authorities, 937
certificates. See digital IDs
chain fillets, 381
CHAMFER command, 154
hatch associativity and, 154
chamfer distances
for rectangular polylines, 827
setting, 156
CHAMFERA system variable, 1165
CHAMFERB system variable, 1165
CHAMFERC system variable, 1165
CHAMFERD system variable, 1165
chamfering
angle setting for, 157
distance setting for, 156
entire 2D polylines, 156
layers and, 154
polyline segments, 154
specifying
base surface for, 155
edges for, 154
and trimming, 157
CHAMMODE system variable, 1166
CHANGE command
about, 158
selecting objects, 158
specifying change point for selected
objects, 159
specifying properties to change, 160
Change Dictionaries dialog box, 977
Change Icon dialog box, 617
Change Page Setup dialog box, 804
about, 805
change point, 159
Change Profile dialog box, 670
Changes to a Printer Configuration File dialog
box, 682
character display effects, 1000
changing, 1002
character maps for fonts, 578
characters
restricted in database fields, 354
Check Spelling dialog box, 975

Check Standards dialog box, 163
checking
solids, 963
spelling, 975
CHECKSTANDARDS command
about, 163
Check Standards dialog box, 163
chkdsk, SHELL command and, 934
chord length, for arcs, 62, 63
CHPROP command, 164
CHX (standards check) files, 1250
CIF, Unicode fonts and, 1278
CIRCLE command, 166
Circle object type, 1272
circle properties, 778
Circle tool, 194
CIRCLERAD system variable, 1166
circles
aligning
axis of rotation with, 879, 954
cutting plane with, 939
center marks/centerlines, 263, 266
changing the radius of, 159
converting into viewports, 1110
creating, 166, 316
diameter dimensions for, 266
dividing, 314
exploding, 370
extruding, 374
filled circles, 316
filleting, 377
isometric circles, 167, 362
measuring, 538
properties of, 778
radial dimensions for, 279
revolving, 856
trimming, 1047
using VIEWRES for, 1098
circular arcs, aligning the cutting plane with,
939
cities, displaying latitude and longitude for, 501
CLAYER system variable, 459, 994, 1166
cleanup (of 3D solids), 962
Clear to Send handshaking, 762
Clipboard (Windows)
controlling the background for metafiles,
1230
copying command line history to, 184
copying objects to, 183
copying the current view to, 185
cutting objects to, 195
inserting data from, 693
Index
1297
clipping
creating, 436
defining, 1099, 1132
options for, DVIEW command, 340
turning on or off, 340, 436
viewport objects, 1099
clipping boundaries (for viewports), 1099
defining with VPCLIP, 1099
deleting, 1100
clipping planes
defining
with 3DCLIP, 18
with XCLIP, 1132
setting (adjusting), 18
turning on/off, 20
clockwise direction of angles, 611
CLOSE command, 168
CLOSEALL command, 169
closed-cross intersection between multilines,
557
closed polygon meshes, 29
closed polylines
revolving, 856
closed splines
extruding, 374
revolving, 856
closed-tee intersection between multilines, 558
closing
2D polylines, 697, 715, 717
3D polyline mesh objects, 709
3D polylines, 704
dbConnect Manager, 201
DesignCenter, 44
drawings, 168
all, 169
log file, 514
Properties palette, 798
splines, 980, 983, 985
clouds. See revision clouds (markups)
CMDACTIVE system variable, 1166
CMDECHO system variable, 1166
CMDNAMES system variable, 1166
CMLJUST system variable, 1167
CMLSCALE system variable, 1167
CMLSTYLE system variable, 1167
Code Page Independent format (CIF), Unicode
fonts and, 1278
code pages
ANSI, Windows support for, 1281
AutoCAD support for, 1280
color book colors, 289, 290, 293
applying to layers, 462, 471
applying to objects, 165, 1139
search path for files, 637
selecting, 173, 174
1298
Index
color book colors (continued)

specifying properties for objects, 161
window elements, 666
Color Books tab (Select Color dialog box), 173
COLOR command
about, 169
Select Color dialog box, 169
color controls for backgrounds, 98
color-dependent plot styles, 179, 180, 1004,
1006
names, 1007
color depth
PC3 file settings, 730
plot settings, 756
rendering settings, 850
color mapping tables, 1006
Color Options dialog box, 665
color palettes
for toolbar buttons, 194
color systems
for fog, 390
for materials, 864
selecting, 171, 172
See also hue, lightness, saturation (HLS) color
system
See also red, green, blue (RGB) color system
color-dependent plot styles
defined, 649
colors
for 3D faces, 711, 958
ACI. See AutoCAD Color Index (ACI)
for ambient light, 491
assigning
foreground color of AutoCAD objects,
1231
for attribute text, 88, 105, 350
AutoSnap markers, 659
changing
toolbar button colors, 194
color book colors, 289, 290, 293
applying to objects, 165
exploded objects, 1139
search path for files, 637
selecting, 173, 174
color systems
HSL color model, 171
RGB model, 172
converting to grayscale, 1008
copying
with MATCHPROP, 531
current color
displaying, 994
colors (continued)
custom colors (true colors), 289, 290, 293,
1007, 1165
raster images, 642
selecting, 171, 174
depth of
for plotting, 756
for rendered images, 850
for dimension lines, 289
for dimension text, 293
display options for the AutoCAD window,
639
for edges, 960
for exploded objects, 1138
for extension lines, 290
for fog, 390
for gradient fills, 115
for grips, 662, 1191
HLS color system
See hue, lightness, saturation (HLS)
color system
for intersection polylines, 415, 1196
for layers, 470, 480, 481
light colors, 494
mapping tables, 1006
for materials
adjusting, 862, 863
for multiline style elements, 570
for multiline text, 579
for new objects, 169, 1165
for obscured lines, 414
plotting pens, 754
for point light, 493
as property of objects, 770
for rendering output files, 892
RGB colors. See red, green, blue (RGB) color
system
for selected layers, 460, 462, 470
for selected objects, 161, 164
for solid or gradient background, 98
specifying
by ACI number, 171
mixing methods, 174
for plot styles, 1007
for spotlight, 497
true color values, 289, 290, 293, 1165
raster images, 642
colors (continued)
selecting, 171, 174
UCS icon, 1063
for window elements, 665, 666
Column shortcut menu (Data View window in
dbConnect), 210
Column Values dialog box, 222
columns (of arrays), specifying, 68
COM ports. See serial ports
combining
paragraphs, 580
Comma Separated Values files, 806
comma-delimited format (CDF) files
for storing extracted attribute data, 92, 93
command aliases
table listing of, 1155
command line
displaying
in a separate window, 1028
entering
data on, 5
history text, copying to the Clipboard, 184
responding to prompts on, 4
using wild-card characters on, 5
Command Line Window Font dialog box
about, 667
displaying, 640
command modifiers, 1283
Command shortcut menu
enabling/disabling, 669
command window
display options, 639, 666
commands
accessing
recently used commands, 5
Active Assistance, 78
adding toolbar buttons for, 186
assigning shortcut keys to, 190
executing, 2
repeating, 5, 590
reversing
with U, 1051
with UNDO, 1071
reversing with MREDO, 574
reversing, with UNDO, 1071
Commands tab (Customize dialog box), 185
comma-separated format (CSV) files, for storing
extracted attribute data, 355
comments
on digital signatures, 916, 937
to use for locating drawings, 345
in XML standards reports, 1250
Compare Dimension Styles dialog box, 308
Index
1299
compass and axis tripod, 1103

COMPASS system variable, 932, 1167
complex linetypes
standard library file of, 1257
complex linetypes, standard library file of, 1257
component objects
exploding compound objects into
with EXPLODE, 368
with XPLODE, 1138
composite 3D solids
creating with INTERFERE, 450
creating with INTERSECT, 451
creating with UNION, 1074
composite regions, creating, 1074
compound objects
exploding into components
with EXPLODE, 368
with XPLODE, 1138
compression
file compression render option, 892
TGA image compression options, 904
TIFF image compression options, 904
concentric circles, 613
cones
creating, 9
elliptical, 177
configuration files (for plotters)
updating PC3 files, 729
Configure a Data Source dialog box, 225
Configure LPT Port dialog box, 761
Configure Standards dialog box
about, 988
Plug-ins tab, 989
Standards tab, 988
configuring
digitizer menu and pointing areas, 1018
external databases
for AutoCAD access, 225
OLE DB data sources, 225
Confirm Password dialog box
about, 916
confirming passwords, 804, 916
conserving memory and disk space, with
CONVERT, 178
constant attributes, 83, 104
constraining cursor movement, 670
construction lines (xlines)
creating, 1135
filleting, 377
properties of, 797
trimming, 1047
containers, displayed in DesignCenter content
area, 46
content (for drawings) (DesignCenter)
content area, 46
searching for, 49
view options for, 48
1300
Index
content (in DesignCenter)

See also ADCENTER command
content area (DesignCenter), 46
Content tab, (Search dialog box, DesignCenter),
50
continued dimensions, 264, 813
CONTINUOUS linetype, 507, 512
continuous orbit (in 3D Orbit view)
setting 3D objects in, 26
contrast (of image display), 431, 432
control codes, 589, 1027
control points
adding to splines, 986
conventions, typographical, ??6
CONVERT command, 178
Convert dialog box, 616
CONVERTCTB command, 179, 650
converting
AME solid models to AutoCAD solids, 55
length values between model and paper
space, 901, 974
links created in earlier releases of AutoCAD,
235
OLE object types, 616
plot style tables, 179, 180
plot styles, 650
polylines and hatches created in earlier
releases of AutoCAD, 178
shape files into SHX files, 175
CONVERTPSTYLES command, 180, 650
Coons surface patch meshes
EDGESURF command and, 357
coordinate data entry priority options, 656
coordinate filter command modifier, 1284
coordinates
combining to locate objects, 1284
of a location, displaying, 423
for xref instance insertion, 1129
COORDS system variable, 1167
coplanar regions, mass properties displayed for,
527, 528
COPY command, 182
COPYBASE command, 183
COPYCLIP command, 183
COPYHIST command, 184
copying
3D faces, 958
command line history to the Clipboard,
184
current view to the Clipboard, 185
drawing sheets, 804
edges of 3D solids, 959
layouts, 476
mapping coordinates to selected objects,
922
named page setups, 806
object properties, 531
copying (continued)
objects, 182
to the Clipboard, 183, 195
as mirror images, 553, 554
with a specified base point, 183
rendered images, 849
size of text objects, 907
COPYLINK command, 185
corner joint between multilines, 560
corner points
for boxes, 130
for calculating area and perimeter, 64, 65
for inserting multiple instances of blocks,
545, 550
for meshes, 12
for partially open drawings, 688
for pyramids, 12
for rectangular polylines, 826
for tetrahedrons, 13
for viewports, 591
for wedges, 16, 1116
for zooming a window, 1152
counterclockwise direction of angles, 611
CPLOTSTYLE system variable, 994, 1167
CPolygons (crossing polygon selections), 918
CPROFILE system variable, 634, 1168
CRC validation option, 644
Create New Dimension Style dialog box, 288
Create New Drawing dialog box, 605, 1220
Create Raster File dialog box, 127, 455, 763,
1029
Create Transmittal dialog box, 363
crop window for rendering, 883
cropping
material bitmaps, 866, 867, 930
crosshairs
color of, 666
sizing, 640
crosshatching. See hatching
crossing-face objects, 519
crossing object selection method, 918
CSV files, 355, 806
CTAB system variable, 1168
CTB (plot style table) files
converting to STBs, 179, 180
default plot style tables, 650
names, 1007
options for new drawings, 649
search path settings for, 637
CTRL+C keys, copying objects to the Clipboard,
184
CTRL+V keys, pasting objects from the
Clipboard, 693
CTS handshaking, 762
cubes, 8, 130
cubic spline curves, 703, 979

cubic spline-fit polylines, 701
cur function (CAL command), 143
current dictionary for spelling checker, 976
Current Plot Style dialog box, 745
cursor
with 3DCORBIT command, 26
with 3DDISTANCE command, 27
with 3DORBIT command, 31
with 3DPAN command, 35
with 3DZOOM command, 42
color of, 666
constraining movement, 670
hyperlink cursor, displaying/hiding, 421,
656
with PREVIEW command, 766
with direct distance entry, 1284
with ZOOM (Real Time) command, 1152
cursor menus. See shortcut menus
CURSORSIZE system variable, 640, 1168
curve fitting, removing from polylines, 697
curve tessellation, 22
curves. See arcs
custom colors (true colors)
raster images, 642
selecting, 171, 174
specifying for plot styles, 1007
custom dictionaries (spelling checker), 636, 977
custom hatch patterns
listing, 111
selecting, 110, 117
specifying, 403
custom objects
displaying/using in drawings, 1213
saving proxy images of, 899
Custom Paper Size wizard, 759
custom plot resolution, 681, 735
custom properties
of drawings, 346
custom scales (for plots), 680, 726
Custom tab (Drawing Properties dialog box), 346
CUSTOMIZE command
about, 185
Button Editor dialog box, 193
Customize dialog box, 185
New Toolbar dialog box, 193
Transparency dialog box, 195
Customize dialog box
about, 185
Button Properties tab, 188
Commands tab, 185
Flyout Properties tab, 189
Index
1301
Customize dialog box (continued)

Keyboard tab, 190
Properties tab, 188
Tool Palettes tab, 192
Toolbars tab, 186
customizing
settings. See options
CUTCLIP command, 195
cutting
elements from multilines, 562
multilines, 562, 563
objects to the Clipboard, 195
cutting planes
aligning, 939, 940
defining, 940, 942
CVPORT system variable, 1168
cvunit function (CAL command), 140
Cyclic Redundancy Checking (CRC) validation
option, 644
CYLINDER command, 196
cylinders (solid), 196
cylindrical coordinates (in image mapping), 924
D
damaged files
repairing, 825
Data Objects shortcut menu (dbConnect
Manager), 206
Data Set Ready handshaking, 762
data sources
selecting a table from, 243
Data Sources Node shortcut menu (dbConnect
Manager), 206
Data Terminal Ready output, 763
Data View and Query Options dialog box, 225
linked object display options, 226
Data View buttons, 208
Data View Print Preview window, 214
Data View window (in dbConnect)
about, 207
accumulation options, 227
Cell shortcut menu, 211
Column shortcut menu, 210
displaying, 207
Grid Header shortcut menu, 213
grid window, 210
linked record display options, 226
navigating, 213
Print Preview window, 214
query options, 227
record display formats, 230
Record shortcut menu, 212
searching/replacing text or values, 229, 241
sort order
options, 243
toolbar button descriptions, 208
1302
Index
database connectivity feature

options, 653
database file format, 354
database objects associated with a drawing
displaying information in the text window,
246
selecting, 242
Database Objects shortcut menu (dbConnect
Manager), 204
database records
display format, 230
database source files
database tables
viewing/editing. See Data View window (in
dbConnect)
Date Modified tab
Find dialog box, 627
Search dialog box (DesignCenter), 51
DATE system variable, 1169
date/time
drawing statistics, displaying, 1029
finding files by date or time modified, 627
searching for content by, 51
specifying in the Sun Angle Calculator, 500
time servers, 916, 1247
valid periods for digital IDs, 937
datum (for baseline dimensions)
setting, 813
datum (for geometric tolerances), 1032
identifier symbols, 1033
datum (for ordinate dimensions)
setting, 813
See also ordinate dimensions
DBCCLOSE command, 201
DBCONNECT command
about, 201
Column Values dialog box, 222
Configure a Data Source dialog box, 225
Data View and Query Options dialog box,
225
Data View window, 207
Export Links dialog box, 227
Export Query Set dialog box, 228
Find dialog box, 229
Format dialog box, 230
Import Query Set dialog box, 230
Import Template Set dialog box, 231
Label Template dialog box, 231
Label Template Properties dialog box, 233
Link Conversion dialog box, 234
Link Manager, 237
Link Select dialog box, 222
Link Template dialog box, 238
Link Template Properties dialog box, 239
New Label Template dialog box, 240
DBCONNECT command (continued)

New Link Template dialog box, 240
New Query dialog box, 241
Query Editor, 215
Replace dialog box, 241
Select a Database Object dialog box, 242
Select Data Object dialog box, 243
Sort dialog box, 243
Synchronize dialog box, 244
dbConnect Manager
about, 202
buttons, 203
closing, 201
Data Objects shortcut menu, 206
Data Sources Node shortcut menu, 206
Database Objects shortcut menu, 204
Drawing Nodes shortcut menu, 204
toolbar button descriptions, 203
tree view, 203
DBCSTATE system variable, 1169
DBLCLKEDIT command, 246
DBLIST command, 246
DBMOD system variable, 1169
DBQ (query set) files, 204, 228
DBT (template set) files, 228
DBX files, loading, 57
DCTCUST system variable, 636, 1170
DCTMAIN system variable, 636, 1170
DDATTDEF command. See ATTDEF command
DDATTE command. See ATTEDIT command
DDATTEXT command. See ATTEXT command
DDCHPROP command. See PROPERTIES
command
DDCOLOR command. See COLOR command
DDEDIT command
about, 247
Edit Attribute Definition dialog box, 248
Edit Text dialog box, 248
DDGRIPS command. See OPTIONS command
DDIM command. See DIMSTYLE command
DDINSERT command. See INSERT command
DDMODIFY command. See PROPERTIES
command
DDPTYPE command, 249
DDRENAME command. See RENAME command
DDRMODES command. See DSETTINGS
command
DDSELECT command. See OPTIONS command
DDUCS command. See UCSMAN command
DDUCSP command. See UCSMAN command
DDUNITS command. See UNITS command
DDVIEW command. See VIEW command
DDVPOINT command, 250
decimal degrees
angle measure conventions, 1076
entering angles in, 137, 611
decimal places of accuracy, for DXF file output,

901
decimal separator for linear dimensions, 300
decimal units, 609, 1076, 1078
decurving polylines, 704
defaults
attribute properties, 102
attribute values, 81, 83, 104, 160, 248
encryption types, 915
file format for saved drawings, 900
Internet location search path, 635
lineweight values, 522, 524, 525
new object elevation values, 358
new object extrusion thickness values, 358
for plot style behavior, 650
for plotting, 647
Deferred Perpendicular object snap mode, 325
DEFLPLSTYLE system variable, 650, 1170
DEFPLSTYLE system variable, 1171
degree sign (), creating, 589, 1027
DELAY command, 252
deleting
block attributes, 103
clipping boundaries, 1100, 1133
drawing sheets from drawing sets, 803
external references, 1145
faces of 3D solids, 957
files, SHELL and, 934
files/folders, 624
fit points from splines, 984
FTP sites from list, 629
groups, 398
hyperlinks, 419, 420
invalid links/link templates, 245
landscape objects from libraries, 518
layer states, 467, 474
layer translation mappings, 480
layers, 459
layouts, 476
lights, 490
linetypes, 507
mapping coordinates, 921
materials, 534, 535
measurement markers, 537
multiline style elements, 569
named views, 1092, 1096
nonstandard objects, 163
objects, 837
objects from groups, 396, 400
profile, 664
profiles and sections in viewports, 946
scenes from model space, 908
shortcut key assignments, 191
shortcuts from History list, 622
standards files, 989, 1249
tangential edges, 966
Index
1303
deleting (continued)
text styles, 999
tiled viewport configurations, 1108
title block objects, 602, 603
tool palettes, 192
toolbar buttons, 185
toolbars, 187
UCSs, 1058
user-defined page setups, 682
VBA macros, 1087
vertices from multilines, 561
viewports, 598
words from a custom dictionary, 978
See also erasing; removing
DELOBJ system variable, 981, 1171
Delta option (LENGTHEN command), 486
demand loading (of xrefs)
options, 645, 1232, 1233
demand loading options, for ObjectARX
applications, 646
DEMANDLOAD system variable, 646, 1171
density of revolved surfaces, 859
depth cueing, 389
depth map shadow render options, 887, 890
depth of orthographic UCSs, 1067
descriptions
in DesignCenter, 47
descriptions in Properties palette, 770
DesignCenter
about, 45
closing window, 44
content area options, 46
DesignCenter Online web page, 49
displaying/hiding descriptions of items, 47
displaying/hiding tree view, 47
home folder, 47
loading file name, folder location
or network path, 52
navigating to specific locations, 52
Search dialog box, 49
source/target content unit options, 655
system variables, 1162
See also DesignCenter window
DesignCenter folder, 47
DesignCenter Online web page, 49
DesignCenter Online web page, accessing from
DesignCenter, 49
desktop contents, accessing, 623
Desktop icon (Places list in standard file selection
dialog boxes), 623
desmoothing 3D polyline mesh objects, 709
destination options for rendering, 847, 891
destination points for aligning objects, 44
detaching
materials, 861, 873, 874
raster images, 425
xrefs, 1142, 1145
1304
Index
DETACHURL command, 252

Device and Document Settings tab (Plotter
Configuration Editor), 752
device drivers
displaying names of, 729
diagnostic tools, AUDIT command, 95
diagonal fractions
dialog boxes
Active Assistance, 78
See also names of specific dialog boxes
standard file selection options, 621
suppressing, 3
warning message option, 653
diameter
for circles, 167
for cones, 9, 10, 176
for cylinders, 197
for dishes, 11
for domes, 12
entering, 1027
entering symbol for, 589, 1031
for isometric circles, 362
for spheres, 14, 978
for torus/tori, 14, 15, 1042
diameter dimensions
associativity, 282
creating
for circles and arcs, 266
series of, 813
diameter symbol (), entering, 589, 1027, 1031
DIASTAT system variable, 1171
dictionaries for spelling checker
changing, 977
custom, 977
displaying current, 976
language-specific, 977
making current, 638
options for, 636
specifying, 636
digital IDs, 1246
displaying a list of, 916
ownership information, 936
Digital Signature Contents dialog box, 936
Digital Signature tab (Security Options dialog
box), 915
digital signatures
Attach Digital Signatures utility, 1246
attaching to drawings, 915
certificates, 1246
comments on, 916, 937, 1247
displaying contents of, 645, 935, 936
list of files to be signed, 1246
notifications for files, 1218
options, 645
digital signatures (continued)

settings, 1246
status of signed files, 935, 936, 1246
time stamps, 1247
validating, 936
xrefs in signed files, 936
digitizing tablets
calibrating, 1015
configuring menu and screen pointing
areas, 1018
options, 652
reinitializing, 842
DIM and DIM1 commands, 253
DIMADEC system variable, 302, 393, 1171,
1240
DIMALIGNED command, 255
DIMALT system variable, 303, 1172, 1240
DIMALTD system variable, 303, 1172, 1240
DIMALTF system variable, 304, 1172, 1240
DIMALTRND system variable, 304, 1172, 1240
DIMALTTD system variable, 307, 1172, 1240
DIMALTTZ system variable, 308, 1172, 1240
DIMALTU system variable, 303, 1173, 1240
DIMALTZ system variable, 304, 1173, 1240
DIMANGULAR command, 258
DIMAPOST system variable, 304, 1173, 1240
DIMASO system variable, 1173
DIMASSOC system variable, 657, 1174
DIMASZ system variable, 292, 1174, 1240
DIMATFIT system variable, 279, 297, 1174,
1240
DIMAUNIT system variable, 302, 1175, 1240
DIMAZIN system variable, 302, 1175, 1240
DIMBASELINE command, 261
DIMBLK system variable, 1175, 1240
DIMBLK1 system variable, 291, 1176, 1240
DIMBLK2 system variable, 291, 1176, 1240
DIMCEN system variable, 263, 266, 279, 292,
1176, 1240
DIMCENTER command, 263
DIMCLRD system variable, 289, 1176, 1240
DIMCLRE system variable, 290, 1176, 1240
DIMCLRT system variable, 293, 1176, 1241
DIMCONTINUE command, 264
DIMDEC system variable, 300, 1176, 1241
DIMDIAMETER command, 266
DIMDISASSOCIATE command, 268
DIMDLE system variable, 290, 1176, 1241
DIMDLI system variable, 290, 1176, 1241
DIMDSEP system variable, 300, 1177, 1241
DIMEDIT command, 269
dimension lines
extending past extension lines, 290
location of
for aligned linear dimensions, 257
for angular dimensions, 259
for diameter dimensions, 266
dimension lines (continued)

for linear dimensions, 272
for radial dimensions, 280
properties of, 289
specifying arrowheads for, 291
text movement and, 298
Dimension object type, 1272
dimension properties, 779
Dimension Style Manager, 285
dimension styles
about, 285
alternate units settings, 302
applying, 311
arrowhead
placement options, 297
properties, 291
center marks for circles, 292
command line prompts for, 309
comparing properties, 308
conversion factor between primary and
alternate units, 303
copying with MATCHPROP, 532
creating, 288
dimension line properties, 289
displaying, 286, 309
extension line properties, 289
making current, 286, 309
naming, 288, 309
overall scale options, 299
prefixes/suffixes for text, 301
primary units settings, 299
renaming, 844
secondary styles, 285
standards files for, 989, 1249
system variable settings of, 309, 311
text
movement options, 298
placement options, 297
properties, 292
dimension system variables
clearing overrides, 279
overriding, 278
saving to a style, 311
updated by the New Dimension Style dialog
box
Alternate Units tab, 1238
Fit tab, 1237
Lines and Arrows tab, 1236
Primary Units tab, 1238
Text tab, 1237
Tolerances tab, 1239
dimension text
aligning, 296, 312
alternate units tolerance settings, 307
Index
1305
dimension text (continued)

for diameter dimensions, 266
editing, with DIMEDIT, 269
formatting, 293
frames around, 294
generated measurements, 269, 272
movement options, 298
moving, 312
for ordinate dimensions, 277
overall scale value, 299
placing, 294, 297
prefixes and suffixes, 301
properties, 785
for radial dimensions, 281
tolerance settings, 305
dimension units
converting primary to alternate, 303
dimensional values
for plot stamps, 741
Dimensioning mode
accessing, 253
command equivalents, 254
command list, 253
exiting, 253
dimensionless values for plot stamps, 741
dimensions
aligned linear, 255
angular. See angular dimensions
associative
associative dimensions, 1173, 1174
disassociating and reassociating, 268,
282
nonassociative. See nonassociative
dimensions
options, 657
baseline, 261
clearing, dimension linear factors, 284
creating with QDIM, 813
diameter, 266
editing, 269, 813
linear. See linear dimensions
ordinate. See ordinate dimensions, creating
properties of, 779
updating dimension locations, 284
DIMEXE system variable, 1177, 1241
DIMEXO system variable, 256, 291, 1177, 1241
DIMFIT system variable, 1177
DIMFRAC system variable, 300, 1177, 1241
DIMGAP system variable, 294, 306, 1177, 1241
DIMJUST system variable, 279, 295, 1178, 1241
DIMLDRBLK system variable, 292, 1178, 1241
DIMLFAC system variable, 301, 1178, 1241
DIMLIM system variable, 306, 1178, 1241
DIMLINEAR command, 271
DIMLUNIT system variable, 300, 1178, 1241
DIMLWD system variable, 290, 1178, 1241
1306
Index
DIMLWE system variable, 290, 1179, 1241

DIMORDINATE command, 276
DIMOVERRIDE command, 278
DIMPOST system variable, 301, 1179, 1241
DIMRADIUS command, 279
DIMREASSOCIATE command, 282
DIMREGEN command, 284
DIMRND system variable, 300, 1179, 1241
DIMSAH system variable, 1179, 1241
DIMSCALE system variable, 299, 855, 1179,
1241
DIMSD1 system variable, 290, 1180, 1242
DIMSD2 system variable, 290, 1180, 1242
DIMSE1 system variable, 291, 1180, 1242
DIMSE2 system variable, 291, 1180, 1242
DIMSHO system variable, 312, 1180
DIMSOXD system variable, 297, 298, 1180,
1242
DIMSTYLE command
about, 285
Compare Dimension Styles dialog box, 308
Create New Dimension Style dialog box,
288
Dimension Style Manager, 285
Modify Dimension Style dialog box, 288
New Dimension Style dialog box, 288
Override Dimension Style dialog box, 288
DIMSTYLE system variable, 1180
DIMTAD system variable, 279, 294, 1181, 1242
DIMTDEC system variable, 306, 1181, 1242
DIMTEDIT command, 312
DIMTFAC system variable, 294, 300, 303, 307,
1181, 1242
DIMTIH system variable, 270, 279, 296, 1181,
1242
DIMTIX system variable, 297, 298, 1181, 1242
DIMTM system variable, 306, 1182, 1242
DIMTMOVE system variable, 298, 1182, 1242
DIMTOFL system variable, 279, 299, 1182, 1242
DIMTOH system variable, 270, 279, 296, 1182,
1242
DIMTOL system variable, 306, 1182, 1242
DIMTOLJ system variable, 307, 1182, 1242
DIMTP system variable, 306, 1183, 1242
DIMTSZ system variable, 1183, 1242
DIMTVP system variable, 1183, 1242
DIMTXSTY system variable, 293, 1183, 1243
DIMTXT system variable, 294, 1183, 1243
DIMTZIN system variable, 307, 1183, 1243
DIMUNIT system variable, 1184
DIMUPT system variable, 279, 299, 1184, 1243
DIMZIN system variable, 302, 1184, 1243
direct distance entry
command modifier, 1284
direction
for 2D polyline arc segments, 715
Direction Control dialog box, 1077

direction vectors, defining tabulated surfaces
with, 1020
directories
See folders
directory search path options. See paths
disassociating
dimensions, 268
discarding
back faces, 24
changes to blocks or xrefs, 831, 836
dishes
creating, 11
disk space
conserving, with CONVERT, 178
displaying free space, 994
displacement
coordinates, for copied objects, 182
panning by, 684
vector, for moving selected faces, 953
displacing objects, using MOVE, 573
display (image)
3D graphics configuration options, 20, 667
display (of images)
the last rendering created, 851
BMP images, 852
image frames, 438
slide files, 1112
TGA images, 852
TIFF images, 852
display (screen). See screen display
Display Drawing File Path Names setting, 802,
805
Display tab (Options dialog box), 638
displaying
attributes, 84, 349, 350
batch audit reports, 1251
BMP images, 852
date/time statistics of a drawing, 1029
dimension styles, 286, 309
drawing properties, 342
edges, 355
extracted attribute information, 353
groups, 396
hidden database table columns, 210, 213
hidden profile lines, 964
hyperlink cursor, 421, 656
hyperlink shortcut menus, 421, 656
hyperlink tooltips, 656
image frames, 438
labels, 204, 205
the last rendering created, 851
lights for rendering, 489
a list of layers, 458, 460
marker blips, 121
multiline joints, 571
displaying (continued)
paper size and units, 678, 724
plan view of a UCS, 712
Plot Style Manager, 1003
plot styles in drawings, 677
rendering statistics, 991
shortcut menus, 421, 655, 656
slide files, 1112
tangential edges of profiles, 966
text onscreen, 1021
TGA images, 852
TIFF images, 852
toolbars, 1035, 1036
tooltips, 421, 656
translated layers in drawing area, 481
tree view (DesignCenter), 47
UCS icon, 1061
view details, 1094
Visual Basic Editor, 1081
DISPSILH system variable, 413, 642, 1184
DIST command, 314
dist function (CAL command), 147, 152
DISTANCE system variable, 1184
distances
adjusting for 3D objects, 27
calculating, 147
between camera and target, specifying, 336
chamfer distances, 156
between objects, fog and depth cueing, 389
between points, measuring, 314
in text line spacing, 588
distant light, 494
distant lights, 490, 494
dithering
in plotted graphics, 756, 1008
DIVIDE command, 314
dividing
objects, 314
viewports, 1111
docking
Data View window (in dbConnect), 207
toolbars, 1036
documents
See drawings; files
doglegs (hook lines), 266, 279, 482
dollar signs ($)
$#$ prefixes on names, 834
symbol
in dependent symbols, 1130, 1132,
1144, 1145
domes, 11
DONUT command, 316
DONUTID system variable, 1184
DONUTOD system variable, 1184
Index
1307
donuts
drawing, 316, 1042
extruding, 374
revolving, 856
dots per inch (dpi), 681, 735
double-clicking objects, 246
double hatching (crosshatching), 409
double-sided printing, 753
dpi (dots per inch), 681, 735
draft plot resolution, 681, 727, 735
Drafting Settings dialog box, 318
Object Snap tab, 323, 672
Polar Tracking tab, 321
Snap and Grid tab, 319
Drafting tab (Options dialog box), 658
drag mode, suppressing, 316
dragged objects, display controls for, 316
dragging
controlling background transparency of
AutoCAD objects, 1230
DRAGMODE command, 316
DRAGMODE system variable, 641, 1185
DRAGP1 system variable, 1185
DRAGP2 system variable, 1185
drawing
3D arrays, 16
3D boxes, 7
3D faces, 27
3D free-form polygon meshes, 29
3D polygon mesh objects, 7
3D polylines, 36
arcs, 61
circles, 166, 316
cones, 9
cubes, 8, 130
cylinders, 196
dishes, 11
domes, 11
donuts, 316
ellipses, 359
filled circles, 316
freehand sketches, 937
line segments, 504
polygons, 765
pyramids, 12
rays, 825
rectangular arrays, 72
rings, 316
splines, 979
tetrahedrons, 13
torus/tori, 14, 1042
traces, 1043
wedges, 16
1308
Index
drawing (DWG) files

adding sheets from, 802
displaying with Autodesk Express Viewer,
807
i-drop content, 920
names of, 802, 805
drawing area
layout viewports in, 1106, 1110
switching to the text window from, 393
tiled viewports in, 1104, 1108
drawing database, reindexing, 838, 839
Drawing Exchange Binary (DXB) files,
importing, 347
drawing extents
displaying, 993
logical, 1152
plotting to, 679, 725, 732
zooming to, 1150, 1152
drawing interchange format (DXF) files. See DXF
(drawing interchange format) files
drawing modes, displaying status of, 994
Drawing Nodes shortcut menu (dbConnect
Manager), 204
drawing order (of objects)
changing, 317
Drawing Properties dialog box, 342
Custom tab, 346
General tab, 342
searching fields, 50
Statistics tab, 345
Summary tab, 344
drawing sets
adding sheets, 802
loading lists of sheets, 803
saving, 800
sheet names, 802
viewing, 807
drawing sheets
copying, 804
deleting, 803
drawing path names, 802, 805
failure to plot, 804
layout names, 802
layout page setup, 802, 804
managing in Publish Drawing Sheets dialog
box, 801
Model tab, 805
page setup, 804, 805
path names, 802, 805
renaming, 802, 804
reordering, 803
saving lists of sheets, 803
sheet names, 802
drawing specifications
setting up using a layout tab, 596
setting up using the Model tab, 596

drawing template options, 899
Drawing Units dialog box, 1075
drawings
attaching as xrefs, 1127
checking
for standards violations, 163, 1247
closing, 168
closing all, 169
creating, 605, 819, 1220
from the current drawing, 460
digital signatures, 915, 935, 1218, 1246
displaying
with Autodesk Express Viewer, 807
in the Aerial View window, 328
information about, 342, 344, 345
ownership of opened files, 1118
encryption, 915, 916
examining with AUDIT, 95
exporting
attribute information from, 351
file format, 643
finding, 49, 624, 626
inserting
blocks into, 440
linked or embedded objects into, 448
layout specifications for, 675, 678, 723
loading geometry into
with PARTIALOAD, 685
with PARTIALOPEN, 690
with OPEN, using the Partial Open
option, 625
loading layers from, 479
markups for redlining, 875, 876
naming, 897
opening
default path for, 1215
partially, 625, 629
using OPEN, 621
orientation, 678, 724
partially open
loading geometry into, 625, 629
passwords, 914, 916
plotting, 719
previewing, 625, 643, 719, 766
problems with notifications, 1185, 1247
properties of, 342
publishing
in drawing sets, 800
reducing
redraw/regenerate times for, 824
regenerating, 838, 839
suppressing when switching to layout
tabs/Model tab, 573, 1198
suppressing, when switching to layout
tabs/Model tab, 652
repairing, 825
drawings (continued)
saving
AutoCAD options with, 634
to DXF format, 643
as earlier file formats, 898
as HTML pages, 808
performance issues, 897
with QSAVE, 820
with SAVE, 897
with SAVEAS, 897
versions of, 901
security, 914
setting custom properties for, 346
spatial indexes, 1046
standards files and, 988
title display, 645
transmittal sets, 363
viewing without AutoCAD, 807
Drawings tab (Batch Standards Checker), 1248
DRAWORDER command, 317
drivers
displaying names of, 729
memory information and, 755
plotter driver information, 750
plotting with different, 729
drives, accessing, 623
DSD (Drawing Set Descriptions) files
loading lists of drawing sheets from, 803
saving, 803
DSETTINGS command
about, 318
Drafting Settings dialog box, 318
DSR handshaking, 762
DSVIEWER command, 328
DSVIEWER command, Aerial View window, 328
DTEXT command. See TEXT command
DTR output, 763
duplex printing, 753
duplicate attribute tags, 105
duplicate names in extracted block attribute
files, 353
duplicating
materials, 861
sheet names, 802
DVB files, loading, 57
DVIEW command, 331
DVIEWBLOCK, displaying a preview image
with, 332
DWF (Design Web Format) files
naming, 803
page setup, 802, 804, 805
passwords, 803
publishing, 803
Index
1309
DWF (Design Web Format) files (continued)

viewing
with Autodesk Express Viewer, 807
DWG (drawing) files, 476, 480
adding sheets from, 802
displaying with Autodesk Express Viewer,
807
names of, 802, 805
DWG option of SAVEAS, 899
DWG Options tab (Saveas Options dialog box),
899
DWGCHECK system variable, 345, 1185
DWGCODEPAGE system variable, 1185
DWGNAME system variable, 634, 1185
DWGPREFIX system variable, 1185
DWGPROPS command, 342
DWGTITLED system variable, 1186
DWS (standards) files
listing, 989
recommended replacements for violations,
991
DWT (template) files, 476, 606
DXB (drawing interchange binary) files
importing, 347
DXBIN command, 347
DXF (drawing interchange format) files, 476
binary format, 901
decimal places of accuracy for output, 901
DXF options of SAVEAS, 900
.dxx extension for template extraction files,
92, 94
performance and, 897
precision in, 901
saving AutoCAD files as, 643, 901
DXF Options tab (Saveas Options dialog box),
900
DXFIN command. See OPEN command
DXFOUT command. See SAVEAS command
Dynamic option
of LENGTHEN, 488
of ZOOM, 1150
dynamic tessellation, 22, 667
dynamic updating of the Aerial View window,
330
E
earlier versions of AutoCAD
file formats, 897
saving files as, 898, 901
EATTEDIT command, 349
EATTEXT command, 351
EDGE command, 355
edge extension modes, 373
EDGEMODE system variable, 1186
1310
Index
edges
displaying/hiding, 355, 1119
effects of PFACE on, 711
filleting, 377
of polygons, 766
trimming objects at, 1049
See also 3D solid edges
EDGESURF command, 357
Edit Attribute Definition dialog box, 248
double-clicking attribute objects and, 246
Edit Attributes dialog box, 86
Edit Hyperlink dialog box, 419
Edit Layer dialog box, 481
Edit Lineweights dialog box, 1011
Edit shortcut menu
enabling/disabling, 669
Edit Text dialog box, 246, 248
editing
2D polylines, 697
3D polygon mesh objects, 707
3D solid edges, 959
3D solid faces, 948
attribute definitions, 247
attributes
independent of a block, 85, 86
properties, 102
for a specific block, 85, 349
current drawing while referenced by
another, 646
dimensions, 269, 813
a series of, 813
external database tables. See Data View
window (in dbConnect)
external references, 645, 832, 837
filters, 385
generated dimensions, 269, 273
gradient fills, 106, 408
hatched geometry, 106
HTML pages, 808
hyperlinks, 419
landscape objects, 515
layer
properties, 481
states, 467, 474, 475
linked object key fields, 237
multilines, 556
objects
on locked layers, 836
locking objects not in working sets,
835
plot style tables, 1006
plot styles, 677
references
in-place, 830, 832, 1232
shaded objects, 931
solids, 961
editing (continued)
splines, 981
text created with TEXT or DTEXT, 247
toolbar button images, 188, 193
VBA macros, 1087
editing time, displaying for a drawing, 1030
elapsed timer, turning on/off or resetting, 1030
Element Properties dialog box, 569
elements of multilines, controlling, 566
ELEV command, 358
elevation (default Z value)
displaying, 994
of new objects, setting, 358
of rectangular polylines, 827
ELEVATION system variable, 994, 1186
elevation, of 2D objects, changing, 161
ELLIPSE command, 359
isometric circles, 167
Ellipse object type, 1272
ellipse properties, 779
ellipses
aligning
axis of rotation with, 954
creating, 359
regions from, 841
display resolution option for, 640
dividing, 314
extruding, 374
isometric circles, 167
properties of, 779
revolving, 856
elliptical arcs
aligning the cutting plane with, 939
creating, 360
regions from, 841
dividing, 314
extending, 371
filleting, 377
trimming, 1047
elliptical cones, 177
elliptical cylinders, 197
E-mail Address tab (Insert Hyperlink dialog
box), 418
email addresses
linking to, 418
embedded objects
inserting into drawings, 448
pasting from the Clipboard, 693
plotting, 729
embedding
VBA projects, 1084, 1088
emulation mode plotting, 758
enabling
grips, 662
macros, 1082
Encapsulated PostScript files. See PostScript (EPS)
files
encryption
providers, 915, 916
security options, 915
end caps (for multilines), 571
styles, 1010
End option in undoing, 1071
End Sequence object type, 1273
end tangent for spline curves, 980, 984
Endpoint object snap, 323, 672
endpoints
arc segments, 714
edges, 766
lines
changing, 159
for ordinate dimension leader lines,
276
specifying, 504
styles, 1010
engineering units, 609, 1076, 1078
English units. See imperial units
enlarging selected objects, 905, 906
environment definition for backgrounds, 99
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files
See also PostScript files
equal sign (=)
to specify the same name for a block and
output file, 1115
ERASE command, 362
See also OOPS command
Erase tool, 194
erased objects, restoring, 620
erasing
objects from drawings, 362
restoring erased objects, 620
selected filters, 385
temporary sketched lines, 938
See also deleting; removing
ERRNO system variable, 1186
error
detection/correction, using AUDIT, 96
errors
CRC error-checking, 644
ETRANSMIT command, 363
Password dialog box, 368
Euro symbol, 580, 1028
evaluating expressions. See CAL command
exact line spacing, 588
exclamation mark (!), 1248
Index
1311
executing
commands, 2
queries, 203
VBA statements, 1090
Existing File or Web Page tab (Insert Hyperlink
dialog box), 417
exiting
AutoCAD, 824
Dimensioning mode, 253
EXPERT system variable, 1187
expiration of digital IDs, 916
EXPLMODE system variable, 1187
EXPLODE command, 368
See also XPLODE command
exploding
blocks, 369, 442, 443, 1138
compound objects
using EXPLODE, 368
compound objects, using XPLODE, 1138
groups, 398, 400
EXPORT command, 370
Export Data dialog box, 370
export file formats
JPEG format, 455
TIFF format, 1029
Export Links dialog box, 227
Export page (Attribute Extraction wizard), 354
Export Query Set dialog box, 228
Export Template Set dialog box, 228
exporting
block attribute information to files, 351
drawings
as 3D Studio files, 39
as ACIS files, 44
drawings, in PNG files, 763
layer
states, 467, 474
link template sets, 228
links (database), 227
materials, 533
profiles, 664
query sets, 228
tool palettes, 192
expressions (in geometry calculator), evaluating.
See CAL command
EXTEND command, 371
Extended Apparent Intersection object snap
mode, 326
Extended Intersection object snap mode, 324
extending objects
implied edge extension modes, 373
projection options for, 372
rather than trimming, 1047
selecting boundary edges, 371
trimming objects rather than, 372
undoing changes, 374
1312
Index
extension lines
for baseline dimensions, 262
for continued (chain) dimensions, 264
extending above dimension lines, 290
origins of
for linear dimensions, 272, 275
properties of, 289
text placement options and, 297
Extension object snap, 672
Extension object snap mode, 325
Extents option (ZOOM command), 1150
extents. See drawing extents
external applications
using SYSWINDOWS with, 1013
external databases
configuring
for AutoCAD access, 225
constructing/executing queries of, 203, 215
creating link selection sets, 222
label templates for, 203, 231
linked object display options, Data View and
Query Options dialog box, 226
linking to, 203, 208
record display formats, 230
searching for text/values in, 229
selecting for the current operation, 243
updating links to, 244
using the dbConnect Manager, 202
viewing and editing, 207
External Reference dialog box, 1127
external reference properties, 780
external references (xrefs)
adding/removing objects during in-place
editing of, 837
attaching, 1127, 1142
with External Reference dialog box,
1127
with XATTACH, 1127
in batch standards audits, 1248
binding
definitions to drawings, 1131, 1143,
1145
dependent symbols to drawings, 1130
vs. blocks, 1140
defining clipping boundaries and clipping
planes, 1132
as DesignCenter content, 45
detaching, 1142, 1145
digital signatures and, 936, 937
displaying
information about, 1141
path for, 1142, 1143, 1146
displaying information about, 1145
displaying path for, 1128
editing options, 645
external references (xrefs) (continued)

exporting attribute information for, 352
insertion point, 1129
layer states, accessibility, 459
listing, 1131
loading, 1140
loading partially open drawings and, 632,
685, 687, 691
nested, 833, 834, 835, 1127, 1140, 1143
notifications for updated or missing xrefs,
1233
opening in new windows, 1136
project files and, 635
properties of, 780
reloading, 1143, 1146
removing from lists, 1131
retaining changes to layers, 646
rotation angle, 1130
saving back changes to, 830, 836
scale factor, 1129
selecting for editing, 832
temporary file location option, 638
unloading, 687, 1143, 1146
updating
notifications, 1233
xref-dependent layers, 1229
EXTMAX system variable, 1187
EXTMIN system variable, 1187
EXTNAMES system variable, 122, 653, 1188
extracting
attribute information, 91, 351
VBA projects, 1084
EXTRUDE command, 374
extruded
objects
HIDE command and, 412
extruding
3D faces, 948
objects
to create solids, 374
extrusion
height of, 950
paths for, 375, 951
thickness of, setting for new objects, 358
F
Face method for defining a UCS, 1055
faces (of 3D solids)
See also 3D solid faces
FACETRATIO system variable, 1188
FACETRES system variable, 641, 996, 1188
fade setting of image display, 431, 432, 1232
falloff angle (of spotlights), 497
FAS files
loading, 57
Fast Load AutoLISP (FAS) applications, loading,

57
favorite documents
accessing, 623
adding, 624
Favorites folder
displaying the contents, 623
Favorites folder (DesignCenter)
displaying the contents, 47
Favorites icon (Places list in standard file selection
dialog boxes), 623
FAX G III files, options for rendering, 891
feature control frames, 1031
feature locations for base dimensions
baseline dimensions, 262
continued dimensions, 265
feet and inches, formatting for CAL command,
136
fence object selection method, 918
file compression, render option, 892
file conversion. See converting
file formats
for attribute information files, 91, 354
DSD files, 803
DWF files, 807
DXF files, 901
for exporting, 370
for rendered images, 903
for saving drawings, 643, 897, 898, 900,
901
See also names of specific formats
File menu, recently used files list, 645
file names
for background image files, 98
drawing file names, 802, 805
DWF files, 802, 803
for extracted attribute output files, 93
for plotter configuration files, 749
for temporary plot files, 636
See also naming conventions
File Output Configuration dialog box, 891
file selection dialog boxes. See standard file
selection dialog boxes
file types
of drawings, displaying, 343
supported for
background images, 98, 99
rendered file output, 891
FILEDIA system variable, 429, 476
about, 1188
BMPOUT and, 127
IMPORT and, 440
JPGOUT and, 455
MENULOAD and, 540, 543
MENUUNLOAD and, 543
NEW and, 605, 612
Index
1313
FILEDIA system variable (continued)

OPEN and, 621, 632
PARTIALOPEN and, 690
PNGOUT and, 763
PSETUPIN and, 798
PUBLISH and, 807
RECOVER and, 825
SAVEAS and, 898, 901
SCRIPT and, 911
TIFOUT and, 1029
VBALOAD and, 1082
VSLIDE and, 1112
WBLOCK and, 1115
XREF and, 1148
files
accessing, 621
browsing for, 634
deleting, 624
SHELL and, 934
digital signatures, 935, 936, 1246
displaying
ownership of opened drawing files,
1118
displaying Files list, 624
encryption, 916
exporting block attribute information to,
351
favorite documents, 623, 624
filtering by types
names
or locations, 626
filtering by types, names, or locations, 625
finding, 626
format for, 643
hyperlinks to, 417
i-drop content, 920
importing, 440
names
drawing files, 802, 805
DWF files, 802, 803
opening, 625
password protection, 914, 916
plotting to, 723, 751
DWF files, 804
project files, 635
recently used, 622, 645
safety precautions options, 644
saving
options for, 643
with QSAVE, 820
with SAVE, 897
with SAVEAS, 897
in standard dialog boxes, 625
standards files for auditing, 1249
temporary files, 645
viewing in Autodesk Express Viewer, 807
1314
Index
files (continued)
working support file list, 635
See also image files
Files list (standard file selection dialog boxes)
about, 625
view options, 624
Files tab
Options dialog box, 634
FILL command, 377
Fill mode, turning on or off, 377
filled circles, 316
fillet arcs, 381
FILLET command, 377
fillet radius, 827
Fillet Trim mode, 382
filleting objects
polyline segments, 378
FILLETRAD system variable, 1188
FILLMODE system variable, 642, 948, 1188
fills
display option for solid fills, 642
filled circles, 316
for hatches, 405
of multilines, 572
patterns in plot styles, 1005
PostScript fills, standard library file of, 1264
See also gradient fills
FILTER command, 382
Object Selection Filters dialog box, 383
filter.nfl (default filters) file, 385
filtering
files by type, name, or location, 625, 626
filters
applying, 386
creating/editing, 382
for layer translation, 479
for named layer display, 458, 464
point filters, 1284
properties and parameters of, 383
for selection sets, 820
Find and Replace dialog box, 386
Find and Replace Options dialog box, 389
FIND command, 386
Find dialog box
about, 626
Date Modified tab, 627
displaying, 624
Name & Location tab, 626
Find dialog box (DBCONNECT), 229
finding
drawing files, 626
first line indents, 581
fit curves
for 2D polylines, 702
effects of editing commands on, 702
vs. spline curves, 701
fit data
spline editing options, 982
fit points (for spline curves)
adding to splines, 982
deleting from splines, 984
moving, 984
Fit tab (New Dimension Style dialog box), 296
fit tolerance
for spline curves, 980, 985
FITS files, options for rendering, 891
fitting
backgrounds to screen, 100
plots on paper, 733
text within an area, 1022
fixed screen-pointing area (on digitizing
tablets), 1019
fixing standards violations, 163, 991
flagging nonstandard objects, 164, 991, 1247
Flat Shaded shading option, 21, 932
flat shaded, adaptive degradation, 21
Flat Shaded, Edges On shading option, 932
floating screen-pointing area (on digitizing
tablets), 1019
floating toolbars, 1037
flood island detection, 115
floppy disks, SHELL command and, 934
flow control (in plotting)
setting, 761
Flyout Properties tab (Customize dialog box),
189
flyouts (in toolbar buttons)
displaying, 189
fog
choosing a color system for, 390
defining distance and percentages of, 391
turning on or off, 390
FOG command, 389
Fog/Depth Cue dialog box, 390
folder search path options, 634
folders
accessing, 623
adding to Places list, 624
browsing for, 634
creating, 624
default path in standard file selection dialog
boxes, 1215
deleting, 624
Web folders, 623
See also paths
folding options (press) in PC3 files, 730
font mapping files
specifying location of, 636
FONTALT system variable, 636, 664, 1189

FONTMAP system variable, 636, 1189
fonts
alternate, specifying location of, 636, 664
changing, 1001
character maps for, 578
command window fonts, 640, 667
listing font family names, 665
for OLE objects, changing, 620
specifications for, in Data View window
(dbConnect), 230
specifying, 578, 999
standard libraries, 1265
Unicode fonts, 1277
Windows system font, 639
forgotten passwords, 914, 916
Form View style settings tab (Plot Style Table
Editor), 1006
Format dialog box, 230
format of database record display, 230
formatting
attribute text, 104, 350
labels, 231
forward slash (/)
FPS speed
fractional units, 609, 1076, 1078
fractions
blank spaces before, 584
format for linear dimensions, 300
height of, 294
in stacked text, 578, 583, 584
styles for, 583
frames per second display speed, 21
free-form polygon meshes, 29
freehand drawings, sketching, 937
freezing
layers, 460, 463, 472
in viewports, 461, 1100, 1101
FROM command modifier, 1285
FRONTZ system variable, 1190
frozen layers, 463
FTP Locations icon (Places list in standard file
selection dialog boxes), 623
FTP sites
accessing, 623
adding, 624, 628
logging on, 628
full paths for external references, 1128
FULLOPEN system variable, 1190
full-screen tracking vector display option, 659
fuzz distance
between endpoints, 697
Index
1315
G
general properties of objects, 770
General tab
Plotter Configuration Editor, 749
generated measurements, 269, 273
Geographic Location dialog box, 501
geometric
expressions, evaluating. See CAL command
tolerances
creating, 1030
geometric characteristic symbols
Geometric Tolerance dialog box, 483, 1031
geometry
acceleration in 3D view, 24, 25
of landscape objects, specifying, 519, 516,
521
loading into partially open drawings
selecting
getvar AutoLISP function, 139
GFANG system variable, 116, 1190
GFCLR1 system variable, 1190
GFCLR2 system variable, 1190
GFCLRLUM system variable, 116, 1190
GFCLRSTATE system variable, 1190
GFNAME system variable, 116, 1190
GFSHIFT system variable, 1191
global
editing of attributes, 89
linetype scale, 509
material in materials libraries, 533
VBA projects, unloading, 1085
GOTOURL command, 393
Gouraud render quality option, 885
Gouraud Shaded shading option, 932
Gouraud Shaded, Edges On shading option, 932
gradient background for scenes, 97
gradient boundaries
associativity controls, 109
defining, using BHATCH, 112, 117
island detection methods, 114
previewing, 109
redefining boundary sets, 114, 117
removing islands from, 108
retaining as objects, 113
viewing, 109
gradient fills
angles, 116
centers, 116
defining, 115
editing, 408
1316
Index
gradient fills (continued)

editing geometry, 106
patterns, 116
selecting objects for, 108
Gradient tab
grads
entering angles in, 137, 611
granite material attributes, 868
graphical objects
attaching hyperlinks to, 416
See also objects (AutoCAD)
graphical objects. See objects (AutoCAD)
GRAPHSCR command, 393
gray shades, 1008
green components of colors, 172
grid (drawing area)
grid snap type, 320, 946
grid spacing, 393, 994
setting drawing limits for, 502
turning on/off, 394
grid (toolbar button editor), 194
GRID command, 393
grid dots
setting spacing of, 320
Grid Header shortcut menu (Data View window
in dbConnect), 213
grid limits
displaying, 993
plotting, 679, 725, 732
setting, 502
grid snap type, 320, 946
grid spacing, 393, 994
GRIDMODE system variable, 320, 1191
GRIDUNIT system variable, 320, 994, 1191
GRIPBLOCK system variable, 662, 1191
GRIPCOLOR system variable, 662, 1191
GRIPHOT system variable, 662, 1191
GRIPHOVER system variable, 662, 1191
GRIPOBJLIMIT system variable, 663, 1191
grips
determining color of, 662, 1191
display size of, 662
enabling, 662
grip tips, 663, 1192
turning on/off, 1191, 1192
GRIPS system variable, 662, 1191
GRIPSIZE system variable, 662, 1192
GRIPTIPS system variable, 663, 1192
GROUP command
about, 394
GROUP command (continued)

Object Grouping dialog box, 395
Order Group dialog box, 398
Group object selection method, 919
groups (of objects)
adding objects to, 397, 400
creating, 396, 400, 661
deleting (exploding), 398, 400
descriptions of, 396, 398, 401
inserting, 442
naming, 396, 401
removing objects from, 396, 400
renaming, 397, 400
reordering objects in, 397, 398, 399
ungrouping, 400
GSHEIDI10 (Heidi3D graphics display system),
651
GSHIFT system variable, 116
H
halfwidth specifications for 2D polyline
segments, 715, 717
haloed lines, shortening, 414, 1192
HALOGAP system variable, 414, 1192
HANDLES system variable, 1192
handshaking (in plotting)
setting, 761, 762
hardware
acceleration, 25
handshaking, 762
hatch boundaries
associativity controls, 109, 120
chamfering and, 154
defining
using BHATCH, 112, 117
using HATCH, 403
island detection methods, 114, 119
island detection styles, 112, 120
previewing, 109
redefining boundary sets, 114, 117
removing islands from, 108, 118
retaining as objects, 113, 119, 404, 406
viewing, 109
HATCH command
about, 403
hatch style codes, 407
pattern specifications, 403
solid fill specifications, 405
user-defined patterns, 406
See also BHATCH command
Hatch Edit dialog box
about, 408
double-clicking hatch objects and, 246
Hatch object type, 1273

Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box, 116
hatch patterns
angles, changing, 111
custom, 110, 111, 117, 403
displaying preview images of, 109
ISO patterns, 112, 117
listing names of, 117, 404
predefined, 110, 117, 403
properties of, 117, 411
scaling, 111
solid, fill style options, 118
standard library file of, 1258, 1264
user-defined, 110, 118, 406
hatch properties, 781
hatch style codes, 407, 410
Hatch tab (Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box),
110
Hatch tab (Hatch Edit dialog box), 409
hatched
geometry
editing, 106
objects, editing, 408
HATCHEDIT command
about, 408
hatches
associative. See associative hatches
converting those created in earlier releases,
178
as DesignCenter content, 45, 49
double, 109
filleting, 378
filling, 377, 1188
properties of, 781
selecting objects for, 108, 118
hatching, crosshatching, 409
Heidi 3D Graphics System, 651, 667
height
for attribute text, 88, 160
for cones, 176
for cylinders, 196
of dimension text, 294
for dimension tolerance text, 307
for elliptical cones, 177
for elliptical cylinders, 198
of extrusion, 375, 950
for geometric tolerance zones, 1033
for landscape objects
for multiline text, 578, 585
for shapes, 933
for text, 159, 999, 1002, 1022
Index
1317
height (continued)
for wedges, 1117
for zoom magnification, 1149
height (second color) setting for backgrounds,
99
Help
accessing, 411
HELP command, 411
Help file
Help menu, accessing user or developer
documentation from, 2
Help, Active Assistance, 76
hemisphere, specifying in the Sun Angle
Calculator, 501
Hidden Line Settings dialog box, 414
hidden lines (in 3D objects)
colors, 414
haloed lines, 414
linetypes, 414
options, 657
of profiles, display options, 964
removing hidden lines in 3D objects
for plotting, 592, 1110
shade plot settings, 680, 726
SOLVIEW placement of, 967
suppressing, 341, 412, 413
HIDDEN linetype, 964
Hidden shading option, 932
hidden text, 415
HIDE command, about, 412
HIDEPRECISION system variable, 415, 1192
hides, precision of, 415, 1192
HIDETEXT system variable, 412, 413, 1192
hiding
attribute text, 104
attributes, 84
database table columns, 210
edges, 355
hyperlink cursor, 421, 656
hyperlink shortcut menus, 421, 656
hyperlink tooltips, 656
image frames, 438
intersection polylines, 415
labels, 204, 205
linetype details, 507
multiline joints, 571
paper space objects for plotting, 682, 727,
735
shortcut menus, 421, 656
system printers, 649
toolbars, 1035, 1038
tooltips, 421, 656
tree view (DesignCenter), 47
UCS icon, 1061
See also hidden lines (in 3D objects)
1318
Index
hiding, objects, 1192

HIGHLIGHT system variable, 1193
history
list
adding applications to, 59
removing applications from, 60
History icon (Places list in standard file selection
dialog boxes), 622
history, listing recently-used files, 622
HLS color system
See also hue, lightness, saturation (HLS) color
system
HLSETTINGS command
about, 413
Hidden Line Settings dialog box, 414
home folder (for DesignCenter), 47
hook lines, 266, 279, 482
horizon (unrotated height), setting for
backgrounds, 99
horizontal
fractions
grid spacing, 944
justification of dimension text, 295
linear dimensions, 274
resolution of rendered images, 850
tiling of windows, 1013
hotspot angle (of spotlights), 497
HPANG system variable, 111, 946, 1193
HPBOUND system variable, 1193
HPDOUBLE system variable, 109, 409, 1193
HPNAME system variable, 110, 113, 407, 410,
946, 1193
HPSCALE system variable, 111, 946, 1193
HPSPACE system variable, 111, 1193
HSL (Hue, Saturation, and Luminance color
model)
See hue, lightness, saturation (HLS) color
system
HTML pages
hue
specifying, 171
hue, lightness, saturation (HLS) color system, 98
adjusting for material color, 864
specifying, 171
using for fog, 391
hyperlink
base address to use for a drawing, 345
HYPERLINK command
about, 416
Edit Hyperlink dialog box, 419
Insert Hyperlink dialog box, 416
Select Place in Document dialog box, 419
HYPERLINKBASE system variable, 418, 1193
HYPERLINKOPTIONS command, 421

hyperlinks
associating with block definitions, 124
attaching to graphical objects, 416
cursor display options, 421, 656
defining a bounding rectangle for, 420
editing, 419
options for, 656
removing, 419, 420
shortcut menu display options, 421, 656
tooltip display options, 421, 656
I
icons
arranging in windows, 1013
for blocks, 126
in status bar tray, 1045
for OLE objects, 616, 617
in standard file selection dialog boxes, 622
standards violation icon, 990
UCS, 1061, 1068
ID command, 423
Identity Reference tab (Reference Edit dialog
box), 832
i-drop
list of available content, 920
location of associated data files, 920
log file, 920
SETIDROPHANDLER command and, 920
setting default i-drop content type, 920
viewing name of file, 920
viewing URL for source of, 920
i-drop Options dialog box, 920
IDs, digital, See digital IDs
IFF files, options for rendering, 891
ignoring nonstandard objects, 164, 991
ill/ilp functions (CAL command), 147, 152
image (bitmap file) background for scenes, 98
Image Adjust dialog box, 431
image application, WMFOUT and, 1126
IMAGE command
about, 423
Image Manager, 424
Image dialog box, 434
image display. See display (image)
Image File Details dialog box, 426
image files
attaching new images, 433
attaching/detaching, 425, 427, 428
defining offset and size of, 852
display quality controls for, 439
displaying, 852
Image Manager, 424
image slide files, displaying, 1112
image files (continued)

in landscape libraries, 519
listing names of, 423, 427
naming conventions, 429
properties of, 782
reloading/unloading, 426, 428
renaming, 425, 429
transparency, 1044
updating the path name, 427, 428
viewing details of, 426, 435
See also display (of images)
image frames
displaying, 438
Image Manager, 424
Image object type, 1273
image properties, 782
image slide files, displaying, 1112
Image Specifications dialog box, 852
IMAGEADJUST command
about, 430
Image Adjust dialog box, 431
IMAGEATTACH command, 433
IMAGECLIP command, 436
IMAGEFRAME command, 438
IMAGEHLT system variable, 642, 1193
IMAGEQUALITY command, 439
imperial units
current drawing settings, 1201
starting drawings based on, 606, 1201
implied
edge extension modes, for extending
objects, 373
implied, windowing option, for object
selection, 661
IMPORT command, 440
Import File dialog box, 440
Import PCP or PC2 Plot Settings wizard, 696
Import Query Set dialog box, 230
Import Template Set dialog box, 231
Import User Defined Page Setups dialog box, 798
Import WMF dialog box, 1120
importing
3D Studio files, 37
ACIS files, 43
DXB files, 347
files of various formats, 440
layer
states, 467, 474
link templates
sets, 231
materials, 533
PCP/PC2 configuration file plot settings,
696
plotter configuration settings, 760
profiles, 664
text files
Index
1319
importing (continued)
into the Multiline Text Editor, 580
tool palettes, 192
user-defined page setups into layouts, 682,
798
WMF files, 1120
imprinting objects on 3D solids, 961
inches
and feet, formatting for CAL command, 136
Inches.pss file, 737
Include Model Layout When Adding Sheets
setting, 802
included angles, for surfaces of revolution, 858
incremental save percentage option, 644
Indents and Tabs dialog box, 581
indents in text, 579, 581
index
status for partially open drawings, 687
type created when saving drawings, 900
Index Color tab (Select Color dialog box), 170
index, colors, 170
INDEXCTL system variable, 687, 1194
INETLOCATION system variable, 1194
infinite lines
See also construction lines; rays
inheritance
gradient fills, 409
hatches, 409
object properties
initialization strings
plot configurations, 758
inner arc start/end caps on multilines, 572
in-place reference editing
adding/removing objects during, 837
saving back changes, 830
selecting references for, 832
INSBASE system variable, 101, 994, 1194
Insert (Block Reference) object type, 1272
INSERT command
about, 440
Insert dialog box, 441
Insert Hyperlink dialog box, 124, 416
Insert Markup dialog box, 875
Insert Object dialog box, 448
inserting
content, from DesignCenter, 46
data from the Clipboard, 693
drawings, 440
linked or embedded objects, 448
shapes, 933
inserting blocks, 440
Insertion object snap, 325, 672
1320
Index
insertion point
for attributes, 81, 87, 160
for blocks, 160, 441, 443
for current drawing, 101
displaying, 994
for images, 435
for multiple instances of blocks, 544
for shapes, 933
for text, 159
for WMF files, 1120
for xrefs, 1129
INSERTOBJ command, 448
INSNAME system variable, 1194
INSUNITS system variable, 435, 655, 1194
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE system variable, 655,
1195
INSUNITSDEFTARGET system variable, 655,
1195
intensity
of ambient light, 491
of point light, 492
of spotlight, 496
INTERFERE command, 450
interference solids, 450
Interlace render option, 892
Internet (Web)
browsing, 623
folders on the Web, 623
i-drop content, 920
Live Enablers, 654
publishing drawings as HTML pages, 808
Internet Explorer, 133
interrupted scripts, resuming running of, 854
INTERSECT command, 451
Intersection object snap, 324, 672
intersection point, obtaining, 147
intersection polylines
color, 415, 1196
display, 1196
hiding, 415
INTERSECTIONCOLOR system variable, 1196
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY system variable, 412,
415, 1196
intersections (of lines)
raster plotter output, 757
invalid links/link templates, updating, 244
inverse linear attenuation of light
of point light, 492, 493
of spotlight, 497
inverse square attenuation of light
of point light, 492, 493
of spotlight, 497, 498
invisible
attributes, 84, 90
edges of a 3D face, 28
lines. See hidden lines
ISAVEBAK system variable, 644, 1197
ISAVEPERCENT system variable, 644, 1197

islands (within boundaries)
detection methods, 127, 129
islands (within hatches and fills)
detection methods, 114, 119
detection style, 112, 120
removing, 108, 118
ism.arx (image application), WMFOUT and,
1126
ISO (International Standards Organization)
patterns, 112, 117
pen widths, 509
isolines
display in 3D view, 24
ISOLINES system variable, 641, 1197
isometric
circles, 167, 362
planes, 453
views
restoring, 1092
Isometric snap grid, 945
Isometric snap mode, 320
ISOPLANE command, 453
italic typeface, formatting multiline text in, 578
J
joining
cut multiline segments, 563
lines, 1010
polylines, 697, 702
joints
of multilines, 571
styles, 1010
JPEG files, 455
JPGOUT command, 455
justification
dimension text, 313
multiline text, 579, 586
multilines, 565
text, 455, 1022
JUSTIFYTEXT command, 455
K
key
fields
for link templates, 238
for linked objects, 237
keyboard shortcuts, command aliases, 1155
Keyboard tab (Customize dialog box), 190
keyboard, running object snaps entry, 656
keys (encryption), 915, 916
keywords
for locating drawings, 345
L
Label Template dialog box
about, 231
displaying, 203
Label Fields tab, 232
Label Offset tab, 232
Label Template Properties dialog box, 233
label templates
creating, 203, 240
exporting
sets of, 228
formatting, 231
importing
sets of, 231
landings. See hook lines
Landscape Edit dialog box, 516
Landscape Library dialog box, 517
Landscape Library Edit dialog box, 518
Landscape New dialog box, 520
landscape objects
aligning, 519, 521
defining libraries, 517
deleting from libraries, 518
editing, 515
listing, 517, 521
previewing, 516, 520
landscape orientation, 679, 724, 732
languages
AutoCAD support for, 1277
language-specific dictionaries, 977
large toolbar buttons, 187
LAS files, 467
Last object selection method, 917
LASTANGLE system variable, 1197
LASTPOINT system variable, 143, 144, 1197
LASTPROMPT system variable, 1197
latitude
displaying for a selected city, 501
layer colors, assigning, 579
LAYER command
about, 457
Layer Properties Manager, 457
Layer States Manager, 460, 467
Lineweight dialog box, 468
Named Layer Filters dialog box, 464
Save Layer States dialog box, 459, 466
Select Linetype dialog box, 468
layer index, for partially open drawings, 632
layer indexes
for saved drawings, 900
layer linetypes, binding referenced linetypes,
1130
Index
1321
layer plot styles, default plot styles, 650

layer properties, 459
editing, 481
restoring, 467, 475
saving, 459, 466, 473
Layer Properties Manager, 457
layer states, 459
exporting, 467, 474
importing, 467, 474
managing, 467, 473
restoring, 467, 473
saving, 459, 466, 473
Layer States Manager, 467
displaying, 460
Layer Translator, 478
LAYERP command, 475
LAYERPMODE command, 475
layers
for 3D faces created with PFACE, 711
annotation layers, 464
attaching materials by, 861
for attribute text, 88, 105, 350
changing
properties of, 460
copying
objects to, with MATCHPROP, 531
created by SOLVIEW, 967
creating, 459, 469, 470, 479
deleting, 459
displaying
current layer, 994
displaying, in xrefs, 834
filtering
display of, 458, 464
freezing, 460, 461, 463, 472, 1100, 1101
frozen layers, 463
geometry to load for partially open
drawings, 631
listing, 460, 469, 478, 480, 687, 688, 691
loading geometry from, into partially open
drawings
with PARTIALOAD, 687, 688
with PARTIALOPEN, 690, 692
locking/unlocking, 460, 463, 473, 836
MARKUP layer, 875
naming, 459, 462, 469
plotting, 461, 463
profile blocks and, 964
purging
from the drawing database, 479, 811
referenced and unreferenced, 479
renaming, 844
for selected objects, 165
changing, 162
1322
Index
layers (continued)
standards files for, 989, 1249
thawing, 460, 464, 473, 1101
tracking changes to, 475
translating to other standards, 478
undoing changes to settings, 475
visibility, 1101
xref-dependent layers, 646, 1229
LAYOUT command, 475
layout elements, customizing, 640
Layout Settings tab (Page Setup dialog box), 678
layout tabs
plotting and, 675, 719, 722, 732, 745, 746
suppressing regeneration when switching
to, 573, 1198
Layout tabs (Color Options dialog box), 665
layout tabs, suppressing regeneration when
switching to, 652
layout viewports
creating with SOLVIEW, 966
creating with VPORTS, 1106, 1110
properties of, 796
LAYOUTREGENCTL system variable, 573, 652,
1198
layouts
changing window element color in, 665,
666
copying, 476
creating, 476
with the Layout wizard, 477
customizing, 640
deleting, 476
displaying name of, for plotting, 719
importing
user-defined page setups into, 798
listing, 477, 802
making current, 477
markup layouts, 876
options, setting, 640
page setups for, 675, 802, 804
saving, 477
SOLPROF and, 964
for viewport creation, 591, 598
LAYOUTWIZARD command, 477
LAYTRANS command, 478
Edit/New Layer dialog box, 481
Layer Translator, 478
Settings dialog box, 480
leader annotations
multiline text options for, 816
properties, 785
reusing, 817
specifying, 814
types of, 816
LEADER command, 482
leader dimensions, associativity, 282
Leader Line & Arrow tab (Leader Settings dialog

box), 817
leader lines
about, 482
arrowhead formats, 292, 818
attaching, 818
formatting, 484
inserting annotations for, 483
for ordinate dimensions, 276
undoing the last vertex on, 485
Leader object type, 1273
leader properties, 783
Leader Settings dialog box
Annotation tab, 817
Attachment tab, 818
Leader Line & Arrow tab, 817
leader text
justifying, 455
properties, 785
leaders
attaching, 818
creating with QLEADER, 814
exploding, 370
See also leader annotations
See also leader lines
leading, See line spacing
left-justifying text, 586, 1024, 1026
legacy drawings, clearing dimension linear
factors, 284
LENGTHEN command, 486
lengths (of objects)
2D polyline segments, 715, 718
changing
by Dynamic Dragging, 488
by specified increments, 486
converting between model and paper
space, 901, 974
setting
by a percentage, 487
by specifying total length, 487
wedges, 1117
LENSLENGTH system variable, 1198
libraries
of landscape objects, creating and editing,
517
of materials, importing/exporting to, 533
standard. See standard libraries
license information, AutoCAD, 43
light blocks, scale factor for rendering, 846, 883
LIGHT command
about, 489
Geographic Location dialog box, 501
Lights dialog box, 489
New or Modify Distant Light dialog box,

494
New or Modify Point Light dialog box, 492
New or Modify Spotlight dialog box, 496
North Location dialog box, 498
Shadow Options dialog box, 499
Sun Angle Calculator dialog box, 500
light source vector, for distant light, 496
lights (for rendering), 489, 931
ambient light, 491
colors of, 494, 497
creating, 490
deleting, 490
displaying in drawing, 489
listing, 490
modifying, 490
for scenes, 909, 910
selecting, 490
See also distant light
Lights dialog box, 489
lightweight polylines, properties of, 787
LIMCHECK system variable, 1198
limits
checking
turning on or off, 609, 611
checking, turning on or off, 502
LIMITS command, 502
LIMMAX system variable, 993, 1199
LIMMIN system variable, 993, 1199
LIN (linetype library) files, 506, 509, 510
LINE command, 504
Line object type, 1273
line properties, 784
line segments
drawing, 504
sketching freehand, 937
See also lines
line spacing, for multiline text, 587
line start/end caps
on multilines, 571
styles, 1010
Line tool, 194
linear dimensions
aligned, 255
alternate units settings, 302
associativity, 282
creating, 271
prefixes/suffixes for text, 301
rounding rules for, 300
scale options, 301
zero suppression, 302
Index
1323
lines

changing endpoints of, 159
construction, 1135
crossing, raster plotter output, 757
extending, 371
filleting, 377
infinite, 1135
join styles, 1010
joining to polylines, 697
properties of, 784
spacing in hatch patterns, 111
specifying endpoints of, 504, 1010
traces, 1043
trimming, 1047
Lines and Arrows tab (New Dimension Style
dialog box), 289
LINETYPE command, 165
about, 506
Linetype Manager, 506
Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box, 509
LINETYPE command, loading linetypes, 162
Linetype Manager, 506
linetype scale, as property of objects, 771
linetypes
binding referenced linetypes, 1130
complex, standard library file of, 1257
creating at the command line, 510
deleting, 507
displaying, 468, 507, 510, 994
filtering, 507
generating for 2D polylines, 704
hiding/displaying details of, 507
loading, 162, 507, 509, 511
of multiline style elements, 570
naming conventions for, 508, 509
of obscured lines, 414
in plot styles, 1009
renaming, 844
scale factor, 162, 165, 509, 522, 532, 1005
for selected layers, 460, 462, 471
standards files for, 989
for translated layers, 481
1324
Index
linetypes, standards files for, 1249

Lineweight dialog box, 468
Lineweight Settings dialog box, 523
lineweights
adjusting display scale for, 525
of dimension lines, 290
displaying
available values for, 524, 526
the current setting, 994
in model space, 525
of extension lines, 290
listing, 468, 1011
modifying, 1011
options, 657
plot options, 681, 727, 1010, 1011
saved in format of earlier releases, 526
for selected layers, 461, 462, 471, 481
setting, 523, 525
sorting, 1012
specifying units for, 524, 1011
Link Conversion dialog box, 234
Link Manager, 237
Link Select
creating selection sets, 222
executing, 224
link templates and, 222, 224
queries and, 223
status bar information, 224
Link Select dialog box, 222
Link Template dialog box, 203, 238
Link Template Properties dialog box, 239
link templates
creating, 203, 240
exporting, 228
importing, 231
specifying key fields for, 238
updating, 244
linked objects (database links)
display options, Data View and Query
editing key field values, 237
in external database tables, 208
linked objects (OLE links)
links (in databases)
converting from AutoCAD releases 12 and
14, 235
creating, 208
deleting, 205, 238
exporting, 227
template
links (in databases) (continued)

exporting, 204
importing, 231
updating, 244
Links dialog box, 615
Links index for databases, 653
LISP routines. See AutoLISP (LSP) applications
LISPINIT system variable, 1199
LIST command, 513
list view
in the Image Manager, 424
in the Xref Manager, 1141
listing
drawing sheets, 802, 803
DWS (standards) files, 989
font family names, 665
hatch patterns, 111, 117, 404
recently-used files, 622
standards files, 989
user profiles, 663
xrefs, 1131
Live Enabler
options, 654
LOAD command, 514
Load dialog box, 46
Load Multiline Styles dialog box, 569
Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box, 509
Load/Unload Applications dialog box, 58
loading
applications, with APPLOAD, 57
color books, 173
DesignCenter content, 46
drawing sheets, 803
geometry
into partially open drawings, with
OPEN (using the Partial Open
option), 625, 630
geometry, into partially open drawings
layers from other files, 479
linetypes, 507, 509, 511
menu files, 539
multilines, 569
ObjectARX applications, 75
partial menu files, 540
selected views and geometry, 621
shape files, 514, 933
title blocks, 603
xrefs, 687, 1140
LOCALE system variable, 1199
LOCALROOTPREFIX system variable, 1199
locating
files, 624, 626
files with path names, 802, 805
Lock Aspect Ratio option, for OLE objects, 619

locked layers, 836
locking
attribute color to the main color, 861
layers, 460, 463, 473, 836
objects not in working sets, 835
viewports, 593, 1110
log files
closing, 514
continuously repeating scripts and, 893
for i-drop content, 920
layer translation, 481
plot stamps, 741, 742
plotting failures log, 804
saving, 806
search path for, 637, 645
turning on/off, 645
writing text window contents to, 515
LOGFILEMODE system variable, 645, 1199
LOGFILENAME system variable, 645, 1199
LOGFILEOFF command, 514
LOGFILEON command, 515
LOGFILEPATH system variable, 637, 1200
logging on, to FTP sites, 628
logical
extents, zooming to, 1152
operators, 384
LOGINNAME system variable, 1200
longitude
displaying for a selected city, 501
lost passwords, 914, 916
lowercase text, 580
LPT ports, 761
LSEDIT command, 515
LSLIB command, 517
LSNEW command, 520
LSP (AutoLISP) files, loading, 57
LTSCALE command, 522
LTSCALE system variable, 509, 1200
ltypeshp.lin (complex linetype library) file, 1257
luminance of colors, 172
LUNITS system variable, 1200
LUPREC system variable, 1200
LW polylines, aligning the axis of rotation with,
954
LWDEFAULT system variable, 469, 524, 525,
526, 1200
LWDISPLAY system variable, 525, 1200
LWEIGHT command
about, 523
Lineweight Settings dialog box, 523
Lwpolyline object type, 1273
LWUNITS system variable, 524, 1200
Index
1325
M
macros
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog
box, 621, 1082
disabling, 1082
displaying toolbar button macros, 188
enabling, 1082
stepping through, 1087
VBA, 1085
Macros dialog box, 1086
magnet (AutoSnap lock), 658
magnification value for zooming, 1149
See also zoom scale factor
main dictionary for spelling checker, 636, 977
maintain aspect ratio settings. See aspect ratio
managing drawing content. See ADCENTER
command; DesignCenter
Map Markup dialog box, 875
map style, for material bitmaps, 867
map, for Sun Angle Calculator, displaying, 501
mapped materials
assigning coordinates, 921
cylindrical coordinates, 924
placement of, 928
planar coordinates, 922
previewing, 922, 924, 925, 927, 928
projection types for, 921
solid coordinates, 927
spherical coordinates, 926
mapping
layers for translation, 479
markup layouts to drawing layouts, 875,
876
mapping coordinates
acquiring from a selected object, 922
adjusting, 922
assigning, 921
copying to selected objects, 922
deleting, 921
Mapping dialog box, 920
marble material attributes, 869
margin display option, 640
Mark option in undoing, 1071
marker blips
displaying/removing, 121
removing
with REDRAW, 829
with REDRAWALL, 830
markers, AutoSnap, 658
marking
vertices
of 2D polylines, 698
of 3D polyline mesh objects, 707
1326
Index
MARKUP layer, 875

markups (markup objects), mapping layouts to
drawing layouts, 875
mass properties
calculating for 2D and 3D objects, 527
for coplanar regions, 527, 528
for noncoplanar regions, 527
parameters that control calculation units,
530
for solids, 529
writing to a text file, 527
MASSPROP command, 527
matching text object sizes, 907
MATCHPROP command, 531
material attachment methods, 934
material bitmaps
auto axis option, 867
map style for, 867
offset and scale settings, 866
previewing, 865
soft matte (feathered) effects on, 867
tiling, 867
Material Condition dialog box, 1035
material condition symbols, 1032, 1035
materials (for rendering)
3D configuration options, 23
adjusting mapping coordinates, 922
applying, 846
attaching, 861, 873
by ACI values, 873
by layer, 874
attributes, 862
color adjustments, 862, 863
creating, 861, 862
detaching, 861, 873
displaying, 23
duplicating, 861
granite, creating/modifying, 868
libraries, 533
mapping onto objects, 920
marble, creating/modifying, 869
modifying, 861, 862
named, reconciling after
importing/exporting, 535
naming/renaming, 862
selecting, 860
types and attachment methods, 934
wood, creating/modifying, 871
Materials dialog box, 860
materials libraries
importing/exporting to, 533
Materials Library dialog box, 533
mathematical expressions, evaluating. See CAL
command
MATLIB command
about, 533
Materials Library dialog box, 533
Reconcile Exported Material Names dialog
box, 536
Reconcile Imported Material Names dialog
box, 535
MAXACTVP system variable, 592, 1200
MaxArray system registry variable, 68, 73
MaxHatch system registry variable, 106, 403
maximum plot resolution, 681, 727, 735
MAXSORT system variable, 1201
MBUTTONPAN system variable, 1201
MDB (Microsoft Access) files, 355
MEASURE command, 537
measured intervals, placing points or blocks at,
537
MEASUREINIT system variable, 605, 612, 1201
measurement scale. See scale
MEASUREMENT system variable, 1201
media sources and destinations in PC3 files, 730
media types for plotting, 753
memory (RAM)
amount available, displaying, 995
conserving, with CONVERT, 178
plotting and, 729, 755
MENU command, 539
Menu Customization dialog box, 540
menu files
loading, 539
partial, loading, 540
menu groups/menu bars
customizing display of, 540
listing, 187
shortcut keys and, 191
MENUCTL system variable, 1201
MENUECHO system variable, 1202
MENULOAD command
about, 540
Menu Customization dialog box, 540
MENUNAME system variable, 1202
menus
menu groups, 187, 191
shortcut keys for items on, 190
MENUUNLOAD command, 543
merged-cross intersection between multilines,
558
merged-tee intersection between multilines, 560
merging
background for scenes, 98
meshes (faceted surfaces)
creating, 12
metafiles. See WMF files
metric units
current drawing settings, 1201
starting drawings based on, 606, 1201
Microsoft Access file format, 354, 355
Microsoft Excel file format, 355
Midpoint object snap, 324, 672
MIF, Unicode fonts and, 1280
MINSERT command
about, 544
REFEDIT and, 833, 835
setting
preview rotation angles, 552
preview scale factor for X, Y, Z axes,
551
rotation angles, 549
scale factors for X, Y, Z axes, 546
specifying block insertion point, 544
minutes/seconds, entering angles in, 611
MIRROR command, 553
MIRROR3D command, 554
mirroring
creating, 553
about a plane (3D), 554
material reflection attribute and, 864
MIRRTEXT system variable, 553, 1202
miters (joints of multilines), 571, 1010
MLEDIT command, 556
MLI (materials library) files, 533
MLINE command, 564
Mline object type, 1273
See also multilines
MLN (multiline library) files, 568, 569
MLSTYLE command
about, 566
Element Properties dialog box, 569
Load Multiline Styles dialog box, 569
Multiline Properties dialog box, 570
Multiline Styles dialog box, 567
MM.pss file, 737
MNU (template menu) files, 190, 540
Mode attribute properties, 102
MODEL command, 573
Model layout
applying, 802, 805
including in drawing sets, 805
listing for drawing sheets, 802
model space
adding scenes to, 908, 909
converting length values from paper space,
901, 974
creating
slide files in, 575
tiled viewport configurations in, 1104
deleting scenes from, 908
geometry, loading into partially open
drawings, 686, 687, 688
modifying scenes in, 908, 910
Index
1327
model space (continued)

plotting before paper space, 682
in spatial index, 1046
switching from paper space to, 575
model space, changing window element color
in, 665
Model tab
plotting and, 719, 722, 732, 745, 746
suppressing regeneration when switching
to, 1198
switching
to, from a layout tab, 573
Model tab (Color Options dialog box), 665
Model tab, suppressing regeneration when
switching to, 652
MODEMACRO system variable, 1202
Modify Dimension Style dialog box, 288
Fit tab, 296
Text tab, 292
Tolerances tab, 305
Modify Distant Light dialog box, 494
Modify Granite Material dialog box, 868
Modify Marble Material dialog box, 869
Modify Point Light dialog box, 492
Modify Scene dialog box, 910
Modify Spotlight dialog box, 496
Modify Standard Material dialog box, 862
Modify Wood Material dialog box, 871
modifying
lights, 490
materials, 861, 862
symbols, for geometric tolerances, 1032,
1035
See also editing
monochrome plotters, 1007
mouse, pointing device options, 652
MOVE command, 573
moving
dimension text, 312
fit points on splines, 984
marked vertices
objects
about a 3D axis, 878
about a base point, 877
with STRETCH, 996
spline control vertices, 985
UCSs, 1056
moving, Properties palette, 770
MREDO command, 574
MSLIDE command, 575
1328
Index
MSPACE command, 575

MTEXT command
about, 576
AutoStack Properties dialog box, 584
control codes and special characters, 580,
589
hiding text, 412, 415
Indents and Tabs dialog box, 581
Multiline Text Editor, 577
Stack Properties dialog box, 582
Unicode character strings and, 589
mtext.
See MTEXT command; multiline text
MTEXTED system variable, 636, 1202
MTEXTFIXED system variable, 1203
MTJIGSTRING system variable, 1203
Multibyte Interchange format (MIF), Unicode
fonts and, 1280
Multiline Edit Tools dialog box, 556
double-clicking mline objects and, 246
Multiline Properties dialog box, 570
Multiline Styles dialog box, 567
multiline text
about, 576
AutoCAPS and, 580
automatic stacking feature, 584
bold, 578
case of, 580
character height specification, 578
color assignment, 579
combining paragraphs, 580
drawing display, 585
editing, stacked text, 582
exploding, 370
finding/replacing, 582
by matching case, 582
by matching whole word, 582
formatting, 577
fractions in, 583, 584
height, setting, 585
importing, 580
including with leader lines, 484
indents and tabs, 579, 581
inserting symbols in, 580, 589
italic, 578
justification, 579
justification and alignment for, 455, 586
leader annotations and, 816, 818
line spacing, specification, 587
opposite corner of, 585
properties, 785
redoing actions, 578
removing formatting, 580
resizing, 907
rotation angle for, 588
multiline text (continued)

selecting all, 580
setting width in drawing units, 579
stacking, 578
stacking/unstacking, 580
style property, 577
styles
default, 585
specifying, 589
underlining, 578
undoing actions, 578
width of, 585, 589
Multiline Text Editor
about, 577
double-clicking
leader text and, 246
multiline text and, 246
editing dimension text
with DIMALIGNED, 257
with DIMANGULAR, 260
with DIMDIAMETER, 267
with DIMEDIT, 269
with DIMLINEAR, 272
with DIMORDINATE, 277
with DIMRADIUS, 280
shortcut menu options, 579
Multiline Text object type, 1273
multiline text objects
AutoCAPS and, 580
case of, 580
combining paragraphs, 580
justification, 579
removing formatting, 580
selecting all, 580
setting width in drawing units, 579
stacking/unstacking, 580
multiline text properties, 785
multilines
background fills, 572
creating, 564
editing, 556, 567
elements of, 566, 567, 569
exploding, 370
filling, 377
joints, 571
justification type, 565
loading, 569
making current, 567
naming/renaming, 568
patterns illustrated, 557
properties, 785
scale, 565
setting properties for, 569
start and end caps of, 571
style for, 566
multiple
drawings, opening, 653
instances of a block
block insertion properties, 786
inserting into rectangular arrays, 544
synchronizing instances, 102
mappings of markup layouts, 877
multiple block insertion properties, 786
MULTIPLE command, 590
Multiple object selection method, 919
multiple parallel lines. See multilines
multiple undo actions, 574
multi-sheet drawing files
publishing, 803
multithreaded processing, 1230
MVIEW command, 591
MVSETUP command
about, 595
setting preferences for, 601
using
on a layout tab, 596
on the Model tab, 596
My Documents folder, 622
My Documents icon (Places list in standard file
selection dialog boxes), 622
My Network Places folder, 623
MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX system variable, 1203
myspool.bat file, 636
N
Name & Location tab (Find dialog box), 626
named
drawing files, 802, 805
drawing sheets, 802
materials, reconciling after
importing/exporting, 535
objects
changing names of, 843
external references, 834, 1144
in partially open drawings, 629
purging, 809
viewing purgeable/nonpurgeable, 809
page setups, listing, 806
plot styles, 1004, 1007
converting CTBs to, 179, 180
for use in existing drawings, 744
for use in new drawings or
pre-AutoCAD 2000
drawings, 744
plot styles, settings, 650
selection sets. See groups
views, displaying, 625
Named Layer Filters dialog box, 464
Named UCSs tab (UCS dialog box), 1064
Named Viewports tab (Viewports dialog box)
floating, 1108
Index
1329
tiled, 1106
Named Views tab (View dialog box), 1091
naming
blocks, 122, 124, 353
dimension styles, 288, 309
drawings, 897
DWF files, 802, 803
groups, 396, 401
imported/exported materials, 354, 535
label templates, 240
layers, 459, 462, 469, 481
link templates, 241
materials, 862
multilines, 568
plot files, 723
plot styles, 1007
queries, 241
text styles, 1001
tiled viewport configurations, 1106, 1108
user coordinate systems, 1058
VBA projects, 1084
views, 1093
See also renaming
naming conventions
for attribute tags, 81, 83
for blocks, 122
for attribute field names, 354
for linetypes, 509
when exporting to 3D Studio files, 40
when importing 3D Studio files, 36
See also file names
naming, drawings, 897
navigating
the Data View window (in dbConnect), 213
navigating, to specific DesignCenter locations,
52
Nearest object snap, 672
Nearest object snap mode, 326
nested
blocks, 352
xrefs
attaching, 1127
binding, 1143
in-place reference editing and, 833,
834, 835
Netscape Navigator, 133
NEW command
about, 605
Create New Drawing dialog box, 605
Quick Setup wizard, 608
Select Template dialog box, 605
NEW command (continued)
STARTUP system variable and, 1220
1330
Index
New Dimension Style dialog box

Fit tab, 296
Lines and Arrows tab, 289
Text tab, 292
Tolerances tab, 305
New Distant Light dialog box, 494
New Granite Material dialog box, 868
New Label Template dialog box, 203, 240
New Landscape Library dialog box, 518
New Layer dialog box, 481
New Link Template dialog box, 203, 240
New Marble Material dialog box, 869
New Point Light dialog box, 492
New Query dialog box, 203, 241
New Scene dialog box, 909
New Spotlight dialog box, 496
New Standard Material dialog box, 862
New Toolbar dialog box, 193
New View dialog box, 1093
New Viewports tab (Viewports dialog box)
floating, 1106
tiled, 1104
New Wood Material dialog box, 871
Node object snap, 672
Node object snap mode, 324
NOMUTT system variable, 1203
nonassociative
dimensions
converting associative dimensions
into, 268
converting into associative
dimensions, 282
gradient fills, 109
hatches
creating with BHATCH, 106, 109
creating with HATCH, 403
noncoplanar regions, mass properties displayed
for, 527
nonstandard objects in drawings, 1220, 1247,
1248
automatically fixing violations, 991
deleting and replacing, 163
flagging as ignored, 164
nonuniform rational B-splines (NURBS)
mathematics, 979
nor function (CAL command), 150, 152
normal plot resolution, 681, 726, 735
normal vectors, calculating, 150
North Location dialog box, 498
north location, setting, 498, 501

Notes tab (Batch Standards Checker), 1250
notifications in status bar tray
settings, 1045
xrefs, 1233
notifications in status bar tray, standards
violations, 990
noun/verb selection, 661
number of actions to undo, 1071
number of tessellations to cache, 22
numeric
expression operators, 135
functions, supported by the CAL
command, 140
O
object classifications, 822
object colors, setting (making current), 1165
Object DBX applications, loading, 57
Object Enablers
checking for, 1213
options, 654
Object Grouping dialog box, 395
object linking and embedding. See OLE
Object method for defining a UCS, 1053
object properties
changing
with CHANGE command, 160
with Properties palette, 767
object selection
options for, 660
sets, creating with QSELECT, 820
sort order, 656
Object Selection Filters dialog box, 383
object smoothness
curve tessellation, 22
dynamic tessellation, 22, 667
surface tessellation, 22
object snap
modes
customizing AutoSnap settings, 658
displaying status of, 994
setting, 323, 671
sort order option, 657
spline frame control points and, 703
running object data entry option, 656
target box, sizing, 56
tracking
turning on/off, 323
tracking, settings, 659
object snap modes
using in arithmetic expressions, 144
Object Snap taVb (Drafting Settings dialog box),

323, 672
object snaps
object types
specifying for boundaries, 127, 129
EXPLODE command and, 369
loading, 57
options for, 646
objects (AutoCAD)
adding to groups, 397, 400
adding to working sets during in-place
editing, 837
calculating
area and perimeter of, 64
mass properties of, 527
classification, selecting by, 822
as clipping boundaries, 1099
color assignment in other applications,
1230
converting
to blocks, 1114
to viewports, 593, 1110
creating
multiple copies of, 66
displacing using MOVE, 573
display order of, 317
double-clicking to display Properties palette
or a special editor, 246
exporting attribute information for, 351
extending
rather than trimming, 1047
trimming rather than, 372
extruding, 374
graphical
3D display options, 20, 667
attaching hyperlinks to, 416
lengthening, 486
listing information for, 513
locking objects not in working sets, 835
nonstandard objects, 1220, 1248
automatically fixing violations, 991
deleting and replacing, 163
offsetting, 613
pasting
from the Clipboard, 693
placing in the Previous selection set, 917
in polar arrays, 69
properties of, 164
removing
from the drawing database, 811
Index
1331
objects (AutoCAD) (continued)

resolution for, 1098
saving to a file, 1114, 1115
scaling, 905
selecting
for attribute data extraction, 92, 94
with Quick Select, 820
for UCS definition, 1053
with command modifiers, 1286
shading, 931
snap points on, 1286
splitting in two, 131
stretching, 996
in translated layers, 481
trimming
extending rather than, 1047
rather than extending, 372
using coordinates from, 1284
obliquing angle (text), 270, 1000, 1002
obscured lines, 414
OBSCUREDCOLOR system variable, 414, 1203
OBSCUREDLTYPE system variable, 414, 1204
oct-trees in spatial index, 1046
OFFSET command, 613
offset, gaps between polyline segments, 1205
OFFSETDIST system variable, 1204
OFFSETGAPTYPE system variable, 1205
offsetting
background controls for, 100
dimension text, 296
distance for, 613
extension lines, 291
locating points, 1285
material bitmaps, 866, 929
multiline style elements, 569
plotting areas, 681, 727
projection cylinders, 925
projection planes, 924
projection spheres, 927
rendered images, in viewports, 903
offsetting, rectangular arrays, 68
OLE DB (Microsoft)
configuring data sources with, 225
OLE objects
about, 614
changing
text size for, 620
the icon for, 616
the source application for, 616
listing/modifying, 615
pasting, 693
plot options for, 729, 757
resizing, 618
scaling, 619
1332
Index
OLE objects, plot options for, 648

OLE Properties dialog box, 618
OLE Properties dialog box, controlling display,
653
OLEHIDE system variable, 1205
OLELINKS command
about, 614
Change Icon dialog box, 617
Convert dialog box, 616
Links dialog box, 615
OLEQUALITY system variable, 648, 1205
OLESCALE command, 618
OLESTARTUP system variable, 649, 1206
online Help. See Help
OOPS command, 620
opacity maps, 519
opaque images, 1044
opaque surfaces, 341, 412
Open and Save tab (Options dialog box), 643
OPEN command
about, 621
Add/Modify FTP Locations dialog box, 628
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog
box, 621
Find dialog box, 626, 627
Partial Open dialog box, 621, 629
Select File dialog box, 621
standard file selection dialog boxes, 621
open-cross intersection between multilines, 557
open polygon meshes, 29
open polylines, calculating area and perimeter
of, 65, 66
open-tee intersection between multilines, 559
Open VBA project dialog box, 1081
opening
2D polylines, 697
3D polylines, 704
drawings
with OPEN, 621
portions, 625, 629
from standard file selection dialog
boxes, 625
splines, 983, 985
text window, 1028
Visual Basic Editor, 1081
operating system commands, accessing from
AutoCAD, 934
operators
for link selections, 223
for queries, 216, 218, 221
for reusable filters, 384
for selection set filters, 823
optimizing
performance of AutoCAD
improving plot speed, 728
polylines and hatches, created in
pre-AutoCAD 2000 releases, 178
options
3D graphics display, 651
accelerator key, 655
alignment vector display, 659
aperture display size, 660
associative dimensioning, 657
AutoSnap, 658
AutoTrack, 659
beep on error, 653
coordinate data entry priority, 656
crosshairs size, 640
database connectivity, 653
DesignCenter source/target content units,
655
dialog box warning messages, 653
dictionary, 636
display resolution and performance, 640
external reference (xref), 645
file safety precautions, 644
file save, 643
folder search paths, 634
font file, 636
grips, 662
hidden lines, 657
hyperlink display, 656
layout elements, 640
lineweight, 657
Live Enablers, 654
loading of acad.lsp file, 653
long symbol name, 653
menu group/menu bar display, 540
MVSETUP, 601
object selection methods, 660
ObjectARX application, 646
OLE Properties dialog box display, 653
performance improvement, 641
pickbox size, 660
plot style, 649
plotting, 636, 647
pointing device, 652
profiles, 663
proxy graphics, 646
reference fading intensity, 642
rendering. See rendering preferences
shortcut menu display, 655
single and multiple drawing options, 653
sort order of objects, 656
Startup dialog box display, 654
temporary file locations, 638
text editor, 636
OPTIONS command
about, 633
Add Profile dialog box, 669
Alternate Font dialog box, 664
Change Profile dialog box, 670
Color Options dialog box, 665
Command Line Window Font dialog box,
667
Right-Click Customization dialog box, 667
Options dialog box
about, 633
Display tab, 638
Drafting tab, 658
Files tab, 634
Open and Save tab, 643
Plotting tab, 647
Profiles tab, 663
Selection tab, 660
System tab, 651
User Preferences tab, 654
Options dialog box (for i-drop). See i-drop
Options dialog box
Order Group dialog box, 398
order of sheets in drawing sets, 803
ordinate dimensions
creating
with DIMORDINATE, 276
a series of, 813
ordinate dimensions, creating, associativity, 282
orientation
of drawings, 678, 724, 732
of orthographic user coordinate systems,
1067, 1093, 1095
origin
for orthographic user coordinate systems
resetting, 1067
for a user coordinate system, 1052, 1069
for viewports, 602
ORTHO command, 670
Ortho mode
for cursor positioning, 670
Orthogonal transformation type, 1016
orthographic
UCSs
changing to, 1066
orientation relative to a base coordinate
system, 1067
resetting the origin of, 1067
specifying, 1056
specifying depth of, 1067
views
creating, 971
restoring, 1092, 1095
Index
1333
Orthographic and Isometric Views tab (View

dialog box), 1092
Orthographic UCSs tab (UCS dialog box), 1066
ORTHOMODE system variable, 1206
OSMODE system variable, 323, 1206
OSNAP command, 671
Osnap. See object snap modes
OSNAPCOORD system variable, 656, 1207
outer arc start/end caps on multilines, 571
output folders for DWF files, 804
overlapping
solids
INTERFERE and, 450
INTERSECT and, 451
overlaying xrefs, 1140, 1146
Override Dimension Style dialog box, 288
Fit tab, 296
Text tab, 292
Tolerances tab, 305
See also New Dimension Style dialog box
overriding dimension system variables, 278
overscoring text, control code for, 1027
P
page layout settings, 678
Page Setup dialog box
about, 675
display option, 640
filtering paper size lists, 760
Layout Settings tab, 678
limiting the devices listed, 649
Plot Device tab, 676
page setups
displaying, for plotting, 719
named
listing, 802, 806
plotters named in, 804
settings, 802, 804, 805
user-defined
importing into a layout, 798
saving, 682
PAGESETUP command, 675
palettes
color palettes for toolbar button colors, 194
tool palettes, 192
Pan shortcut menu, 684
panning
a view, 35
DVIEW specifications, 338
to linked objects, 226
panning, raster images, 641
1334
Index
Pantone colors
applying to exploded objects, 1139
selecting, 173
paper
printable area of, 720, 724
paper background display option, 640, 666
paper sizes
availability, 678, 724
available for the plotting device, 730
custom, 759
displaying, 720
filtering, in dialog box lists, 760
modifying
standard sizes, 759
plotting options, 648, 752
units for plotting, 724, 732
width/height, specifying with MVSETUP,
596
paper source, 752
paper space
applying layouts, 802, 805
converting length values from model
space, 901, 974
creating layout viewport configurations in,
1106, 1110
creating slide files in, 575
geometry, loading into partially open
drawings, 686, 687, 688
hiding objects for plotting, 682, 727, 735
loading geometry into partially open
drawings, 686, 687, 688
MVSETUP and, 602
plotting after model space, 682
scaling hatch patterns to, 111
in spatial index, 1046
switching
to model space from, 575
zoom scale factor and, 1151
PAPERUPDATE system variable, 648
parallel
curves, 613
dimensions. See baseline dimensions
lines, 613
lines. See also multilines
parallel dimensions, See baseline dimensions
Parallel object snap, 672
Parallel object snap mode, 327
parallel ports
configuring, 761
plotter settings, 750
parallel projections (of 3D views)
perspective views, 331
partial degrees, entering angles in, 611
partial files
opening, 625, 629
partial images, specifying for rendering, 903
Partial Load dialog box, 685

loading geometry from layers, 687
loading geometry from views, 686
partial menu files
loading, 540
unloading, 543
Partial Open dialog box
about, 629
partially open drawings
loading geometry into
partially open drawings, loading geometry into,
with OPEN, 629
PARTIALOAD command, 685
Partial Load dialog box, 685
PARTIALOPEN command, 690
Password dialog box, 368
Password dialog box, displaying, 365
Password tab (Security Options dialog box), 914
passwords
adding to drawings, 914
confirming, 916
for DWF files, 803
encryption options, 916
FTP sites, 629
lost or forgotten, 916
options, 645
passwords, for transmittal sets, 368
Paste Special dialog box, 695
PASTEBLOCK command, 693
PASTECLIP command, 183, 693
PASTEORIG command, 694
PASTESPEC command, 694
pasting
a copied block into a drawing, 693
data from the Clipboard, 693
pasting, text, from other application, 577
PAT files (pattern files), 117
path curves, defining tabulated surfaces with,
1020
paths
adding, 638
for alternate font files, 636
for Automatic Save files, 637
for backup files, 644
for blocks, 443, 1114
for color book files, 637
for database source files, 637
default, 1215
for default Internet location, 635
for device drivers, 635
for extrusion, 375, 951
paths (continued)
for hardware configuration file, 635
for Help file, 635
for i-drop content associated data files, 920
for image files, 426, 428, 429, 434
for locating files, 624
for log file, 637
for menu file, 635
moving up or down, 638
for ObjectARX applications, 637
for print support files, 637
for project files, 635
removing, 638
for rendering texture maps, 638
search path options, 634
for selected references, 834
setting the default, 1215
for support files, 635
for template files, 637
for temporary files, 638
for tool palette files, 637
for xrefs, 1128, 1143, 1146
patterns
gradient fills, 116
hatches. See hatch patterns
pauses within scripts, 252
PC2 (legacy plotter configuration) files
converting plot style tables from, 181
importing, 696
settings from, 760
PC3 (plotter configuration) files, 676, 678, 721,
724, 731, 747
attaching/detaching PMP files to/from,
758, 760
changes to, 682, 728
device settings, 752
Plotter Configuration Editor and, 748
PC3 files (plotter configuration files)
default output devices, 647
displaying device driver names for, 729
search paths for, 637
PCINWIZARD command, 696
PCP (legacy plotter configuration) files
converting plot style tables from, 181
import wizard for, 696
importing
settings from, 760
PCX files, options for rendering output, 891
PDMODE system variable, 249, 315, 538, 764,
1207
PDSIZE system variable, 250, 764, 1207
PEDIT command
about, 696
editing 2D polylines, 697
editing 3D polygon meshes, 707
editing 3D polylines, 704
PEDITACCEPT system variable, 696
Index
1335
PELLIPSE system variable, 1208

pen configuration, 753, 754, 1008
pen mapping, 734, 1006
pen swapping, 754
pen width, setting, 112
Pencil tool, 194
Percent option of LENGTHEN, 487
percent sign (%), entering, 1027
performance improvement
3D acceleration, 25
back face discarding and, 24
database links and, 653
display settings, 641
improving plot speed, 728, 754, 755
legacy behavior of single processor in
pre-AutoCAD 2000i releases, 1230
lineweights and, 523
for redrawing/regenerating operations,
1230
SAVEAS command and, 897
suppressing regeneration when switching to
layout tabs/Model tab, 573, 652,
1198
PERIMETER system variable, 64, 1208
perimeters, calculating, 64
period (.), to access a built-in AutoCAD
command, 1070
Perpendicular object snap, 325, 672
personal documents, accessing, 622
Personal folder, 622
Personal icon (Places list in standard file selection
dialog boxes), 622
perspective view. See parallel
projection/perspective views
PFACE command, 710
PFACEVMAX system variable, 1208
PFB files, 175
Phong render quality option, 885
Photo Raytrace Render Options dialog box, 888
Photo Raytrace rendering type, 882, 888
Photo Real Render Options dialog box, 886
Photo Real rendering type, 499, 882, 886
pick button (mouse)
zooming with, 1153
Pick Points option, 107
PICKADD system variable, 661, 770, 918, 1208
PICKAUTO system variable, 661, 1208
pickbox cursor, resizing, 660
PICKBOX system variable, 660, 1209
PICKDRAG system variable, 661, 1209
PICKFIRST system variable, 661, 844, 1044,
1209
PICKSTYLE system variable, 661, 1209
placement of mapped materials, 928
Places list (standard file selection dialog boxes),
622
PLAN command, 712
1336
Index
plan views
setting viewing angles to, 251
planar coordinates, for mapped materials, 922
PLATFORM system variable, 1209
PLINE command, 713
PLINEGEN system variable, 714, 1209
PLINETYPE system variable, 179, 1210
PLINEWID system variable, 1210
PLOT command
about, 719
Changes to a Printer Configuration File
dialog box, 728
Plot dialog box, 719
Plot Progress dialog box, 728
PLOT command, Update PC3 File with New
Printer dialog box, 729
Plot Device tab (Page Setup dialog box), 676
Plot dialog box
filtering paper size lists, 760
Plot Device tab, 720
Plot Settings tab, 723
Plot dialog box, limiting the devices listed, 649
plot files
naming, 723
Plot Preview shortcut menu, 766
Plot Progress dialog box, 728
plot settings
changes to when changing plotters, 730
configuration, 676, 721, 748
graphics settings, 755
hiding paperspace objects, 682, 727, 735
importing, 760
lineweight option, 682, 727
naming specification options, 636
offset specifications, 681, 727
OLE object options, 620, 648
options for, 647
plot area specifications, 679, 725
Plot Paperspace Last option, 682
plot style option, 682, 727
retaining, 647
scale specifications, 680, 725
screening, 1009
shaded and rendered viewports, 680, 726,
734
style table specifications, 677, 722
plot speed, improving, 728
Plot Stamp dialog box, 736
plot stamps
date/time format for, 737
location, 739, 743
log file, 735, 739, 741, 742
option to turn on, 722
pen number for, 736
plot stamps (continued)

specifying information for, 722, 736
text properties, 739, 740, 744
turning on, 735
units, 739, 741, 744
user-defined fields, 737
plot style
name, copying with MATCHPROP, 532
tables. See plot style tables
Plot Style Manager, 651, 1003
Plot Style Table Editor and, 1004
Plot Style Table Editor, 1004
General tab, 1005
Table View and Form View tabs, 1006
plot style tables
active tables, 745
adding plot styles to, 1010
converting, 179, 180
deleting plot styles in, 1010
displaying tables, 677
listing plot styles in, 1006
naming tables, 1005
older color mapping tables, 1006
Plot Style Table Editor, 1004, 1005, 1006
saving tables, 1011
search path settings for files, 637
settings, 677, 722
plot styles
adding
styles to tables, 1010
tables, 1004
adding tables, 651
for attributes, 105, 350
colors
specifying, 1007
converting
between CTBs and STBs, 179, 180
copying names with MATCHPROP, 532
deleting
styles from tables, 1010
displaying, 745, 746, 994, 1006
editing, 651
linetypes in, 1009
lineweights in, 1010, 1011
named, 650, 1004, 1007
for new objects, 745, 747
options for, 649
plotting with, 733, 745
renaming, 843
for selected layers, 461, 463, 472, 481
See also plot style tables
plot.log file, 741

PLOTROTMODE system variable, 724, 1210
plots
See also plotting
PLOTSTAMP command, 735
Plot Stamp dialog box, 736
Plotstamp Parameter File Name dialog box, 738
PLOTSTYLE command, 744
Current Plot Style dialog box, 745
Select Plot Style dialog box, 746
Plotter Calibration wizard, 758, 760
Device and Document Settings tab, 752
General tab, 749
Ports tab, 750
plotter configurations, 676, 721, 748
buffers, 761
changes to, 682, 728
custom properties, 757
dithering, 1008
importing settings, 760
initialization strings, 758
pen settings, 753, 754, 1008
timeouts, 761
Plotter Manager
adding or configuring plotters, 648
PLOTTERMANAGER command, 747
Advanced Settings for COM dialog box, 762
Configure LPT Port dialog box, 761
Settings for COM Port dialog box, 761
plotters
adding, 648
calibrating, 760
configuring, 682, 761
configuring, with Plotter Manager, 648
maximum printable areas, 759
monochrome, 1007
named in page setups, 804
names of, 730
updating PC3 files for, 729
plotting
batch plotting, 1252
changing order of, 317
default settings, 647
defining what to plot, 722
device specifications for
Page Setup dialog box, 676
displaying
layout and page setup names, 719
progress information, 728
dithering, 1008
duplex printing, 753
Index
1337
plotting (continued)
emulation mode, 758
to files, 723, 751
DWF files, 804
layers, 461, 472
layout specifications for
Page Setup dialog box, 678
layouts
viewports and, 592, 1110
media types for, 753
previewing plot stamps for, 737
QTEXT mode and, 824
sort order option for, 657
specifying
number of copies, 722
plot stamp information for, 736
Plotting tab (Options dialog box), 647
PLQUIET system variable, 1210
PLT (plot) files, 636, 723
plug-ins (standards), listing, 988
Plug-ins tab (Batch Standards Checker), 1249
Plug-ins tab (Configure Standards dialog box),
989
plug-ins, standards, 989
plus sign (+)
UCS icon symbol, 1060
PMP (plot model parameter) files
attaching/detaching to/from PC3 files, 758,
760
PMP files (plot model parameter files), path for,
637
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format, 763
PNGOUT command, 763
POINT command, 763
point display mode and size, 249
point filters. See coordinate filters
point lights
about, 490
creating or modifying, 492
point objects. See points (point objects)
point properties, 787
point size, for OLE objects, 620
Point Style dialog box, 249
pointing devices
options, 652
See also mouse
points
for 3D projection, 928
for arcs, 61
for block definitions, 123, 124
for boundaries, 128
for breaking objects, 131
1338
Index
points (continued)
calculation examples, 141
for calibrating a digitizer, 1015
for camera position and target, 153, 337
for circles, 166
for clipping boundaries, 437
combining coordinates to specify, 1284
for construction lines, 1135
converting between UCS and WCS, 145
coordinate filter command modifier, 1284
for creating viewports, 1111
for cutting planes, 940, 973
for drawing clipping boundaries, 1099
filtering components of, 145
formatting for use with CAL, 137
for inclined planes for auxiliary projection,
972
for leaders, 482, 815, 818
for lines, 504
locating
by relative offset, 1285
by series of temporary points, 1285
by specified distance relative to last
point entered, 1284
for making copies, 182
measuring distance and angle between, 314
for mirroring planes, 554, 555
for multilines, 565
obtaining a point by cursor, 143
obtaining an intersection point, 147
obtaining the last-specified point, 143
for offset objects, 613
for ordinate dimension leader lines, 276
placing at measured intervals, 537
for polygonal viewports, 593
for projection cylinders, 925
for projection planes, 924
for projection spheres, 927
rotating
about an axis, 146, 953
for sectioning planes, 911
for solid-filled polygons, 947
specifying, 764
for splines, 979
temporary points, 1285
for text objects, 1022
for UCSs, 1053
points (geometric)
for boundaries, 404, 405, 406
for gradient areas, 117
for hatch areas, 107, 117
points (point objects)
creating, 763
placing at equal intervals, 314
properties of, 787
specifying display mode and size of, 249
type, 1274
polar arrays, 16, 73

creating, 69
rotating objects in, 70
polar axis of spherical coordinate system, 926
polar tracking
angle settings, 321, 322
AutoTrack, 659
object snap settings, 322
turning on/off, 321
vector display option, 659
Polar Tracking tab (Drafting Settings dialog
box), 321
POLARADDANG system variable, 322, 1211
POLARANG system variable, 321, 1211
POLARDIST system variable, 320, 321, 1211
POLARMODE system variable, 1211
PolarSnap type, 946
polyface meshes, 710
exploding, 370
properties of, 790
POLYGON command, 765
polygon mesh objects
constructing with TABSURF, 1020
creating, 7, 29, 357
desmoothing, 709
editing vertices of, 707
fitting a smooth surface, 708
properties, 789
See also 3D polygon mesh objects
polygonal viewports, 593
polygons
calculating areas/perimeters, 64, 65
creating, 765
extruding, 374
revolving, 856
solid-filled, creating, 947
polyline (2D and lightweight) properties, 787
polyline (3D polygon mesh) properties, 789
polyline (3D) properties, 788
polyline (polyface mesh) properties, 790
polyline curves, display resolution option, 641
Polyline object type, 1274
polyline properties
polyline segments
aligning
chamfering
between, 154
converting to splines, 981
filleting, 378
polyline segments, offset gaps between, 1205
polylines
adding
arc segments to, 714
vertices to, 699
polylines (continued)
arc-fit polylines, 701
chamfering, 154, 156
closed, 697, 715, 717
converting
into viewports, 1110
those created in earlier releases of
AutoCAD, 178
creating
fit curves for, 701
regions from, 841
splines for, 701
with PLINE, 713
decurving, 702, 704
dividing, 314
editing, 697
vertices of, 698, 703
exploding, 369
extending, 371
extruding, 374
filleting, 377
generating with XCLIP, 1134
intersection, 1196
joining, 697, 702
linetypes
generating, 704
measuring, 538
opening, 697
properties of, 787
rectangular, drawing, 826
revolving, 856
specifying width of, 698, 701
spline-fit polylines, 701
trimming, 1047
wipeout frames and, 1119
See also 3D polylines
polylines, cloud shapes, 854
POLYSIDES system variable, 1211
POPUPS system variable, 1212
Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format, 763
portrait orientation, 679, 724, 732
ports
port settings, 750, 761
reinitializing, 842
Ports tab (Plotter Configuration Editor), 750
position of the sun, calculating, 500
positioning
landscape objects, 522
point light, 493
spotlight, 497
positioning, attribute text, 88
positive angles
clockwise calculation of, 1076, 1079
Index
1339
positive axis direction, of revolution, 856

post-initialization strings, 758
PostScript (EPS) files
options for rendering, 891
PostScript fills, standard library file of, 1264
PostScript output options, 892
pound sign (#)
pre-initialization strings, 758
precedence, of standards files, 989
precision
for alternate tolerance units, 307
for alternate units, 303
for current angle, 1076
for current units, 1076
for dimension text tolerance, 306
drawing units, 609, 610
in DXF files, 901
precision, for hides and shades, 415
predefined hatch patterns
displaying, 117
preferences
See options; rendering preferences
PREFERENCES command. See OPTIONS
command
prefixes (for dimension text)
alternate, 304
primary, 301
presentation plot resolution, 681, 726, 735
preset attribute defaults, 104
press and drag selection, 661
Preview area (standard file selection dialog
boxes), 625
PREVIEW command, 766
preview cube, for material bitmaps, adjusting,
866
preview images
DesignCenter items, 47
preview images (of drawings)
saving drawings with, 643
preview images (of drawings), displaying, 607
preview plot resolution, 681, 726, 735
preview rotation angles
552
for inserting WMF files, 1124
preview scale factors for X, Y, Z axes
551
for inserting WMF files, 1123
1340
Index
previewing
background settings, 98
block attribute changes, 103
colors in gradient fills, 115
drawings, 719, 766
extracted block attributes, 353
gradient boundaries, 109
hatch boundaries, 109
hatch patterns, 111
images, 432, 852
landscape objects, 516, 520
layout viewport configurations, 1107
materials, 534, 860
with mapping coordinates, 922, 924,
925, 927, 928
printable area of paper, 720
replaced nonstandard objects, 163
selected files, 624, 625
selected references, 833
tables, in the Data View window
(dbConnect), 214
text style changes, 1000
tiled viewport configurations, 1105
the UCS icon, 1063
previewing, templates, 607
Previous object selection method, 919
primary units (for dimensions), 299
Primary Units tab (New Dimension Style dialog
box), 299
Print Preview window (Data View), 214
print spoolers, 636, 648, 728
print support files, search path settings for, 637
print/plot settings, 636
printable area, 724
previewing, 720
printing
dimension style properties, 309
See also plotting
problems with drawings, 1185, 1247
problems with nonstandard objects, 163, 1247
PRODUCT system variable, 1212
profile blocks and lines, 964
profiles (solids)
choosing 2D or 3D projection, 965
creating, 964
generating in viewports, 946
hidden line display options, 964
tangential edge display options, 966
profiles (user)
creating, 634, 669
options for, 663
renaming, 670
Profiles tab (Options dialog box), 663
program parameters file
reinitializing, 842
PROGRAM system variable, 1212

Progress tab (Batch Standards Checker), 1250
project files
accessing, 623
making current, 638
project hosting sites, 623
projected tolerance
zones, 1033
projection cylinder for mapping, 924
projection options
for extending objects, 372
for mapped materials, 921
for trimming objects, 1048
projection plane, 922
projection sphere, 926
Projective transformation type, 1017
PROJECTNAME system variable, 434, 635, 1212
ProjectPoint. See Buzzsaw
PROJMODE system variable, 1212
Prompt attribute properties, 102
prompts
for attributes, 81, 83, 102
for block insertion, 104
responding to, 4
prompts, for attributes, 160
properties
of 3D faces, 774
of 3D polygon meshes, 789
of 3D solids, 774
of arcs, 775
of attribute definitions, 776
of attributes, 86, 87, 350
of blocks, 777
of body objects, 778
of circles, 778
of construction lines, 797
of dimension text, 785
of dimensions, 308, 779
displayed
in 3D Orbit view, 773
displayed in Properties palette
with no objects selected, 771
of drawings, 342
of ellipses, 779
of filters, 383
general, 770
of gradient fills, 109
of hatches, 109, 117, 411, 781
of images, 782
of layers, 460, 470
of layout viewports, 796
of leaders, 783, 785
of lightweight polylines, 787
of lines, 784
properties (continued)
of multilines, 569, 785
of multiple block insertions, 786
of objects, 164, 531
of point objects, 787
of polyface meshes, 790
of polylines, 787
of rays, 790
of regions, 791
of shapes, 791
of solids, 792
of splines, 792
of text, 793
of third-party application objects, 767
of tolerance objects, 794
of trace segments, 795
of xrefs, 780
See also Properties window
PROPERTIES command
about, 767
Properties dialog box. See Drawing Properties
dialog box
3D face properties, 774
3D Orbit view properties, 773
3D solid properties, 774
about, 769
arc properties, 775
attribute definition properties, 776
auto-hide option, 770
block reference properties, 777
body properties, 778
circle properties, 778
closing, 798
creating selection sets with filters, 769
dimension properties, 779
displaying
when no objects are selected, 771
displaying object types, 769
ellipse properties, 779
external reference properties, 780
hatch properties, 781
image properties, 782
leader properties, 783
line properties, 784
moving and resizing, 770
multiline properties, 785
multiline text properties, 785
multiple block insertion properties, 786
object descriptions in, 770
point properties, 787
polyline (2D and lightweight) properties,
787
polyline (3D polygon mesh) properties, 789
polyline (3D) properties, 788
polyline (polyface mesh) properties, 790
Index
1341
Properties palette (continued)

ray properties, 790
region properties, 791
selecting objects, 769
shape properties, 791
solid properties, 792
spline properties, 792
text properties, 793
tolerance properties, 794
trace properties, 795
viewport properties, 796
xline properties, 797
Properties tab
Properties tab (Customize dialog box), 188
PROPERTIESCLOSE command, 798
property fields, searching, 50
Property Settings dialog box, 531
protocol
setting for ports, 761
proxy fonts, 578
proxy graphics options, 646, 1213
Proxy object type, 1274
PROXYGRAPHICS system variable, 899, 1212
PROXYNOTICE system variable, 647, 1213
PROXYSHOW system variable, 646, 1213
PROXYWEBSEARCH system variable, 1213
PSETUPIN command, 798
PSLTSCALE system variable, 509, 1213
PSPACE command, 799
PSS (plot stamp parameter) files
inches.pss file, 737
mm.pss file, 737
values saved for dimensional file formats,
741
values saved for dimensionless file formats,
741
PSTYLEMODE system variable, 1214
PSTYLEPOLICY system variable, 649, 1214
PSVPSCALE system variable, 1214
public key encryption, 915, 916
PUBLISH command
about, 800
Change Page Setup dialog box, 805
Publish Complete dialog box, 800, 806
Publish Drawing Sheets dialog box, 800,
801
PUBLISH command, about, 800
Publish Drawing Sheets dialog box
about, 800, 801
lists of drawing sheets in, 803
resizing, 802
Publish Drawing Sheets shortcut menu, 804
1342
Index
Publish to Web wizard

about, 808
starting, 808
Publishing Complete dialog box
about, 806
PUBLISH command, 800
publishing drawings (as DWF files) on the Web
drawing sheets, 803
PUBLISHTOWEB command
about, 808
Publish to Web wizard, 808
PUCSBASE system variable, 1214
PURGE command, 809
Purge dialog box, 809
Purge dialog box, 809
purging
layers, 479
named objects, 809
objects from the drawing database, 811
See also deleting
See also removing
pyramids, 12
Q
QDIM command, 813
QLEADER command
about, 814
Leader Settings dialog box
Annotation tab, 817
Attachment tab, 818
Leader Line & Arrow tab, 817
point specification, 815
QNEW command, 637, 819
QSAVE command, 820
QSELECT command, 820
QTEXT command, 824
QTEXTMODE system variable, 642, 1214
quad-trees in spatial index, 1046
Quadrant object snap, 672
Quadrant object snap mode, 324
quadratic spline curves, 703, 979
quadratic spline-fit polylines, 701
queries (in databases)
based on multiple search criteria, 217
creating, 203, 241
executing, 203
exporting
sets of, 228
importing
sets of, 230
Link Select operations and, 222
naming, 241
parenthetical grouping, 217
within a range of values, 217
saving, 216, 217, 220, 221
queries (in databases) (continued)

simple, 215
sort order for, 219
specifying fields for, 219
SQL queries, 220
using the query builder grid, 218
Query Builder tab, 217
Query Editor
about, 215
displaying, 203
Query Builder tab, 217, 220
Quick Query tab, 215
Range Query tab, 216
SQL Query tab, 220
query sets
exporting, 228
importing, 230
question mark (?)
wild-card character, 50, 626
question mark (?), wild-card character, 843
Quick object snap, 672
Quick Query tab (Query Editor), 215
Quick Select dialog box, 769, 821
Quick Setup wizard, starting drawings, 608
Quick Text mode, turning on/off, 824
QUIT command, 824
quitting AutoCAD, 824
R
radians
entering angles in, 137
radians, entering angles in, 611
radius
for arc segments, 715, 716
for circles, 167, 168
for cones, 9, 10, 176
for cylinders, 196
for dishes, 11
for domes, 11
for fillet arcs, 381
for fillets, 381
for isometric circles, 362
for spheres, 14, 978
for torus/tori, 14, 15, 1042
radius dimensions
for circles and arcs, 279
creating
a series of, 813
radius dimensions, associativity, 282
radius, for circles, 159
RAM. See memory (RAM)
Range Query tab (Query Editor), 216
raster images, 756
colors, 642
panning and zooming, 641
raster objects, WMFOUT and, 1126

raster plotters
crossing lines output, 757
RASTERPREVIEW system variable, 643, 901,
1214
ray casting, 115, 119
RAY command, 825
Ray object type, 1274
ray properties, 790
rays
creating, 825
extending, 371
filleting, 377
properties of, 790
trimming, 1047
raytrace rendering type, 882, 888
raytraced shadows, 499, 884
RE-INIT system variable, 1215
Re-initialization dialog box, 842
read-only information
about drawing files, 342, 345
about objects, modes, and extents, 993
about rendering, 992
Readme file, 2
read-only files, opening, 625
read-only mode, database tables, 653
real time
panning in, 683
zooming in, 330, 1152
reassociating dimensions, 282
Received Line Signal Detector handshaking, 762
recently used files
accessing, 622
setting the number of, 645
recommended fixes for flagged objects, 991
Reconcile Exported Material Names dialog box,
536
Reconcile Imported Material Names dialog box,
535
record increment values, SKETCH command
and, 938
record indication settings (Data View window in
dbConnect), 226
Record shortcut menu (Data View window in
dbConnect), 212
recording sketched lines, 937, 938
RECOVER command, 825
RECTANG command, 826
rectangular arrays
creating, 72
inserting multiple instances of blocks into,
544
rectangular arrays, creating, 67
Rectangular snap mode, 320
red components of colors, 172
Index
1343
red, green, blue (RGB) color system, 98

adjusting for material color, 864
selecting, 172
using for fog, 390
REDEFINE command, 828
redefining
blocks, 94
boundary sets, 114, 118, 127, 129
redisplaying the last rendering, 851
redline markup language (RML) files, 875, 876
REDO command, 829
redoing
Multiline Text Editor actions, 578
redoing actions, 574
REDRAW command, 829
slow redraw times, 1046
REDRAWALL command, 830
reducing selected objects, 905
REFCLOSE command, 830
REFEDIT command
about, 832
MINSERT and, 833, 835
Reference Edit dialog box, 832
Refedit toolbar, 830, 837
REFEDITNAME system variable, 1214
reference angles
for 3D faces, 953
ROTATE and, 878
ROTATE3D and, 878
Reference Edit dialog box
about, 832
double-clicking block objects and, 246
Identity Reference tab, 832
Settings tab, 834
referenced layers, 479
references
in-place editing, 837
nested, 833, 834, 835, 1127
saving back or discarding changes to, 830,
835, 836
selecting for editing, 832
selecting nested objects, 834
reflection color (of materials)
adjusting, 862
granite, 869
marble, 870
wood, 872
refraction, adjusting, 863
refreshing the display
in all viewports, 830, 839
in the current viewport, 829, 838
REFSET command
about, 837
REFEDIT and, 837
REGEN command, 657, 838
REGENALL command, 657, 839
1344
Index
REGENAUTO command
text style changes and, 997
regenerating
2D polylines, 700
3D polylines, 706
associative dimensions, 284
drawings
in all viewports, 839
automatically, 840
in the current viewport, 838
lineweights and, 523
in plan view, 713
suppressing when switching to layout
tabs/Model tab, 573, 1198
drawings, after undoing actions, 1071
regenerating, drawings, suppressing when
switching to layout tabs/Model tab,
652
REGENMODE system variable, 840, 1215
REGION command, 841
Region object type, 1274
region properties, 791
regions
creating
with INTERSECT, 452
with REGION, 841
with SECTION, 911
with UNION, 1074
exploding, 370
extruding, 374
revolving, 856
subtracting
area or volume from, 1012
registry variables. See system variables
reindexing the drawing database, 838, 839
REINIT command, 842
reinitializing
digitizer, port, and program parameters file,
842
rejoining multiline segments, 563
relative offset point locations, 1285
relative paths in external references, 1128
relative paths in hyperlinks, 418
Reload Linetypes dialog box, 509
reloading
image files, 426, 428
xrefs, 1143
REMEMBERFOLDERS system variable, 623, 1215
Remove object selection method, 919
removing
applications
from history list, 60
from Startup Suite, 61
removing (continued)
back faces, 24
curve fitting from polylines, 697
dimension overrides, 279
dimension points, 813
drawing sheets from drawing sets, 803
edges from a selection set, 960
faces from a selection set, 948, 949
FTP sites from list, 629
group definitions, 398
hidden lines
from profiles, 964
hyperlinks, 419, 420
islands from hatch boundaries, 108, 118
mappings of markup layouts, 875
marker blips, 121
menu groups, 541, 542
objects
from the drawing database, 811
from drawings, 362
from groups, 396, 400
from a selection set, 919
from working sets, 837
search paths, 638
spline fit data from the database, 984
standards files, 989, 1249
text formatting, 580
xrefs from the Definitions to Bind list, 1131
See also deleting; erasing
removing hidden lines in 3D objects
suppressing lines, 341, 412, 413
RENAME command
about, 843
Rename dialog box, 843
Rename Tool Palette dialog box, 192
renaming
extracted blocks with duplicate names, 353
groups, 397, 400
layer states, 467, 474
layouts, 477
linetypes, 508, 509
multilines, 568
named objects, 843
plot styles, 844
profiles, 664, 670
sheets in drawing sets, 802, 804
text styles, 844, 999
tool palettes, 192
toolbars, 187
renaming (continued)
viewport configurations, 844
views, 844, 1092
See also naming
RENDER command
about, 844
Render dialog box, 845
Render window, 847
Windows Render Options dialog box, 849
Render dialog box, 845
Render Options dialog box, 885
Render rendering type, 885
Render window, 847
render.mli library file, 534
rendered images
3D configuration options, 23
color depth for rendered images, 850
copying, 849
opening, 848
printing, 848
redisplaying, 851
saving, 848, 902
scaling to fit the display window, 850
shade plot settings, 680, 726, 734
specifying size in pixels, 850
rendering
destination options for, 847
display options for, 846
displaying statistics for, 991
partial image specifications, 903
procedures for, 845
sub sampling settings, 847
rendering preferences
default procedure, 882
destination, 847
file output configuration, 891
light block size, 883
Photo Raytrace, 499, 888
Photo Real, 499, 886
PostScript output, 892
for Render, 885
shadow generation, 884
smoothing angle, 883
sub sampling, 847
surface material, 883
writing information to a cache file, 846
Rendering Preferences dialog box, 882
RENDSCR command, 851
reordering sheets in drawing sets, 803
repairing damaged files, 825
repeating
commands, 590
scripts, 893
repeating scripts, 893
Index
1345
Replace dialog box (DBCONNECT), 241

replacing
attribute values, 88
nonstandard objects, 163, 991
text, 386
in DBCONNECT, 241
REPLAY command, 853
Report tab (Create Transmittal dialog box), 367
REPORTERROR system variable, 1215
reports
batch audit, 1251
reports, Batch Standards reports, 1248
Request To Send output, 762
resetting
the users elapsed timer, 1030
resetting, profiles, 664
residuals (on transformation table), 1018
resizing
See also scale
resizing, the Properties palette, 770
resizing, the Publish Drawing Sheets dialog box,
802
resolution
changing PC3 files and, 730
display options, 640
in plotting, 756
partial image renderings, 903
setting for objects in the current viewport,
1098
shaded and rendered viewport plotting
options, 681, 726, 735
restoring
commands suppressed by UNDEFINE, 828,
1070
dimensioning system variable settings, 310
erased objects, 620
isometric views, 1092
layer states/properties, 467, 473, 475
named views, 1092, 1096
orthographic views (in 3D space), 1092,
1095
previous UCS, 1057
previous zoom views, 1151
a saved UCS, 1058
viewport configurations, 1108, 1111
restricted characters in database fields, 354
RESUME command, 854
resuming running of an interrupted script, 854
REVCLOUD command, 854
reversing
effects of commands with UNDO, 1071
the most recent operation (U command),
1051
spline direction, 987
reversing, effects of commands with UNDO,
1071
reversing, effects of UNDO, 829
1346
Index
revision clouds (markups), 854

REVOLVE command, 856
revolving. See rotating
revolving. See rotating/revolving
REVSURF command, 858
RFILEOPT command. See RENDER command
RGB color system
color book equivalents, 173
distant light colors, 494
for selected colors, 170
specifying, 172
spotlight colors, 497
RGB color system.
See also red, green, blue (RGB) color system
ridge, for pyramids, 13
right-justifying text, 1024, 1025
Right-Click Customization dialog box
about, 667
displaying, 655
right-click menus. See shortcut menus
right-clicking
time-sensitive, 668
right-justifying text, 586
rings
drawing, 316
in wood material, 872
RLSD handshaking, 762
RMAT command
about, 860
Adjust Material Bitmap Placement dialog
box, 865
Attach by AutoCAD Color Index dialog
box, 873
Attach by Layer dialog box, 874
Materials dialog box, 860
New or Modify Granite Material dialog
box, 868
New or Modify Marble Material dialog box,
869
New or Modify Standard Material dialog
box, 862
New or Modify Wood Material dialog box,
871
RML (redline markup language) files, 875
command line prompts for, 876
defined, 875
mapping markups, 875
RMLIN command
about, 875
Map Markup dialog box, 875
RMS (root mean square) error, 1017, 1018
ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX system variable, 1215
rot function (CAL command), 146
ROTATE command, 877
ROTATE3D command, 878
rotated arrays, 73, 75
rotated dimensions
linear, 274
rotating
2D objects about an axis, 856
3D faces, 953
about a 3D axis, 878
about a base point, 877
around a major axis
ellipses, 359
a camera about the target point, 332
dimension text, 269, 270, 312
objects
in 3D Orbit view, 35
in polar arrays, 70
path curves or profiles about a selected
axis, 858
a point about an axis, 146
target point about a camera, 334
a UCS about an axis, 1055
viewing direction, 1103
views in viewports, 598
rotation angle
for 3D faces, 953
for backgrounds, 99
for blocks, changing, 160
for boxes, 8
for cubes, 8
for defining a UCS, 1055
for images, 435
for inserted blocks, 442, 445, 447
for inserting
multiple instances of blocks, 549
WMF files, 1120, 1124
for projection cylinders, 925
for projection planes, 924
for projection spheres, 927
ROTATE and, 877
ROTATE3D and, 878
for rotated rectangular arrays, 73
for shapes, 933
for the snap grid, 944
for text, 159, 1023
for xrefs, 1130
rotation angle, for multiline text, 588
roughness (of materials)
adjusting, 863
granite, 869
marble, 870
wood, 872
rounding edges of objects, 377
rounding rules
for alternate dimension units, 304
for fractional angles, 322
for primary dimension units, 300
rows (of arrays), specifying, 68

RPREF command
about, 882
File Output Configuration dialog box, 891
Photo Raytrace Render Options dialog box,
888
Photo Real Render Options dialog box, 886
Render Options dialog box, 885
Rendering Preferences dialog box, 882
RSCRIPT command, 893
RTDISPLAY system variable, 641, 1216
RTF files, importing, 580
rtos AutoLISP function, 302, 307
RTS output, 762
rubber-band line, 337, 972, 974
rubber sheeting, projective transformation and,
1017
run-length-encoded compression, 904
running
object snap modes. See object snap modes
a script, 911
VBA macros, 1085
running object snaps, data entry option, 656
S
safety precaution options, 644
sampledesigncenter folder, 48
SAT (ASCII) ACIS files
exporting to, 44
importing, 43
saturation, of colors, specifying, 171
SAVE command, 897
Save Image dialog box, 902
Save Layer States dialog box, 459, 466
displaying, 459
Save List As dialog box, 803
Save Template page (Attribute Extraction
wizard), 354
SAVEAS command
about, 897
Saveas Options dialog box, 899
Template Description dialog box, 899
Saveas Options dialog box
displaying, 898
DWG Options tab, 899
DXF Options tab, 900
SAVEFILE system variable, 644, 1216
SAVEFILEPATH system variable, 637, 644, 1216
SAVEIMG command
Save Image dialog box, 902
TGA Options dialog box, 904
TIFF Options dialog box, 904
SAVENAME system variable, 1216
SAVETIME system variable, 644, 1216
Index
1347
saving
attribute templates, 354
AutoCAD profiles, 634
blocks (block definitions), to a file, 1113
changes back to xrefs or blocks, 830
Design Publishing log files, 806
drawings
default file format for, 901
to earlier versions of AutoCAD, 901
to other file formats, 370
performance issues, 897
to previous release formats, 898
using QSAVE, 820
using SAVE, 897
using SAVEAS, 897
files
backup copies, 644
customizing settings for, 643
incremental saves, 644
in standard file selection dialog boxes,
625
using Automatic Save, 644
landscape library files, 518
layer states/properties, 459, 466, 473
layouts, 477
lists of drawing sheets, 803
materials library files, 534
memory and disk space, with CONVERT,
178
objects
to bitmap files, 127
to JPEG files, 455
to TIFF files, 1029
to WMF files, 1125
objects, to PNG files, 763
PC3 files, 682, 728
preview images, 624
proxy images of custom objects, 899
queries, 216, 217, 220, 221
rendered images, 848, 902
rendering statistics to a file, 992
UCSs, 1058
VBA projects, 1084
views, 1096
scale
background controls, 100
for dimension style settings, 299, 301
for hatch patterns, 111, 403
for images, 435
for inserted blocks, 441, 445
for linetypes, 509, 522
for lineweight display, 525
1348
Index
scale (continued)
for material bitmaps, 866, 929
for multilines, 565
in plot style table definitions, 1005
for plotting, 733
for sectional views of solids, 973
See also scale factors
SCALE command, 905
scale factors
dimension style settings, 299
dimension text fraction height, 294
for inserting
multiple instances of blocks, 544
WMF files, 1120
of light blocks
for rendering, 846, 883
setting, 905
text objects, 907
viewports, 593, 600
for zooming, 593, 1151
scale factors, xrefs, 1129
SCALETEXT command, 906
scaling
objects, 905
text, 906
SCENE command
about, 908
Modify Scene dialog box, 910
New Scene dialog box, 909
Scenes dialog box, 908
scenes
about, 844, 908
adding to model space, 908, 909
deleting, 908
modifying, 908, 910
rendering, 882
setting background for, 97
Scenes dialog box, 908
scientific units, 609, 1076, 1078
screen display
brightness, contrast, and fade controls, 430
changing drawing/plotting order of, 317
customization options, 638
high or draft quality control, 439
redrawing, 829, 830
rendering options for, 846
resolution and performance options, 640
screen menu
displaying, 639
font options, 667
screen offset and size for image display, 852
screen pointing area, configuring, 1018
screen-based sketching pen, 937
SCREENBOXES system variable, 1216

screening
color density, 1009
SCREENMODE system variable, 1216
SCREENSIZE system variable, 1216
SCRIPT command, 911
scripts
continuously repeating, 893
EXPLODE command and, 369
resuming after interruption, 854
running, 911
specifying pauses in, 252
scripts, standards violations and, 990
scroll bar display option, 639
SDF (space-delimited format) files
for storing extracted attribute data, 92, 93
SDI system variable, 653, 1217
search and replace feature, 386
in DBCONNECT, 241
Search dialog box (DesignCenter)
Advanced tab, 51
basic use of, 49
Content tabs, 50
Date Modified tab, 51
Search Folders dialog box, 1247
search paths (for support files)
See also paths
searching
for drawing content, 49
for files, 624
for standards violations, 163
for text in content, 50, 51
for text/values in external databases, 229
searching, for standards violations, 1247
secondary dimension styles, 285
SECTION command, 911
sectional views, 973
sectioning
planes, 911
sections, generating in viewports, 946
security of files
encrypting drawings, 915, 916
password protection, 914, 916
Security Options dialog box
about, 914
Digital Signature tab, 915
Password tab, 914
SECURITYOPTIONS command
about, 914
Advanced Options dialog box, 916
Confirm Password dialog box, 916
Security Options dialog box, 914
Select a Database Object dialog box, 242
Select a File dialog box, 638
Select a Template File dialog box, 607
Select Attributes page (Attribute Extraction

wizard), 352
Select Color dialog box
about, 169
Color Books tab, 173
displaying, 1007
Index Color tab, 170
True Color tab, 171
SELECT command, 917
Select Data Object dialog box, 243
Select Drawing page (Attribute Extraction
wizard), 351
Select DWF File dialog box, 803
Select File dialog box, 621
Select Linetype dialog box, 468
Select Place in Document dialog box, 419
Select Plot Style dialog box, 746
Select Project dialog box, 1088
Select Template dialog box, 605, 612, 1220
selecting objects
for gradient fills, 108, 118
for hatching, 108, 118
nested objects, 834
using Properties palette, 769
selection modes command modifiers, 1286
selection sets
adding
faces to, 949
objects to, 917
creating
with QSELECT, 820
with UNION, 1074
named. See groups
removing
faces from, 949
selection sets, associative dimensions, 268
selection sets, creating with Properties palette,
769
Selection tab (Options dialog box), 660
semi-infinite lines (rays), 825
separating composite 3D solids, 961
serial numbers
AutoCAD, 43
digital IDs, 937
serial ports
plotter settings, 750
SHELL command and, 934
series of dimensions, creating with QDIM, 813
servers, time servers, 916
service pack, of AutoCAD, displayed, 43
Set Default i-drop Content Type dialog box, 920
Set Mtext Width dialog box, 579
Index
1349
SETIDROPHANDLER command
about, 920
i-drop Options dialog box, 920
Set Default i-drop Content Type dialog box,
920
Settings dialog box
BATTMAN command, 105
LAYTRANS command, 480
Settings for COM Port dialog box, 761
Settings page (Attribute Extraction wizard), 352
Settings tab (Reference Edit dialog box), 834
Settings tab (UCS dialog box), 1068
settings, customizing. See options
SETUV command
Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates dialog box,
924
Adjust Object Bitmap Placement dialog
box, 928
Adjust Planar Coordinates dialog box, 922
Adjust Spherical Coordinates dialog box,
926
Adjust UVW Coordinates dialog box, 927
Mapping dialog box, 920
SETVAR command, 931
SHADE command. See SHADEMODE command
shade plot options, 592, 680, 726, 734, 1110
shaded images
VSLIDE command and, 1112
shaded viewports, 680, 726, 734
SHADEDGE system variable, 1217
SHADEDIF system variable, 1217
SHADEMODE command, 489, 931
3dOrbit view and, 652
REFEDIT and, 836
shadeplot options, 592, 1110
shades, precision of, 1192
shading
objects, 931
shading, in gradient fills, 116
shadow bounding objects, 499
shadow maps
controlling size of, 499
Shadow Options dialog box, 499
shadows
controlling softness of, 499
generating, 846
for point light, 494
rendering preference, 884
specifying type and options, 499
for spotlight, 498
shadows, paper background shadow, 640
SHAPE command, 933
loading files for use by, 514
1350
Index
shape files
inserting, 933
listing, 933
loading, 514, 933
Shape object type, 1274
shape properties, 791
shapes
properties of, 791
sharpness
of granite material, 869
of marble material, 871
SHELL command, 934
shelling
solids, 962
SHIFT key
extending rather than trimming objects,
1047
trimming rather than extending objects,
372
SHIFT key, options, 661
shortcut functions, 152
shortcut keys
assigning to menu items/toolbar buttons,
190
displaying on toolbar buttons, 187
options, 655
Shortcut Keys dialog box, 191
shortcut menus
3DORBIT, 32
Adjust Clipping Planes, 19
Cell (Data View window in dbConnect),
211
Column (Data View window in
dbConnect), 210
Command, 669
Data Objects (dbConnect Manager), 206
Data Sources Node (dbConnect Manager),
206
Database Objects (dbConnect Manager),
204
Drawing Nodes (dbConnect Manager), 204
Edit, 669
Grid Header (Data View window in
dbConnect), 213
hyperlink, 421, 656
Pan, 684
Plot Preview, 766
Record (Data View window in dbConnect),
212
turning off, in the drawing area, 667
Zoom, 1153
SHORTCUTMENU system variable, 3, 655, 667,
1217
shortcuts (aliases) for commands, table listing
of, 1155
SHOWMAT command, 934

SHP
font files, 1265
shape files, 514
SHPNAME system variable, 1218
SHX (font) files, 999, 1001, 1265
compiling other font files to, 175
in transmittal drawings, 367
SHX font files, specifying fonts, 578
SHX fonts, listing font family names, 665
signed files
Attach Digital Signatures utility, 1246
attaching digital signatures to drawings,
915
comments for, 1247
current status, 1246
list of time services for timestamped files,
915
notifications for, 1218
number of, 1246
settings, 1246
status, 935, 936
time services for timestamping, 1247
SIGVALIDATE command
about, 935
Digital Signature Contents dialog box, 936
Validate Digital Signatures dialog box, 935
SIGWARN system variable, 645, 1218
silhouettes, displaying as wireframes, 642
single-face objects, 519
single mappings of markup layouts, 876
Single object selection method, 919
Single-drawing Compatibility Mode, 653
single-sheet drawing files, 803
sizing
object snap target box, 56
OLE objects, 618
UCS icon, 1063
sizing, fractions in text, 584
SKETCH command, 937
SKETCHINC system variable, 1218
SKPOLY system variable, 938, 1218
SLA (Stereolithography Apparatus), compatible
file format, 996
SLB (slide library) files, 1112, 1252
SLD (slide) files, 575, 1112, 1252
SLICE command
about, 939
aligning cutting planes, 939, 940
defining cutting planes, 940, 942
slicing 3D solids
with a plane, 939
slide files
creating, 575
displaying, 1112
slide libraries
creating
from slide files (SLIDELIB utility), 1252
displaying a slide in, 1112
SLIDELIB (slide library creation) utility, 1252
slidelist file, 1252
slow plotting problems, 728
smoothing angle, 846, 883
smoothness options
tessellation lines, 667
snap (snap grid)
spacing and grid settings, 319
style and type settings, 320
Snap and Grid tab (Drafting Settings dialog
box), 319
SNAP command, 943
rotated arrays and, 73
snap grid, 943
snap interval, grid spacing and, 393
snap point, specifying with object snap modes,
671, 1286
snap spacing, 944, 994
snap types, 946
SNAPANG system variable, 73, 319, 1218
SNAPBASE system variable, 320, 1218
SNAPISOPAIR system variable, 1218
SNAPMODE system variable, 319, 1218
SNAPSTYL system variable, 320, 1219
SNAPTYPE system variable, 320, 1219
SNAPUNIT system variable, 319, 994, 1219
software acceleration, 25
solar time, displayed in the Sun Angle
Calculator, 486
SOLDRAW command, 946
See also SOLVIEW command
solid background for scenes, 97
SOLID command, 947
solid coordinates for mapping, 927
solid fills
display option for, 642
for hatches, 118, 405, 410
Solid object type, 1274
solid primitives, creating by extruding objects,
374
solid profiles
choosing 2D or 3D projection, 965
creating, 964
generating in viewports, 946
hidden line display options, 964
tangential edge display options, 966
solid properties, 792
SOLIDCHECK system variable, 1219
SOLIDEDIT command
3D solid edges, 959
3D solid faces, 948
Index
1351
SOLIDEDIT command (continued)

about, 948
entire solids, 961
solids
boxes, 129
checking, 963
cleaning, 962
composite, creating with UNION, 1074
creating
with INTERFERE, 450
profile images of, 964
with REVOLVE, 856
with SOLID, 947
with UNION, 1074
cylinders, 196
exploding, 369
filling, 377
mass properties displayed for, 529
profile images, creating, 964
separating, 961
slicing with a plane, 939
spheres, 978
storing in ASCII or binary files, 995
subtracting area or volume from, 1012
undoing editing actions, 963
wedges, 1116
See also 3D solid edges; 3D solid faces
solids.arx application
SOLDRAW and, 947
SOLVIEW and, 974
SOLPROF command, 964
SOLVIEW command
about, 966
layers created by, 967
See also SOLDRAW command
Sort dialog box, 243
sort order options
for block attributes, 103
for lineweights, 1012
for queries, 219
for records displayed in Data View window
(dbConnect), 243
sort order options, general settings, 656
SORTENTS system variable, 656, 657, 1219
source applications, 616
source content units settings, 655
source file for OLE objects, 615
source points for aligning objects, 44
space-delimited format (SDF) files, for storing
extracted attribute data, 92, 93
spaces before fractions, 584
SPACETRANS command, 901, 974
spacing factor in text line spacing, 588
1352
Index
spatial indexes
for saved drawings, 900
spatial indexes, for partially open drawings, 631
special characters, 1027
special characters, inserting, 589
speed. See performance optimization
SPELL command, 975
Change Dictionaries dialog box, 977
Check Spelling dialog box, 975
spelling checker, 636, 975
Spelling dialog box, 975
SPHERE command, 978
spheres, 14, 978
SPLFRAME system variable, 702, 706, 711, 774,
1220
SPLINE command, 979
spline curves
2D, fitting to control points, 701
3D, fitting to control points, 706
vs. fit curves, 701
spline-fit polylines, 701, 702
spline frames, 702
Spline object type, 1274
spline properties, 792
SPLINEDIT command
about, 981
splines
fit tolerance for, 985
splines (NURBS curves), 1274
adding
control points to, 986
fit points to, 982
aligning
changing weight at control points, 987
closing, 980, 983, 985
converting
2D or 3D polylines to, 981
into viewports, 1110
deleting fit points from, 984
dividing, 314
editing
fit data, 982
effects of editing commands on, 702
filleting, 377
fit tolerance for, 980, 985
frames, 702
increasing the order of, 987
moving
control vertices, 985
fit points, 984
splines (NURBS curves) (continued)

opening, 983, 985
precision approximation of, 703
properties of, 792
purging fit data from the database, 984
reversing the direction of, 987
specifying points for, 979
spline-fit polylines, 701, 702
tangent continuity, 983
tangents for, 980, 984
trimming, 1047
undoing last editing action to, 982, 988
SPLINESEGS system variable, 641, 703, 1220
SPLINETYPE system variable, 703, 1220
splitting objects in two, 131
spoolers, 636, 648, 728, 751
spotlights
about, 490
creating or modifying, 496
spotlights, colors, 497
SQL 92 protocol compatibility, 220
SQL Query tab (Query Editor), 220
square
square brackets ([ ])
generated measurement indicators, 273
Stack Properties dialog box, 582
stacked text (multiline text)
automatic stacking feature, 584
editing, 582
fractions in, 578, 583
positioning/sizing, 583
stacking text, 580
staggered dimensions, creating a series of, 813
standard color palette, 170
standard deviation (on transformation table),
1018
standard file selection dialog boxes
default path, 1215
legacy behavior for default path, 1215
standard file selection dialog boxes, opening,
621
standard libraries
complex linetypes, 1257
geometric characteristic symbols, 1269
hatch patterns, 1258
linetypes, 1256
PostScript fill patterns, 1264
text and symbol fonts, 1265
TrueType fonts, 1268
standard numeric functions, supported by the
CAL command, 140
standard scales for plots, 680, 725
Standard snap grid, 945

standards
Batch Standards Checker, 1248
checking drawings for violations, 163, 1247
for named objects, plug-ins, 989
plug-ins, 1249
translating layers to different standards,
478
standards check files
.chx file extension, 1250
STANDARDS command
about, 988
CAD Standards Settings dialog box, 990
Configure Standards dialog box, 988
standards files
associating with drawings, 988, 989
deleting from current drawing, 989
listing ones associated with current
drawing, 989
precedence, 989
specifying for audits, 1249
using with Batch Standards Checker, 1248
standards plug-ins, 989
Standards tab (Batch Standards Checker), 1249
Standards tab (Configure Standards dialog box),
988
STANDARDSVIOLATION system variable, 990,
1220
start angles (for surfaces of revolution), 858
start caps
of multilines, 571
styles, 1010
start tangent for spline curves, 980, 984
starting
drawings
from scratch, 605
with setup wizards, 605
with templates, 819
startup dialog box, controlling display of, 1220
startup dialog box, display options, 654
Startup Suite dialog box, 60
STARTUP system variable, 1220
startup wizards. See wizards
statistics
for drawings
author, title, subject, 344
date/time created and modified, 345,
1029
disk file information, 342
for objects, modes,
and extents, 993
for rendering, 991
Statistics dialog box, 992
Statistics tab (Drawing Properties dialog box),
345
Index
1353
STATS command, 991

status bar tray
icon and notification settings, 1045
status bar tray, notifications, 990
STATUS command, 993
STB (plot style table) files
Add-a-Plot-Style-Table wizard, 1004
converting CTBs to, 179, 180
search path settings for, 637
stereolithography apparatus file compatibility,
996
STL files, 996
STLOUT command, 995
straightening marked vertices
STRETCH command, 996
stretching
objects, 996
STYLE command
about, 997
Text Style dialog box, 998
style settings tabs (Plot Style Table Editor), 1006
styles
for multilines, 566
for multiline text, 577, 589
names in xrefs, 834
for stacked text, 583
standards files for, 1249
for text, changing, 159
STYLESMANAGER command, 1003
Edit Lineweights dialog box, 1011
sub sampling rendering settings, 847
subject of drawings, displaying/specifying, 344
substitute fonts, 664
SUBTRACT command, 1012
Subtract mode of AREA command, 66
subtraction method for creating composite
regions, 1012
suffixes
for alternate dimension text, 304
for primary dimension text, 301
Summary tab (Drawing Properties dialog box),
344
Sun Angle Calculator dialog box, 500
SUN files, options for rendering, 891
sun, calculating the position of, 495, 500
support files, working support file list, 635
1354
Index
suppressing
arrowheads, 298
AutoCAD commands, 1070
dimension line display, 290
dragging, 316
extension line display, 291
hidden lines, 341, 412, 413
hidden profile lines, 964
zeros
for dimension tolerances, 307
surface of revolution meshes, creating, 858
surface patches, EDGESURF command and, 357
surface tessellation, 22
SURFTAB1 system variable, 357, 707, 859, 1020,
1221
SURFTAB2 system variable, 357, 707, 859, 1221
SURFTYPE system variable, 708, 1221
SURFU system variable, 1221
SURFV system variable, 1221
surveyor units
surveyor units, entering angles in, 611
swap file, available space in, 995
swatches of hatch patterns, 111
switching viewports
from model space to paper space, 799
from paper space to model space, 575
swiveling the camera, 42
symbol and text fonts, standard library file of,
1265
Symbol dialog box, 1033
symbol names, enabling display in xrefs, 834
symbols
inserting in multiline text, 580, 589
symbol and text fonts, standard library file
of, 1265
symbol names, enabling display in xrefs,
834
UCS icon symbols, 1061
xref-dependent, binding to drawings, 1130
Synchronize dialog box, 244
synchronizing
block instances, 102
syntax of expressions evaluated by CAL
command, 135
SYSCODEPAGE system variable, 1221
system-level file attributes, displaying
System tab (Options dialog box), 651
system variables
changing values of, 931
clearing overrides, 279
displaying values and descriptions of, 993
listing, 931
overriding, 278
table listing of, 1162, 1233
using with CAL, 139
SYSWINDOWS command, 1013
T
tab stops, 581
Table View style settings tab (Plot Style Table
Editor), 1006
tables, read-only database tables, 653
tablet
menu areas
configuring, 1018
screen pointing area, configuring, 1018
TABLET command
about, 1015
calibrating the digitizer, 1015
configuring menu and screen pointing
areas, 1018
Tablet mode
SKETCH and, 937
turning on/off, 1015
TABMODE system variable, 1015, 1221
tabs in text, 579, 581
tab-separated file format, for attribute extraction
files, 355
TABSURF command, 1020
tabulated surface meshes, 1020
tabulation lines on revolved surfaces, 859
Tag attribute properties, 102
tangent continuity, 983
Tangent object snap, 672
Tangent object snap mode, 326
tangential edges of profiles, 966
tangents
for arcs, 63
taper angle
for extrusion, 375
for faces, 956
Targa. See TGA file format
target drawing units settings, 655
target point
rotating about a camera, 334
specifying, 337
TARGET system variable, 1221
TDCREATE system variable, 345, 1221
TDINDWG system variable, 346, 1221
TDUCREATE system variable, 1222
TDUPDATE system variable, 346, 1222
TDUSRTIMER system variable, 1222
TDUUPDATE system variable, 1222

Template Description dialog box, 899
template directory, 606
template files
for attribute data extraction, 92, 352, 354
template files, search path for, 637
templates
for attribute data extraction, 93
for attribute definitions, 247
for labels. See label templates
for layouts, creating, 476
for links. See link templates
templates (template files) (DWT files)
starting drawings with, 606, 819
templates, for HTML pages, 808
temporary files
file extension for, 645
temporary points, 1285
TEMPPREFIX system variable, 638, 1222
termination strings, 758
tessellation
dynamic, 22, 667
tessellation lines
defined, 22
settings, 667
tetrahedrons, 13
text
alignment (justification), 455, 1022
of attributes
editing, 81, 87, 103, 160, 350
baselines, 587
CHANGE command options, 159
checking spelling, 975
in command line window
controlling with QTEXT, 824
copying format with MATCHPROP, 532
editing, 247
finding and replacing, 386
in DBCONNECT, 241
formatting attribute text, 104, 350
hiding, 415
importing, 580
including with leader lines, 483
indents and tabs, 579
justification options, 1022
mirroring, 553
position and properties of, changing, 793
properties of, 793
resizing text objects, 906
searching for in content, 50, 51
selecting
with FIND, 388
size of, for OLE objects, 620
specifying the start point of, 1021
Index
1355
text (continued)
upper- and lowercase, 580
using special characters and control codes,
1027
zooming with FIND, 388
See also dimension text; fonts; multiline text
text and symbol fonts, standard library file of,
1265
text boundaries, nonprinting, MTEXT command
and, 585
TEXT command, 1021
hiding text, 412, 415
text editor options, 636
text files
CSV format, 355
DXF format, 901
storing solids in, 995
template extraction files, 355
writing mass property calculations to, 527
text files, importing, 580
Text Formatting toolbar, 577
Text object type, 1274
text objects
scale factors and, 907
scaling, 906
based on specified length, 907
to match text objects size, 907
text objects, boundary options, 642
Text Options tab
text properties, 793
Text Style dialog box, 998
text styles
applying changes to, 1001
changing character display effects, 1000,
1002
changing fonts, 999, 1001
creating, 998, 1001
deleting, 999
names, 998, 1003
previewing changes, 1000
renaming, 844, 999
specifying, 998, 1001, 1026
text styles, standards files for, 989, 1249
Text tab (New Dimension Style dialog box), 292
text window
displaying
database information in, 246
opening, 1028
switching
to the drawing area from, 393
writing contents to the log file, 515
TEXTEVAL system variable, 1028, 1222
TEXTFILL system variable, 1222
1356
Index
TEXTQLTY system variable, 1222

TEXTSCR command, 1028
TEXTSIZE system variable, 578, 585, 1222
TEXTSTYLE system variable, 577, 1223
texture maps
sampling render options, 888, 891
texture maps, search path for, 638
textures
enabling, 24
TGA file format, 903
images
compression options, 904
displaying, 852
options for rendering output, 891
TGA Options dialog box, 904
thawing layers, 460, 461, 464, 473, 1101
thickness
of 2D objects, 162, 166
displaying, 994
of new objects, setting, 358
THICKNESS system variable, 994, 1223
third-party application object properties, 767
third-party color books, 173
third-party content, 46
through point for offset objects, 614
thumbnail preview image option, 643
TIFF file format
displaying images, 852
image compression options, 904
options for rendering, 891
saving images, 903
TIFF images, saving, 1029
TIFF Options dialog box, 904
TIFOUT command, 1029
tilde (~), opening Select Template dialog box,
612
tilde (~), to display a standard file selection dialog
box, 632
TILE button (status bar). See Model tab
tiled viewports
creating with VPORTS, 1104, 1108
TILEMODE system variable, 299, 573, 596, 1223
tiling controls
for backgrounds, 100
for material bitmaps, 866, 867, 930
tiling windows, 1013
TIME command, 1029
time servers, 916, 937, 1247
time services for digital signatures
connection status of, 916, 1247
displaying list of, 916, 1247
displaying service used, 937
time stamps on digital signatures, 916, 1247
time/date
searching for content by, 51
time servers, 916, 1247
timestamps for digital signatures, 916
timeouts during plotting, 761
time-sensitive right-clicking, 668
timestamps on digital signatures, 1247
tints in gradient fills, 116
title bars, drawing path name display, 645
title blocks
options for viewports, 602
titles of drawings, displaying/specifying, 344
tk command modifier, 1285
TOLERANCE command
about, 1030
Geometric Tolerance dialog box, 1031
Material Condition dialog box, 1035
Symbol dialog box, 1033
Tolerance object type, 1274
tolerance objects, properties of, 794
tolerance properties, 794
tolerance symbol ()
entering, 589, 1027
tolerance symbol (), entering, 589
tolerances
for dimension text, 305
entering symbol for, 589, 1027
for leader line annotations, 483, 815
for stacked text, 583
values, 1031
Tolerances tab (New Dimension Style dialog
box), 305
tool palettes
creating and editing, 192
search paths for files, 637
Tool Palettes tab (Customize dialog box), 192
Tool Palettes window, 192
toolbar buttons
adding/deleting, 185
assigning shortcut keys to, 190
displaying large buttons, 187
displaying macros associated with, 188
displaying shortcut keys on, 187
displaying tooltips on, 187
in file selection dialog boxes, 623
flyouts, 189
images
changing (replacing), 189
displaying large images, 188
editing, 188, 193
properties, 188
TOOLBAR command, command line prompts,
1036
toolbars
Batch Standards Checker toolbar, 1250
creating, 186, 193
deleting, 187
displaying/hiding, 187, 1035, 1038
docking, 1036
floating, 1037
Refedit toolbar, 830, 837
renaming, 187
Toolbars tab (Customize dialog box), 186
toolbars, Text Formatting, 577
tooltips
AutoTrack display options, 659
displaying, 187
hyperlink, 421
hyperlink display options, 656
TOOLTIPS system variable, 1223
TORUS command, 1042
torus/tori (solid), 14, 1042
TPSTATE system variable, 1223
TRACE command, 1043
Trace object type, 1274
trace properties, 795
traces
filling, 377
properties of, 795
TRACEWID system variable, 1223
track command modifier, 1285, 1286
tracking
AutoTrack, 659
layer changes, 475
vector colors, 666
vectors display, 659
TRACKING command modifier, 1285
TRACKPATH system variable, 659, 1223
transformation table, 1017
transformation types for calibrating a digitizer,
1016
translating layers to other standards, 478
transmittal sets, 363
creating, 363
listing files, 365
password protection, 368
report information, 367
transparency
adjusting, 24, 863
transparent images, 1044
windows, 195
TRANSPARENCY command, 1044
Transparency dialog box, 195
transparent commands, 3
Tray Settings dialog box, 1045
TRAYICONS system variable, 1223
TRAYNOTIFY system variable, 1223
TRAYSETTINGS command
about, 1045
Tray Settings dialog box, 1045
Index
1357
TRAYTIMEOUT system variable, 1223

tree view
for designating hyperlinks, 418, 419
Image Manager, 425
Xref Manager, 1142
tree view (DesignCenter)
about, 48
displaying, 47
hiding, 47
TREEDEPTH system variable, 1046, 1224
TREEMAX system variable, 1224
TREESTAT command, 1046
TRIM command, 1047
Trim mode
for chamfering, 157
for filleting, 382
trimming
objects
extending objects rather than, 1047
rather than extending objects, 372
TRIMMODE system variable, 157, 377, 1225
True Color colors, 289, 290, 293, 1165
True Color dialog box
displaying, 1007
True Color tab (Select Color dialog box), 171
True Colors
specifying for plot styles, 1007
true colors
raster images, 642
selecting, 171, 174
storing as RGB, 172
using in toolbar buttons, 194
TrueType fonts, 999, 1000, 1001
listing font family names, 665
plotting, 757
SHX proxy fonts, 578
truetype.dwg file, 578, 1268
TSPACEFAC system variable, 1225
TSPACETYPE system variable, 1225
TSTACKALIGN system variable, 1225
TSTACKIZE system variable, 1225
TTF (TrueType font) files, 1268
TTR (tangent, tangent, radius) circle
specification, 168
turbulence, of marble material, 870
turning the camera, 42
1358
Index
twist angle specification, DVIEW command, 339

.txt extension for template extraction files, 92,
93, 355
typographical conventions used in this manual,
6
U
U command, 1051
See also REDO command; UNDO command
u2w function (CAL command), 145
UCS command, 1051
UCS coordinate values of a location, 423
UCS Details dialog box, 1069
UCS dialog box
Named UCSs tab, 1064
Orthographic UCSs tab, 1066
Settings tab, 1068
UCS icon
changing
settings, 1068
coloring, 1063
displaying/hiding, 1061
placement of, 1062
previewing, 1063
sizing, 1063
styles, 1061, 1063
symbols, 1061
UCS Icon dialog box, 1062
UCS settings
restoring with a view, 1093, 1096
saving with a view, 1094, 1097
specifying for the current viewport, 1068
UCS. See user coordinate systems (UCSs)
UCSAXISANG system variable, 1225
UCSBASE system variable, 1057, 1066, 1069,
1093, 1095, 1225
UCSFOLLOW system variable, 1052, 1068, 1226
UCSICON command, 1060
UCS Icon dialog box, 1062
UCSICON system variable, 1226
UCSMAN command
UCS Details dialog box, 1069
UCS dialog box, 1064
UCSNAME system variable, 1226
UCSORG system variable, 1226
UCSORTHO system variable, 1093, 1227
UCSVIEW system variable, 1097, 1227
UCSVP system variable, 1060, 1068, 1227
UCSXDIR system variable, 1227
UCSYDIR system variable, 1227
unassigned materials, 534
unattached materials, 534
UNDEFINE command, 1070
REDEFINE and, 828
undefining an AutoCAD command, 1070
underlining multiline text, 578
_ (underscore character)
in field names, 354
underscoring text, control code for, 1027
UNDO command
Auto option, 1072
commands and system variables unaffected
by, 1071
continuously repeating scripts and, 893
grouping sequences of operations
(Begin/End options), 1073
limiting or turning off (Control option),
1072
marking undo information (Mark/Back
options), 1073
reversing several commands, 574
for a specified number of preceding
operations, 1071
See also REDO command; U command
UNDO command, REDO and, 829
UNDOCTL system variable, 1227
undoing
command operations (using UNDO), 1071
DDEDIT command changes, 248
DVIEW command actions, 341
EXTEND command changes, 374
last baseline dimension, 262
last continued (chain) dimension, 265
layer changes, 475
LEADER command vertex points, 485
LINE command segments, 505
a menu selection as a single command,
1072
most recent operation, using U, 1051
Multiline Text Editor actions, 578
MVSETUP command operations, 602, 604
object selection action, 919
PEDIT command actions, 704, 707, 709
PLINE command actions, 716, 718
SOLDRAW command actions, 947
SOLIDEDIT command actions, 949, 959,
960, 963
a specified number of preceding
operations, 1071
SPLINE command-specified points, 980
SPLINEDIT command actions, 982, 988
TRIM command actions, 1049
See also restoring; U command; UNDO
command
undoing, REFCLOSE command changes, 831
UNDOMARKS system variable, 1227
ungrouping groups, 400
Unicode characters
creating, 1027
Unicode characters, creating, 589
Unicode fonts
about, 1277
Code Page Independent format (CIF) and,
1278
code page information, 1280, 1281
Multibyte Interchange format (MIF) and,
1280
UNION command, 1074
UNITMODE system variable, 1228
UNITS command
Direction Control dialog box, 1077
Drawing Units dialog box, 1075
units format
for dimension types, 302, 303
units of measurement
converting, 140
setting
with the Advanced Setup wizard, 610
current format and precision, 1075,
1078
with the Quick Setup wizard, 609
with system variables, 1201
See also imperial units
unloading
applications
with APPLOAD, 58, 59
partial menu files, 543
xrefs, 687, 1143, 1146
unlocking layers, 460, 473
unreferenced layers, 479
unstacking text, 580
Update PC3 File with New Printer dialog box,
729
updating
links/link templates, 244
updating, PC3 files, 729
uppercase text, 580
upside-down character display, 577, 1000, 1002
upside-down plotting, 679, 724, 732
URLs
attaching to area or object in drawings, 79
detaching from area or object in drawings,
252
URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), for i-drop
content, 920
Use Template page (Attribute Extraction
wizard), 352
user coordinate systems (UCSs)
about, 1051
applying to viewports, 1059
changing to orthographic, 1066
Index
1359
user coordinate systems (UCSs) (continued)

defining, 1053
Face method, 1055
Object method, 1053
by specifying origin points, 1052
View method, 1055
X, Y, Z method, 1055
Z Axis method, 1052
deleting, 1058
displaying
names of, 970, 1059, 1064
plan view of, 712
moving, 1056
origin and axis information, 1069
orthographic, 1056
renaming, 844
restoring, 1057, 1058
with an associated orthographic view,
1093
saving, 1058
with a view, 1094, 1097
setting to WCS, 145, 1059
specifying settings for the current
viewport, 1068
User Defined Fields dialog box, 738
User Defined Page Setups dialog box, 682
User-defined Paper Sizes and Calibration node
(Plotter Configuration Editor Device
and Document Settings tab), 758
user-defined scales for plots, 680
user elapsed timer, turning on/off or resetting,
1030
User Preferences tab (Options dialog box), 654
user profiles
creating, 669
options for, 663
renaming, 670
user-defined hatch patterns, 110, 118, 406
USERI1-5 system variables, 1228
USERR1-5 system variables, 1228
USERS1-5 system variables, 1228
utilities
Attach Digital Signatures, 1246
Batch Plot (batch plotting), 1252
Batch Standards Checker, 1247
SLIDELIB (slide library creation), 1252
UVW coordinates for mapping, adjusting, 927
V
Validate Digital Signatures dialog box, 935
validating digital signatures, 935, 936
variables. See system variables
VBA applications (DVB files), loading, 57
1360
Index
VBA macros
deleting, 1087
displaying a list of, 1086
running, 1085, 1089
virus protection for, 1082, 1089
VBA Manager, 1083
VBA Options dialog box, 1088
VBA projects
embedding, 1084, 1088
extracting, 1084
loading, 1081, 1084
saving, 1084
setting options for, 1088
unloading, 1085, 1090
VBA statements, executing, 1090
VBA. See Visual Basic Editor
VBAIDE command, 1081
VBALOAD command, 1081
VBAMAN command, 1083
VBARUN command
Macros dialog box, 1086
Select Project dialog box, 1088
VBA Options dialog box, 1088
VBASTMT command, 1090
VBAUNLOAD command, 1090
vec and vec1 functions (CAL command), 141,
152
vector expression operators, 136
vector graphics, plot options, 756
vectors
calculating normal vectors, 150
calculating with CAL, 141
filtering components of, 145
formatting for use with CAL, 137
versions of AutoCAD
file formats, 897, 898
installed, 43
saving files as, 901
Vertex object type, 1275
vertex tangent direction, of 2D polylines, 700
vertical-alignment character display, 798
vertical bar (|) (pipe character)
in dependent symbols, 1130, 1132, 1145
vertical construction lines, 1135
vertical grid spacing, 944
vertical justification
of dimension text, 294, 307
of dimension tolerance text, 307
vertical linear dimensions, 274
vertical resolution of rendered images, 850
vertical tiling of windows, 1013
vertical-alignment character display, 1002
vertices
of 2D polylines, 698, 703
of 3D polyface meshes, 710
vertices (continued)
adding
to 2D polylines, 699
to 3D polylines, 705
to multilines, 561
deleting from multilines, 561
view box (Aerial View window)
zooming and, 1150
VIEW command
about, 1090
New View dialog box, 1093
View Details dialog box, 1094
View dialog box, 1091
View Details dialog box, 1094
View dialog box, 1091
Named Views tab, 1091
Orthographic and Isometric Views tab,
1092
view direction, aligning the axis of rotation
with, 880
view geometry to load for partially open
drawings, 630
View method for defining a UCS, 1055
View of This Drawing tab (Insert Hyperlink dialog
box), 418
View Output page (Attribute Extraction wizard),
353
view point, setting for 3D visualization, 1102
VIEWCTR system variable, 1228
VIEWDIR system variable, 1228
viewing
drawings
in the Aerial View window, 328
in plan view, 712
DWF files, 807
external database tables. See Data View
window (in dbConnect)
extracted attribute information, 353
geometry to load into partially open
drawings, 630
gradient boundaries, 109
hatch boundaries, 109
objects, in 3D. See 3DORBIT command
partially open drawings, 629
viewing direction (in 3D model space)
defining, 250
fog and depth cueing and, 389
setting, 1102
VIEWMODE system variable, 1228
Viewpoint Presets dialog box, 250
viewport configurations
converting into individual viewport
objects, 594, 595
floating
viewport configurations (continued)

changing, 1107
creating, 1106, 1110
dividing, 1111
fitting, 1110
previewing, 1107
restoring, 1111
renaming, 844
tiled
applying, 1105
changing, 1106, 1109
deleting, 1108
joining, 1109
restoring, 1108
viewport handles, profile blocks and, 964
Viewport object type, 1275
viewport objects, clipping, 1099
viewport properties, 796
viewports
assigning UCSs to, 1059
clipping viewport objects, 1099
converting objects to, 593
creating, 591, 598, 640, 968
slide files of, 575
dividing the area into equal parts, 594, 595
fitting within margins, 592
floating
converting objects into, 1110
creating with SOLVIEW, 966
locking, 1110
properties of, 796
freezing/thawing layers in, 461, 1100, 1101
handles, profile blocks and, 964
irregularly shaped (polygonal), 593
layout options for, 598
number of available, 592
plotting settings, 592, 1110
properties of
refreshing the display of, 829, 830, 838,
839
setting layer visibility in, 1100
setting MVSETUP preferences, 601
shaded and rendered viewport options,
680, 726, 734
shadeplot settings, 592, 1110
switching
from model space to paper space, 799
from paper space to model space, 575
title block options for, 602
Index
1361
viewports (continued)
using SOLDRAW in, 946
zoom options, 1149
zoom scale factor settings for, 600
See also views
Viewports dialog box
Named Viewports tab (floating), 1108
Named Viewports tab (tiled), 1106
New Viewports tab (floating), 1106
New Viewports tab (tiled), 1104
VIEWRES command, 1098
VIEWRES command, smoothness and, 641
views
auxiliary, 971
copying to the Clipboard, 185
creating, 1093
defining windows as, 1094, 1097
deleting, 1092, 1096
displaying
names of, 692, 1091, 1095
isometric, restoring, 1092
loading geometry from into partially open
drawings
with OPEN, 625, 630
loading geometry from, into partially open
drawings
with PARTIALOAD, 686, 688
named
plotting, 679, 725, 733
naming, 1093
orthographic
creating, 971
restoring, 1092
panning, 35
parallel projection/perspective, 331
renaming, 844, 1092
restoring
previous, 1092, 1096
saving, 1096
for scenes, 909, 910
sectional, 973
See also viewports
VIEWSIZE system variable, 1229
VIEWTWIST system variable, 1229
violations in drawings
checking for, 163
notifying users of, as they occur, 990
violations in drawings, checking for, 1247
virtual pens, 1009
virus protection for VBA macros, 621, 1082,
1089
visible attributes, 84
1362
Index
visible attributes, editing, 89

visible lines
of profiles, 964
SOLVIEW placement of, 967
VISRETAIN system variable, 646, 1229
Visual Basic Editor
displaying, 1081
entering Break mode, 1088
opening, 1081
Visual LISP executables (VLX), loading, 57
Visual LISP interactive development
environment, 1090
VLIDE. See VLISP command
VLISP command, 1099
VLX (Visual LISP executable) files, loading, 57
volumetric shadows, 499
VPCLIP command, 1099
VPLAYER command, 1100
VPOINT command, 1102
VPORTS command
about, 1104
Viewports dialog box, 1104
VSLIDE command, 1112
VSMAX system variable, 1229
VSMIN system variable, 1229
W
W (in 2D UCS icon), 1060
w2u function (CAL command), 145
warning messages
options, 653
standards violations, 990
WBLOCK command
Write Block dialog box, 1113
WCS (world coordinate system)
converting points to UCS, 145
creating a profile viewport from, 969
setting the current UCS to, 1059
specifying for mapped materials, 923
Web
DesignCenter content as Web-based, 46
i-drop content, 920
Live Enablers, 654
paths for Web locations, 635
publishing HTML pages, 808
web browser, launching, 133
Web Folders directory, 623
Web folders, creating, 623
web pages
linking to, 417
Web Publish wizard. See Publish to Web wizard
WEDGE command, 1116
wedges (solid), 16, 1116
weight, changing at spline control points, 987
welding multiline segments, 563

WHIPARC system variable, 1229
WHIPTHREAD system variable, 1230
WHOHAS command, 1118
wide polylines
exploding, 369
filling, 377
lineweights, 523
width
of 2D polyline segments, 715, 716, 718
of multiline text paragraphs, 585, 589
of OLE objects, 619
of pens, 755
of polylines, 698, 701
of wedges, 1117
width factor for character spacing, 1000, 1002
wild-card characters
for finding files, 626
for searching text, 50
using
on the command line, 5
to rename groups of objects, 843
Window object selection method, 917
windows
arranging, 1013
defining as a view, 1094, 1097
options for, 639, 665
plotting portions of drawings specified by,
679, 725, 733
transparency of, 195
zoom specifications in, 1152
Windows (operating system)
ANSI code pages supported by, 1281
standard behavior options, customizing,
655
system font, AutoCAD screen menu and,
639
Windows Render Options dialog box, 849
Windows system printers
creating/editing paper sizes, 759
hiding display of, in the Plot/Page Setup
dialog boxes, 649
WIPEOUT command, 1119
wipeout frames, 1119
Wipeout object type, 1275
wireframes
3D graphics adaptive degradation, 21
displaying silhouettes as, 642
shade plot settings, 680, 726, 734
wizards
Add Plot Style Table wizard, 677, 1004
wizards (continued)
Custom Paper Size wizard, 759
Import PCP or PC2 Plot Settings wizard, 696
Plotter Calibration wizard, 758, 760
Publish to Web wizard, 808
Quick Setup wizard, 608
for starting new drawings, 607
WMF files, 1120, 1125
importing, 1120
saving objects to, 1125
setting import options for, 1125
WMF In Options dialog box, 440, 1125
WMFBKGND system variable, 1230
WMFFOREGND system variable, 1231
WMFIN command, 1120
WMFOPTS command, 1125
WMFOUT command, 1125
wood material attributes, 871
wopeng18.hdi driver, 667
wopengl8.hdi driver, 25
working sets (of reference objects)
about, 836
adding objects to, 837
locking objects not in sets, 835
removing objects from, 837
working support file list, 635
world coordinate system (WCS)
converting points to UCS, 145
creating a profile viewport from, 969
plan views of, 713
setting the current UCS to, 1059
specifying for mapped materials, 923
WORLDUCS system variable, 1231
WORLDVIEW system variable, 1231
WPolygon object selection method, 918
wrap line for bitmap projection
cylindrical coordinate system, 924
spherical coordinate system, 926
Write Block dialog box, 1113
WRITESTAT system variable, 1231
writing objects or blocks to a drawing file, 1113
X
X axis
displaying UCS values, 1069
scale factors, for inserting multiple instances
of blocks, 546, 551
X scale factor
for WMF files, 1121
X, Y, Z method for defining a UCS, 1055
XATTACH command
about, 1127
External Reference dialog box, 1127
Index
1363
XBIND command
about, 1130
Xbind dialog box, 1131
Xbind dialog box, 1131
XCLIP command
about, 1132
defining clipping boundaries, 1134
deleting clipping boundaries, 1133
generating polylines, 1134
setting clipping planes, 1133
XCLIPFRAME system variable, 1232
XEDIT system variable, 646, 1232
XFADECTL system variable, 642, 836, 1232
XLINE command, 1135
Xline object type, 1275
xline properties, 797
xlines. See construction lines
XLOADCTL system variable, 645, 1232
XLOADPATH system variable, 638, 1233
XLS (Microsoft Excel) files, 355
XLT files (tool palette export files), 192
XML reports, 1248, 1250
XOPEN command, 1136
XPLODE command
about, 1138
applying changes globally, 1140
applying changes to objects individually,
1138
See also EXPLODE command
XREF command
about, 1140
Bind Xrefs dialog box, 1143
Xref Manager, 1141
xref copies (for demand loading)
Xref Manager, 1141
xref paths
in batch standards audits, 1248
notifications for updated or missing xrefs,
1233
xref-dependent layers, 1229
xref paths, displaying, 1128
XREFCTL system variable, 1233
XREFNOTIFY system variable, 1233
xrefs (external references)
attaching, 1147
overlaying, 1146
xrefs. See external references (xrefs)
XY plane (construction plane)
aligning cutting planes with, 941
of a UCS, creating viewports and, 968
1364
Index
Y
Y axis
of blocks, 546, 551
Y scale factor
for WMF files, 1122
YZ plane, aligning cutting planes with, 941
Z
Z axis
defining
cutting planes with, 940
UCS with, 1052
of blocks, 546, 552
Z Axis method for defining a UCS, 1052
Z scale factor
for WMF files, 1122
zero suppression
for dimension tolerance text, 307
ZOOM command, 1149
zoom scale factor
Data View AutoPan feature and, 226
DVIEW and, 338
for viewports, 593, 600
Zoom shortcut menu, 1153
ZOOMFACTOR system variable, 1233
zooming
with Aerial View, 329
centering a portion of the drawing, 1149
Data View AutoPan feature and, 226
to display
generated portion of the drawing with a
view box, 1150
drawing extents, 1150
previous view, 1151
entire drawing, 1149
to a logical extent, 1152
to a specific area of a window, 1152
at a specified scale factor, 1151
text, with FIND, 388
on a view, 42
zooming, raster images, 641
ZX plane, aligning cutting planes with, 942

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AutoCAD

Copyright 2003 Autodesk, Inc.

Autodesk Canada Inc. Trademarks

Third Party Trademarks

Third Party Software Program Credits

Using AutoCAD Documentation . . . . . .

Multiline Text (Mtext) Properties

Appendix A Command Aliases .

Appendix B System Variables .

Appendix C Dimension Variables Quick Reference

Map of Dimension Variables in Dimension Style Dialog Boxes . .

Attach Digital Signatures . . . . . .

AutoCAD Graphical Objects .

Overview of Unicode Fonts . . .

Appendix H Command Modifiers .

Coordinate Filters (Command Modifier) .

The Command Reference, a comprehensive guide to

AutoCAD commands, lists all AutoCAD commands in

Using This Reference

Reference covers several topics in the appendixes:

Using AutoCAD Documentation

Using This Reference

In this Command Reference, near the beginning of each command description

Using This Reference

Select objects on the screen using your pointing

Enter text on the command line.

Use your pointing device or enter text on the

Selecting Options on the Command Line

Accessing Recently Used Commands

References to Other Sections

Using This Reference

ADCENTER, DBCONNECT, SAVE

AutoCAD system variables

DIMBLK, DWGNAME, LTSCALE

AutoCAD named-objects, such as linetypes and

Select object to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]:

Instructions after prompt sequences

Select objects: Use an object selection method

File names and file name extensions

acad.exe, Readme file, .dwg file extension

Folder or directory names

Sample folder, c:\autocad 2002\support

Text you enter

At the Command prompt, enter shape.

Keys you press on the keyboard

CTRL, F10, ESC, ENTER

Keys you press simultaneously on the keyboard

AutoLISP variable names, sample code, and text in

The variable pi is preset to a value of pi

AutoLISP and DIESEL function names

Formal arguments specified in function definitions

The string and mode arguments

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

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

shapes, including boxes, cones, spheres, tori, wedges, and pyramids.

Specify corner point of box:

Specify height of box: Specify a distance

Rotates the box about the first corner specified. If you

Aligns the box with other objects in the drawing or

Aligns the box with other objects in the drawing or

Radius for Base

Radius for Top