How to Copy One Autocad Drawing Into Another TUTORIAL

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If you lot've been following the CAD Setter Out for a while, you will know that I recommend keeping your geometry organised every bit you lot keep.

Using Polylines, Groups, Blocks, Layers and Xref's effectively will help you to work quickly with your drawings files. Working this way will besides go some way to preventing your AutoCAD DWG files condign bloated or corrupt.

If y'all've been working on a file for some time, and yous've noticed AutoCAD slowing downward, then it may exist worth doing a bit of a cleanup to help slim that drawing file down. This could besides be necessary when dealing with files from clients, suppliers or contractors.

I've listed a few tools and tips below that could aid you put a flake of zip dorsum into a sluggish DWG.

• Back up before you mess upwardly!
• Go easy on explodes
• Delete unused geometry
• Observe Invisible objects
• Delete unused layers
• Delete unused Layer filters
• Check your styles
• Purge
• Purge Regapps
• Audit
• Recover
• Wblock
• Other issues that could be slowing your DWG downward

(If you use Architectural Desktop, check out the extra tip from Mike in the comments)

Support before yous mess up!

Equally e'er, save a re-create of your production DWG files before you mess almost with them :) This is particularly important if you  are working with a third party cartoon.

Go piece of cake on explodes

If you lot receive a drawing from a tertiary party, don't be tempted to explode all their blocks. This tin be a actually bad idea. If there is more than than ane copy of each block in the cartoon and then the blocks will actually be saving memory.

If you suspect a block is causing a problem, copy information technology out into a bare file and exploded it. Then follow the advice below on the new file. Advisedly rebuild the block and then supplant or re-ascertain the cake in the original drawing.

Exist really, really conscientious that y'all don't explode a dynamic block. The dynamic properties of the block will not be able to resolve themselves and this may corrupt your DWG.

Delete unused geometry

If you need to make a change to your drawing, It can exist tempting to copy the former detail to ane side 'but in example'. This is all boosted data that AutoCAD needs to manage. If yous end up with a lot of unnecessary, erstwhile or out-dated geometry, create an archive copy of the AutoCAD DWG file and delete your intermediate work from your working DWG file.

Note: A quick way to delete all unnecessary objects from your drawing file is to hit CTRL+A (select all), then hold downwards the Shift primal whilst de-selecting what y'all desire to go on. now hit delete. Poof!  All unused data will be gone ;)

Find Invisible objects

There are a number of objects that could exist effecting your DWG'south file size – that aren't always visible. This could include empty text strings, points and blocks that incorporate only invisible attributes.

To pick up points, type 'DDPTYPE' at the command line to change the size and style of points in your cartoon. You lot can now delete what you don't need.

To notice empty text strings, type 'QTEXTMODE' at the command, prepare the value to '1' and perform a regen. This will replace all the text strings in your drawing with bounding boxes. Y'all can now hunt down and delete any empty text boxes. Set qtextmode back to 0 when you are done to put your text back to normal.

Annotation: From 2010 AutoCAD has the selection to purge empty text strings in the 'PURGE' dialogue – see below.

To notice Cake definitions that contain Invisible attributes, type 'ATTDISP' at the control line, and fix attribute brandish to 'on'. Y'all can now select and delete any previously invisible blocks that you don't need.

To find 3D objects with invisible faces, type 'SPLFRAME' at the control line, and set the value to '1'. This will reveal the shapes control polygon, allowing you to select and delete it.

It is possible to create an AutoCAD group with cipher in it. Burn down up the 'GROUP' command and 'explode' any groups you don't need or recognise.

Notation: AutoCAD 2012 at present has the choice to purge empty groups – encounter below.

Finally, to find wipeouts that have their frames turned off type 'TFRAMES' at the command line and striking return. This system variable toggles wipeout frames on and off.

Delete unused layers

Did you know that AutoCAD won't let you delete a layer that is in use? Open the Layer manager, select every Layer you don't need  and hit 'Delete'. You can't accidently delete a layer you need. This will get rid of a whole load of extra data that AutoCAD doesn't demand to manage.

AutoCAD won't let you lot delete the active layer, so check which layer is active before yous start. AutoCAD won't let you delete a layer that is frozen in a viewport – even if there are no objects on that layer, so check through each viewport if you accept problem layers.

Tip: Use 'LAYMRG' to merge objects to a target layer. The original layers are purged from the drawing.

Tip: Utilise the 'LAYDEL' command to permanently delete any layers that you lot tin't milkshake. Be careful with this tool – there's no going back!

Note: The system variable 'SHOWLAYERUSAGE' puts a check mark in the layer dialogue by each layer that is in use. If you have lots of layers in your drawings, setting this to '0' volition prevent AutoCAD from tracking 'in use' layers, which will assist speed things up.

Delete unused Layer filters

At present you've deleted all the layers you don't need out of your drawing, perchance you've got a whole load of layer filters yous don't need either? The quickest way to make clean out layer filters is with the 'FILTERS' command. This pops upwards a little dialog which allows you to speedily delete unused layer filters from your AutoCAD DWG file.

Annotation: The command is 'FILTERSouth' – not 'FILTER'. The Filter command is like an Uber Quick select tool.

Check your styles

AutoCAD won't let you purge text, dimension or multi-leader styles while they are in employ – even if yous are not using the style in the drawing. Bank check which styles are current before you lot purge.

Purge

AutoCAD'due south PURGE command will allow you to clear out data from your AutoCAD file's database that isn't part of the drawing.  For example, even if yous have deleted all copies of a block out of a cartoon, it's definition will still be in the drawing'due south database. This is the same for Annotation styles.

Think to check the 'Purge nested objects' box to clear out nested block references. AutoCAD 2010 has the handy option to clear out empty text and zippo length lines. AutoCAD 2012 includes the option to purge empty groups.

Application menu > Drawing Utilities Panel > Purge

Command entry: purge

Save your file later you've purged information technology to  re-write the database before you audit. You lot may need to purge and inspect a couple of times to completely make clean up your DWG. I recommend that yous purge your file production files frequently equally part of your housekeeping routine.

Tip: Y'all can use the PURGE command as a detective tool to help with problem files. Checking the 'View items you lot cannot purge' radio button to discover any united nations-PURGE'able nasty's that are hidden in your drawings.

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If you need to clean up a lot of trouble drawings, you could endeavor either of these 3rd party plugins:

http://www.jtbworld.com/smartpurger.htm

http://www.manusoft.com/software/superpurge.html

Purge Regapps

'PURGE REGAPPS', is a secret choice of the command line only version of the purge command. 'Regapps' is short for 'Registered Applications'.

AutoCAD holds a bit of memory space free for vertical products such equally AutoCAD Architectural desktop to employ if they need it. If you receive files that could have been created with one of the AutoCAD verticals, yous can claw back some memory space by using this control.

Type '-purge' at the command line, then type 'r' and hit 'enter' to chose 'Regapps'. AutoCAD will prompt y'all to listing the names you want to purge. Simply hit 'enter' to accept the default asterisk '*' which volition select all the available regapps. At present type 'Northward' and hitting enter so you don't accept to verify each regapp to be purged.

AutoCAD will recreate any regapps memory space it needs should the file be re-opened past an AutoCAD vertical, and so this won't cause anyone problems downwards the line.

Note: If you lot created a backup re-create of your file, compare the file size now. You lot should notice that it is substantially reduced.

Audit

AutoCAD's 'Audit' control inspects the cartoon file'due south database for errors. Type 'Audit' at the control line, Type 'Y' to prepare errors and then hit the F2 central to see what AutoCAD has done to your file. Save your file before you run the purge command again.

You may need to run the Purge – save  and  Audit – salvage commands a few times to completely optimize your file.

Recover

The recover command is a little like the 'AUDIT' command – only you run it before you open up the problem drawing. To employ the recover command, go to the application menu (The Large Red A) and choose, Drawing utilities > Recover. You will be prompted to option a file.

Annotation: This is one of the few things in you can exercise in AutoCAD without a cartoon open already.

The file will be Audited, and so opened in AutoCAD.

Wblock

If null else works, try 'WBLOCK'ing the geometry you require into another cartoon. The wblock command volition only take what it needs to support what you have chosen to export from your drawing. This can get out corrupted elements behind.

Other bug that could exist slowing your DWG downwardly

If yous are running antivirus software, make sure that common AutoCAD file types such as DWG, DWS, DWT, DXF, BAK, SV$ are excluded. You tin come across a full listing of AutoCAD file extensions here:

HyperPics: File Extensions Related to AutoCAD

The Calibration List Problems

AutoCAD 2008 included a issues which copied all annotation scales from x-referenced drawings into the host drawings, even if they already existed. This creates a massive number of unrequired scales in your drawing. If you are working with someone who is using AutoCAD 2008, you might still meet this problem.

More modern releases of AutoCAD have an automatic detection system for this trouble. If you open up a problem file, AutoCAD volition prompt you to meet if you desire to re-set the scale list. I recommend yous cull 'Yes'!

To reset the calibration listing in a corrupted cartoon, follow the command line entries beneath:

Command: -SCALELISTEDIT Enter option [?/Add/Delete/Reset/Exit] <Add together>: Reset

Reset scale list to defaults? [Yes/No] <No>: Yeah

Scale list reset to default entries.

Enter option [?/Add/Delete/Reset/Exit] <Add together>: Exit

If you are using xref's, make sure you lot clean out the xreff'd files before you clean out the host cartoon.

If you demand to clean upward lots of files you can apply this Scale List Clean up utility from Autodesk.

Download the Scale Listing Clean up Utility from Autodesk

Total and Fractional saves

AutoCAD only does a 'total' save when you hit relieve. AutoSaves are incremental (only what's changed will be saved). The system variable 'ISAVEPERCENT' controls how oftentimes a total save volition exist done. Setting isavepercent to 0, volition result in a longer salve time, but a better organised fie (all saves will be total). Setting isavepercent to 100 will upshot in a faster relieve time, but more sluggish performance.

I hope that you found this article useful and that you lot've managed to jiff some new life into your crusty old DWG'southward!

Read this postal service for more ways to clean up your AutoCAD geometry for output to CNC/CAM.

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How to Copy One Autocad Drawing Into Another TUTORIAL

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