ACAD2013 nube questions

[3dDetailer]

Hello everyone. This is my first post here. I recently became employed by a firm that uses ACAD2013, and I'm trying to learn as much as possible in a quick time frame to set up some templates. I previously worked for 10 years as a Detailer, with ACAD2000 being the last version, and that was 5 years ago. After a few days of research, it has become blindingly obvious a lot has changed since then:P

 

I do use the Help module within Acad, and usually try to search the net if I can't find an answer in Help. This is one of those times I can't find an answer in either Help nor the net..at least existing. That is why I am here.

 

In the past, I pretty much used default Acad setups for Model and Paperspace, whereby the editing screen was Black, with no grid of any kind. However, upon starting Acad2013 the first time, the default Modelspace background is White with a Black line grid superimposed. This grid really bothers me. In my desire to remove it, or turn it off, I couldn't find any command that allows you to turn off the grid, so I did the next best thing I could find.

 

I right clicked on the modelspace backgound, went to Options, and by default, the DISPLAY tab is shown. However, things have changed since I last used Acad.

 

On the Display screen, there is a "Color" button, which when selected, brings up a prompt where you can select different elements, and change their color. Well, since I couldn't find any way to turn the grid off, I simply selected the horizontal and vertical grid lines and changed their respective colors to white, as the background by default is already white.

 

However, SOMETIMES, I want to work with a Black background, but when I change the background to black, now the grid lines are WHITE... arrrggrrrrrrrrr.. So now, I have to change the grid lines as well. PITA. There is a "Return defaults" selection..but that still requires changing things one by one again next time.

 

So..my first question is..does anyone know of a command or option that allows one to turn the modelspace grid off and on?

 

Second question. Can the grid spacing be changed too? I haven't had too much time to research these things. Hence coming here. Thanks for any insight. And btw...this might be an ongoing thread for a while.

 

fitZ

[3dDetailer]

OMG..What a dolt. Nevermind:roll: I found the answer. Due to the small font size in the "SEARCH" field, I had typed "gid"...instead of..."grid". Haahahahaha! What a maroon. Ok guys.

 

(note to self..file under..

 

..."How to be a complete moron on a forum first post")

 

[3dDetailer]

Ok guys, got the grid thing solved, but now I'm curious about something else.

 

Ok, question 1.

 

As I said...sometimes I work with a Black modelspace background color. However, if I go into Layout, the view port still shows a White background in modelspace. While in pape rspace, I click on the view port and enter model space, and checked the Options/Color for model space background...and it still is checked Black, but displays White in the viewport. Any one have a clue why?

 

Thanks

fitZ

[JD Mather]

...first question is..does anyone know of a command or option that allows one to turn the modelspace grid off and on?

 

F7 or Lower left of screen - click the Grid icon.

 

Second question. Can the grid spacing be changed too?

fitZ

 

Yes, right click on the Grid icon - lower left of screen.

[JD Mather]

...and it still is checked Black, but displays White in the viewport. Any one have a clue why?

fitZ

 

Modelspace is modelspace You can set whatever background color you want for modelspace.

Paperspace layout is paperspace. You can set whatever sheet color you want for your layout.

You have viewports in paperspace. These do not change the sheet color to modelspace.

[ReMark]

Options > Display > Colors.

[Organic]

An excellent first post in which you showed some good thinking by trying to change the grid colour

[BIGAL]

A good idea is set up a template dwg with all you default settings including layout tabs with a title block, when you go to a layout tab it will appear white until you set a plot area which will change to black, from our auto generated layouts they appear half white/black the simple trick I use is PLOT pick from my presaved sheet set top left a suitable sheet then APPLY then CANCEL now its all set and you can change printers etc but the screen will remain black in the area of interest any time you look.

[Dadgad]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Sounds like you have a real good handle on the software, just need to catch up a bit with all the new fangled stuff.

I would suggest, as a fellow detailer, that if you haven't checked it out yet, and work with 3D models, VIEWBASE will likely be an eye opener for you.

If you haven't noticed yet, the VIEWPORT controls which display in the upper left corner of your modelspace and any ACTIVE viewport are pretty helpful.

[3dDetailer]

Hey, thanks everyone. I need every tip I can get. I could spend every day for a month reading the Help module, but frankly..i haven't got time. Although I do when I run into a problem. Unfortunately, sometimes the HELP module isn't very clear. And the font is waaaay to small, at least for my eyes. Getting old sucks.

 

These do not change the sheet color to modelspace.

hmmm, so there really ISN"T a REAL viewport at all is there? Just a representation of a window into modelspace, ...and Autocad just displays the drawing data within that area...is that correct? Welll if so...at least my question brought the fact to light. Which is what I like. But I just hate finding out I've been conned all along. Makes me feel like a complete dolt. Again, thanks everyone. I have a lot more questions but I'll post a new thread for each one.

[Dadgad]

Very well summarized, yes, your viewport is just a window through which you see your geometry in modelspace, set up and scale views and content to be displayed on your layout which is in paperspace.

If you are not aware, you should be, that each viewport can be oriented (perspective wise) and scaled independently. Additionally the Visualstyle and LAYER VISIBILTY can be different in each viewport, meaning that by using VIEWPORT FREEZING you can display only those layers which you choose to in a viewport, while leaving them all visible in modelspace, or other viewports.

Just make sure that when you have finished setting up a viewport's view and scale that you lock it.

The LAYERS 2 toolbar would likely be of interest to you also, as well as EXPRESS TOOLS, and the SYSVDLG command which will help you to access and understand the million different ways the software command behavior can be customized. :wink:

[3dDetailer]

So many options, so little time to exploit them. I'm having enough trouble trying to understand lineweights. Which is what my next question will be about.. later.

Thanks for all the insight Dadgad.

 

fitZ

[Dadgad]

I suggest that you set your LINEWEIGHTS by layer, and turn off the LINEWEIGHT display while you are working on your drawing.

The icon where you can choose to SHOW or HIDE lineweight display is circled in red in the image.

By right clicking on the icon you can access the LINETYPES DIALOG shown here.

[JD Mather]

...And the font is waaaay to small, at least for my eyes. ....

Hold Ctrl key and turn mouse wheel.

[Dadgad]

Really? I always use CTRL and the + key, which annoys me,

I shall greatly prefer using the mouse wheel.

Thanks JD!

[3dDetailer]

Hold Ctrl key and turn mouse wheel.

OMG. Really. hahahaha, learn sompthin new evra diay! Thanks a million..that REALLY helps HELP.

 

I suggest that you set your LINEWEIGHTS by layer,

Always did, but there is something strange that I cant figure out. But first problem, is understanding all the different options for setting these in the display, the viewport, and plotting. They are in different menus, pulldowns, and per Layer, if not more places. Grasping the whole ball of wax is a lesson in..wtf?

 

Ok, I was going to start a new thread, but since you already delved into it..let me ask you this then. Back when I was using Acad2000, I had my own little bag of tricks that I used daily to expidite my particular way of working. Right or wrong, to my way of thinking it worked. One of those "tricks" was a set of blocks I had drawn to make various "match properties" really easy for the type things I was drawing.

 

One of these blocks was simply a "box" with a column of lines, each of which had been modified to match some of the various lineweights in the lineweight selection menu. Originally, I had drawn this to learn how the various lineweights displayed on the monitor vs as they plotted. Even then, it was the only way I could learn how the system really worked...by doing. ha No different now...so I drew one yesterday. But something is wierd.

 

Heres what's happening. When you have an entity in Modelspace on the screen, as you ZOOM OUT, normally, the entity image gets smaller, no? Well check this out.

 

Here is a screen shot, Zoomed in on the last line with a lineweight of 2mm.

 

 

Here is a screen shot Zoomed OUT to "50"(how ever this "real time" ratio works, I haven't got a clue?). Now the 2mm "line", instead of getting smaller in width..actually INCREASE in width?????

 

 

Now, I Zoom OUT to "25" and here is a screenshot. See the relationship of the lineweight REAL image width, in comparison to the Text next to it. Compare this one to the first one. WTF?? As I zoom out..the lineweight "appears" to get thicker er...or is that wider.

 

Zoom out to "12", and now it starts to really show up

 

 

 

Now, here I Zoom out to "1", and now you can really see what I mean.

 

 

Now, I cropped and enlarged each of these in an image editor, to the same scale. Tell me what you see?

 

 

and here's the final Zoom out, close up.

 

 

and here is the first and last in comparison.

 

 

Guess what..the linewidths "appear" to be the same. W T F? I don't get it. Can someone tell me what the heck is going on?

 

Bafflingly

fitZ

[ReMark]

Way too much visual information. Disable LINEWEIGHT in your Task Bar. You really don't need to see them onscreen.

[3dDetailer]

Hold Ctrl key and turn mouse wheel.

 

Well, I tried it. Didn't do a thing.(sighs)

[ReMark]

What does that ^ ^ ^ have to do with lineweight? Answer: nothing.

 

The advice by JDM was in response to you complaining about how small things looked. He was showing you a way to zoom in on an area of your drawing.

[3dDetailer]

What does that ^ ^ ^ have to do with lineweight? Answer: nothing.

Excuse me? er...perhaps you would like to explain why?