Part 7
Module 34: Drawing Utilities
Learning Outcomes
When you have completed this module, you will be able to:
- Explain drawing and file maintenance to help manage and control AutoCAD drawing files.
- Describe a nested object.
- Apply the TIME, PURGE, and RENAME commands.
Drawing Utilities
It is very important for you as the AutoCAD Operator to maintain your drawings and drawing files on a regular basis. It is very easy, while working day-to-day producing drawings, to let things slide and not correct small items in the drawings or the drawing files. If left unchecked, this habit can lead to a large problem in the future, sometimes almost impossible to correct.
Take a few minutes, while working on each drawing, to maintain objects, layers, blocks, xref, names, and the different styles. For the drawing files, create an organized logical folder structure making more folders rather than less and dividing drawing files into smaller organized groups. Create a good naming system for the folders and drawings. Give them descriptive names that can be sorted alphabetically. Remove unwanted files, and keep your .bak files under control by deleted ones that are no longer required.
AutoCAD has several utilities that are helpful to organize and maintain drawings. File Explorer can be used to maintain the drawing files. In this module, the PURGE and RENAME commands are covered to help you in your day-to-day drawing maintenance.
Nested Objects
A nested object is a named object referencing another named object. One example of a nested object would be an object in a block located on layer Object but the block is on layer Block. The Object layer would appear not to have any objects on it, but in fact, an object in the block is on that layer and that makes it a nested object. Sometimes it is desirable to nest items to help draw and design more efficiently. An example of this is as follows: A drawing has several components. Draw each component separately and create a block of each. Assemble all the blocks and then make a block of the assembly. The blocks inserted in the assembly block are nested blocks. Nested objects are not necessarily a bad thing, but they can cause problem if they are not used correctly or carelessly inserted.
AutoCAD does not allow a block to be created using a block that references itself. An example of this would be a block created using an object that contains a block with the same name. One the most common errors in block creation is creating a block selecting a block as one of the selected objects. Ensure that all drawing objects are exploded before creating a block using them.
AutoCAD Command: TIME
The TIME command is used to display and track the amount of time that a drawing file is opened in AutoCAD.
Shortcut: none
AutoCAD Command: PURGE
The PURGE command is used to remove block definitions, dimension styles, groups, layers, linetypes, text styles, zero-length geometry, and empty text objects.
Shortcut: PU
AutoCAD Command: RENAME
The R