Whats new in AutoCAD 2024

Whats new in AutoCAD 2024

AutoCAD 2024

Whats New

Layout Tab Menu

Layout Tab Menu

Use the new layout tab menu to switch between layouts, create a layout from a template, publish layouts, and more. Right-click a layout name to see more options. Note: Use the Ctrl and Shift keys to select multiple...

File Tab Menu

File Tab Menu

Use the new file tab menu to switch between drawings, create or open a drawing, save all drawings, close all drawings, and more. Note: The file tab menu replaces the overflow menu. Hover over a file name to see...

Start Tab Updates

Start Tab Updates

The Start tab continues to be improved in this release including new options to sort and search recent drawings. Recent Drawings Updates The recent drawings list uses smaller thumbnails to allow for more drawings to...

Improvements for Autodesk Docs

Improvements for Autodesk Docs

The following improvements have been made to Autodesk Docs: Improved support and performance when viewing large files on Autodesk Docs. Improved Desktop Connector resulting in improved performance displaying a drawing...

Trace Updates

Trace Updates

The Trace environment continues to improve and now includes the new COPYFROMTRACE command and new settings controls on the toolbar. New Trace Settings The new COPYFROMTRACE command lets you copy objects from a trace...

Markup Assist

Markup Assist

The previous AutoCAD release included Markup Import and Markup Assist, which use machine learning to identify markups and provide a way to view and insert drawing revisions with less manual effort. This release...

Smart Blocks: Replacement

Smart Blocks: Replacement

Replace specified block references by selecting from a palette of suggested similar blocks. When you select block references to replace, the product suggests similar blocks for you to select from. When the block...

Smart Blocks: Placement

Smart Blocks: Placement

The new smart block functionality can offer placement suggestions based on where you've placed that block before in the drawing. The new automatic block placement capability is now enabled for blocks inserted using the...

Activity Insights

Activity Insights

Activity Insights provides an understanding of the past actions that you or others have performed with regard to your drawings. Activity Insights tracks events whenever a drawing file is opened and being worked on in...

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The Software That Changed Architecture: Reflecting on 40 Years of AutoCAD

The Software That Changed Architecture: Reflecting on 40 Years of AutoCAD

When you think of the 1980s, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s Madonna or Prince, Cheers or Dynasty, leg warmers or acid washed denim. Those days may feel far removed from the cutting-edge, high-tech world of the 2020s, but that distant decade actually laid the foundations for much of our lives today — particularly when it comes to our working world. It’s remarkable to think that Microsoft Word was launched in 1983, while Photoshop was first developed in 1987 before its first official release in 1990.

For architects though, arguably the most important piece of software was first created way back in 1982: AutoCAD, a new type of 2D drafting application, was launched as a desktop app running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers. Ever since, its distinctive black screen and colored polylines have graced the screens of millions, leading the transition from manual drawing to computer-aided design for creative industries worldwide.

A man using AutoCAD 2.6 to digitize a drawing of a school building in 1987; image via Wikipedia

While this iconic piece of software has been utilized worldwide ever since then by graphic designers, engineers, project managers and more, it’s perhaps most associated with architecture, transforming the design process of countless firms over the past four decades. While its place in the history books of architectural practice has long been secure, the software’s continues to be hugely popular, despite the emergence of 3D BIM software in recent years.

Architizer’s Editor in Chief Paul Keskeys sat down with Dania El Hassan, AutoCAD’s Director of Product Management, to learn how AutoCAD has managed to retain its relevance in an ever-changing industry, and hear about the upcoming evolutions planned for this enduring software.

How to Use the AutoCAD XClip Command for Clipping Boundaries With Xrefs and Blocks

How to Use the AutoCAD XClip Command for Clipping Boundaries With Xrefs and Blocks

This week I’m excited to share another time saving and helpful tip with all of you. Today, we’re going to look at the XClip command within AutoCAD. The XClip command allows us to clip/crop an external reference (xref) or block to a specific area that can be defined by either a rectangle or polyline. Other options within the command include the ability to invert or flip the clip, showing everything except the objects within the clipping boundary. You can even add a front/back plane to the clip, giving flexibility when using the command with 3D properties. For today’s example, we will walk through how to initially set up an XClip on an xref as well as how to delete/remove the clip and how we can quickly modify it.

To get started we will need an xref or a block. In this image, an xref containing multiple staircase details/sections is attached to the drawing.

The XClip command can be started by entering XCLIP at the command line. After hitting enter, we are prompted to choose an object. The object can be an xref or even a block. For xrefs, the command can also be initiated by selecting the xref and choosing the create clipping boundary button on the contextual ribbon tab along the top of the screen.

After selecting an object or clicking the Create Clipping Boundary button, we then have a few options to choose. The Select Polyline or Polygon options allow us to choose a pre-drawn polyline/polygon from the drawing to use as a clipping boundary for our object. This can be very useful when needing to precisely clip around some objects in the xref by using an irregular shaped polygon. The default Rectangle option is commonly used, allowing us to simply draw a box around the area we want to keep from the xref. The last option, Invert, will invert the selection we make, displaying the object not captured withing the rectangle or polyline/polygon.

Here, the Rectangle option is used.

After choosing an option and proceeding to draw a rectangle or select a polygon, the xref/block will automatically be clipped to the boundary chosen. This makes it very easy to keep a drawing clean when referencing in drawings that contain a large amount of data that may not be relevant to the current drawing/project.

A rectangle is drawn around the larger stair detail/section in the middle of the screen.

From here, we can simply continue on with our drawing now that the extra details have been cleanly removed and hidden from view. This is a nice option since the objects aren’t being deleted or even affected in the xref or block, simply clipped and hidden from view for the time being. However, if changes are required, we have a few options still. To easily modify the clipping boundary, selecting the xref/block and moving the xclip grips (blue squares in the corners) allows us to dynamically change the boundary as needed. This will also work when a polyline/polygon was used as well.

This example shows the boundary now includes the detail to the left of the original boundary.
To quickly invert the clipping boundary, simply select the xref/block and click the up arrow at the bottom, as seen in the image above. This will invert the boundary, leaving us with the opposite effect.
Finally, to remove or delete the boundary restoring the xref/block to its originally extents we can enter the XCLIP command again at the command line, choose our object, and then select the delete option to remove the boundary. For xrefs, the remove boundary button from the ribbon can be used when the reference is selected.

I really like the XClip command to keep my drawings clean and uncluttered when using multiple references, especially when the references may contain much more data and linework than what is needed for my specific project. For civil projects, this could mean clipping a city legal property reference down to just a few lots that are needed for a specific site rather than cluttering and slowing down the drawing with an entire city worth of lots. There really are endless uses for clipping references/blocks and I’m sure this command will come in handy and can be incorporated into your daily drafting practices. To learn more about the Xclip command, including different options and to see it in use, be sure to check out my YouTube channel and the accompanying video below: