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Top 10 Tips for DraftSight
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Top 10 Tips for DraftSight
Over one million users around the world already know how simple it is to view, create, edit or markup DWG and DXF files with DraftSight, especially those with past AutoCAD experience—but can we make things even easier? In this article, we dive straight into a top ten list of tips for maximizing your productivity with DraftSight, To get more news about cad download, you can visit shine news official website.
1. Use AutoCAD Aliases
For newer users migrating from AutoCAD (especially those who prefer to use the command line), this tip can significantly reduce the DraftSight learning curve. Although many DraftSight commands have different names compared to AutoCAD, any AutoCAD alias can be used to activate the equivalent DraftSight command.
For example, even though the equivalent to MOCORO in DraftSight is QUICKMODIFY, typing MOCORO into the command line (or even just a portion of MOCORO) will show both the AutoCAD alias and the corresponding DraftSight command name. Then, simply click or press Enter to activate the command. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
2. Automatic Dimensions
Automatic dimensioning is a great way to make quick work of an otherwise tedious situation that would typically require the individual placement of multiple dimensions. Before this tool can be used, however, a dimension bounding box must be established. After selecting the objects you wish to automatically dimension, use the command DIMBOUNDINGBOX to create a bounding box for the arrangement of dimensions.
3. Power Trim
As the 2D drafting companion to SOLIDWORKS, DraftSight has inherited a handful of productivity tools directly from the world of 3D. Power Trim is one that you will not be able to live without once you have tried it.Power Trim can be found in the Modify section of the ribbon under the Trim icon, or can be activated with the POWERTRIM command. Once active, simply click/hold and drag over any number of entities you would like to remove, and they will automatically be trimmed back to the nearest intersection with any other geometry. Trimming has never been easier.
4. Associative Patterns
Patterns on their own can save you plenty of time by reducing tedious, repetitive creation of identical geometry. However, traditional patterns lack any sort of intelligence and cannot be dynamically modified once created. Associative patterns, on the other hand, behave like features that can be adjusted—instances can be added and removed and spacing can be changed at any time with just a few clicks.
5. Reuse Dynamic Blocks
Understandably, many DraftSight users are AutoCAD veterans and often have libraries full of dynamic blocks created with AutoCAD that they would like to reuse. The good news is, you can. All versions of DraftSight allow you to insert, view and configure existing dynamic blocks from AutoCAD, while DraftSight Premium and Enterprise Plus also allow those blocks to be edited.
6. Geometric/Dimensional Constraints
Constraints can add intelligence to your work, otherwise known as design intent. Put simply, geometric and dimensional constraints allow you to control how your design elements will behave when changes are made to them.
7. Reusing Customization Files
If you are a long-time AutoCAD user, you may be concerned that you are going to lose (or think you have already lost) all of your customization from your old AutoCAD environment. Fortunately, DraftSight can make use of almost all AutoCAD customization files. The table below summarizes the customization types and extensions that are supported by DraftSight:
8. API for Customization/Automation
DraftSight’s API (application programming interface) can be used to automate many common processes within the software and allows you to create your own add-ins. Several programming languages are supported, including LISP, C++, C#, VB.NET and JavaScript for maximum flexibility.
9. Importing PDF to DraftSight
Trying to recreate geometry represented in a PDF in order to turn it into an editable DWG/DXF is one of the most tedious jobs one can face and, in most cases, it is unnecessary. So long as your PDF is not “flat” (meaning the geometry, letters and numbers are saved within the PDF, and it is not simply a picture in PDF format) the Import PDF command can be used to make quick work out of converting a PDF into an editable DWG. If you are importing an entire drawing, you will want to begin with a blank DraftSight document. Then, use the PDF command found in the Import tab of the ribbon.
10. Network Licensing
DraftSight is often used as a collaboration tool, rather than as a company’s primary design application. Therefore, designers may use the program rather infrequently. It is likely that DraftSight licenses are shared between many users. Network licensing makes this possible by storing licenses on a server and distributing licenses as needed by users. Network licensing allows anyone and everyone on your team to leverage DraftSight when they need to, making it easier than ever to design and collaborate in 2D. DraftSight Professional and Premium, by contrast, do not allow sharing of licenses in the same way.