Autodesk has released a hotfix for AutoCAD 2010 and related products (but not AutoCAD LT 2010) that fixes two problems:

• Some anti-spyware programs can make AutoCAD crash on launch. The crash is preceded by an unhandled exception error.
• AutoCAD may crash when you create, select, or edit text.

Download the patch from Autodesk’s Web site. Be sure to read the Readme file before installing.

When the OSNAPHATCH system variable is set to 0 (the default), object snaps will ignore hatch patterns.

Caption: You can’t snap to line segments in a hatch when OSNAPHATCH is set to zero.

If you want the ability to snap to a line segment in a hatch pattern, set the variable to 1. This system variable was introduced in AutoCAD 2005.

Caption: When OSNAPHATCH is set to 1, you can snap to hatch elements.

Starting in AutoCAD 2005, you can move an object by selecting the object so it highlights, then holding your right mouse button down and dragging the object to its destination.

The simplest way to incorporate multiple views of an object into a single block is to use layers. However, if you want to use the block more than once in the same file, you should use a block library.

To use layers, start a new drawing and draw the views you want to include in the block. At the least, you will want to draw each view on a separate layer. You may also use more than one layer per block—for example, for each view, you might place continuous linework on one layer and hidden linework on another.

Caption: Drawing contains two views on different layers.

Save the drawing—let’s call it Example1, then insert as a block into another drawing. Turn layers on and off to control which view is visible. Note that if you insert another instance of this block in the same drawing, both will display the same view regardless of how you try to manipulate the layers.

Caption: Then insert the drawing as a block and turn off the layers with the views you don’t want to display.

Caption: Unfortunately, you can display only one view in a single drawing. If you change the layers settings on one instance of the block, all instances will change.

That leads us to the second option, a block library. Reopen Example1 and create a separate block for each view you want to display. Include only the geometry needed for the view. Select the Retain option in the Block Definition dialog box so the geometry will remain in the drawing area. When you’re done, save and close the drawing. In AutoCAD 2005 and greater, use DesignCenter to access all the different blocks in the drawing. Just browse to the drawing (Example1 in our example) in the Folder List window. Click the plus sign to open the drawing tree, then click on Blocks. All of the blocks in the drawing will appear in the window at right so you can drag and drop as needed into your drawing.

Caption: Store all your blocks in a single drawing, then use DesignCenter (right) to drag and drop them into your drawings.

Those of you with pre-DesignCenter AutoCAD versions should insert Example1 as a block into another drawing. Press the Esc key when prompted to select an insertion point. This opens the block container—the drawing that holds the blocks. Now insert the view you want by using the name you assigned when you created the block.

You can customize what happens when you double-click on an object in AutoCAD 2007 and higher. Open your CUI (Customization User Interface) and double-click the Double Click Action items. A list of objects with assigned double-click actions appears. Double-click on any object in the list and select the action beneath it to see just what it does. In the example below, attribute definitions have the Text, Edit action assigned, which launches the Ddedit command.

Caption: Expand the Double-Click Actions tree in the top left window to see what objects have actions assigned. Expand an object and click on the action (starred item) to view details in the Properties window at right.

Though most objects are set to launch a command such as Pedit, you include more elaborate macros in the action, as shown below for blocks.

Caption: The Double-Click Action for blocks opens the block definition in the block editor.

To change the action, first make sure the action beneath the object in the Double Click Action tree is selected. Then change the macro field in the Properties window.

Alternatively, you can drag a command from the Command list and assign it to the object. Should you tire of double-click editing, you can disable all double-click actions. Open the Options dialog box from the Tools menu. On the User Preferences tab, uncheck the Double Click Editing box.

Caption: Uncheck Double click editing under Windows Standard Behavior at top left to do away with double-click editing.