Layers are a fundamental feature in AutoCAD and Civil 3D that allows you to organize and manage the visual properties of objects in your drawings. By utilizing layers effectively, you can apply colors, linetypes, lineweights, transparency, and control plotting characteristics, resulting in more efficient and professional drawings. One common mistake that can lead to rework and confusion is not using layers efficiently or placing everything on a single layer, typically layer 0. This can make it difficult for others to work on your drawings and cause unnecessary headaches. Using layers correctly is critical to ensure smooth collaboration and maintain the integrity of your drawings.
Sorting Layers in AutoCAD
In AutoCAD, layers can be sorted to improve organization and ease of use. To access the layer panel, go to the Home tab of the ribbon and locate the layer panel in the center. From here, you can open a drawing, select Layer Properties, and examine how the layers are sorted within the file.
By default, layers in AutoCAD are sorted alphabetically based on their names. This means that giving your layers logical and descriptive names can greatly enhance your workflow, especially as your drawings become more complex. For example, starting layer names with a main descriptor, such as “A”, can help group related layers together. However, it’s important to note that you can also reverse the sorting order by selecting the name column, providing flexibility in how you organize your layers.
Establishing Layer Standards
When working with AutoCAD or Civil 3D, it’s important to establish layer standards to maintain consistency across your drawings. Unlike AutoCAD, the out-of-the-box template file in Civil 3D does include pre-defined layers. However, it is still essential to review and modify these layers to suit your specific project requirements.
To ensure a standardized approach, take the time to define a layer naming convention and establish guidelines for color, line type, lineweight, and other layer properties. By implementing these standards, you can streamline your workflow, improve collaboration, and make it easier for others to understand and work with your drawings. Layers play a crucial role in AutoCAD and Civil 3D. By understanding their purpose and utilizing them effectively, you can enhance your productivity, maintain consistency, and simplify collaboration with others. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the layer panel, sort layers appropriately, and establish layer standards that align with your project needs
The AutoCAD out-of-the-box template file does not include any layers, so you need to establish this standard on your own. Have you ever looked at the layers provided within a Civil 3D® drawing file? The image below shows the layers that are provided within the Civil 3D Template.
The layers created in the Civil 3D templates follow the National CAD Standards Rules (NCS). The layers follow the National CAD Standards standards as follows, with each element separated by a dash.
Discipline Designation
The discipline designation is a required element in AutoCAD Civil 3D layer naming. It uses one letter to identify the discipline to which the layer belongs. The most commonly used designators are “C” for Civil and “V” for Survey/Mapping. This designation helps categorize layers based on their intended purpose and ensures clarity when working on multi-disciplinary projects.
Major Group
The major group is another required element that identifies the primary element or feature within a layer. It groups related elements such as roads, topographic elements, or storm sewers. To adhere to standard practices, custom major group fields are not allowed. By using predefined major groups, you can easily locate and manage specific elements within your drawing.
Minor Group
The minor group is an optional element that provides further categorization within a layer. It identifies sub-elements or variations of the major group. For example, if the major group is roads, the minor group could specify road profiles. Each layer name can have up to two minor groups. You have the flexibility to define your custom minor groups to suit your project needs. For instance, a layer name like “C-ANNO-TABL-TEXT” can have two minor groups: “TABL” and “TEXT,” each consisting of four letters.
Status Indicator
In addition to the discipline, major group, and minor group designations, a one-letter status indicator can be added to the end of the layer name. This indicator represents the status of the layer, such as its development phase or approval status. The specific letters used for status indicators may vary depending on your organization’s standards or project requirements. By incorporating these designations into your layer naming convention, you can establish a standardized approach to organizing and managing layers in AutoCAD Civil 3D. This promotes consistency, enhances collaboration, and makes it easier to navigate and understand complex drawings.
Layer filters are powerful tools that enable you to create named sets of layer selections, making it easier to manage and work with layers across various disciplines. There are two types of layer filters available in AutoCAD, each serving a specific purpose.
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Layer Property Filters: These filters allow you to create named sets of layer selections based on specific layer properties, such as color, linetype, or lineweight. By defining filters based on these properties, you can quickly isolate and manipulate specific groups of layers within your drawing. To access the layer property filters, click on the corresponding button located in the filter section.
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Layer Group Filters: Layer group filters allow you to create named sets of layer selections based on discipline designations or other custom layer groups. This type of filter is particularly useful when working on projects involving multiple disciplines or when you have defined custom layer groups for specific purposes. To access the layer group filters, click the appropriate button in the filter section.
Using these filters, you can streamline your workflow, improve productivity, and easily navigate through complex drawings. By creating named sets of layer selections, you can focus on specific disciplines or groups of layers, reducing clutter and allowing for more efficient editing and manipulation.
To create a group filter, select the New Group Filter button in the filters list as shown and the filter will be added. Follow the steps below to create your group filter.
- Rename the filter to a logical name.
- Highlight all the layers you want to be in that group (they do not have to have the same properties or a common name).
- Drag the layers to the filter.
A more detailed way to stay organized is with a properties filter. Upon selecting this button, you have more flexibility based on the layer names you choose. In this example, we are going to give a simple criterion—including all the layers with a prefix of A and then we are going to add all the layers with a prefix of V. Keep in mind you can use wildcards (*) after the character to include all the layers with those features as shown below.
After you add the letters with the wildcard, select OK and you can now view the layers in your properties filter as shown.
Select the links below to find helpful tips on using layers in AutoCAD.
Resetting a layer in AutoCAD with a Macro
Renaming a Group of Layers with Wildcards
Using the Layer Translator in AutoCAD
Change with width of the layer combo control bar
In summary, understanding and efficiently utilizing layers in AutoCAD and Civil 3D is crucial for organizing and managing the visual properties of objects in your drawings. By giving layers logical names, sorting them appropriately, and establishing layer standards, you can enhance collaboration, improve workflow, and avoid rework. Additionally, layer filters provide a powerful tool for managing and working with layers across different disciplines or custom layer groups.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May the holiday season bring joy, warmth, and new opportunities.
Sam
Annotation text objects in AutoCAD are used in drawings to determine text height or the overall scale of an annotated text object. An annotative object whether it be text or a block is set to a scale in model space at a particular paper height then when the viewport scale is changed the object changes its scale based on that factor.
If the annotative property of an annotation object is enabled, the text height or scale of the annotation object adjusts based on the current drawing annotation or layout viewport scale with the result that it will remain at the same size automatically.
Annotative Objects continue to be a key learning component for many AutoCAD users. For Civil 3D users, all our labels and styles are annotative which means the concept becomes more of a natural workflow.
There are two commands (one system variable) that I find helpful when working with Annotative objects. The first is the system variable SELECTIONANNODISPLAY. This variable will control the “faded visibility” or multiple scales showing up when you select the text or object as shown below.
The default value is set at 1, change the system variable to 0 and your multiple annotative scales will not appear.
Many times we want to see those different object scales giving us the visual display to help determine if the location is correct at an alternate scale. If you want the text and/or leader to be pointing at the same spot in all places then you must reset the annotative object. This can be controlled by Synchronizing Multiple-scale options as shown below.
- Select your object (text shown below)
- From the menu select Annotative Object Scale
- Select Synchronize Multiple-scale Positions.
This will reset the location of all the annotative scales to align with the current scale selected.
Have a great weekend wherever in the World you may be.
Stay healthy and safe – Sam
We are back in Las Vegas this year and “live” once again. The call for proposals for Autodesk University 2023 ended on May 15, 2023. This year I submitted 5 proposals each of which are shown below. Look at each one and see if it is something you may be interested in seeing at Autodesk University 2023. The biggest change this year is I now work for Autodesk. I am a Content Designer on the Desktop Connector team and responsible for the help content and how to communicate that effectively to customers.
Unlocking the mystery behind the Desktop Connector will provide you with an inside look at what I have learned over the past year as a content writer for the product. We will cover the differences between the 15x versions and 16x versions of the connector as well as cover how to get started and find help using this tool.
The geotechnical classes (one is a lab) will focus on how to use the Geotechnical Modeler in Civil 3D to incorporate geotechnical BIM into your Civil 3D workflow.
At Autodesk, we are continuing to develop our underground capabilities using geotechnical information by incorporating the ground data directly in Infraworks, Civil 3D, and Recap. Civil 3D contains the geotechnical modeler which can import geotechnical data directly into Civil 3D. We can then take that data and display in a profile view and export it to Infraworks for a presentation.
Are you an AutoCAD user and want to start learning Civil 3D? Making your move to Civil 3D is the class for you. The advantage you have is that Civil 3D is built upon AutoCAD therefore all of the AutoCAD commands will work within Civil 3D. There is a big difference though, so keep that in mind while learning how to use the Civil tools provided within C3D.
Check out this learning pathway from Autodesk on how to get started using Civil 3D.
Have a great rest of the week wherever in the World you may be! Give me a thumbs up if you want to see any of these classes live later this year at AU2023.
Until next month, Sam
DesignCenter in AutoCAD can help you organize and access drawings, blocks, hatches, and other drawing content. Many people I speak with have not used or forgotten about the power behind DesignCenter in AutoCAD. DesignCenter can be used to capture objects from the template and drawing files and quickly drag them into your current drawing file. The key is setting the home button to the location of your standards and templates.
DesignCenter can be found on the View tab of the Ribbon under the palettes panel, as shown. You can also type ADC or ADCENTER at the command prompt.
Many other capabilities are listed below and can be found in Autodesk Help.
With Designcenter, you can
- Browse for drawing content such as drawings or symbol libraries on your computer, networked drive, and web page.
- View definition tables for blocks and layers in any drawing file, then insert, attach, or copy and paste the definitions into the current drawing.
- Update (redefine) a block definition
- Create shortcuts to drawings, folders, and Internet locations that you access frequently.
- Add content such as xrefs, blocks, and hatches to a drawing
- Open drawing files in a new window
- Drag drawings, blocks, and hatches to a tool palette for convenient access
- Copy and paste content, such as layer definitions, layouts, and text styles, between open drawings
One important thing is to set your HOME status on Designcenter to where your templates are or the files you need to locate.
To do this, open designcenter (ADC), look at the toolbar on the top and notice the home button. First, navigate to your standards folder and follow these 3 steps.
- Locate your template folder in Designcenter.
- Right-click and select Set as Home.
- Put all of your template files in that folder for quick access.
The next time you launch Designcenter, select the home button, and you will be taken to the default location of your template and standard files.
Just a quick tip to help you make yourself more productive.
Stay safe and healthy, Sam.
This year was my 10th consecutive year teaching at Autodesk University. It was held in New Orleans which was a change. Still, many professionals attended from all over the world to attend classes, view exhibitors, network, and collaborate with people from everywhere.
But for me, the event’s highlight came about a month after the conference, and I received news that I won the speaker award for Best Lecture Autodesk Class, Investigating the Geotechnical Modeler in Civil 3D. The award is based on reviews from people that attended the class and views of the online content. I feel very honored to receive it. This class to say the least was on the last day last time and I was concerned I would not get a good crowd. It was the best class I have ever presented and attended, it was fun. You all were incredible; the comments, interruptions, laughing, and collaboration was so much fun. You know what? Let’s do this again in November in Las Vegas at AU2023, I will do my best to answer all of the questions you asked me during that time. I can’t thank everyone who attended enough for making that a very memorable experience.
Since the time of the class, I have started working for Autodesk and am currently Senior Content Designer working on the Desktop Connector Team. With our new platform services portfolio, the connector is vital for migrating our data to the cloud.
Look for more content provided by myself and the team at Autodesk with the Desktop Connector. We are currently developing great things to be presented in 2023
How about an AutoCAD fun tip? For those who would like to see how things were way back when I started (a long time ago) try this fun but quick way we used to access commands via the screen menu in AutoCAD
The Screen Menu
Where the magic happened was the Screen Menu. With the Screen Menu and the digitizer, we could navigate through commands in AutoCAD to get to where we needed to be. The screen menu would be docked on the side where you would select a command, and another menu would pop up.
Do you want to see how it was to work pre-ribbon and windows in more of a DOS environment with the screen menu? At the command prompt type:
(setvar “screenmenu” 1)
For example, in the image below I selected FILE then the menu came up for all the options when I selected file starting with New.
Selecting AutoCAD (as shown below) will always take you back to the default menu. If you are using the dark screen mode, it may be hard to see, but you can easily change that by changing the COLORTHEME system variable from 0 to 1
Now that I am with Autodesk look for me to post additional information about the Desktop Connector and stay connected with the team using the Geotechnical Modeler in Civil 3D.
Proposals for Autodesk University 2023 are coming up soon! I hope to see you again for Round 2 of Implementing the Geotechnical Modeler in Civil 3D. I will collaborate with product teams to continue to help make this tool a valuable resource in Civil 3D. I also plan to explore the Collaboration for Civil 3D and all of the enhancements and changes over the past year. One of these is the Sheet Set Manager for the Web.
Have a great rest of your weekend wherever in the World you may be.
Sam
Summer is coming to a close and we are all busy at work, vacations, and everyone going back to school. We are back in person at a different venue this year for Autodesk University 2022. This year I will be presenting on class using Civil 3D which is named Investigating the Geotechnical Modeler in Civil 3D. Geotechnical borehole data and how it can be incorporated into AutoCAD and Civil 3D has been part of my workflow for over 10 years. From importing gINT files manually using a dxf, to using other software and the Geotechnical Module I was able to improve the process and workflows of this important data.
We will review the installation to workflow of the modeler and how it can benefit you in your design work. The Geotechnical Modeler is a relatively new add on for Civil 3D and is currently continuing to develop and change.
Check out my article in AUGIWorld Magazine for a brief write up on this tool. There have been some updates including a hatch interface dialog box which we will review during our class. The image below shows data imported via the Geotechnical Modeler then exported in 3D format to be used as a visual in Infraworks. We will cover this workflow during the session. My goal is to provide you the knowledge you need to succeed and use some new tools in Civil 3D to enhance productivity and innovation.
Some of my past classes: All images below contain links for additional information.
Exploring Advanced Topics in the Lab with the Sheet Set Manager
This is one of my many classes on Sheet Sets. There is a 100 page handout and a full dataset for you to learn from.
Staying Productive with Plan and Production in Civil 3D
The plan production tools in Civil 3D are an excellent way to become productive while working on site plans and profiles along roadways or other site features.
Investigate how to use and implement the CAD Standards Manager in the Lab
CAD Standards. Let’s discuss how a tool that has been around for years can help you maintain and keep your company standards. This year let’s go to the lab and use the CAD Standards Manager to help us check and maintain standards within your design team.
I have been working in the industry for a long time and realize you can’t do it alone, we all need help, mentorship, and guidance along the way. I have many friends who I see once a year which is awesome. Words can’t explain the respect and friendship we share.
My employer, CHA Consulting, Inc. recognizes the value of continued learning and development and we share what we know within our design team and throughout the company.
We currently have some openings – CHA Companies Careers
I hope to see you all in person and in New Orleans this year! I plan to be there and if you see me don’t hesitate introduce yourself to me or ask a question.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend wherever in the World you may be.
Until next month or in person at AU…….. Sam
AUGIWorld March 2022 will be released this week! In this issue I wrote an article on Exploring the Geotechnical Module in Civil 3D. I wanted to expand on the article and make some closing comments on the Geotechnical Modeler. At the time of completing the article Autodesk released the Geotechnical Modeler which I decided to do a follow up article next month on that topic. Keep in mind, these are two separate add-ons for Civil 3D.
I also wanted to expand upon how to get the module to work in Civil 3D 2022. With the Autodesk Desktop App or your Autodesk Account you can download the geotechnical module for Civil 3D 2020-2021. Install the module first with one of the previous versions of Civil 3D. Then follow these simple steps you can get it working with Civil 3D 2022.
If both Civil 3D 2021 and 2022 are installed, simply install Autodesk Geotechnical Module 2020-2021 by using the Autodesk app or going to your Autodesk Account.
- Search Geotechnical
- Select the Geotechnical Module (not the Geotechnical Modeler).
- Download and install the software.
Next with Civil 3D 2022 installed navigate to the path as shown and open up the PackageContents.xml using notepad or a word editor.
C:Program FilesAutodesk
With the PackageContents open, Change the SeriesMax=”24.0″ /> to SeriesMax=”24.1″ />
Save the xml file in the same location under the ApplicationPlugins Folder.
Launch Civil 3D 2022 and the Geotechnical Module will appear on the Ribbon as shown below. Notice the tab just to the left of the Geotechnical Module. That is the “NEW” Geotechnical Modeler from Autodesk. We will review that program and it’s features next month here and in AUGIWorld Magazine.
Stay safe everyone and get ready for the Call for Proposals for Autodesk University 2022 this week!
Let’s talk about tables in AutoCAD. One of my favorite articles I wrote was “Tackling Tables in AutoCAD” published in AUGIWorld. A table in AutoCAD is a compound object that contains data in rows and columns. The table command can be launched from the ribbon under the Annotation panel as shown below or by typing Table at the command prompt.
Table Properties
Tables can be defined by a table style, which presets many of the table characteristics. AutoCAD Tables can be formatted by selecting any of the rows and cells and modifying them to meet your company standards or a client-specified request. Let’s explore the tables and some of the different approaches we can use to become more efficient with AutoCAD. Once you start the table command, the Insert Table dialog box will appear as shown below. On the left side of the dialog box you will see a preview of how the current table style will look (i.e., Standard style).
Click on the image to be taken to a video on how to insert a table in AutoCAD
Under the Insert Options section we have three options as shown below.
- Start from an Empty Table: Use this option when you want to manually enter data. If you start from an empty table, you will retain the default values for rows and columns and the table will be inserted at the top right of the drawing.
- From a data link: This option gives you the ability to create a table from an Excel spreadsheet or a comma-delineated (.csv) file.
- From object data in the drawing: This option gives you the ability to create a table from objects in the drawing.
We are going to start by just entering an empty table as in Step 1 and review the properties of the table. After inserting the table and selecting a cell, the contextual ribbon Table Cell will appear as shown below. This is where you can make changes to your existing table. When you select a single cell as shown you can perform several functions including modifying the data, locking and unlocking, and insert blocks and fields. You can also access all the options by performing a right-click on the cell to bring up the shortcut menu.
Click on the image to be taken to a video on how to modify table options.
We can modify the cell size by selecting the grips as shown in the above figure and represented by the numbers.
- Use this grip (on the right as well) to modify the width of the cell.
- Use these grips to modify the height of the cell.
- Use this grip to increment the value of a cell automatically; right-click and the following menu will appear.
Table Linework
Under the Cell Styles panel of the Table Cell contextual ribbon you will find the edit borders section. This properties dialog box will help you define the characteristics of your lines within the table.
Upon selecting Edit Borders you will have the Cell Border Properties dialog box where you can define the linetypes and their properties of the cells within your table in six steps.
- This defines the lineweight of your table cell. You must have the lineweight set then select the border lines (red arrow) as to where you want the property to take place. Note: Your change will NOT appear in the preview box; you will have to move back out to AutoCAD and turn your lineweight on to see the change.
- Set the Linetype.
- Set the Color.
- Yes, you can have a double line.
- Spacing of the cells and lines.
- Preview button is where you assign the properties of the individual line segments. For example, say you only want the bottom line to be a bold line—this is where you can modify that property.
Select the Cell Border Properties Image to be taken to a video demonstration on this topic.
- This defines the lineweight of your table cell. You must have the lineweight set then select the border lines (red arrow) as to where you want the property to take place. Note: Your change will NOT appear in the preview box; you will have to move back out to AutoCAD and turn your lineweight on to see the change.
- Set the Linetype.
- Set the Color.
- Yes, you can have a double line.
- Spacing of the cells and lines.
- Preview button is where you assign the properties of the individual line segments. For example, say you only want the bottom line to be a bold line—this is where you can modify that property.
Creating a Legend Table
We are going to take what we have learned with Cell Styles and Borders and create a legend table which will contain our block symbols and a description. The power of this feature is that all your blocks and text will be aligned at the same location. The following image shows a base map with four typical symbols that are labeled with fields.
You can perform this in paper space or model space. Move to your standard legend area and select a table with two columns (one for the symbol and one for the description) and four rows (identifying the four symbols we have in our drawing). Once your table is in your drawing select the first cell under the main header cell as shown below.
Click on the image to be taken to a video demonstration on how to create a legend with a table.
Follow the steps below to add your block to the table cell.
- Select and highlight the cell where you want your block to be placed. This will bring up the Table Cell contextual ribbon.
- Select Block from the ribbon.
- Select your block.
- Turn AutoFit off. We want to be able to control the size of our symbol, keeping them all consistent. This is good because most legend items are not the same size.
Our table should look like what is shown in Figure 9. Note: I have added the title legend and the words recovery well location for our description. Use standard text tools and justification to get the text to appear the way you want. For the legend I used a top left justification, bold text, and underline. For the description use the middle left and a standard text. Use the Autofill setting to copy the symbols and text to the remaining three sections. Change the symbols by selecting the cell and changing the block.
After copying all the symbols and editing the text, your final legend table should look like the left portion of Figure 10.
Let’s review the three steps to complete our legend table.
- Insert the blocks into the cell and create a proportional size (be consistent).
- Enter the descriptions of the symbol for your legend.
- Important! Turn all the borders off. This way they will not print, and all of your symbols and text will be perfectly aligned in your legend.
Creating a Table with Fields
Another great function of tables is the ability to add formulas and field data. In this example we are going to use a table to display the square footage of three separate areas and then total them up all in one table. We have three areas in our drawing that are enclosed with a single object—in this case a polyline.
Insert your table into your drawing with the header, four rows, and two columns. Enter the title and the three areas as shown below. Next, we are going to follow steps 1 and 2.
- Select your Table Cell for the area.
- Select Field from the Table Cell contextual ribbon.
From the field dialog box, we are going to go through five options as shown below.
- Move the field category to object.
- Select the button and you will be taken back out to AutoCAD to select your object. Select the Area 1 polyline.
- Select Area from the Property window.
- Select your preferred units. Note: there are additional formatting options available here for adding a prefix, suffix, or additional mathematical expressions for control of your output.
- Select OK and your field will be added to the table.
Continue to add the areas 2 and 3. When complete, select the TOTAL cell and perform the sum function. Select formula, then Sum. You will now window select the three cells to total (shown in red) and hit enter. The sum of Areas 1 through 3 are now displayed in the table.
Click on the image for a demonstration on this topic
Tables are an extremely powerful way to capture and display data within a drawing. Use tables for organizing your data and becoming more efficient by displaying the properties of objects and geometry within your designs. Take what I have shown and delve into the properties of tables and how they can help you become more efficient and productive within your daily design activities.
Autodesk Certification
Did you know you can become Autodesk Certified from your home office? Check out the requirements and just be sure to make sure you are in a room alone and with a webcam so the exam can be proctored. Oh, and log in early! that is important you will have to go through some extensive checks to ensure you are following all the rules – including cleaning up your home office area.
Stay healthy and be safe – until next month.
Sam
I hope this post finds everyone safe and healthy. Autodesk University 2021 was digital again last year and I was able to present Professional Tips and Techniques on Sheet Sets in AutoCAD. With over 700 people on the question and answer session I found it fun and exciting, and yes I went very fast. Many questions were answered by the people on the call in the chat window along with myself and my moderator David Cohn (Thanks David!). One of my goals this year will be to provide updated screencasts providing you all of the answers to the use and functionality of Sheet Sets. Yes, including using within BIM360 as there were several questions surrounding that topic. We do not know what 2022 will bring at this time but it would be great to see everyone in person and present a class consolidating all of the material and notes I have gathered while teaching sheet sets at Autodesk University.
System variables are always a topic of discussion. For this tip I want to talk about the CURSORSIZE system variable in AutoCAD. For many years I have been using an Autolisp routine to switch the cursor size from 3 to 100, flipping back and forth. I find this helpful when working on design projects especially in tight areas where there is a lot of geometry. The ability to flip back and forth to get a better view can be helpful. For this I created a simple lisp routine named cx.lsp. To use the code copy and paste into notepad and save to a name cx.lsp (or your preferred name).
;;; Lisp Routine to toggle cursor size between 100 and 3.
;;; Simple lisp routine to flip the cursor size quickly in AutoCAD
;;;
(defun c:cx ()
(if ( = 100 (getvar “CURSORSIZE”))
(if (not PREV_CURSORSIZE)
(setvar “CURSORSIZE” 3) ; then
(setvar “CURSORSIZE” PREV_CURSORSIZE) ;else
) ;end if
;;;
This same concept can also be applied by creating a macro and placing it on a tool palette as shown below. The first macro will set the cursor size to 100 and the one below will change back to a 3. The images below show how this simple macro can change that system variable quickly and one additional image using diesel code to create a cursor toggle. Copy and paste the code into your button properties on the tool palette.
Macros to change the cursor from 100 to 3
- ^C^C_CURSORSIZE;100
- ^C^C_CURSORSIZE;3
Macro to toggle cursor size using Diesel:
3. ^C^C$M=$(if,$(=,$(getvar,cursorsize),100),cursorsize;3;;,cursorsize;100;;)
At Autodesk University in the past I presented a lab and lecture on macros in AutoCAD. Many macros and exercises are provided with the handout and you can find a link to the classes here:
Mighty Macros: Powerful commands to pump up productivity.
Pumping up Productivity in the LAB with Macros, One Character at a Time
In some of my future posts I am going to start shifting over to Map 3D and Civil 3D. Although I love writing about AutoCAD, I primarily use Civil 3D in my workflow and have some fun topics to share in the future
Stay healthy and safe wherever in the World you may be – until next month – Sam
