Welcome to AutoCAD Release 14. We at Autodesk are very proud of the completeness you will find in AutoCAD Release 14 - from the feature set, to the quality, to the support. This is your guide to the new features you will find in the latest AutoCAD release.
No matter how creative you are in describing, positioning, or spinning AutoCAD Release 14, the story of this newest edition of Autodesk's flagship software keeps coming back to productivity. When you see the software in action, you'll understand why. A substantial increase in overall program performance and numerous time-saving enhancements top the list of new AutoCAD Release 14 features. So does glitch-free operation that won't leave you stranded at crunch time. And for millions of design professionals who make a living doing more--better and faster--these improvements make AutoCAD Release 14 an exciting product.
You would expect design professionals to be excited about a product whose development they drove. With AutoCAD Release 14, Autodesk returned to basics by turning to customers for the selection of new features. And what customers asked for were improvements in the work-horse tools that typical designers and drafters spend the most time using. In response, AutoCAD Release 14 delivers dozens of well-conceived enhancements in areas such as core program speed, drafting productivity, file sharing, system and network management, drawing presentation, and customization.
Much credit goes to the technology transition groundwork laid in Release 13. With second-generation object architecture and other mature technology, AutoCAD Release 14 delivers on productivity and provides a strong technology platform for development. Autodesk's decision to focus on the Microsoft Windows NT/95 platform also delivers rich rewards in better Windows compliance, greater program efficiency, and significantly higher performance.
In the final appraisal, we think you'll agree that AutoCAD Release 14 offers a myriad of judiciously chosen productivity improvements. But what distinguishes this product from other AutoCAD Releases in recent memory is that its enhancements are aimed at the everyday work of professional designers and drafters. So instead of the exotic menu of past Releases, the chefs at Autodesk cooked up a features feast suited to every palate.
Stated another way, AutoCAD Release 14 manages to cut time and frustration from every routine design and drafting task you can imagine-_ which is exactly what you'd expect from a Release driven by customers. The software's many refinements represent a powerful combination of elegance, speed, ease-of-use, and near-flawless operation - in a word, productivity. But a brand of productivity never before seen in an AutoCAD Release.
DRAWING PRODUCTIVITY
Draw faster and more accurately in AutoCAD Release 14 with enhanced performance, quick, precision drawing tools and familiar Windows interaction with AutoCAD and your drawing.
Overall Product Performance
As you review the various areas of change, modification and enhancements in AutoCAD Release 14, one theme is frequently encountered: increased product performance.
The Autodesk programmers have spent many hours optimizing the performance of AutoCAD Release 14. The improvements are to be seen in three broad areas of the product: file operations, display operations and object creation and editing operations.
* File Operations. Opening drawing files, saving changes to drawing files and even creating blocks are, to a large extent, "dead time" for users. Release 14 shortens many of these times, often significantly, giving the user more productive time in the drawing.
* Display Operations. Operations that redraw the display, regenerate the drawing or set the drawing display area are among the most frequently used commands in AutoCAD. Release 14 speeds up many of these display operations, making the software more transparent.
* Draw/Edit Operations. Operations such as selection, move, copy, etc., form the core of everyday production drafting modifications. Many of these operations take less time in Release 14 than in previous Releases, giving you the ability to make design changes quickly.
Your own drawings and editing preferences are your best guide to assess the increased productivity with this new release. We are confident, that all customers - R12 DOS to R13 Windows customers - will find that the new Release is fast, responsive and saves time.
Reduced Memory Footprint
In AutoCAD Release 14, several improvements to core program architecture enable significantly reduced memory demands, freeing memory for user drawings and allowing increased performance.
* New Graphics Subsystem. In Release 14, the AutoCAD ADI graphics pipeline has been replaced with a modern, more efficient HEIDI-based graphics system. This has allowed the elimination of the refresh file along with its high memory demands.
* New Objects. Two new objects, the lightweight polyline and an improved hatch object, represent efficiency improvements over their predecessors in previous AutoCAD releases.
* Lightweight Polyline. The new lightweight polyline is a replacement object for the 2D polyline. By storing vertex data as an array in a single object rather than a series of separate entities, lightweight polylines require substantially less memory "overhead" compared to the standard 2D polyline. As a result, drawings containing a large number of polyline objects, such as digital terrain models, are significantly reduced in size and exhibit faster regen times. Lightweight polylines are created by default in Release 14, however, the older-style polyline object is still used for splined or curve fit polylines.
* Improved Hatch Object. The new Hatch object in AutoCAD Release 14 represents a more efficient means of storing hatch entities. Prior to Release 14, each hatched area was stored rather inefficiently as an anonymous "block" definition and instance. The definition contained all of the individual lines making up the hatched area, with each line containing redundant information such as color, layer, linetype, etc. The Release 14 hatch object stores the calculated boundary of the hatch pattern along with a pointer to the hatch definition. In the majority of cases, this method results in smaller drawings and reduced memory consumption.
* Modular Application Structure (Application Demand Loading). In Release 14, ARX applications, such as the ACIS solid modeling kernel, are loaded only as requested by the user or when called by another application. Demand loading represents an increase in efficiency in two ways. First, loading such programs dynamically significantly reduces Release 14 loading and initialization time, allowing users to begin using the program that much faster. Secondly, because these applications occupy, in the aggregate, potentially large amounts of memory, other operations can realize a net increase in speed by having more physical memory allocated to their needs.
Paperspace Performance
AutoCAD Release 14 users can now work in Paperspace while enjoying the efficiency and performance associated with Modelspace.
* Regens Not Required. Display operations in Paperspace no longer require a regen. For users taking advantage of Paperspace this means that drawing layout and composition are significantly faster.
* Real-Time and Transparent Pan and Zoom. In Release 14, both real-time and transparent panning and zooming are supported, giving users the ability to quickly navigate within Paperspace using the same familiar interaction they use in Modelspace.
Quick Precision Drawing
AutoCAD Release 14 introduces several new tools to help users draw more precisely. These tools, by and large, extend the usefulness or accessibility of pre-Release 14 features giving veteran AutoCAD users the ability to build upon their expertise while offering new users an enhanced set of drawing tools.
* AutoSnap. AutoCAD Release 14 supports a new running object snap feature called AutoSnap. With AutoSnap, users can visually preview and confirm snap point candidates before picking a point during drawing and editing operations. The use of object snaps is one of the most common operations in AutoCAD. Prior to Release 14, the process of selecting a precise point to snap to was often pick intensive, time consuming and sometimes ambiguous. With the AutoSnap visual and tactual confirmation, users know if they have locked onto the correct snap location even when multiple snap modes are set or when the underlying drawing geometry is extensive. AutoSnap therefore increases productivity and decreases errors while making Release 14 easier to learn and use. AutoSnap supports several visual aids:
* Marker. A temporary marker displayed at the osnap location when the target box (aperture) on the cursor moves over an object. Each osnap mode (Endpoint, Center, etc.) has its own distinctive Snap Marker.
* Snap Tip. A small pop-up window that displays the name of the snap location (Endpoint, Center, etc.).
* Magnet . An automatic movement of the cursor that actually "pulls" the cursor onto the osnap point as the cursor approaches. This behavior is similar to the cursor action exhibited in the existing Grips feature.
* Cycling. A feature that allows stepping through the object snap points of objects lying within the target aperture. The Tab key is used to cycle from the closest to the furthest osnap point from the center of the aperture box. The involved geometry is highlighted to further aid in identification.
* Tracking. AutoCAD Release 14 supports Tracking, a drawing aid that allows users to visually locate points relative to other points. Typically, Tracking is used in conjunction with object snaps or direct coordinate entry and often eliminates the need to invoke point filters. The Tracking feature can be used whenever Release 14 prompts for a point. If tracking is enabled and a point is specified, Release 14 constrains the next point selection to an orthogonal path that extends vertically or horizontally from the first point. If the user picks a second point and then presses Return to end Tracking, Release 14 locates the new point at the intersection of an imaginary orthogonal path extending from the first two points.
Tracking greatly simplifies many drafting tasks. For example, Tracking provides a quick way to find the center point of a rectangle. At the From point prompt, the user chooses the Tracking tool from the Object Snap cursor menu to start tracking and then has only to specify the midpoints of the horizontal and vertical lines of the rectangle. This will quickly and efficiently identify the center point.
* Running Object Snap Toggle. The Running Object Snap Toggle is an object snap enhancement introduced in Release 14. This feature allows users to toggle any running object snaps off prior to selecting a point without losing the running object snap settings. Running object snaps are used with the new AutoSnap feature; the ability to toggle them on and off allows this powerful drawing aid to be used more easily.
* Object Snap Override. In Release 14, an option is provided to allow explicit coordinate entry to have precedence over any running object snaps. With this option (enabled by default), direct coordinate entry is enhanced and users can be confident that such entries are given priority over any running object snaps in effect. Like the Running Object Snap Toggle, this enhancement allows the new AutoSnap feature to be used more effectively.
Hybrid Raster/Vector Drawings
Previous AutoCAD Releases offered limited support for making use of existing raster imagery with AutoCAD drawings. Release 14 adds true support for combining a variety of raster images with standard AutoCAD vector graphics. With this new capability, Release 14 users can integrate scanned images including legacy drawings, hand-drawn sketches or digital photographs with their drafting and design work through a standardized facility. This facility also provides a common base for more sophisticated hybrid raster/vector operations using independent image editing, manipulation and analysis applications.
The new raster image support capability in Release 14 is discussed in more detail as part of the "Communicate and Share Designs" section of this document.
Layer and Linetype Management
AutoCAD Release 14 introduces simplified, modern interfaces for the important tasks of managing drawing layers and linetypes.
* Layer and Linetype Properties Dialog. The Layer and Linetype Properties dialog has been extensively modified and enhanced in Release 14 to increase the accessibility and usability of drawing organization features and key object properties. The new interface is consistent in many respects with Windows Explorer-type dialogs. This emulation is in accordance with many other Release 14 dialogs and serves to reduce learning time and improve overall functionality. The dialog consists of two tabs: Layer and Linetype.
* Layer Tab. The layer tab presents all of the functions required to create, rename, delete and assign properties to layers in the main List View window. As an adjunct to these operations, the Show: drop down list provides a set of pre-defined layer filters as well as a "Set Filter dialog..." choice that displays a separate Set Layer Filters sub-dialog. Layer filters control the display of layers in the dialog.
The List View supports a number of standard Windows interface features that add a great deal of flexibility to all layer name and layer state operations, replacing the need to call other functions, sub-dialogs and commands:
* Drag a division to resize the column. Double click on a column to resize to minimum width.
* Clicking on a column heading sorts the layers in the List View control in ascending or descending order based on the column's function. For example, clicking the name column heading bar sorts the layers alphabetically; clicking again reverse alphabetizes the layers.
* When picking layer names, the Shift key and Control key enable adding or removing selected names in the standard Windows 95 manner.
* In-place editing is available for layer names that can be renamed.
* Linetype Tab. The Linetype Tab is the functional analog of the Layer Tab, used for linetype management. The Linetype Tab features a List View control similar to that of the Layer Tab with appropriate columns for linetype operations. Of particular interest is the Appearance column which displays a graphic depiction of each linetype for quick identification. The expanded Linetype Tab provides control of both global and per entity linetype scale.
* Make Layer Current Command. Release 14 introduces a new command, commonly requested by existing customers, to set the current layer to match that of a selected drawing object. Accessed through an icon on the Object Properties Toolbar, this command provides a faster, simpler and more accurate method of setting the current layer.
Object Property Access
Several new or improved facilities in AutoCAD Release 14 provide more direct, visual manipulation of object properties such as color, layer, and linetype.
* Display and Edit Object Properties via Toolbar. The functionality of the Object Properties Toolbar has been significantly enhanced in Release 14. In AutoCAD Release 13, the Object Properties toolbar contained three controls to list and set the defaults for layer, color and linetype for newly-created objects. Release 14 extends this facility by allowing the controls to list and edit the properties of selected drawing objects as well. These enhancements enable the toolbar controls in Release 14 to behave in a manner similar to the equivalent properties toolbar in Microsoft Office applications such as Microsoft Word for Windows 95.
In Release 14, if an object is selected, the Object Properties toolbar displays the layer, color and linetype of the selected object. Any of the properties (layer, color, linetype) can be easily and quickly changed by activating any of the three drop down boxes and choosing a new layer, color or linetype. Groups of two or more selected objects may also be "listed" and edited in a similar manner.
The improved Object Properties Toolbar in Release 14 offers a more direct method of property manipulation than using commands or dialogs in Release 13.
* Match Properties. The new Match Properties command in Release 14 provides a one-step, easy-to-use interface for copying properties such as color and linetype from one object to another. Most Microsoft Office applications have a feature termed "Format Painter" and the Release 14 Match Properties command performs the equivalent functions in a CAD context with the additional capability of specifying which properties to copy.
The Match Properties command is frequently more convenient and more efficient than using several other commands which it compliments such as CHANGE, CHPROP, DDCHPROP, LIST and DDMODIFY. It is readily accessible from the Standard Toolbar.
* Improved Property Controls. There have been several enhancements to the property controls on the Object Property Toolbar in AutoCAD Release 14:
* A drop down list has been added to the color control of the Object Properties Toolbar to allow selecting the active color. The list includes both a color swatch and the color name or number. This enhancement reduces or eliminates the need to bring up an additional dialog to set or edit color.
* ToolTips are displayed for the icons in the layer control to clarify their meaning. The icons themselves have also been improved.
* The layer and linetype controls display layer and linetype names with the use of ellipses (...) to compress names longer than 32 characters.
Windows UI Integration
* Explorer Dialog Support. In AutoCAD Release 14, there are more than 30 file open dialogs and over 20 file save dialogs. With this large number of user interface elements sharing largely similar functions, it would be possible, if not likely, that some degree of confusion would result as users attempted to interact effectively and efficiently in carrying out essential file operations unless some common visual and functional theme linked the elements together. In Release 14 this theme is derived from the Explorer-style dialog found in Windows 95 and NT 4.0. This format is highly functional, as well as easy to use. Overall efficiency in Release 14 is increased since veteran Windows 95 and NT 4.0 users are already familiar with this format while users migrating to the Windows 95 and NT 4.0 platform have only one common file operations interface to learn.
The salient features for AutoCAD of this "explorer" dialog interface are as follows:
* Increased consistency for Release 14 commands. Whether selecting a drawing file to open or a file to attach as an external references, the operation of the dialog is essentially the same.
* Easy navigation among various drives and folders either on a stand-alone workstation or on a network, and the ability to create new folders "on the fly".
* Support for various file display formats (large vs. small icons, file details, etc.).
* Support for right-click shortcut menus.
* Toolbars Dialog. A new Toolbars dialog has been added to AutoCAD Release 14. It combines the functionality of the dialog associated with the TBCONFIG command in AutoCAD Release 13, the cascading Tools/Toolbars menu and the TOOLBAR command. The Toolbars dialog provides easy access and control of standard and custom toolbars in a more direct manner.
* Right-Button (Shortcut) Menus. In Release 14, right-clicking grip-selected objects displays a standard Windows-type shortcut menu that allows users to directly edit and modify the objects and their properties. This feature increases productivity by offering a standard Windows method of direct object manipulation. Other shortcut menus are available for embedded objects, the command window and toolbars, and Explorer-style dialogs.
* Menu Modifications. In Release 14, pull-down menus and toolbars adhere more closely to Windows standards enabling improved learnability. For example, the first twelve items on the Standard Toolbar match Microsoft Office standards, there are now Insert and Format menus, and menu item names and locations have been updated. Toolbars are also simplified for faster access to commonly used tools.
* On-Line Help. In Release 14, On-line Help has been updated to use the latest Windows presentation and organization. This standard format will be more useful to veteran Windows users and will serve to improve learnability for those moving to the Windows platform.
Command Line Editing
Significant improvements in the behavior of keystroke input to the AutoCAD command line have been added to Release 14. These improvements provide more flexibility when issuing commands at the command prompt and bring the Release 14 interface in closer compliance with the behavior of standard Windows NT/Windows 95 applications. A special benefit will be realized by heavy-duty command line users, such as AutoLISP users, who frequently enter long or complex text strings at the command prompt.
* Command Line Recall. On the command-line, users now have the ability to recall previous command line entries using the up and down-arrow keys in a manner similar to the DOSKEY facility.
* Command Line Editing. In Release 14, command line editing using standard Windows editing methods (insert, backspace, overwrite, end, etc.) is supported. This ability offers a more efficient method of correcting typing errors using standard and familiar keystrokes.
Interactive Display Improvements
* Combined Real-time Pan and Zoom Tool. In Release 14, real-time pan and zoom are combined into a single command allowing the user to easily switch between pan and zoom modes. At the completion of either a real-time pan or zoom, right-clicking displays a cursor menu that offers the ability to either exit the command or to easily choose among real-time pan or zoom or a standard zoom window or zoom previous operation. This new functionality allows quick toggling between real-time pan and zoom and makes viewing and navigating around the drawing both easier and faster.
* Zoom Extents Improvements. In Release 14, zooming to the drawing extents no longer triggers a regen in most cases, improving overall performance and increasing the usability of the zoom extents option. In addition, the resulting image is centered instead of being shifted to the lower left corner of the display.
* Adjustable Cursor. The size of the screen cursor (cross-hair) is adjustable in Release 14. This functionality allows users to adjust the cursor to meet their preferences. Smaller cursors are frequently less distracting and block less of the drawing than a full-screen cursor.
Plot Preview Usability
Release 14 features an updated plot preview facility. The feature is now directly accessible from the Standard toolbar without going through the Print dialog first. The previewed output is now displayed as a white sheet on a gray background, similar to Microsoft Word. In addition, dynamic pan and zoom are supported in the preview mode to enable rapid checking of layout and output accuracy. This new preview feature is more standard, faster and easier to use.
Text Usability
Text is a critical component of most drawings, sometimes even the dominant part as in schedules and specifications. Significant enhancements have been made to text and text creation and manipulation in AutoCAD Release 14.
* Text Editor Usability. The Release 14 text editor usability enhancements start with a new method of specifying text placement that is easier to understand and more representative of final placement. The user drags a rectangular box that graphically shows the attachment point and orientation of the text in accordance with the current setting of the Attach option of the Mtext command.
The editor dialog itself has been redesigned such that it closely resembles standard Windows word processor applications, such as Microsoft Word for Windows 95. The new MTEXT editor presents a familiar, intuitive interface that is both easy to learn and easy to use.
In Release 14, the Mtext editor has three tabs for character formatting, for altering properties and for finding and replacing text. The controls across the top of the editor change depending on the active tab. The dialog also expands automatically to accommodate large amounts of text, and displays a scroll bar if necessary. The Character tab includes a new option for selecting commonly used symbols (including degree, plus/minus, and diameter) graphically from a drop-down list.
These significant enhancements to the MTEXT command yield a text capability that is easy to use since it closely emulates text and word processor functions and features commonly found in Windows applications. Being able to enter complex text easily and reliably with a powerful WYSIWYG dialog facility adds to the professional appearance of drawings and increases the efficiency of one of the most important operations in AutoCAD.
* TrueType Font Support Improvements. Release 14 adds support for True Type font families and additional character formatting including bold, italic, and underscore capabilities. With these enhancements, the user works with fonts and text formatting in a way that is much more similar to other Windows applications. Non-TrueType fonts are mapped to their TrueType equivalents for display in the Mtext editor, improving the accuracy of word wrapping.
* Find and Replace. In accordance with standard word processor and text editor practice, a Find and Replace feature is supported. It includes Match Case and Whole Word options.
Modern Learning Tools
* AutoCAD Learning Assistance. AutoCAD Learning Assistance is an interactive, multimedia learning tool designed to assist users increasing their productivity through a self-paced, as-needed tutorial facility. Its browser-like interface allows users to quickly navigate through a series of HTML-based Projects, Tutorials and Lessons. AutoCAD Learning Assistance allows users to find specific topics quickly, view a multimedia demonstration of the topic and then apply the techniques to their work. This facility is available in English language only.
* Improved On-Line Documentation. On-line documentation is now integrated into the standard Help system yielding increased learnability and usability by using the Windows standard for presenting user assistance information.
* "What's This" Help. Many of the dialogs in Release 14 feature a direct, on-demand link to the Help system by utilizing a Windows standard "What's This" feature.
* Direct Access to AutoCAD Web Page. In AutoCAD Release 14, a single Standard Toolbar icon provides access to the AutoCAD Web page via the user's configured web browser. This ability is provided in addition to the standard, out-of-the-box Help facilities and gives the user access to a dynamic medium that contains the most current AutoCAD Release 14 information and updates.
Start Up Dialog and New Drawing Wizards
The Release 14 start up dialog and new drawing wizards make it easier for users to get started on a new or an existing drawing. They provide new users with an effective learning interface while providing veteran users with a set of flexible start up options.
The startup dialog is displayed when Release 14 is first initialized. Instead of opening an empty "default" drawing, as in previous releases of AutoCAD, Release 14 offers the user the following choices:
* Use a Wizard to set up the drawing environment for a new drawing.
* Specify a template to use as the basis for a new drawing.
* "Start from Scratch" by setting a group of default values for Metric or English units.
* Open an existing drawing.
* Use a Wizard. Setting up a new drawing can be a daunting task for new users. Wizards are intended for new or infrequent users who want to be guided through the basic steps. Wizards provide a series of dialogs grouped together in a parent, "tabbed" dialog. Each tab, or page, within the Wizard presents one step in the Wizard's overall task. Release 14's Start Up feature offers two Wizards: Quick Setup and Advanced.
* The Quick Setup Wizard requests a minimum amount of information from the user in a two step process and then scales all necessary internal system variables to values appropriate to the size of the area to be modeled.
* The Advanced Setup Wizard is a more powerful and flexible drawing setup routine that allows a greater degree of control of the new drawing environment than is available with the Quick Setup Wizard. For the more experienced user, this Wizard adds angle control, border and title block choices, and the ability to establish a Paper Space environment.
* Use a Template. It is often most efficient to start a new drawing based upon an existing drawing. Template drawings are established for this purpose. Selecting Use a Template from the Start Up dialog displays a list of template drawing files (.dwt extension). When a template name is highlighted, the drawing is displayed in the Preview area and a brief description of the template appears in a Template Description field of the dialog. Using templates is similar to using a Prototype drawing in previous Releases of AutoCAD, as well as being similar to templates in Microsoft Office. Users can modify or create new template drawings to meet individual, corporate or client needs.
* Start from Scratch allows the user to choose either English or Metric units and sets some very basic default settings stored in the ACAD.dwt and ACADISO.dwt drawing template files. Using the Start from Scratch option is equivalent to selecting No Prototype in previous Releases of AutoCAD.
* Open a Drawing opens an existing drawing. The names of up to the last four opened drawings are displayed in the list box in most recently opened order. If the "More files..." is selected, the Select File dialog replaces the Start Up dialog.
