|
|
LT On-line: Lesson 13
1 Apr, 2001 By: Mark MiddlebrookSelect and edit objects
Page 1: Edit Styles
In AutoCAD and
AutoCAD LT you spend a lot of time editing-far more than drawing objects
from scratch, in fact. That's partly because the design and drafting process
is iterative by nature, and also because it's easy to edit objects cleanly
in a CAD program.
AutoCAD LT inherits
many editing tools from AutoCAD. Some of these methods differ from those
found in illustration or diagramming programs. Many differences are the
result of backward compatibility, but many come from the exacting demands
of CAD. Many CAD drawings contain lots of closely spaced, overlapping,
and squeezed-together objects. CAD programs have to provide flexible,
but precise, ways to let you select and edit objects.
Because you'll spend
a lot of time selecting and editing objects in AutoCAD LT, it's worth
improving your efficiency at these tasks. Small gains in object selection
and editing efficiency result in large gains in your overall CAD productivity.
  Figure 1. |
The procedures described here work with AutoCAD LT 98-2000i and AutoCAD Releases 14-2000i. The descriptions assume that you use the default selection configuration settings, as shown in figure 1. You'll find these settings in the Options dialog box (in AutoCAD and LT 2000/2000i) or the Ddselect and Ddgrips dialog boxes (in AutoCAD Release14 and LT 98). You can make AutoCAD object selection work very differently by changing these settings, but if you do, you will probably find this lesson pretty confusing! I recommend that you stick with the default settings, at least until you understand how they work.
 Figure 2. |
Edit
styles
AutoCAD LT offers two main styles of editing: command-first editing
and selection-first editing. Within the selection-first editing
style, you can choose to use actual, named commands or direct manipulation
of objects without named commands. Here's a review of these editing styles:
Command-first
editing (a.k.a. verb/noun editing): Choose a command, then select
the objects you want to apply the command to (figure
2). This is the classic AutoCAD editing style, and the one that most
drafters use. It's the most consistent and flexible method in AutoCAD
LT, but some users find it backwards at first.
Figure 3.
Selection-first editing with named commands (a.k.a.
noun/verb editing): Select objects, then choose a command to operate
on those objects (figure 3). From AutoCAD's
point of view, this editing style is a backwards variation of command-first
editing. Selection-first editing works with some but not all commands.
Selection-first editing with grips (a.k.a. grip editing): If you
select an object while no command is active, you can directly manipulate
it by pushing around the little squares that appears in (figure
4).
Figure 4.
If you plan to edit
a lot, and learn only one AutoCAD editing style, it should be the command-first
style. You can perform just about any editing operation with this style,
and it gives you many object selection options. In addition, it's worth
knowing how to do selection-first editing with grips, which is a bit more
efficient in some situations, especially in crowded drawings.
Select and edit objects
Page 1: Edit styles
Page 2: Object selection for all editing styles
|
|
AutoCAD Tips!
Autodesk Technical Evangelist Lynn Allen guides you through a different AutoCAD feature in every edition of her popular "Circles and Lines" tutorial series. For even more AutoCAD how-to, check out Lynn's quick tips in the Cadalyst Video Gallery. Subscribe to Cadalyst's Tips & Tricks Tuesdays free e-newsletter and we'll notify you every time a new video tip is available. All exclusively from Cadalyst! |
 | Feed
My ConnectMyDNA Results 21 May, 2013 |
 | Feed
TERA Semicon Drives Its Own Destiny with CAD and PDM 22 May, 2013 |
 | Feed
SolidWorks Simulation Tips: Parameters and Design Studies 22 May, 2013 |
|
Considering Wide Format Printing Solutions?
Four FREE White Papers Available:
