Favourite tool, best time saving feature, in AutoCAD

[terryh]

What do you see as your favourite tool, best idea or most time saving feature of Autocad so far?

I would say the combination mouse scroll/pan would be the biggest time saver I can think of and it is just so simple. Remember having to click on the zoom toolbar, or type a command just to navigate around the drawing?

Second would be the tabbed layouts and page setups, followed by the improvements to the printing command.

[Mike.Perry]

Hi "terryh"

Please note I have *moved* this thread from the CAD Mgmt. General forum to this one, as I feel this particular forum is a more appropriate place for such a topic.

Thanks, Mike

Forum Manager

[jgrande26]

I'd have to agree with you about zooming and panning with the mouse. I don't use the zoom toolbar anymore. Even 3D navigation with the mouse is pretty easy once I got the hang of it.

I also like the sheet set manager for managing large projects.

[johan d]

it's not an Autocad tool, but it's definitely the most time saving thing i got my hands on...
www.multibatch.com

[chadwickt]

What do you see as your favourite tool, best idea or most time saving feature of Autocad so far?

I would say the combination mouse scroll/pan would be the biggest time saver I can think of and it is just so simple. Remember having to click on the zoom toolbar, or type a command just to navigate around the drawing?

Second would be the tabbed layouts and page setups, followed by the improvements to the printing command.

I would have to add the zoom extents through double-clicking the scroll wheel.

I have always loved pressing enter to accept everything as a cutting edge in the trim command, and holding shift to switch to extend.

A newer option I am fond of is holding shift in the fillet or chamfer command to default to a zero radius or chamfer distance.

[jgrande26]

Object snap tracking - no more drawing construction lines or moving things more than once.

[stelthorst]

My new favorite command is M2P.

I'm always needing to draw/insert entities midway between two other objects and M2P has cut down the time for this process considerably.

[joeswantek]

As far as recent creations, I'd have to say that tool palettes have boosted my productivity more than anything else recently. After a minor amount of time setting up and troubleshooting them, they have me flying. And then there's dynamic blocks, they're fantastic!

Now, going back years and years, there's the movement from DOS-based applications to Windows-based operation, and the introduction of toolbars. They're major advancements as well. Anyone else remember them?

For personal enhancement, I have two extra buttons on my trackball programmed to function as the F3 and F8 keys, so I can turn the OSNAP and ORTHO on or off with the click of a mouse. Very handy if you're on the phone and working or holding copy and working at the same time...

[robert.1.hall72202]

As far as recent creations, I'd have to say that tool palettes have boosted my productivity more than anything else recently. After a minor amount of time setting up and troubleshooting them, they have me flying. And then there's dynamic blocks, they're fantastic!

Now, going back years and years, there's the movement from DOS-based applications to Windows-based operation, and the introduction of toolbars. They're major advancements as well. Anyone else remember them?

For personal enhancement, I have two extra buttons on my trackball programmed to function as the F3 and F8 keys, so I can turn the OSNAP and ORTHO on or off with the click of a mouse. Very handy if you're on the phone and working or holding copy and working at the same time...

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, and Amen!

Don't forget to put the escape key on the programmable mouse.

[slayer913]

Best few things that I've come across I've actually implemented here in the last few months.

Setting up a second monitor has by far gotten me moving much faster. I'm not plotting out hard copies of prints I need to read while drawing anymore, nor am I having to alt+tab between windows nearly at all!

In CAD, LISP routines can eliminate redundant tasks, automate future tasks, and take some of the "footwork" out of getting drawings to the plotter. I use small routines to do everything from Auto centerline / dimension to shorten commands ("cylinder" to "cc").

Praise to dynamic blocks!

And lastly, I got a stand alone number pad that I have programmed custom buttons to. The keypad works with number lock on or off, so with my custom settings, each key has two assignments. Hitting "1" on the pad starts a new drawing, "2" quick saves, "3" plots, etc.