Custom Concepts

AutoCAD Tips

Change your background display color in (AutoCAD 2000 )
For those of you who don't like your plot files to display the gray contrasting paper background in AutoCAD 2000, there's a simple way to display the background similar to previous AutoCAD versions. Select Tools/Options to open the Options dialog box, then choose the Display property sheet. You'll see an option under in the Layout Elements panel called Display Paper Background. If you deselect this option, the background defaults to whatever color your Layout tab is. This option makes it easier to see any information outside the plot border.

Lock onto your Target in AutoCAD
The Target system variable is the current Universal Coordinate System (UCS) location of the point to which you're looking, also known as the target point. The initial coordinates for Target are 0,0,0. This value changes whenever you use the DVIEW command's Target option to select a new target point. To find the current target point location, type target at the command prompt and then press [Enter].

Using the Cookie Cutter Trim in (AutoCAD 14 )
When you need to trim many lines which cross the outline of an object, instead of individually trimming each line, you can use the Cookie Cutter Trim bonus tool. Select Bonus | Modify | Cookie Cutter Trim. You'll be prompted to select a polyline, line, circle or arc for a cutting edge. Select one of these options on your screen. Next, you'll be prompted to pick a side of that object to trim on. All of the lines on that side of the object are trimmed automatically.

Load AutoLISP automatically in AutoCAD
Have you ever tried to load an AutoLISP program, only to have it fail during the loading process? Try this simple solution. First, open a session of Windows Explorer. Now open the directory with the AutoLISP routine in it. Click once on the routine to select it. Then, drag and drop the routine into an open drawing session. The AutoLISP should load automatically.

Joining polylines using grips in AutoCAD
Sometimes it's necessary to join polylines during a drawing session. This can be done easily using grips. Pick one of the two polylines that you would like to join together. You'll find it easiest to pick the polyline that you want to move toward the other polyline. When you've selected the polyline, click the grip at the end of the polyline to make it hot. Now, simply drag the selected polyline to the other polyline. Drag the first grip over the top of the second polyline's grip. Now click on it and the first polyline joins with the second polyline.

Display and print solid text in AutoCAD
By default, AutoCAD displays text as hollow characters. However, there's a system variable, (sysvar)-TEXTFILL, that allows you to display and print text either as filled or hollow characters. To use this sysvar, type textfill at the command prompt and then press [Enter]. When the New Value For TEXTFILL <0>: prompt appears, type 1 and press [Enter]. When you regenerate your drawing, it will contain solid text. To change the text back to the hollow format, use TEXTFILL sysvar again, but substitute 0 for 1 when the New Value For TEXTFILL <1>: prompt appears.

Open several files at one time in (AutoCAD 2000)
One of the most useful improvements to AutoCAD 2000 is the multiple document interface, which allows you to have more than one AutoCAD file open at a time. Did you know that you can open several documents at the same time? Select File/Open to display the Select File dialog box. Now press [Ctrl] and click on the files you want to open. When you've selected them all, click Open. AutoCAD loads all the drawings you selected in the AutoCAD window. Press [Ctrl][Tab] to switch between the open drawings.

Undocumented zoom option in AutoCAD
When you type the zoom command at the command line, you're given several options for zooming. However, there's an undocumented option that you might find interesting. If you start the zoom command, then type L at the command prompt, you'll be prompted for the lower-left corner point. You're then prompted for a magnification or height. This tip adds another weapon to your zoom arsenal.

Turn off shortcut menus in (AutoCAD 2000)
]Do you use AutoCAD 2000, but you prefer the R14 interface that doesn't utilize all the shortcut menus? Believe it or not, there are some users who don't like the shortcut menus, and they're certainly redundant. If you want to return to the R14 interface without shortcut menus, type shortcutmenu at the command line, then type 0 for the new value.

Assign a substitute font with FONTALT in AutoCAD
When AutoCAD loads a DWG file, it must locate the font files associated with that drawing. While the text styles are included in the DWG file, the fonts themselves aren't. By default, AutoCAD uses the TXT font as a substitute for any font it can't find. However, you can set the FONTALT system variable to designate an alternate font to use when the named font file is unavailable. Simply reassign the FONTALT value to a font you wish to use for all substitutions.

Use Paste Special to remove format codes in AutoCAD
Have you ever had problems with various strange codes appearing when you copy and paste text from emails or Web sites? There's a simple trick that will fix this problem. All you need to do is use the Paste Special selection in the Edit menu in any Windows application. Select the Unformatted Text option and your copied text is pasted without any format codes.

Change the coordinate display with a mouse click in (AutoCAD 2000)
Most experienced AutoCAD users know how to change the coordinate display on the status line by pressing [F6]. However, you might not be aware of the new option in the 2000 and 2000I versions (LT and full). You can now change the display mode just by clicking on the coordinate set on the status line.

Zoom to the max in AutoCAD
An undocumented zoom command I find very helpful is Zoom to VMAX, or Zoom to Virtual screen MAXimum. Start the Zoom command at the command line, then type V. This zooms out to the maximum screen attainable without a Regeneration. This makes it superior to Zoom Extents or All. This command was last documented in Release 12.

Find coordinates of multiple points the easy way in AutoCAD
Here's an easy way to find the coordinates of multiple lines. Grip the line, pline or object that you want the coordinates of and move the cursor over the grip box (but don't pick the point). The cursor automatically snaps to the grip box and displays the coordinates in the coordinate box in the bottom left corner. For the next point, just move the cursor to the next grip box, and so on. This tip was contributed by Earl Haigh.

Use AutoLISP to keep track of editing time in (AutoCAD14/2000)
One way to get a total count of the time you've spent editing a drawing is to go to File | Drawing Properties and then click on the Statistics tab (Tools | Inquiry | Time in R14). But you can also use the TDINDWG system variable to display your editing time in minutes or hours. To display the time in minutes, on the command line enter (setq total (* 1440 (getvar "TDINDWG"))) To display the time in hours, on the command line enter (setq total (* 24 (getvar "TDINDWG")))

Keeping AutoCAD from reversing a mirrored text object in (AutoCAD 14/2000)
When you use the MIRROR command, it reverses objects or turns them upside down. However, this might not be the result you're looking for when you want to reverse a text object. To prevent a text object from reading right to left instead of left to right after mirroring it, use the MIRRTEXT variable. To do so, enter MIRRTEXT on the command line and press [Enter]. Then enter 0 and press [Enter] again. You'll need to do this for each drawing in which you don't want to reverse text, since your value change is only saved in the current drawing.

Rotating a drawing in (AutoCAD 2000)
In AutoCAD 14 you can plot your drawing rotation in the Plot Rotation And Origin dialog box found in the Print/Plot Configuration dialog box. AutoCAD has replaced the Print/Plot Configuration dialog box with the Page Setup dialog box. However, you can still rotate your drawings in AutoCAD 2000. To do so, go to File | Page Setup and click on the Layout Settings tab. In the Drawing Orientation area, choose either the Portrait or Landscape option button to set your degree of plot rotation. You might also need to select the Plot Upside-down check box. Then click OK. Your drawing is rotated the desired degree from the selected point.

Use Excel to organize data in attributed blocks in (AutoCAD 2000)
If you need a quick way to store, sort and organize the information in your attributed blocks, you can do so easily using a Microsoft Excel file that's included in the Acad2000 folder. To use this file, first open the drawing that contains the attributed blocks and then minimize it. Next, open Excel and then open the extAttr.xls file located in the following directory: C:\Program files\Acad2000\Sample\Activex\ExtAttr You may need to click the Enable Macros button to open the file. Now from the Excel menu bar choose Tools | Macro | Macros. Select Extract from the Macro Name list box and click Run. All attribute data is extracted into an Excel worksheet. This data can now be sorted and organized with the Subtotals option from the Data menu.

Quickly creating polylines within bounded areas in (AutoCAD 14/2000 and AutoCAD LT)
If you need to create a polyline to define a closed area for the purpose of calculating the area, you can use the BOUNDARY command. To do so, type BOUNDARY on the command line to display the Boundary Creation dialog box. Then, pick the points needed for AutoCAD to create the closed polyline. For a more advanced selection, create a new boundary set and use island detection. You can then list properties to quickly define areas or create single entities for ease of manipulation.

Drawing a partial revision cloud in (AutoCAD 2000)
There may be times when you want to use the Revision Cloud feature in AutoCAD 20(00's Express Tools to create a partial cloud. To do this, enter REVCLOUD on the command line and then choose Options to display the Revcloud Options dialog box. Here you can set the arc style and chord length of your partial cloud. Click OK and then click in your drawing to begin the cloud. When you draw the partial cloud you want, simply press [Esc] to end the command. You now have a partial cloud polyline made up of arc segments.

Quickly setting block grips in (AutoCAD14/2000)
A fast way to turn on grips in a block is to use the GRIPBLOCK system variable. The default setting for this variable is 0, which means the grips are disabled. To enable them, simply set GRIPBLOCK to 1.

Cycle through drawings quickly in (AutoCAD 2000)
If you have multiple drawings open at the same time, you can cycle through them quickly using the [Ctrl][Tab] key combination. To cycle through them backwards, press [Ctrl][Shift][Tab].

Removing viewports before plotting in (AutoCAD14/2000)
You can use the MVIEW command to remove your viewport(s) from paper space or a layout before plotting. To do so, in paper space or from a layout, type MVIEW on the Command line and press [Enter]. Then type OFF, press [Enter], select the viewport, and press [Enter] again. Type Y when asked if you really want to turn off all active viewports and then press [Enter] (not applicable in AutoCAD 2000). The viewport becomes inactive, however the border remains visible.

Inserting drawings containing different fonts that have the same text style name in (AutoCAD14/2000)
If you insert a drawing that contains the same text style name as the one in your original drawing but that has a different font attached to it, the inserted font changes to the original font. To get around this, before inserting the drawing, type xref on the Command line and then press [Enter] to display the External Reference dialog box (Xref Manager dialog box in AutoCAD 2000). Now click the Attach button and navigate to the drawing you want to insert in the Select File To Attach dialog box (Select Reference File dialog box in AutoCAD 2000), then click Open. Adjust the options as needed in the Attach Xref dialog box (External Reference dialog box in AutoCAD 2000) and click OK. The text style is inserted with its proper font.

Keep objects from plotting even when they're on layers that are On and Thawed in (AutoCAD 2000)
The Layer dropdown list has a new Plot/No Plot icon in AutoCAD 2000 that you can use to set objects not to plot even if they're on a layer that's On and Thawed. To do this, select the layer containing the objects you don't want to plot from the Layer dropdown list. Then click on the Plot/No Plot icon to the left of the layer name (it looks like a printer). When you do, a red circle with a line through it appears on the icon. Now any objects on this layer won't plot.

Use the Match Properties command to copy text styles in (AutoCAD 2000)
A quick way to copy text styles from one drawing to another is to use AutoCAD 2000's multiple document capabilities with the Match Properties command. To try this, open the drawing containing the text style you want to copy and then open the drawing that you want to copy the text style to. Choose Window | Tile Vertically to tile the windows. Now, select the source object and then invoke the Match Properties command in one of three ways: clicking the Match Properties button on the Standard toolbar, choosing Modify | Match Properties, or entering matchprop on the command line. To switch to the window containing the text style you want to change, press [Ctrl][Tab] and then select the target object. Instantly, the text is changed to the desired style.

Force dimension arrowheads outside of extension lines in (AutoCAD14/2000)
When creating dimensions, you can use a sequence of dimension variables to force the arrowheads outside of the extension lines. To do this, at the command prompt, set the following dimension variables to the values shown: DIMTIX OFF DIMSOXD OFF DIMTAD 0 DIMFIT 1 DIMUPT ON Now choose the type of dimension you want to use, such as Linear, and pick a spot outside of the extension lines to place the dimension. When you click the mouse button, your arrowheads are displayed on the outside of the extension lines.

Importing a page setup name from an existing drawing in (AutoCAD 2000)
If you have a page setup name in an existing drawing that you want to use in your current drawing, you can easily import it with the PSETUPIN command. To do so, enter psetupin on the command line. In the Select File dialog box that's displayed, navigate to and select the existing drawing with the page setup name you want to use. Click Open to display the Import User Defined Page Setup(s) dialog box. Select the desired page setup name from the Page Setups list box and click OK. You can now choose this page setup name from the Page Setup dialog box in your current drawing.

Vector file formats supported in (AutoCAD 2000)
If you need to import or export vector files on a regular basis but aren't sure what formats are supported, the following list describes which vector formats can be used in AutoCAD and whether they can be imported or exported. Drawing Web Format (DWF): export only Drawing Exchange Format (DXF): import and export ACIS (SAT): import and export 3D Studio MAX Format (3DS): import and export Windows Metafile Format (WMF): import and export PostScrip (EPS): export only Stereolithograph Format (STL): import and export

Quickly cycle through the command entries in (AutoCAD14/2000)
For a real time-saver, use the up or down arrow keys to cycle through the commands that have been entered on the command line. Using the up arrow key displays the last-entered command up to the first-entered command. Then you can use the down arrow key to cycle from the first-entered command to the last one.

Show only the active layers in the Layer control in (AutoCAD 2000)
You can set up the Layer control to show only the active layers in a drawing. To do this, open your drawing and choose Format | Layer to display the Layer Properties Manager dialog box. Choose the Show All Xref Dependent Layers option from the Named Layer Filters dropdown list. Next select the Invert Filter check box to display only the active layers in the drawing. Finally, select the Apply To Object Properties Toolbar check box and click OK to show only the active layers in the Layer control.

Rotate dimension text independent of the dimension in (AutoCAD14/2000)
Usually dimension text is parallel to the dimension line. However, there may be times when you want to rotate the text independent of the dimension line. To do this, choose Dimension | Align Text | Angle. Next, select the dimension you want to change and then enter an angle value. When you press [Enter] the dimension text changes to the chosen angle. (This technique doesn't work with leaders.)

Quickly rename named objects in (AutoCAD14/2000)
You can use the Rename feature to quickly rename named objects, such as blocks, dimension styles, layers, linetypes, text styles, UCSs, viewports and views, without having to invoke their respective dialog boxes. To do so, choose Format | Rename or enter rename on the command line to display the Rename dialog box. Select the object you want to rename from the Named Objects list box. When you do, all the objects of that type are listed in the Items list box. Select the item you want to rename and enter the new name in the text box below the old name. Now simply click the Rename To button to update the item's name.

Where's the shortcut menu? (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
If you've selected an object to modify and right-clicked your mouse only to find that the Options dialog box instead of a shortcut menu appears, maybe it's because shortcut menus have been disabled. To check, select Tools | Options from the main menu or type Options at the command line to open the Options dialog box. Now, check in the Windows Standard Behavior section to make sure the Shortcut Menus In Drawing Area option is selected. Don't forget to click Apply before clicking OK to exit the Options dialog box.

Creating stacked text within the MTEXT Editor (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
When typing text into the MTEXT Editor you can choose to stack text one on top of the other by using any of the three characters /, #, or ^ to designate where to split the text. / tells the editor to stack the text with a horizontal line between lines # tells the editor to stack the text diagonally with a diagonal line between lines ^ tells the editor to stack the text, but not separate them with a line. (This option is most commonly used for tolerances.) Once you've entered the text you want stacked with the appropriate character, simply highlight the text (using [CTRL]A will select all the text within the MTEXT Editor) and then click the Stack button which has a small letter a over a small letter b. Your text will then stack.

Adding Text with Drag And Drop (2000/2002)
When adding a text file to a drawing using the Drag And Drop feature, there are a few things you should know about. First, if you drag and drop a TXT file from Windows Explorer into your drawing, the text is inserted as MTEXT. This allows you to manipulate the text with all the features within the AutoCAD MTEXT editor. If you drag and drop a word processing file such as a Microsoft Word DOC file, the text is treated as an OLE object. This means that whatever you place in the drawing will stay formatted exactly as you created it. To alter the text, double-click on it, and the application the text is associated with will open so you can make adjustments to the text. Another item to note regarding OLE text is that if you use the grips to resize or alter it, the text may become distorted and illegible.

What was that shortcut again? (AutoCAD 2002)
So you're working along and decide to use one of your favorite shortcuts you've previously assigned to [CTRL]R. After hitting the key sequence, you notice that instead of performing your favorite task, it's done something entirely different from what you expected. If you're sharing a workstation with others, it could be that someone has reassigned your favorite shortcut. Here's a quick and easy way to find all the shortcuts that have been assigned. 1. Right-click on any toolbar 2. Select Customize from the flyout menu 3. Click on the Keyboard tab of the Customize dialog box 4. Then, click the Show All button under the Assign and Remove buttons within the Keyboard tab You'll then see the Short Cut Keys dialog box. This will have all the different shortcuts assigned to the keyboard. Scroll through the list to find the shortcut key you want to review. This is also a good way to find a button you've created and put on a toolbar and forgotten which toolbar you put it on. Within the Short Cut Keys dialog box, there's a column called Category. This will tell you where the shortcut is located -- including which toolbar it's on.

Yet another way to quickly remove selected objects (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
When you're ready to select objects you want removed from a drawing, type E for ERASE at the command line. Instead of holding down the [Shift] key and clicking the objects you want to remove, try this: When you're prompted to select objects to erase, type All and press [Enter]. You'll again see the select objects prompt. Type r for REMOVE and hit [Enter]. Next, select all the objects you want removed from the set of objects that will be deleted from the drawing. Everything you select at this point will remain in the drawing. You can also use ADD to re-enter objects into the selection set.

Recovering objects with the Oops Command (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
If you erase something in your drawing and realize that you've done so in error, you can click the Undo button to restore the erased objects. However, what if you erase an object, then perform a number of other operations before deciding you want to restore the erased object? Clicking the Undo button requires you to undo every operation you performed after the erase in sequence. That's why Autodesk left the Oops command in the newer versions of AutoCAD. Type oops at the command line and press [Enter]. AutoCAD restores the last erased object, without affecting the work you've done after the erase.

Creating buttons to isolate a layer within a drawing (AutoCAD 2000/LT2002/2002)
You can use the following macros to create two new toolbar buttons. The first button, when clicked, will invoke the macro which will prompt you to select an object on the layer you wish to isolate and work on. Once you select the object, the other layers within the drawing are frozen. Once you've made the changes to the isolated layer, you can click the second button which thaws the other layers in the drawing. Button 1: Isolate a layer Macro: ^C^C_ai_molc;\-layer;freeze;*;; Button 2: Thaw other layers again ^C^C_-la;t;*;;

Use orientation tools wisely when editing solids in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
When editing solids, don't be afraid to create construction geometry or to align your UCS to a face on the solid. This can mean the difference between a fast, successful, solid edit and a long, drawn-out process. It's also a good idea to place your construction geometry on another layer so you can easily freeze it or delete it later when you've finished.

Matching pasted text in MTEXT editor to your current text style (AutoCAD LT/2000/2002)
You can cut and paste text from a word processor program (Notepad, Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, etc.) and paste it to your Mtext editor. However, it can often be tricky to match the style of the pasted text to your ACLT style. The quickest way to do this is to paste your text to the Mtext editor, click on the Properties tab in the Mtext editor window, and reselect your current style. All of the text in the editor window will update to the style you chose. Some users find this tip particularly handy when they cut and paste text from one Mtext group to another and they notice that the text is bold. NOTE: To cut and paste text from a word processor program, simply highlight the text you want to copy and press [Ctrl]C to copy the text to the clipboard. Then, go into your open session of AutoCAD. Type MTEXT and specify the first and second corners for the text window. Then, when you see the Multiline Text Editor window, click in the window for text and press [Ctrl]V to paste your text in the window.

Use RTEXT for making dynamic plot stamps (AutoCAD 2000)
Using AutoCAD's RTEXT for plot stamp information is easy and foolproof. The title block takes the properties of the drawing that it's referenced to. You can include the drawing path, name, layout name, date, time, and user. The information will automatically change if the drawing name and location changes. A REGEN will update the information. For example, entering this information: XYZ Company - $(getvar, "dwgprefix")$(getvar, "dwgname") [$(getvar, "ctab")]$(edtime, 0, MONTH DD", "YYYY - H:MMam/pm) $(getvar, "loginname") produces an output of: XYZ Company - J:\Job Files\2002\2002-105\HVAC\2002105-H05.dwg [42 x 30] June 05, 2002 9:10am Dwilkins If you use an xref, such as the title block, the RTEXT information should be inserted in that xref drawing only. To create the plot stamp, simply type RTEXT at the command prompt, then D (for DIESEL). Enter the information you want included. You'll then be prompted for an insertion point, and then you can choose a Style/Height/Rotation/Edit. You can change the DIESEL information later if you wish by using the PROPERTIES control panel under contents.

Quickly removing selected objects from a selection group in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
As you're selecting multiple objects or lines you may find that you need to remove some of the selected objects or lines from your selection group. A quick way to do this is to hold down the [Shift] key as you click on the objects or lines you wish to remove. If you're in the middle of a command, such as the Move command, you can also enter r on the command line and then select the object or line you wish to remove.

Adding unsupported bitmap images to your AutoCAD LT drawings (AutoCAD LT 2000)
In AutoCAD 2000 and 2002 you can use the IMAGEATTACH command to attach bitmap images created in non-traditional formats such as GIF and PSP (Paint Shop Pro) to your drawings. However, if you use AutoCAD LT 2000 you may have noticed that not only is the IMAGEATTACH command not available, these types of formats aren't recognized. To get around this, open a GIF or PSP image in its originating application or in a bitmap application such as Microsoft Paint. Now copy it to the Clipboard by pressing [Ctrl]C (you may need to select it first). Then in your AutoCAD drawing, choose Edit | Paste Special to display the Paste Special dialog box. Select Bitmap Image from the available Paste options and then click OK to add the image to your drawing.

Temporarily hiding raster images in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
Usually while you're working in your drawing you want to keep any raster images visible. However, if you have multiple raster images, keeping them visible can cause problems when panning and zooming. To avoid this, you can temporarily hide the raster images in your drawing. To do so, click the 3D Orbit button on the Standard toolbar. Then to show the raster images again, simply press the [Esc] button.

Selecting objects in tight spots in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
When you're asked to select an object at the command prompt and you're unable to get the exact selection you desire because the object is in a tight spot, you can switch to a crosshair or window selection method. To do this, enter c for crosshair or w for window on the command line. Then draw a box around the object and press [Enter] to make the selection.

A quick way to move or copy objects in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
You can use a shortcut menu to quickly move or copy objects such as lines, splines or polylines. To try this, first select the object. Then right-click and hold down the mouse button as you drag the object to the desired location. When you release the mouse button, a shortcut menu appears giving you the option to move or copy the object to that spot.

Saving time when extending lines in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
For a quick way to extend a line without having to select the object you want it to extend to, use the EXTEND command as follows: Command: _extend Current settings: Projection=UCS, Edge=Extend Select boundary edges... Select objects: (right-click on any blank space in the drawing) Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: (click on the line close to the end that you want to extend) AutoCAD extends the line to the first apparent intersection.

Quickly erasing multiple objects in (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
If you have a lot of objects that you need to erase from your drawing and only a few that you want to keep, you can save time by using the Remove command in conjunction with the Erase command. Doing this allows you to "remove" the objects you want to keep from the selected group of objects that will be erased. To try this, open the drawing that contains objects you need to erase. Enter erase on the command line and then enter all to select all the objects. Now enter r to invoke the Remove command and then select the objects you want to keep. This removes them from the selected group of objects that will be deleted. Then press [Enter] to delete the remaining objects.

Quickly convert single-line text to multiline text in (AutoCAD 2000)
If you use Express Tools in AutoCAD 2000, you can quickly convert single-line text to multiline text with the Convert Text To Mtext command. To do so, choose Express | Text | Convert Text To Mtext or enter txt2mtxt on the command line. Select the text string(s) you want to convert and then press [Enter]. All of the selected single-line text strings are converted to one multiline text string and are grouped together.

Two more ways to lock viewports in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
Recently we ran a tip showing you a few ways that you can lock your viewports in AutoCAD. The following are two more ways this can be done: 1. Create a custom toolbar button using the following macro: ^C^C_mview;lock;on; When you want to lock a viewport, click the button. AutoCAD prompts you to select an object. Select the viewport you want to lock and press [Enter]. (This tip was submitted by Pete Ruehle.) 2. Enter model space through the paper space viewport that you want to lock. Enter view on the command line and then click the New button. In the New View dialog box, make sure the Current Display option button is selected and then enter a name for the view, such as VP1, in the View Name text box. Click OK twice. Now if the viewport becomes distorted, simply restore the saved view.

Using hyperlinks to add information to specific objects in your drawings (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
An easy way to add non-printing information to a specific object in your drawing is to attach a hyperlink. To do this, first make sure your drawing is saved. Then choose Insert | Hyperlink and select the object to which you wish to add information. In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, add the text in the Hyperlink Description text box (Text To Display text box in AutoCAD 2002). Now click OK (in AutoCAD 2002, you need to add the drawing's filename to the Type The File Or Web Page Name text box before clicking OK). Now when you move the mouse pointer over the object, the information appears.

Quickly toggle entity settings in the Properties window in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
To reduce editing time when using the Properties window, you can double-click in a setting's text box. Doing so changes the property to the opposite setting. This works for any yes/no or on/off setting.

Other ways to open multiple drawings in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
In a recent tip we showed you how you can drag files from Explore to the Open icon in AutoCAD in order to quickly open multiple drawings. You can also do this directly from Explore or the Select File dialog box in AutoCAD. With AutoCAD open, right-click on the Start button and launch Explore. Next, navigate to and select the drawings you want to open (use the [Shift] or [Ctrl] key to select more than one drawing). Then press [Enter] and the drawings are opened in AutoCAD. (If AutoCAD isn't already running before you do this and you have more than one Autodesk application installed on your system, the appropriate application may not be launched when you press [Enter].) Another option is to choose File | Open to display the Select File dialog box in AutoCAD. Next, select the drawings you want to open using the methods mentioned earlier. When you click Open, all the drawings are opened in your current session. You can toggle between the drawings via the Window menu.

Making macros easier to read in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
When you're writing macros that you wish to share with others or you're entering them in AutoCAD such as when customizing a toolbar button, you can use a semicolon (;) instead of an empty space inbetween the commands. This makes the macro easier to read and decipher.

Quick tips for grip editing in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
There are a few tips you can use to save time when working with grips. First, to quickly access basic commands such as move, rotate and copy, make a grip hot and then right-click on it to display a shortcut menu. Second, you can deselect grips with one click of the mouse instead of pressing the [Esc] key two or three times. To try this, with an object selected, hover the mouse pointer over a grip, right-click and hold a second or two. The object is then deselected.

Easily regenerate specific objects in (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
Recently we ran a tip showing you how to regenerate a portion of your drawing using the ERASE command. You can also regenerate a portion of your drawing by selecting only those objects you wish to regenerate. The following are two ways to do this: 1. Enter move on the command line and select the object(s) you wish to regenerate. Then enter 0,0 for the base point and 0,0 again for the second point. (This tip was submitted by Paul Li.) 2. Load the following AutoLISP code into AutoCAD: ;This routine allows a partial regen of individual entities selected (defun c:re (/ count entity set set_length) (prompt "Select entitie(s) to regenerate: ") (setq set (ssget)) (setq set_length (sslength set)) (setq count 0) (while (< count set_length) (setq entity (ssname set count)) (entupd entity) (setq count (1+ count)) ) (princ) ) Next, enter re on the command line and then select the object(s) you wish to regenerate.

Using the ALIGN command to align your drawing's geometry in (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
If you need to align 2-D or 3-D geometry with other geometry in your drawing, you can do so easily with the ALIGN command. This command allows you to move, rotate and scale objects. To try this, enter align on the command line. Select the object you want to align. At the prompt, select the first source point and destination point. Repeat as needed for the selected object. At the next prompt, enter yes if you want to scale the object to match the destination points. Then press [Enter] to align the object.

Quickly saving a drawing as a BMP, TGA or TIFF file in (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
You can quickly save your drawing as a BMP, TGA or TIFF file with the SAVEIMG command. To do so, make sure the part of your drawing that you want to convert appears onscreen. Then enter saveimg on the command line. In the Save Image dialog box, select the graphic option you want to save the drawing as and click OK. Next, in the Image File dialog box, name the file and select the location of where you want it to be saved, then click Save. The drawing is saved in the image type that you chose.

Erasing objects outside of a selection area in (AutoCAD 2000)
Instead of selecting multiple objects to erase, you can draw a window around the objects you want to keep and then erase everything outside of the window. To try this, enter erase on the command line. When prompted to select an object, enter 'exw, press [Enter] and drag a window around the objects you want to keep. When you press [Enter], AutoCAD erases everything outside of the window.

Deactivating viewports for quick redraw in (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
If you work with a number of viewports in a drawing it can take a long time for it to redraw. To avoid this you can deactivate as many of the viewports as you want. To do so, enter maxactvp on the command line and change the value. For example, you can change the number from 48 to 10. This causes only 10 viewports to show their content while the remaining viewports become inactive, thus quickening redraw.

Quickly opening multiple drawings in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
You can easily open multiple AutoCAD drawings by dragging them from Windows Explore to the Open icon on the Standard toolbar. To try this, first make sure the SDI variable is set to 0. Then open Explore and minimize the window if necessary. Hold down the [Shift] or [Ctrl] key and select the drawings you want to open. Click on the selected drawings and drag them to the Open icon on the Standard toolbar. When you release the mouse button, each drawing is opened one at a time.

Easily move or copy text while working in the Multiline Text Editor in (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
The Multiline Text Editor dialog box provides easy ways for you to move and copy your text. To move text within a paragraph, first drag with the mouse to select the text you want to move. Then hold down the left mouse button and drag the text to its new location. To copy text, select it as before, then hold down the [Ctrl] key and drag to where you want the copy of the text to be.

Insert portions of a drawing into a new drawing without creating a block in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
You can add a portion of an existing drawing into a new drawing without having to make it a block. To do this, open the existing drawing, open a new drawing and then tile them. Next, select the portion of the existing drawing that you want placed in the new drawing. Now press [Ctrl]C, go to the new drawing, and press [Ctrl]V. The selected area is inserted as one entity and can be moved as a block. Another bonus: Once exploded, the entity creates layers, text styles and dim styles in the new drawing that are identical to that in the existing drawing. The parts of the pasted drawing can also be edited.

Use the WMF format to convert 3-D objects to 2-D in (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
If you have a 3-D model such as a building and want to make 2-D elevations, don't redraw the elevations. Instead, select the view you want to convert to 2-D and remove the hidden lines. Now enter wmfout on the command line, name the file in the Create WMF File dialog box and click Save. Next, select the object(s) you want to convert. Open a new drawing and enter wmfin on the command line. Select the file you just saved and click Open to import it. Choose an insertion point and set the scale factor to insert the file as a 2-D file.

Different ways to lock your viewports in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
Zooming in a viewport can cause it to lose its scale factor and cause you to lose your place. One way to avoid this is to lock your viewports. There are several different ways you can do this, as follows: 1. Enter mview on the command line and then enter l for Lock. At the next prompt, enter on. Select the viewport and press [Enter] to end the command. 2. Select the viewport in paper space and right-click on it. From the shortcut menu, choose Display Locked | Yes. 3. Select the viewport and enter properties on the command line. In the Properties window, select the Display Locked property and then choose Yes from the dropdown list.

Quickly change an object's properties or layer in (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
You can quickly change an object's property, such as its linetype or color, and move it to a different layer using the dropdown lists on the Object Properties toolbar. For example, to move an object to a different layer, click on it to select it and then choose the layer you want it moved to from the Layer dropdown list. Once selected, you can also change an object's linetype or color by choosing an option from the respective dropdown lists.

Use the ERASE command instead of REGEN to save time in (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
If you're working in a large drawing but only need to regenerate a small portion of it, you can use the ERASE command to save time. To do this, use the ERASE command to erase the part of the drawing you want to regenerate. Then enter undo on the command line and press [Enter] to undo the last command. When you do, the part of your drawing you erased is brought back in perfect form without having to regenerate the entire drawing.

Changing default keyboard shortcuts in (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
As you probably know, you can use keyboard shortcuts to invoke many of AutoCAD's commands, such as pressing the c key to invoke the CIRCLE command. But you may not know that you can change these default shortcuts to suit your needs. As an example, you may prefer to have all the shortcuts for the commands you use the most on the left side of the keyboard, or you may simply wish to use a different key for a particular command. To do this, close AutoCAD and go to Windows Explore. Navigate to the Program Files\Acad 2000\Support directory (Program Files\AutoCAD 2002\Support directory in AutoCAD 2002) to find the acad.pgp file. Make a backup copy of this file and then double-click on it to open it. Scroll down to the list of aliases and enter the new keyboard key you wish to use for a particular command in the left column. When you've finished, choose File | Save to save your changes and then close the file. Now the next time you launch AutoCAD, you'll be able to use your new keyboard shortcuts.

Use grips to quickly cycle through basic commands in (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
When working with objects, you can use the grips to quickly cycle through often-used commands such as Stretch, Move, Rotate, Scale and Mirror. To do so, click on the object to activate the cold (blue) grips. Then click on one of these grips to activate a hot (red) grip. Now simply press the [Spacebar] until the command you wish to use appears on the command line.

Renaming blocks after using the Paste As Block option in (AutoCAD 2000/2000i/2002)
We recently ran a tip describing how you can quickly make a block or copy a block using the Copy With Base Point and Paste As Block shortcut menu options. Doing so, however, causes AutoCAD to give the block a meaningless name such as A$C3FE318A9. This can be a problem in two ways. First, blocks named in this way (non-descriptive) can cause confusion when looking for a particular block at a later date. Second, Autodesk warns against using names longer than eight characters for blocks as this may cause file corruption. However, you can still safely use this method if you immediately rename the block after it's pasted. To do so, after you paste the block enter list on the command line and select the block. In the Text window, take note of the name AutoCAD has given the block and then enter rename on the command line. In the Rename dialog box, select the block name, enter a new name, and then click OK.

Easily share the onscreen display of your drawings (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
An easy way to share your drawing's current onscreen display with other Windows users is to save it as a BMP, TGA or TIFF image file. To do so, choose Tools | Display Image | Save. Then, in the Save Image dialog box, select the image option you want to use. You can also specify at what size your drawing should be saved. When you've finished, click OK to name and save the file.

Paste an object from one drawing to the same coordinates in another drawing (AutoCAD 2000/2002)
If you need to paste an object from one drawing to the same coordinates in another drawing you can do so easily with the Paste To Orig Coords command. To try this, open the drawing that contains the object you want to place in another drawing. Then, open the drawing in which you want to paste the object and tile the windows so both drawings are visible. Select the object by activating its grips, only make sure the grips aren't selected (highlighted). Hold down the right mouse button and drag the object to the second drawing. When you release the right mouse button a shortcut menu appears with options. Choose the Paste To Orig Coords option and the object is pasted to the same coordinates as in the original drawing.

Drag and drop to insert files into your drawings (AutoCAD R14/2000/2002)
You can use the drag-and-drop method to quickly insert files into your AutoCAD drawings. To do this, open Windows Explorer and drag the file you want to insert into the AutoCAD window. When you do, the INSERT command is automatically activated. You can use this method to insert files such as DWG, DXF, TXT, LIN, SCR, LSP, etc.

Stacking dual dimension text in (AutoCAD)
If you want to have dual dimensioning in your drawing, it's easy. First, select the Dimension/Style to open the Dimension Styles dialog box. Now, click Annotation to access the Primary and Alternate Units options. Normally, when you enable the Alternate Units option, you'll notice that the dimension text format takes up quite a bit of space, often making it difficult to get the text to fit between the extension lines. You can easily format the dual dimension so that the English dimensions are stacked over the metric dimensions as follows: 1.000 [25.4]  To do this, first enable the Alternate Units for metric units. In the Primary Units section of the Annotation dialog box, enter the following text in the Suffix text box: \P  Make sure that you use a capital P; otherwise, your text will look like the following: 1.0000[25.4]  This tip helps you fit text between the dimension lines more easily.

Enable different layer visibility of a Xref in AutoCAD
To changing colors and linetypes of the layers of child Xrefs within separate viewports.  AutoCAD treats Xrefs like blocks. That is, they can be renamed, copied, rotated, mirrored, etc. Once the Xref is attached to its specific layer (and NOT 0), you can type the command rename. Now, select "Block" at the next command prompt. You'll be prompted for the block name to change and then asked for the new block name. Once you've changed the Xref's name, attach the same Xref again, being sure to attach it to its specific layer. You now have the same Xref attached to the parent file twice, but with two separate names. When you open the Layer dialog box, you'll now have two separate prefixes of the same layers for the child Xrefs. This allows the manipulation of the color and linetype of the individual layers.

Insert an AutoCAD drawing into a Word document
Rather than converting your AutoCAD drawings into BMP files to insert in a Word document, wouldn't you like to simply insert the AutoCAD drawing itself? Well it's easier than you might think. Follow these steps:
1. Verify that AutoCAD isn't running.
2. Open the Word document where you want to insert the AutoCAD rawing.
3. Select Insert/Object.
4. From the Object dialog box, select AutoCAD Drawing and click OK. The AutoCAD window will open.
5. In AutoCAD, change the display background to the white if necessary.
6. Because you can't open a drawing, you must select Insert/Block, then choose the file you want.
7. Once you've found the AutoCAD drawing that you want to insert inside the Word document, select File/Update Microsoft Word. 
8. The AutoCAD drawing you selected now appears on your Word document.
9.Close AutoCAD.

Setting your cursor size in AutoCAD
Sometimes, when you're drawing fine details on a complex drawing, the cursor you're drawing with becomes a nuisance. It's either too big or too small. Luckily, there's a way to adjust the cursor size in your drawing so that you can work easier. Select Tools/Preferences, then select the Pointer tab. You'll see an option for Cursor Size. You can adjust your cursor here based on the percent of the screen. Try experimenting with the percent value to find a size that fits your needs.

Recovering lost AutoCAD entities from converted DWG files
If you work with DWG files that have been converted from other CAD packages or file formats, you may notice that the translations aren't always completely correct. As a result, problems can arise. One of the most commonly encountered problems is AutoCAD entities that appear on the display screen, but seem to be invisible to any and all editing commands. You can't erase them, modify them, or select them in any way. If you find this problem, try opening the Layer Properties dialog box and examine the color of the various layers. If you find any layer is using the color 0, you've probably found your problem. There is no color 0 in AutoCAD. Change the layer color to any between 1 and 255 and these entities will come back to life. You can now manipulate these entities any way you wish.

Add a tooltip-style comment to any AutoCAD 2000 object
Here's a simple way to add a comment to an AutoCAD 2000 object that displays when you move the mouse pointer over the object. Select Insert/Hyperlink, then select the object. Click on the right mouse button to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box. Now enter your comment text in the Hyperlink Description text box, but leave the Link To File Or URL text box empty. Click OK when you've finished. Now move your mouse pointer over the object. A tooltip-style comment will appear, displaying the description text you specified.

Use the DefPoints layer to prevent border printing in AutoCAD
After creating viewports in paper space, you probably won't want the viewport borders to print. You could create a VPORT layer, then freeze the VPORT layer to prevent the viewport borders from printing. However, there's an easier way to prevent the borders from printing. Try changing the viewport borders to the DefPoints layer.  The DefPoints layer is automatically created with your first dimension. This layer contains the points that define the start and end of the dimension extension lines. The points in the DefPoints layer don't print, and neither do any objects that are changed to that layer. You can see the borders, move them and stretch them, but they don't print--even if you forget to freeze them.  Normally, you'd never make DefPoints the current layer. However, you can also use this technique to prevent text from printing. Text typed on the DefPoints layer can be used to mark up revisions that you don't want to print.

Rotating AutoCAD viewports in paper space without changing model space.
If you ever need to have a viewport rotated in paper space, but you want the model space to remain unchanged, try this procedure. In paper space, activate the viewport to be rotated, then switch to model space in that viewport. Now enter the command "dview". Select the objects to be rotated and then choose Twist. Enter the desired angle of rotation and press Enter. Go back into paper space within the viewport and you should see your desired results. The image appears rotated in your viewport, but remains unchanged in model space.

Finding the length of an arc in (AutoCAD 14 and 2000)
In versions R13 and earlier, you had to convert an arc into a polyline to find its length. However, you don't need to do this in AutoCAD R14 and R2000. One method of finding an arc's length is to select the arc, make one of its grips hot, then right-click and select Properties. This opens the Modify Arc dialog box in R14 and the Properties dialog box in R2000. Within these dialog boxes, you'll find the Arc Length value. Another way to determine an arc's length in these later versions is to run the List command at the command line. When you're prompted to select objects, click on the arc and press [Enter]. The AutoCAD Text window opens and displays several of the arc's properties, including its length.

Use the Multiple command to repeat AutoCAD commands
Have you ever wanted a command to repeat itself, like some AutoCAD commands automatically do? For example, the Fillet command only runs through the command once. You can tell AutoCAD to repeat any command. At the command line, type the Multiple command. AutoCAD asks for the command that you would like to repeat--in this case, Fillet. Now, the Fillet command continues to be the active command until you exit by pressing [Esc]. Try this on any command and you'll find many uses for it.

Using OLE to insert an AutoCAD drawing into Word
In an earlier tip, we told you how to insert an AutoCAD drawing into a Word document as an object. Here's another easy way to insert an AutoCAD drawing using OLE. Open the drawing in AutoCAD, then copy the drawing (or whichever part of the drawing you need) to the Clipboard. Now open Word and select Edit/Paste Special. You should see the AutoCAD Drawing Object in the Paste Special dialog box. With this selection highlighted, click OK. Now position the drawing in the document by dragging it to the desired location. In addition, you can use the Crop tool on the Picture toolbar to get rid of excess white space, and drag the corner handles to expand or shrink the image to suit your document. Using this method also allows you to edit the embedded drawing by double-clicking on the drawing in the Word document.

Determine the quantity of blocks in your AutoCAD drawing
You may find yourself in a situation, such as a cost proposal, where you need to determine the quantity of a certain block within your drawing. AutoCAD provides you with an excellent tool for counting the blocks in a drawing: the Count command. Simply type the command at the command line, then select the objects you wish to count, or the entire drawing. The command opens the AutoCAD Text window and gives you a list of all the blocks in your drawing and their overall quantity.

Change your coordinate display in AutoCAD
You have a few different options for displaying coordinates in the status bar in AutoCAD. If you'd like the coordinate display to be updated as you specify points with the mouse pointer, type coords at the command line, then press [Enter]. When AutoCAD prompts you for a new value, type 0. If you'd like to display absolute coordinates that are continuously updated when you move the pointer, type coords at the command line, press [Enter], and then enter a new value of 1. Finally, if you want the display of absolute coordinates continuously updated, and the distance and angle from the last point to be displayed when a distance or angle is requested, type coords at the command line, press [Enter], then type 2 for the new value. These coordinate display options will help you use coordinates for displacement or for checking the distances between objects.

Temporarily change layer colors in (AutoCAD 2000)
If you want to draw objects with different colors without having to add new layers, try using the Color command. Type color at the command line to open the Select Color dialog box. Simply select your new color and click OK. When you use this command, the color change applies only temporarily to the current layer you're on and doesn't make any permanent changes to the layer. The default colors will be restored when you change layers.

Let AutoCAD determine the cutting edge for the TRIM command.
If you start the TRIM command and then press [Enter] when prompted to select the objects that form your cutting edges, AutoCAD sees the nearest lines to the object you wish to trim as the cutting edges. That part of the line is trimmed. You can go on selecting lines to be trimmed, and AutoCAD automatically determines what line is the cutting edge. The same trick works for the EXTEND command. Press [Enter] twice after typing the command, and AutoCAD determines what the boundary edge is for the line you select to be extended. The nearest line in its path will be the boundary edge.

Set AutoCAD 2000 to only open one document at a time in (AutoCAD (2000)
If you're making the transition from a previous release to AutoCAD 2000, one of the features that you may have trouble adapting to is the ability to work with the Multiple Document Interface, or MDI. In previous releases, it's only possible to have a single drawing open at one time, which is known as Single Document Interface, or SDI. This means that the active drawing is closed when a new one is opened. If you find that you end up with too many active drawings in AutoCAD 2000 because you're forgetting to close them, you can force AutoCAD 2000 to work in SDI mode. Either type SDI on the command line and change the numerical value to 1, or select Tools / Options / System and select Single-drawing compatibility mode. You can only make changes to this system variable if you don't have multiple drawings open.

Use AutoCAD's Calculator to do math
If you type cal at the Command line, AutoCAD allows you to perform math calculations. In addition, AutoCAD can also plug values into the current running command if you precede cal with an apostrophe. This issues a transparent command. Transparent commands don't terminate a command in progress. For example, we can perform a calculation within the offset command. The AutoCAD command sequence would look like this: Command: offset Specify offset distance or <Through> <1.0000>: 'cal Initializing...>> Expression: (1/8+3/32)/2 0.109375 Select object to offset or <exit>: The answer is stored as the default offset distance. It isn't necessary to retype the number, which allows for less possibility of a typing error. In addition, the number is carried out to more decimal places than appears on your screen, or on your pocket calculator. The CAL commands works with many commands that prompt you for a value. Some command examples are offset distance, rotate angle, fillet radius, move (drag distance), copy (drag distance), and the array distance between rows and columns.

Specifying a different directory for backup files in (AutoCAD 2000)
Do you want to specify a new directory for your backup files in AutoCAD 2000.  When Create Backup Copy With Each Save is enabled on the Open And Save tab in the Options dialog box, a backup of your drawing is saved in the same directory where the original drawing file is located. To specify a different directory for your backup files, you must install the MOVEBAK Express Tool in AutoCAD 2000. Using MOVEBAK allows you to relocate the drawing file to a different folder. You can download the Express Tools from the Autodesk Web site at http://www.autodesk.com.

Add extra spaces after dimension text in (AutoCAD R13,/R14/2000)
AutoCAD ignores extra spaces that you include at the end of your dimension text. If you want to include extra spaces after the text, you must enter a format code that instructs AutoCAD to not ignore the spaces. Simply type DIMPOST at the command line, then type the suffix you want with the number of spaces, followed by \~. Press [Enter] to complete the command.

Specify the previous set of properties in (AutoCAD 2000)
In older versions of AutoCAD, you could build a selection set, then issue the DDCHPROP command and specify P for the previous set. With the AutoCAD 2000's Properties command, which replaces the DDCHPROP command, you can't specify the previous set. However, using a bit of LISP code can return this useful option. Place the following code into your Acad.lsp file: (defun C:CHGPREV () (setq sset (ssget "P")) (if sset (progn (sssetfirst sset sset) (command "_.PROPERTIES") ) ) ) Now you simply issue the CHGPREV command to use the previous selection set in AutoCAD 2000.

Change the default drawing open directory in AutoCAD
If you want to change your default drawing directory, right-click on the shortcut icon on your desktop and choose Properties. On the Shortcut property sheet, change the path shown in the Start In text box. You should remember that if your new path contains spaces, such as "C:\My Drawings," then it should be enclosed in parentheses. If the path doesn't contain spaces, the parentheses aren't necessary.

Prevent associated objects from being deleted when erasng hatches in AutoCAD
Erasing a hatch object in AutoCAD when the PICKSTYLE setvar (system variable) is set to 3 causes objects associated with the hatch to be erased as well. This occurs because AutoCAD is instructed to treat the hatch and any associated objects as a single entity. If you don't want associated objects to be deleted when erasing hatch objects, set PICKSTYLE to 1 so that AutoCAD treats the hatch and any associated object as separate entities.

Make working with images easier in AutoCAD
If you frequently insert images into your drawings, then have to position, scale, and rotate them each time, you'll find this simple trick very useful. First, begin a new drawing. Next, insert the desired image, and then position, scale and rotate it into place. Make any other changes you want, such as contrast, then save the drawing. From now on, simply insert the new drawing, not the image. The attached drawing will contain all the settings you specified.

Gain more control of block properties in AutoCAD with the XPLODE command
When you use the XPLODE command on a block, the block reverts to its original properties. In most cases this is exactly what you want. However, what if you need a little more flexibility and control? With XPLODE, you can be more specific about the properties that your block reverts to. Type XPLODE at the command line, then select the block or blocks you want to explode. If you choose more than one block, you can make the same changes to all the blocks, or you can make individual changes to each block one at a time. You'll then see several options available at the command line. If you simply press [enter], the command works the same as normal. Otherwise, you can change the color, layer and linetype of the block. In addition, you can inherit the color, layer and linetype from the parent block. You'll find this command gives you more control than simply using XPLODE.

Exporting and importing dimstyle groups
Select a scale for your dimensions and set your text font/height and dimscale accordingly. Set up as many dimension styles as you want and name them. You'll generally have separate dimstyles for dimensions, leaders with dots, breaks or arrows, and various radial dimension styles. Once you've done this, select Bonus / Tools/ Dimstyle Export (found on the Express menu in AutoCAD 2000) to open the Dimension Style Export dialog box. Press the [Shift] key while highlighting all the dimstyles you want to export. Make sure you select the Full Text Style Information option so that the text styles are exported with the dimstyles. Click Browse to select a location for the file, then click OK. Now you can select Bonus / Tools / Dimstyle Import to import them into your new drawing.

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