Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 4-3:
A toolbox of templates.
You may be familiar with Microsoft Word or Excel template files, and AutoCAD drawing
templates work pretty much the same way — because Autodesk stole the idea from
them (encouraged, of course, by Microsoft).
A
template
is simply a drawing whose name ends in the letters
DWT,
which you use as
the starting point for another drawing. When you create a new drawing from a template,
AutoCAD makes a copy of the template file and opens the copy in a new drawing editor
window. The first time you save the file, you're prompted for a new filename to save to;
the original template file stays unchanged.
Using a suitable template can save you time and worry because many of the setup op-
tions are already set correctly for you. You know the drawing will print correctly; you
just have to worry about getting the geometry and text right. Of course, all this optim-
ism assumes that the person who set up the template knew what she was doing.
The stock templates that come with AutoCAD are okay as a starting point, but you'll
need to modify them to suit your purposes or create your own from scratch. In particu-
lar, the stock AutoCAD templates are probably not set up for the scales you'll want to
use. The instructions in the rest of this chapter tell you how to specify scale-dependent
setup information.
So, the only problems with templates are creating good ones and then later finding the
right one to use when you need it. Later in this chapter, in the “Making Templates Your
Own” section, I show you how to create templates from your own setup drawings. Here I
show you how to use an already-created template — say, one of the templates that
comes with AutoCAD 2012 or one you get from a CAD-savvy colleague. If you're lucky,
someone in your office has created suitable templates that you can use to get going
quickly.
