PART 1

This question covers quite a few topics, all of which will require explaining leading up to the point where the template set up is automatic.
Typical topics in question are as follows:- Blocks, Attributes, Layers, Viewports, Insertion Points, Printer, Sheet size & Orientation, Settings, Templates, Startup Switches, Paths, Brain Surgery, Atomic & Bi-molecular Fusion, Astroe Fizziks, Spelling, Gardening…. no… wait a minit! Erase the last one. To name but a few !
All the topics, which apply to AutoCAD of course, can be found in the Help files & by accessing these Blogs & blogs from other sources (this web site has got it all here). But I’ll have a go myself none the less.
As with AutoCAD, there’s always more than one way of doing things, thank goodness!

Open up an AutoCAD session an set the Units to the way you work. Feet ‘an inches, millimeters, gallons, tons….. whatever!

BLOCKS
This will be your title panel containing title headings such as:- logo, name, date, scale, drawing number, revisions, job title, client name, job number, company name, checked by, drawn by & others all requiring filling in, in the little boxes. This is where your Attributes come in.
Set everything out using perhaps the snap & grid to locate & position the text elements, boxes & lines. As you select the entities that will make up your block be careful to select the attribute entities in the order you wish them to appear when the title panel block is activated !
Create a new layer specifically for the title panel. Also bear in mind the size of sheet & it’s orientation. When your drawing sheet is folded, is the title panel fully visible?

Some people like to have a full surround line border on their page or sheet with divisions marked out at intervals. If you have this on your sheet and only a small detail in the middle, how long will it take for your printer to print the whole sheet out when all you needed was the detail in the middle!
Think about it….it’s a big yawn when you are in a rush.

As you make your title panel block, finish off with the insertion point at a known location suitable for insertion. For instance the bottom right hand corner of the sheet & viewport which matches the edge of the maximum printable area of your printer.

When AutoCAD is opened up you are usually given a layout tab with a viewport on a sheet of no particular size. That is because it’s the default. You need to first pick the printer you want to use & then the sheet size. Hover the cursor over the layout tab & right click. Select the Page Setup Manager then Modify. Select the ones which apply to you. When you exit from this AutoCAD will reset to give you your sheet in the layout tab.
If you go to Tools then Options & select the Display tab you will see the Layout Elements rectangle. Tick the top 4 for starters. The one which you need to know for this exercise is to do with the maximum printable area. Close this window down & go back to the layout tab.
Erase any viewport that AutoCAD gave you.
What you have left is a dashed line depicting the maximum printable area that your printer is capable of for that sheet size. It is only a visual aid. You cannot select it or highlight it nor start a line on it….exactly or precisely.
Make a layer called Viewports. Give it a colour say RED. Make this layer active. Go over the top of any other toolbar and right click. A drop down selection of other toolbars will appear. Click on the Viewports toolbar. Dock it if you want to.
Select the option that gives you the full single viewport & put a new viewport on your page. The ‘F’ for fit option. You will note that it fits perfectly over the Max Printable Area. AutoCAD does it for you. Now if you were to resize or move the viewport & then try to reposition it back again..precisely, you will find you cannot. To get round this create a layer called NP. That’s for Non Plotting & give it a colour that does not stand out much, say grey. Erase the old viewport & make a new whole viewport whilst in Viewports layer.
Now make the NP layer current & draw, snapping to each corner, a Polyline on top of the viewport line & close it. Go to Tools – Draw Order – Send to Back & select the NP line. The red viewport line should reappear. Make Layer 0 active. Lock layer NP. This layer NP you never use again anywhere for anything! You now have something to snap to when making, resizing & moving any viewports. You now know where the ‘edge’ is and can position other entities inside or outside the printable area. Your NP layer should also be set to not print.

You can set up as many layout tabs within your template as you wish.

Now put in position your new title block with attributes. Test your title block first before you go any further.
Does it activate when you double click it? Does all the text fit that you might ever need for a job.

I’ll write another bit soon.

Regards

Stephen