Manage your AutoCAD Visibility with ISOLATE

The typical method of controlling object visibility in AutoCAD has been via layer control.  Of course, layer management is still the preferred means to manage content visibility, but AutoCAD has another option for users to manage the visibility of objects: the Isolate Objects tool. Isolate Objects is not new, it's been in AutoCAD since 2012, and In Civil 3D since 2008, but seems to be under-used.

Isolate Objects allows users to select objects, regardless of their layers and have those objects become isolated, or isolate everything else.  Think of it as LAYISO for any object selection, independent of layers altogether.   

It's simple: invoke the command, or simply create a selection set

Next, right-click and choose Isolate objects --> Isolate Selected Objects in the pop-up menu.

The result will show only the objects you selected.

When object isolation is active, the yellow light bulb in the lower right corner turns reddish-brown.

To end the isolation, either:

1. Click on the reddish-brown light bulb in the system tray in the lower right,
2. Select an object, right-click and End Isolation, or
3. Type UNISOLATE at the command line.

When not in use, it looks like a yellow light bulb, similar to the ON status of a layer in the layer dialog.

Isolating objects is a quick and easy way to manage data in your AutoCAD environment, without having to deal with object layers at all.

Remember, an XREF is an object, so selecting it will isolate (or hide) it, and not just the element in the XREF.

Do you use ISOLATE? comment and share your experiences!

A Few CLASSIC AutoCAD Commands

Every year, a new AutoCAD product launches, and with it there are new features and commands.  In AutoCAD 2009, the Ribbon changed the interface in a dramatic way, and with it, several command dialogs became palettes.  What if you liked the dialog boxes instead of palettes?

Well, good news!  AutoCAD still allows you to get back to the classics with a few CLASSIC commands!




Want your old xref dialogs back?    CLASSICXREF opens the XREF dialog instead of launching the palette.

CLASSICIMAGE allows image attachment via the old dialog box instead of the XREF palette, too.

CLASSICGROUP launches the Object Grouping dialog

Do you prefer the layer dialog to the palette?  CLASSICLAYER  brings back old memories.

(If you really like it old-school, set LAYERDLGMODE to 0 , and your LAYER command activates the dialog box instead of the palette.)


Lastly, for those who wonder what happened to the ARRAY command a few versions ago, ARRAYCLASSIC brings back the old ARRAY dialog.  It's not dynamic like the new ARRAY, but sometimes, it's exactly what you need.

There you have it: a few ways to get back to the older interface and feel of earlier versions of AutoCAD.    Of course, there may be less functionality in some of these, but not everything is better with palettes.  For instance, binding XREFs seems to be more successful in the dialog, as opposed to the palette...

Do you have any commands or interface you wish were still in AutoCAD?   Share your thoughts!

AutoCAD: Take your Pick - Window, Crossing and FASTSEL

Let’s look at one of the most basic, yet most common activities in AutoCAD: object selection. Every time a modify command is initiated, AutoCAD asks you to select objects.  There are many ways to create a selection set; we will review some of the most common, and also some not-so common methods of selecting objects in AutoCAD.

Tried and True

The most common object selection tools are: Pick, All, Window, and Crossing.

Pick simply allows you to click the object to select.  

All will select everything in the drawing that is not locked or frozen (INCLUDING objects in OFF layers!). 

Clicking any two points on the screen will define a window selection. If your first point is left of the second point, the selection box will be light blue with a solid border: this is a window selection.

Window selection will select everything completely inside the box.

If your first point is right of the second point, the selection box will be light green with a dashed border: this is a crossing selection. 

Crossing selection will select everything completely inside the box, AND EVERYTHING IT TOUCHES, TOO!

For even more finesse, users can type WP to create a window polygon, or CP to create a crossing polygon. The resulting shape will perform in the same way as the rectangular method: Window will select everything it encloses, Crossing will select everything it encloses, and everything it touches.  

The Power duo: Fence and FASTSEL

Users can also use Fence as a selection method. Fence prompts users to click a series of points on the screen, creating a fence line. Everything the fence line touches is added to the selection set.

Fastsel is an express tool that allows you to select an existing object, and everything the object touches is selected! Type FS (or 'FS to activate it transparently) to invoke.

The drawing variable FSMODE controls the behaviour of fastsel:

When FSMODE is OFF (default), the selection set is the selected object and everything it touches.

When FSMODE is ON, the selection set is the selected object, everything it touches, AND everything those objects touch, too!  Powerful!

Previous, Last, Remove

AutoCAD remembers the last selection set in the session.  P, or Previous, will add the previous selection set to the current selection set.  Last, or L, will add the most recently selected or drawn object to the selection set. R, or Remove option will remove objects from a selection set.  Holding the SHIFT key and selecting will also remove objects.

AutoCAD makes it easy to take your pick!

What's your selection preference or secret?  Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Thanks!

eTRANSMIT on All Frequencies, All Languages

Sending AutoCAD data is more complicated these days, since a dwg file can be connected to other drawings, images, PDF files, spreadsheets, and can contain custom fonts, linetypes, and hatches. Sending a dwg file on its own can leave the end user missing important information that may be contained in external locations.  When someone requests a "CAD file", users need to be diligent that the recipient gets the drawing and all dependencies related to it.  AutoCAD has a command that does this: ETRANSMIT.

Why should I use this?

ETRANSMIT is a powerful command; it gathers a list of all external elements (files, images, spreadsheets, PDFs, materials, CTBs, STBs, etc) and allows users to compile them into a folder or zip file.  It allows users to ensure a drawing file has all of its dependencies included when sending an AutoCAD drawing. ETRANSMIT also creates a text file listing the documents in the transmittal.

How does it work?

The command opens a dialog box displaying a list and table tab of every drawing dependency. Next to every item is a check box for selection of included elements; only checked items are included when the transmittal is created.  Users can fine tune each and every component included. You must save first, since ETRANSMIT can only be invoked immediately after a save is performed. 

OK, what happens after that?

Once the contents are determined, users select the transmittal setup, which can be saved with a custom name.  The transmittal setup determines several settings:

•  Package type (Zip, exe, or set of files)
•  File format (2000, 2004, 2007, 2010)
•  Transmittal save location
•  Pathing options (organized, single folder, or as-is)
• Other options, such as password protection, XREF binding, and fonts/materials inclusion

On the bottom of the Modify Transmittal Setup dialog is a description area, where you can name your setup.  This is the name that appears in the transmittal setup description.

So many choices!

With so many options, here are a few tips:

• Use Zip as the package type: just one file to deal with, and the *.exe file may get stopped by firewalls or email filters. 
• Keep the file format as current as you and your destination's versions allow.
• Uncheck Materials, unless you definitely use them in the drawing files.
• Include fonts, since different versions of AutoCAD use different .SHX libraries.
• Give your setup an intuitive name (Zip - No folder structure preserved, etc.)

There's plenty more features available, too, such as password protecting your transmittal, or binding XREFs.  

Comment and share your settings/tips!