Above the Clouds

AutoCAD 2016: XRef Enhancements

 

In AutoCAD 2016 you can now control the display of layers for objects in xref drawings that were not set to “ByLayer,” for layer property updates in the host drawing. A new system variable, XREFOVERRIDE, enables you to control the display of the xref layers: set XREFOVERRIDE=1, and the xref objects will behave as if their properties were set to “ByLayer.” 

To help distinguish layers in xref drawings from layers in host drawings—and because xref layers cannot be selected in the Properties palette—xref layers are no longer displayed in the Properties palette. Xref layers are still displayed in the Ribbon layers list but are now shown in gray text.

View this and other drawing and editing enhancements in the demo video.

AutoCAD 2016: Selection Highlighting

 

With hardware acceleration turned on in AutoCAD 2016, the selection effect color can be customized by clicking on the Selection Effect Color drop-down list on the Selection tab of the Options dialog box.

View this and other drawing and editing enhancements in the demo video.

AutoCAD 2016: Command Preview

 

Command preview functionality has been extended in AutoCAD 2016 to the BLEND, ERASE, STRETCH, ROTATE, and SCALE commands, helping you predict the results and minimizing the need to undo the operation.

View this and other drawing and editing enhancements in the demo video.

AutoCAD 2016: Property Preview

Property preview performance has been improved in AutoCAD 2016. For example, when you want to preview color changes for a large selection set, you can move your cursor freely on the properties palette or Ribbon controls to preview the change.

View this and other drawing and editing enhancements in the demo video.

AutoCAD 2016: Move and Copy Preview

When you move or copy a large number of objects together in the 2D Wireframe visual style in AutoCAD 2016, move function preview is generated quickly, enabling you to move the selected objects freely without lag.

View this and other drawing and editing enhancements in the demo video.

AutoCAD 2016: Isometric Line Grid

The isometric line grid now updates when you change the isoplane via the Isometric Drafting status bar control as well as with the F5 toggle.

View the isometric line grid and other drawing and editing enhancements in the demo video.

AutoCAD 2016: Geometric Center Osnap

The #2 AUGI wishlist request has been granted with the addition of a new Geometric Center object snap. Using the Geometric Center object snap you can snap to the geometric center of polygons and closed polylines. It is accessible by entering GCE at the command line as well as from typical osnap controls, including the Drafting Settings dialog box, Status bar, and contextual menus.

Tooltips distinguish the Geometric Center osnap from the traditional Center osnap.

 
A new object tracking glyph distinguishes the Center object snap from other object snaps that display the traditional “+” glyph.

View the new Geometric Center osnap and other drawing and editing enhancements in the demo video.

AutoCAD 2016: Text

To address the AUGI #5 wishlist request, a new Text frame property has been added to Mtext objects, enabling you to create a border around the text.

The Match text formatting button in AutoCAD 2016 is “sticky,” so you can apply the properties of the selected text multiple times within an Mtext object. It's available for all objects that use Mtext including mleaders, tables, and dimensions.

See text and other annotation enhancements in action!

AutoCAD 2016: Dimensioning

DIM command enhancements

The DIM command is significantly enhanced in AutoCAD 2016 and is now accessible from the Annotate ribbon tab. Next to it you’ll find a new dimension layer control. Dimensions created using the DIM command are automatically placed on the specified layer. If an appropriate dimension layer doesn’t currently exist in the drawing, you can quickly create one and apply it to the DIM command using the new DIMLAYER system variable.

Options within the DIM command are now displayed at the command line and in the right-click menu, eliminating the need for you to remember which options are available and how to enter them.

However, even the need to specify Dimension options is significantly reduced in AutoCAD 2016. Now the DIM command automatically creates appropriate dimensions based on the type of objects you select. A preview as you pass the cursor over those objects enables you to see the resulting dimension before you actually create it. For example if you launch the DIM command and hover the cursor over a linear object, a preview of the appropriate horizontal, vertical, or aligned dimension is displayed. After selecting the object you can either place the dimension or hover the cursor over another non-parallel linear object to display and place an angular dimension.

If you hover the cursor over a circle or an arc object, a preview of a diametric or radial dimension is displayed and the command prompt offers relevant options including the ability to switch between Radius and Diameter. Arc objects include the additional option to create an angular dimension.

 

The DIM command further simplifies creating dimensions by eliminating prompts to modify the dimension text and angle. Instead, the default values are automatically applied. Mtext, Text, and Text Angle options are available from the command line and right-click menus if you choose to change the default values.

If you attempt to create a dimension that overlaps with other similar dimensions, a cursor menu offers options to automatically move, break up, or replace the existing dimension in addition to simply placing the new dimension on top of the existing ones without affecting them.

When using the Baseline or Continue options, you are automatically prompted to select the first extension line origin.

Regardless of which type of dimension you create, the DIM command remains active, enabling you to easily place additional dimensions until you exit the command. 

Text wrap in Dimensions

When editing dimension text, a width sizing control is displayed above the text, enabling you to specify the width for text wrapping. This was the #8 AUGI wishlist request.

 

See dimension and other annotation enhancements in action!

AutoCAD 2016: Revision Clouds

The Revision Cloud tool is enhanced in AutoCAD 2016 to provide more flexibility. It's accessible from the Annotate Ribbon panel and includes three methods of creation: rectangular, polygonal, and freehand—in addition to the Command line option to select an object. The last used creation method is remembered the next time you run the command. You can set your own default creation method using the REVCLOUDCREATEMODE system variable.

Whether you create rectangular, polygonal, freehand, or object revision clouds, editing their size and shape with grips is intuitive and easy. The number of grips displayed for revision clouds has been significantly reduced. The location and behavior of grips is based on the shape of the revision cloud. For example, if the revision cloud was generated by selecting a circle, it will include a center grip and four quadrant grips enabling you to edit it like a circle. If it was generated by picking polygonal points, it will include vertex and midpoint grips. If you prefer legacy display of grips, you can set REVCLOUDGRIPS to Off.

In addition to easier editing with grips, a new Modify option enables you to draw new revision cloud segments and erase selected portions of existing revision clouds. This was the #4 AUGI wishlist request!

Watch the demo video to see the revision cloud enhancements in action!