Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 14
Advanced Editing and Organizing
Because you may not know all of a project's requirements when it begins, you usually base
the first draft of a design on anticipated needs. As the plan goes forward, you adjust for new
requirements as they arise. As more people enter the project, additional design restrictions come
into play and the design is further modified. This process continues throughout the project,
from the first draft to the end product.
In this chapter, you'll gain experience with some tools that will help you edit your drawings
more efficiently. You'll take a closer look at Xrefs and how they may be used to help streamline
changes in a drawing project. AutoCAD can be a powerful time-saving tool if used properly.
This chapter examines ways to harness that power.
In this chapter, you'll learn to do the following:
Use external references (Xrefs)
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Manage layers
Using External References (xrefs)
Chapter 7, “Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References,” mentioned that
careful use of blocks, external references (Xrefs), and layers can help improve your produc-
tivity. In the following sections, you'll see firsthand how to use these features to help reduce
design errors and speed up delivery of an accurate set of drawings. You do this by control-
ling layers in conjunction with blocks and Xrefs to create a common drawing database for
several drawings.
In Chapter 15, “Laying Out Your Printer Output,” you'll start to use Xrefs to create differ-
ent loor plans for the building you worked on earlier in this topic. To save some time, I've
created a second one-bedroom unit plan called Unit2 that you'll use in these exercises (see
Figure 14.1). You can find this new unit plan in the Chapter 14 sample files, which can be
found on the companion website, www.sybex.com/go/masteringautocadmac.
