creating squares with centres & pre-highlighed MTEXT

AutoCAD 2008

1.) Is there a way to draw squares or rectangles and have them contain a center point.

For example when you draw a circle and you select it, 4 grips appear at the quadrants of the circle, and 1 grip appears in the center of the circle. I would like to draw a square or rectangle and when I select it, I want 4 grips located at each corner and a center point.

2.) When you double click a piece of single line text (DTEXT) in order to edit it, the entire piece of text is highlighted, so that when you type it completely overwrites the text you are editting. When you double click a piece of multiline text (MTEXT) in order to edit it, none of the text is highlighted and the cursor appears at the beginning of the text.

My question is, is there a way to set when editting MTEXT, that the entire piece of MTEXT gets highlighted, exactly the way it does when editting DTEXT?

Thank You

1.) Create a block out of a square and use the centroid of the square as the basepoint.

2.) I don't think so.

Actually my response for 1.) won't work because then you lose your other grip points.

I'd be interested to know if it can be done. I believe Microstation has such functionality, at least to snap to the centroid. Not sure about grips that can be clicked/dragged.

1. Dymanic block maybe?

 

2.) When you double click a piece of single line text (DTEXT) in order to edit it, the entire piece of text is highlighted, so that when you type it completely overwrites the text you are editting. When you double click a piece of multiline text (MTEXT) in order to edit it, none of the text is highlighted and the cursor appears at the beginning of the text.

My question is, is there a way to set when editting MTEXT, that the entire piece of MTEXT gets highlighted, exactly the way it does when editting DTEXT?

 

Thank You

It won't do it automatically, but when the MTEXT edit box opens, right click in the box, and pick Select All from the menu that appears.

It won't do it automatically, but when the MTEXT edit box opens, right click in the box, and pick Select All from the menu that appears.

That or just press Ctrl+A

That or just press Ctrl+A

Alternatively

when curser arrears at the bigning, if you double click there, it selects the first word of the sentece but if you do triple click it slects the whole sentence.

AutoCAD 2008

 

1.) Is there a way to draw squares or rectangles and have them contain a center point.

For example when you draw a circle and you select it, 4 grips appear at the quadrants of the circle, and 1 grip appears in the center of the circle. I would like to draw a square or rectangle and when I select it, I want 4 grips located at each corner and a center point.

 

the centre point does not appear as grip but can easily be selected keeping 'osnap'(midpodint) on & 'otrack' on.

the centre point does not appear as grip but can easily be selected keeping 'osnap'(midpodint) on & 'otrack' on.

Im sure you if you post this in the customisation arenas you may get more chance of achieving your ideal requirement.

That or just press Ctrl+A

That's what I do. Many cad drafters (and people in general) are unaware of the Ctrl+ functions which really can speed things up a bit after you are attuned to it.

Ctrl+A (select all)

Ctrl+C (copy)

Ctrl+X (cut)

Ctrl+V (paste)

Ctrl+Z (undo)

What others are there? Maybe...

Ctrl+1 (properties)

Ctrl+2 (design center)

Ctrl+3 (tool palettes)

Ctrl+4 (sheet set manager)

etc.

1) dynamic blocks would do it, otherwise hold shift and right click to get a list of osnaps, select "Mid between two points" then select any diagonally opposite corners to get the centroid.

2) Mtext edits like text in most common applications - use the same rules.

That's what I do. Many cad drafters (and people in general) are unaware of the Ctrl+ functions which really can speed things up a bit after you are attuned to it.

 

Ctrl+A (select all)

Ctrl+C (copy)

Ctrl+X (cut)

Ctrl+V (paste)

Ctrl+Z (undo)

 

What others are there? Maybe...

 

Ctrl+1 (properties)

Ctrl+2 (design center)

Ctrl+3 (tool palettes)

Ctrl+4 (sheet set manager)

 

etc.

Rusty - if you've got more of those can you put them together as a FAQ for us please? Post them in the tips part of the forum and send the link to me or Tiger if you're happy to do it for us

Sorry - I'll stop wandering off topic now

ctr+shft+S = save as

ctr+p = plot

AutoCAD and Windows shortcut keys list

Keyboard shortcuts AutoCAD and Windows.txt

that's the most useful thing I've ever had for free, brilliant, thanks.

I vote rkent for 2008 Nobel Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Making Life That Little Bit Easier