way, and use sheet sets, blocks, and xrefs in a consistent fashion. After you make standards, create a simple test drawing and make sure that the plotted results are what you want. You’ll undoubtedly revise and extend your standards as you go, especially on your first few projects. In time, you’ll find a set of standards that works for you.
Cool Standards Tools
Most of the hard CAD standards work happens outside of AutoCAD — thinking, deciding, documenting, revising, and so on. But ultimately you need to translate that work into your CAD practice, and AutoCAD includes some tools to make the job easier. Table 15-3 lists standards-related AutoCAD utilities.
Table 15-3 AutoCAD’s CAD Standards Tools
| Utility Name | Command Name | Menu Choice | Use | Cross-Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DesignCenter | ADCenter | Tools>DesignCenter | Copy layers, dimension styles, and other named objects from other drawings | Chapter 4 |
| Tool Palettes | ToolPalettes | Tools>Tool Palettes Window | Create symbol and hatch pattern libraries | Chapter 2 and “Tool Palettes” in the online help system |
| Layer Translator | LAYTRANS | Tools>CAD Standards>Layer Translator | Translate from one set of layer names and properties to another | “LAYTRANS command, Layer Translator” in the online help system |
| Configure Standards | STANDARDS | Tools>CAD Standards>Configure | Assign particular standards requirements to the current drawing (and control what gets checked) | Figure 15-1 and “STANDARDS command, Configure Standards dialog box” in the online help system |
| Check Standards | CHECK-STANDARDS | Tools>CAD Standards>Configure | Check the current drawing against the standards requirements that are assigned to it | Figure 15-2 and “CHECK-STANDARDS command, Check Standards dialog box” in the online help system |
| Batch Standards Checker | N/A | Start>(All) Programs>Autodesk>AutoCAD 2005>Batch Standards Checker | Checks multiple drawings against the standards requirements that are assigned to them or against a single standards requirement | “Batch Standards Checker” in the online help system |
Figure 15-1: Configuring standards. Check?
Figure 15-2: Checking standards. Check!
AutoCAD standards checking tools require an AutoCAD Drawing Standards (DWS) file. You create a DWS file from a drawing with all the allowed layers, dimension styles, text styles, and linetypes; use File>Save As to save it as a DWS (not DWG) file. The DWS file defines acceptable named objects for the Check Standards and Batch Standards Checker utilities. See “standards files, creating” in AutoCAD’s online help system for information.
AutoCAD 2005 monitors CAD standards compliance when you’ve specified standards for the current drawing. By default, a balloon notification appears from the right end of the status bar. CAD managers can trade the balloon for a message that offers to fix the mistake. To configure the notification level, click the Settings button in the Configure Standards dialog box.
If your company does have CAD standards in place, someone may have created custom tools to help you comply with those standards. For example, the CAD manager may have put together template drawings with customized settings or block libraries of standard symbols. CAD managers sometimes create custom menu choices, scripts, or utility programs for the company’s CAD standards.
Chapter 16
Drawing on the Internet
? Understanding AutoCAD Internet features
? Exchanging drawing files via e-mail and FTP
? Using the Reference Manager to view and fix file dependencies
? Using the Drawing Web Format and ePlot
