AutoCAD 2008 introduced the Dimspace command, which evens out the spacing on baseline dimensions. The command asks you to select a base dimension (for example, the bottom dimension in a stack). You are then prompted to select the dimensions to space. Once dimensions are selected, you are asked to Enter value or [Auto] <Auto>. The Auto option lets AutoCAD select the amount of space between them.

For those not yet on AutoCAD 2008, you can gain the same results using the Qdim command.

The Exoffset command found in the AutoCAD Express Tools adds some handy features to the regular Offset command, including an Undo option, layer control, and the ability to do multiple offsets. Make sure your Express Tools are loaded and type Exoffset at the command line.

After displaying the current settings for Distance, Layer, and Gaptype, AutoCAD prompts you to Specify the offset distance or through point. The next prompt asks you to Select object to offset or [Options/Undo].

When you select options, you can specify either the current layer or the source object layer as the layer for new objects. You can also change the offset mode (OFFSETGAPTYPE system variable) to normal, fillet, or chamfer.
Once you select an object to offset, AutoCAD asks you for Side to offset or [Multiple/Options/Undo]. Select Multiple to do more than one offset. You can also hold down the Shift key when specifying a side to offset to invoke the Multiple option. When you hold down the Ctrl key when specifying a side, the original object will be erased.

AutoCAD 2006 introduced the CUI (Customization User Interface) and its new CUI file format. If you’re upgrading from a pre-AutoCAD 2006 version to one with the CUI, you can bring along your old custom menu and toolbar files. In the new version of AutoCAD, launch the CUI by typing CUI at the command line. In the dialog box that appears, select the Transfer tab. Open a new custom CUI file, if needed, by selecting the New File icon at the top of the right-hand panel. Under Customizations in New CUI file, select the Open customization file icon.

Caption: Transfer tab in the CUI dialog box.

Browse to the folder where the old menu files are located (be sure to select Menu files in the Files of Type pull-down list at the bottom). Select the MNU or MNS file that contains your custom toolbars and click on Open.

Caption: Browse to your old MNS or MNU file.
Expand Toolbars in the right and left panes. In the right pane, select the toolbars that you want to import, then drag them into the Toolbars area in the left pane.

Caption: Drag and drop from the right to the left to add your old custom toolbars and menus to the new CUI file.

Problem: Your toolbar icons show up as question marks when you create a partial CUI file and import an older menu file (pre-AutoCAD 2004). If the icons are custom ones, check to make sure that their image files for are located in a working search path location in the new version of AutoCAD. If you don’t know the original location, open the MNS file with a text editor such as Notepad and check the path names (or find out the icon name so you can search for it). If the missing icons are standard AutoCAD icons, shut down both versions of AutoCAD and find the acadbtn.dll file (Hint: It’s most likely in the Support directory). Copy the file to a folder in the search path of the new version of AutoCAD. Rename the file to PartialCui.dll, where PartialCui is the name of the custom partial CUI file you created in the new version of AutoCAD. Find and delete any MNR files associated with your partial CUI file. They will be named PartialCui.mnr and can reside in any working search path location. Start the new version of AutoCAD and see if the question marks are gone.

Get into the habit of periodically backing up your customization files (CUI files, tool palettes, blocks, AutoLISP routines, linetypes, plot files, etc.), especially right before you make any changes to them. One approach is to store all customized files and folders in the same location on your computer. Check the paths in the Tools / Options dialog box (Files tab) to find the locations of these files.

Browse to the files, then create shortcuts and store them in your backup folder. Click on the shortcut and copy the CUI files to your backup folder. To back everything up, just copy the backup folder to a flash drive, CD, or other location not on your hard drive. If storage space is not at a premium, you could just back up your entire AutoCAD directory (or AutoCAD Support directory).

What should you back up? Here’s a list of typical files and file extensions targeted for backup. You’ll want to add or subtract from the list according to what files you most often customize.

Hatch Patterns and Linetypes
*.pat    AutoCAD hatch pattern definition files
acad.pat: Standard AutoCAD hatch pattern library file
acadiso.pat: Standard AutoCAD ISO hatch pattern library file
*.lin     AutoCAD linetype definition files
acad.lin: The standard AutoCAD linetype library file
acadiso.lin: The standard AutoCAD ISO linetype library file
*.mln   Multiline library file

Menus
In AutoCAD 2006 onward, the main menu file is called acad.cui (or acadlt.cui). Custom menus are stored in a file called custom.cui. Other menu-related files include acad.mnr, for menu bitmap images, and acad.mnl, for AutoLISP routines used by the menu.

Earlier releases use a trio of files: acad.mnu, acad.mns, and acad.mnc. Acad.mns is the menu source file (plain text format), acad.mnu is a template menu file (also plain text format), and acad.mnc is a compiled file that AutoCAD creates from the acad.mns source file.

Programs
The most common file extensions you’re likely to encounter are:
*.dcl    Dialog box files (DCL = Dialog Control Language)
*.lsp     AutoLISP program files
acad.lsp: A user-defined AutoLISP routine that loads each time AutoCAD starts
acaddoc.lsp: A user-defined AutoLISP routine that loads each time you start a drawing
Note: AutoLISP routines that have been compiled in Visual LISP use the .fas extension
*.scr     AutoCAD script files. A script file contains a set of AutoCAD commands processed as a batch.
*.dvb   Visual Basic for Applications files

Plotters
*.pc3   Plotter configuration file.

Other Files
*.atc     Tool palettes
            Note: *.xtp files are tool palettes exported for use on other computers
*.aws   Workspace profiles
asi.ini   Database connectivity link conversion mapping file
acad.pgp          Program parameters file contains definitions for external commands and command aliases.
acad.psf           PostScript support file; the master support file for the PSOUT and PSFILL commands.
acad.rx Lists ObjectARX applications that load when you start AutoCAD
*.shp    Shape/font definition files. Compiled shape/font files have the extension SHX.
acad.unt           Unit definition file contains data that lets you convert from one set of units to another.

You can also use the Windows Backup Utility if you don’t want to mess around with your folder structure. The program resides in Accessories / System Tools, accessible by clicking on Start, then All Programs.

If the utility doesn’t appear under Accessories, you may need to install it from your Windows installation disk. This example is for Windows XP. Load the CD. On the Welcome screen, select Perform Additional Tasks, then Browse this CD. When Windows Explorer opens, double-click the ValueAdd folder, then Msft, then Ntbackup. Double-click Ntbackup.msi to install the backup utility.

By default, the Backup Wizard starts when you launch the utility. If it’s been turned off, select Tools, then Backup Wizard. Click the Next button to navigate through the wizard. In the window that asks What do you want to do?, select Back up files and settings.

Next, specify what exactly you want backed up. Choices include your documents and settings, all users’ documents and settings, and all information on this computer (not recommended). You can also select specific files to back up. This is the best choice when you have files stored outside the My Documents folder or have files there that you don’t want to back up.

The next wizard window asks for the type of backup (usually File) and the location to store the backed up files. Select Browse to select a spot on your hard drive, a flash or zip drive, network location, etc. Note that the utility can’t save to a CD drive.