Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently

Editing and Reusing Data
to Work Efficiently
At least 5 AutoCAD commands are devoted to duplicating objects—10, if you include the Grips options.
Why so many? If you’re an experienced drafter, you know that you frequently have to draw the same
item several times in many drawings. AutoCAD offers a variety of ways to reuse existing geometry,
thereby automating much of the repetitive work usually associated with manual drafting.
In this chapter, as you finish drawing the studio apartment unit, you’ll explore some of the ways
to exploit existing files and objects while constructing your drawing. For example, you’ll use existing
files as prototypes for new files, eliminating the need to set up layers, scales, and sheet sizes for
similar drawings. With AutoCAD, you can also duplicate objects in multiple arrays. In Chapter 3,
you saw how to use the Object Snap (Osnap) overrides on objects to locate points for drawing complex
forms. This chapter describes other ways of using lines to aid your drawing.
Because you’ll begin to use the Zoom command more in the exercises in this chapter, you’ll
review this command as you go along. You’ll also discover the Pan command—another tool to help
you get around in your drawing.
You’re already familiar with many of the commands you’ll use to draw the apartment unit. So,
rather than going through every step of the drawing process, the exercises will sometimes ask you
to copy the drawing from a figure, using notes and dimensions as guides, and put objects on the
indicated layers. If you have trouble remembering a command you’ve already learned, go back and
review the appropriate section of the book.
Topics in this chapter include the following:
◆
Creating and Using Templates
◆
Copying an Object Multiple Times
◆
Developing Your Drawing
◆
Finding an Exact Distance along a Curve
◆
Changing the Length of Objects
◆
Creating a New Drawing by Using Parts from Another Drawing

Creating and Using Templates
Most programs today include what are called templates. A
template
is a file that is already set up for
a specific application. For example, in your word processor, you might want to set up letters with a
logo, a return address, and a date so you don’t have to add these elements each time you create a letter.
You might also want to format invoices in a slightly different way. You can set up a template for
the needs of each type of document. That way, you don’t have to spend time reformatting each new
document you create.
Similarly, AutoCAD offers templates, which are drawing files that contain custom settings designed
for a particular function. Out of the box, AutoCAD has templates for ISO, ANSI, DIN, GB, and JIS standard
drawing formats that include generic title blocks. But you aren’t limited to these “canned” templates.
You can create your own templates for your particular style and method of drawing.
If you find that you use a particular drawing setup frequently, you can turn one or more of your
typical drawings into a template. For example, you might want to create a set of drawings with the
same scale and sheet size as an existing drawing. By turning a frequently used drawing into a template,
you can save a lot of setup time for subsequent drawings.