- [Instructor] Welcome to the first chapterof the AutoCAD Express Tools Workflow Course.And the first chapter is very simple, Express Tools.What are they?What do they do?Why are they there?Why should we use them?Well, I've got a new drawing open for you.It's 01_IntroExpressTools.dwg.You can download that from your Lynda.comexercise files as usual, and follow thatalong with the video so that you can keep upwith what we're doing in each of the videos.Now, this particular drawing is very simple.
- Aug 21, 2018 AutoCAD Express Tools (ETs) used to be a nice little bonus to the regular setup; in fact, they were originally called Bonus Tools. Today, they’re often an indispensable part of our workflows. Just click on the Express Tools tab of the Ribbon, and there they are: 49 of the coolest commands AutoCAD.
- AutoCAD Express Tools is a collection of productivity tools that extend the power of AutoCAD. These tools are provided as a courtesy to you but are unsupported. Autodesk does not assume any responsibility for their successful operation. You can install the Express Tools during the initial product installation or you can add them later using Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel.
Start the “Make Shape” tool on the “Tools” panel of the Express Tools tab or MKSHAPE Give the new.shp file a name and specify where you want to save the.shp file; give the shape a name. This name is what AutoCAD uses to look for the shape. Specify the resolution. I use the default value of 128. When installing AutoCAD, click the program's install/configure options and enable the checkbox for Express Tools if it is not selected. Some versions of AutoCAD do not have Express Tools selected to install by default. To install Express Tools when AutoCAD is already on your system: Open 'Programs and Features' from the Windows Control Panel. AutoCAD 2000 Express Tools (formerly known as Bonus!) 1 Jul, 1999 By: Lynn Allen By the time you read this article, I'll have spoken to more than 2,000 users about the new features in AutoCAD 2000. Learn how to save time and become more productive in AutoCAD by using Express Tools. Join Shaun Bryant as he demonstrates how to optimize your workflow by using faster tools for working with blocks, text, modifications, layouts, drawings, and dimensions.
We have a simple arc and a simple pieceof single line text, like so.And these are on layer zero.I haven't created any new layers.This is just to give you an introductioninto Express Tools and what they do.So, where do we find our Express Tools?They're up here on the Express Tools tab, like so.Now, we've got some really neat tools in here.One of the ones that I love, my personal favoriteis this one here in the Text panel,the Arc Aligned Text.So if I click there like so and come intothe drawing area, it ask me to select an Arc.
So there's my Arc there, like so.Now, I get this lovely little dialog box.It allows me to work out where the text is going to go,so I want it above, on the convex side of the arc,or I can have it below on the concave side.I can also outward from center,inward to the center and so on.We're using just the standard text stylein the drawing, and it's a Verdana font,and there's a little preview there.And the text is going to be Lynda.comso I'll type that in like so, Lynda.com.Text height, I'm going to make that15 high in this case.
And again, obviously, your text height will bedefined by your drawing and what you're doing.Now the width factor we'll leave at 1.0.You should be aware of width factorsif you're and AutoCAD user already.That's the width factor of the textand how it's spread across the area it covers.The offset from the arc will say three millimeters,offset from the left say five millimeters,offset from the right, five millimeters.As soon as I click on OK, there's my text.How wicked cool is that?What that allows me to do is create textthat follows an arc which could beextremely useful if you're addinga little bit of graphic design to a drawing.
Something I've used it for is creating a logofor a company in AutoCAD and adding that to myAutoCAD title blocks, for example.What we'll look at as we work through this courseis all of the AutoCAD Express Toolsand how they can make you worksmarter and better in AutoCAD.Just like that Arc Aligned Text command does.
Description
Key Learnings
- Learn how to use Explode Attributes, Replace Block, and List Properties
- Work with Arc-Aligned Text and Modify Text
- Change layouts with Align Space, Synchronize Viewports, and Merge Layout
- Learn how to use Super Hatch