Check DraftSight Tips and Tricks here !
# General :
1. How to check Version number of DraftSight ?
- Go to Help Menu and Click on ‘About’ 🙂
2. Command Window On /Off :
- When you close your Command window then a message box pop up.
- But if accidentally you closed command window and don’t remember how to get it back again then Press CTRL+9 🙂
3. Auto Save and Backup: DraftSight allows you to save your files automatically by Enabling checkbox option to auto save. Also you can set time interval for auto save. You can change Automatic save file location from Menu : Tools > Options > System Options > Auto-save & Backup.
4. Check Toolbar Name:
- There are many toolbars in DraftSight. If you Drag them in your Drawing area then their name won’t show. If you don’t any toolbar name then you can Right click in blank toolbar section and select Tool Matrix. Drag toolbar inside Toolmatrix and you will see Toolbar name in it. 🙂
5. Hide/ Show Sheet and Model Tabs :
- You can Hide Sheet and Model Tabs by Right clicking on any Sheet name or Model and Select Last option ‘Hide Sheet and Model Tabs’ . These tabs will shift to Status bar of DraftSight at bottom next to ETrack tab . If you want them back to normal position then Right click on Model or Sheet tab and select ‘Display Sheet and Model tabs’ . Note : When Sheet and Model tabs are on Status bar then all sheets can be seen by pressing down arrow next to Sheet name. 🙂
6. Smart Calculator: Many of us probably don’t know that DraftSight is having Calculator and that too Smart hmm.
- If you have already run any command before then Pressing Enter will open Last used Command. If no command is used then Help file will open.
7. Use SPELLCHECK Command to check spelling mistakes of text inside your Drawing files.
8. Use Command Aliases instead of typing full command name.
9. FILEMANAGER: You can open windows file explorer from DraftSight, just run this command.
10. Clean Screen/ FullScreen : To make DraftSight window FullScreen and Hide all Palettes and Toolbar Go to View > Clean Screen OR Use Ctrl + 0
#. Edit:
1. [email protected] : If you want to Copy any entity with reference point then use command [email protected] . Specify reference point and then Select entity to copy. When you will paste this copied entity then insertion point will be your reference point at the time of Copy. You will get this option under Menu : Edit > Copy with reference point or You use keyboard Shortcut as CTRL+SHIFT+C (in AutoCAD use COPYBASE)
2. Paste as Block : If you want to paste any copied entity as a block instantaneously then you can use this command PASTEASBLOCK. This will create block with default name. You can find this option under menu Edit or right click inside Drawing area.
# Dimension:
1. Smart Dimension : Instead of using Regular Dimension commands such as LINEARDIMENSION , ANGLEDIMENSION, RADIUSDIMENSION , DIAMETERDIMENSION Use SMARTDIMENSION command. You can use it from Dimension menu > Smart.
# Modify:
1. Explode Text: You cannot explode Text or Note text by simple Explode command instead use Explodetext Command.
2. Delete: Run Command > Select Entities and Now if you want to remove one or more entities from selection set of delete then press SHIFT key and Click on that entity/entities
3. Change Length: Use Change Length to change the length of linear or curved entities and the included angle of Arcs. You can lengthen or shorten Lines, open PolyLines, Arcs, elliptical Arcs, and open Splines. Go to Menu: Modify > Change Length .
4. Edit Vertices: Use the EditVertex command to change vertices and segments of 2D PolyLines. You can insert, move, and delete vertices of PolyLines.
5. Fillet all Corners of Rectangle or Poly line: Run Fillet command, Select radius option (R + Enter) >Specify Radius value & Enter > Select option Polyline(P+Enter),Select rectangle or Poly line. All Corners of Rectangle or poly line will be filleted.
6. Chamfer all Corners of Rectangle or Poly line: Run Chamfer command, Select Distance option (D + Enter) >Specify First and Second distance (Input value & Enter) > Select option Polyline(P+Enter) then Select rectangle or Poly line. All Corners of Rectangle or poly line will be chamfered
7. Previous Selection: If you want to use previously modified entity for next command then after run modify command type ‘P’ in command line and enter. It will select previously modified entity
8. Last Selection: If you want to use Last Created entity for next command then after run modify command type ‘P’ in command line and enter. It will select Last created entity
9. Temporary Point (tk) for inferencing :When you use modify command then and you need to find by inferencing reference point or line then you this shortcut ‘tp’ for trmporary point. Ex. While moving command:Run move command specify from point and then Specify destination» tk ; First temporary point (select point in GA) ; Next point (Press ENTER to end inferencing)
# Format:
1. Layers Manager filter expression by wild cards : You can filter layers on Layers Manager by filtering them using wild card entries. To Know list of wild cards entries Go to Filter Expression section of Layers Manager post.
2. Change Zoom Speed by Middle Mouse:
- Use ZOOMFACTOR command to change zoom speed by middle mouse.
- Zoom Factor values should be in an integer between 3 and 100. By default it is set to 60
3. Polygon Selection method (WP & CP).
- Window Polygon: When you run modify command such as Move / Copy then at Specify entities>> type ‘wp’ and press enter command line prompt for first polygon point. Now draw selection based on window polygon.
- Crossing Polygon: When you run modify command such as Move / Copy then at Specify entities>> type ‘cp’ and press enter command line prompt for first polygon point. Now draw selection based on crossing polygon.
4. How to Copy & Paste QuickGroup entity ?
- Select QuickGroup entity , you will see single blue color snap grip point.
Press CTRL and Left click on that snapgrip and drag to other location where you want to paste this quick-group entity.
5. Extrude 2D entity
- Do you know that you can Extrude 2D entity in DraftSight?
- Run Command: EXTRUDE, Specify entity to extrude lets say Rectangle or circle. Press Enter
- Then Specify extrusion height for entity and press Enter . To view it in 3D rotate it with ROLLVIEW(ORBIT)
- Keyboard Shortcut for EXTRUDE command: Shift+Right Click + x
6. SHELL Command to Open OS commands:
- This command in DraftSight is used to Access OS commands in OS Shell.
- Run command: SHELL
- Specify OS command >>“c:\\windows\\notepad.exe” [example] hit Enter.
- Use this command to open external applications and files.
7. Calculate Total Area of multiple Entities:
- Run GETAREA Command. From Options Choose ‘A’ for add mode
- Specify first point»Type ‘E’ Enter. Add mode will start. Select First entity, then second and so on.
- If you want to subtract entity then Tyoes ‘S’ and Enter. Check options always.
8: How to Align Viewport?
OR
Command: _VIEWPORT
Default: FitOptions: 2, 3, 4, Align, Entity, Fit, Lock, OFf, ON, Polygonal, Restore, SHaded view orSpecify start corner» _Align
Options: Horizontal or Vertical
Specify option» _Vertical
Specify base point»
Specify point to align»
9: How to Mark entity with evenly spaced points ?
Use command: MarkDivisions
This will not cut entity into parts but place points on entity.
Please submit your question on our Community page!
