AutoCAD 2008 introduced layer notification. AutoCAD alerts you to any new layers in the drawing at specified times—for example, before you plot, save, or restore a layer state. The first time you save or plot a drawing, AutoCAD creates a layer list of all the layers in that drawing. From that point on, any layers added to the drawing are regarded as unreconciled.

The LAYEREVAL and LAYERNOTIFY system variables combine to determine whether the layer list is evaluated and whether you are notified of any new layers. Both of these variables are saved in the drawing, so you can customize the settings for each drawing.

The default setting for LAYEREVAL is 1 (one) to detect any new layers that have been added to attached xrefs only, not to the drawing. Change the setting to 2 to have AutoCAD evaluate all new layers added to the drawing. A setting of 0 turns layer evaluation off.

LAYERNOTIFY’s settings are:

0    Off
1    Plot
2    Open
4    Load/Reload/Attach xrefs
8    Restore layer state
16  Save
32  Insert

You can add values together to provide notification at multiple times.

Note that if you specify the Open command for notification and you open multiple drawings at the same time, AutoCAD displays an alert for each drawing that contains new layers.

To change these settings, select Settings in the bottom left corner of the Layer Properties Manager to bring up the New Layer Notification Settings dialog box. Or type the variable name at the command prompt, then enter the appropriate number to change the setting.

Caption: Layer Notification options.

When layer evaluation is enabled and AutoCAD detects a new layer, the Unreconciled New Layers icon displays on the status bar at the bottom right of the drawing window. Right-click the icon, then select View Unreconciled New Layers from the shortcut menu that appears to view the new layers.

Caption: Right-click on the Unreconciled New Layers icon in the status bar to view the shortcut menu.

If you’ve selected the Notify when new layers are present option, a warning bubble also displays next to the Unreconciled New Layers icon.

Caption: Layer notification warning bubble.

If you request notification before plotting, AutoCAD displays a warning dialog box instead of the usual bubble. Select Yes to view the new layer list in the Layer Properties Manager before plotting.

Caption: Layer Notification Warning appears when you try to plot unreconciled layers.

When you select an option to view unreconciled new layers, AutoCAD launches the Layer Properties Manager with the Unreconciled New Layers filter selected automatically. All new layers that have been added to the drawing or attached xrefs appear in the list view.

The next step is to reconcile the new layers, which removes them from the Unreconciled New Layers list. Simply select an unreconciled layer, right-click, and choose reconcile layer. Those layers are then included in the layer list and will no longer trigger the layer notification.

Caption: You can select multiple layers to reconcile at once.

If you don’t reconcile the new layers, the notification bubble will appear each time you invoke a command that triggers notification.

When you save an AutoCAD drawing as a template (DWT) file, the Template Options dialog box offers the option to save the layers in the drawing as unreconciled (the default) or reconciled.

Caption: When you create a drawing template (DWT) file, you can save its layers as reconciled or unreconciled.

Saving the layers as unreconciled means that when you use the template to start a new drawing, a layer baseline won’t be created until you save the drawing as a DWG file. Saving the layers as reconciled creates a layer baseline in the template, so when you add new layers to a drawing created from the template file, the new layers are unreconciled. AutoCAD will display a new layer notification the first time the new drawing is plotted or saved.

If you tend to inadvertently turn the Caps Lock and Number Lock on and off without realizing it until you’ve typed in half a paragraph or a ten-digit number, use this Windows feature to give yourself an audible signal every time you hit the Caps Lock, Number Lock, or Scroll Lock Key. From the Windows Start menu, open the Control Panel and double-click on Accessibility Options. Select the ToggleKeys check box to have a brief sound play whenever you turn a lock on or off. The sound for turning the locks on is different from the one that sounds when you turn it off.

Caption: ToggleKeys gives you an audible cue whenever you press a Lock key.

If you’re using AutoCAD 2011, you may be able to speed up performance by turning off the HPQUICKPREVIEW system variable. This variable controls Hatch Preview, which is now active when you use the pick points options to apply a hatch. As you move your cursor over an enclosed area, the preview shows what the hatch would look like if you clicked there.

Caption: When you move your cursor over a closed area, Hatch Preview shows what the hatch will look like if you pick a point in that area.

If your drawing is large or complex, this process can impede performance. The default setting for HPQUICKPREVIEW is on (1). To turn it off, typle HPQUICKPREVIEW at the command line, then enter 0 for off.

AutoCAD 2011 adds a new rotation option to linetypes. In addition to R (relative) and A (Absolute), you can now specify U (for upright). Upright rotates the linetype text so it retains its readability regardless of the linetype orientation.

Linetypes provided with AutoCAD 2011 have this option specified by default. You will need to update any custom linetypes you use by changing the rotation option from A or R to U. Here’s an example of a linetype created in an earlier version of AutoCAD:

*GAS_LINE,Gas line ----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS--
A,.5,-.2,["GAS",STANDARD,S=.1,R=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.25

And here’s the old linetype updated with the new rotation option:

*GAS_LINE,Gas line ----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS----GAS--
A,.5,-.2,["GAS",STANDARD,S=.1,U=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.25

Note that the only change is in the second line—the fourth item in the brackets changes from R=0.0 to U=0.0.