If you need to draw part of your drawing at a nonorthogonal angle, try rotating the snap to that angle (for example, 45 degrees.) This will also rotate the grid and the crosshairs. To change the snap angle, type SNAPANG at the command prompt, then change the value of this system variable to your desired angle (45 in our 45-degree example).

Caption: Use the Snapang system variable to set your cursor and grid to match the angle you need to draw at.

You can also use the SNAPBASE system variable to set an x base and a y base, which will make sure the grid goes through a point of your choice. When beginning a drawing, enter 0,0 for the bases. If you are adding to an existing object, you may want to select a base point on that object. Type SNAPANG at the command prompt, then select or type in a new base point. You can use an object snap to select the new point.

Note that changing the base point doesn’t affect coordinates, which are governed by the UCS.

A quick way to update all fields in your drawing is to select all objects (Ctrl-A), then select Update Fields from the Tools menu.

The more text in your drawing, the larger the file size and the longer it will take to redraw and regenerate (especially if you’re using TrueType fonts). If you notice a slowdown with text-heavy drawings, use the Qtext command to replace all text (including dimensions and tolerances) with rectangles that approximate the location of the text. Turn Qtext off to bring back your text. Note that quicktext takes effect only after a drawing regen, so be sure to type Regen at the command prompt after turning Qtext on or off.

Caption: When Qtext is off (left), text appears normally. When you turn Qtext on (and regenerate), rectangles replace the text for speedier performance.

The Fit tab in the Dimension Style dialog box governs what happens when your dimension (its arrowheads, dimension line, and text) won’t fit between the extension lines.

Caption: The Fit tab in the Dimension Style dialog box determines what happens when your dimensions don’t fit in the space available.

Under Fit Options, you can specify which elements will move outside the extension lines. Be sure to select the items that you want placed outside the extension lines when there’s not enough room for them all.

Either Text or Arrows (Best Fit) places whatever fits inside the lines. If the arrows fit, but the text doesn’t, the text will move outside. Likewise, if the text fits but the arrows don’t, the arrows go outside.

Arrows: When there’s not enough room for both text and arrows, the arrows will move outside.

Text: Text goes outside when there’s not enough room for both text and arrows.

Both Text and Arrows: This binds the text and arrows together. They stay together between the lines when there’s room, and both go outside when there’s not.

Caption: The Both Text and Arrows option moves both outside the extension lines when there’s not enough room for both inside.

Always Keep Text between Ext Lines: This keeps the text between the lines, even when it doesn’t fit.

Caption: You can specify that dimension text will always appear between the extension lines, no matter how cramped it gets.

Suppress Arrows if They Don’t Fit Inside the Extension Lines: This option does away with the arrows entirely if they don’t fit inside the dimension lines. It is used in conjunction with one of the options above. For example, when you have Either Text or Arrows selected also, the arrows will disappear any time they end up outside the lines.

The Text Placement section of the Fit tab specifies where the text goes when there’s not enough room to put it in the default position.

Beside the Dimension Line puts it next to the dimension line but outside the extension lines. If you edit the text, you can move it to the left or right, but you won’t be able to move it above or below the dimension line.

Caption: The Beside option ensures that the text remains next to the dimension line.

Over Dimension Line, with Leader: This option places the dimension text over the dimension line, between but above the extension lines. A leader runs from the dimension line to the text. You can move the text anywhere you like.

Caption: Results when the Over Dimension Line with Leader option is selected.

Over Dimension Line, without Leader: Just like the previous option, but with no leader between the dimension line and text.

Recently we mentioned the SYSVDLG Express Tool, which creates a listing of your current system variable settings and also provides an easy way to reset them all to their defaults. A related tool is the Vars2scr command, which captures your current system variables as a script file. Create a file when you have your variables set the way you like them so you can restore as needed. To run the command, first type (load “acadinfo”) at the command prompt, then type vars2scr. Save the script file it generates in a safe place. You can view and edit the script file with a text editor such as Notepad. To load the script file, type Script at the command prompt and select your file.