• Home
  • Training Books
  • Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
  • About
    • Contributors
    • Feedback
    • Contact
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookie Policy

CADnotes

CAD Tutorials and Best Practices for professionals and students

  • Featured
  • AutoCAD
    • AutoLISP
  • Revit
    • Revit Architecture Basic
    • Revit MEP Basic Tutorial
  • Inventor
  • MicroStation
    • MicroStation Basic Tutorial
  • CADnotes on YouTube
You are here: Home / AutoCAD / What’s new in AutoCAD 2017: Drafting and Annotation Enhancements

What’s new in AutoCAD 2017: Drafting and Annotation Enhancements

May 3, 2016 by Edwin Prakoso Leave a Comment

In this Article...

  • Associative Centerlines and Center Marks
    • CENTERREASSOCIATE and CENTERDISASSOCIATE
    • CENTEREXE
    • CENTERMARKEXE
    • CENTERLAYER
    • CENTERLTYPE
    • CENTERLTSCALE
    • CENTERCROSSSIZE
    • CENTERCROSSGAP
    • CENTERRESET
  • Dimension and Hatch Layer
  • US Survey Feet Unit
  • To Sum Up

We covered the new features in AutoCAD 2017 system enhancements. Now let’s continue to new features in drafting tools.

Associative Centerlines and Center Marks

AutoCAD 2017 has new centerlines tools. You can create center marks and centerlines easily with these tools. You can find the tools in Annotate tab> Centerlines panel.

centerlines tools

Using these tools are pretty straight forward. Just select a circle or arc to create a center mark. And pick two lines to create a centerline.

However, there are a bunch of new system variable to control the behavior and appearance. If you are not

If you are not familiar with changing system variable on the command line, type the command and press enter.

CENTERREASSOCIATE and CENTERDISASSOCIATE

The symbols are linked to the object. They will follow the object size when you modify it. If you don’t want this behavior, you can disassociate it. Use CENTERDISASSOCIATE command. And if you want to reassociate it, CENTERREASSOCIATE will link the object with the centerline symbol again.

CENTEREXE

This variable controls the extension length of the centerlines.

centerexe variable

Note: Changing these variables only affects newly created objects. Existing objects will not be affected. You need to use CENTERRESET to apply the changes to existing objects. More about this later.

CENTERMARKEXE

This variable is to turn on/off the extension line. If you turn it off, only the center mark is created.

centermark without extension

CENTERLAYER

You can choose on which layer the center mark will be created. The center mark tool will use the layer that you define here.

CENTERLTYPE

This variable is to define what line type the center mark use.

CENTERLTSCALE

Center marks follow the drawing line type scale. However, if you want to set a different value you can change it here.

CENTERCROSSSIZE

Yes, this variable has 3 S’s. Aren’t you happy we have AutoComplete now? This variable controls the cross size of the center marks as shown below.

centercross size

CENTERCROSSGAP

This variable controls the distance between the center mark and the extension line.

CENTERRESET

When you change the CENTEREXE value, it only affects new objects. It will not affect existing objects. CENTERRESET will force the existing objects to use the new value.

However, note that this only affects CENTEREXE variable. For other variables, you need to delete and recreate the center marks. I expect that this command can work with other variables too in the future.

This new tool is pretty useful, but I don’t see the reason why Autodesk didn’t make a dialog box to change the variables. It would be easier to change them all. A CENTERSTYLE command perhaps? Like we can modify the dimension styles?

Dimension and Hatch Layer

In AutoCAD 2016, we can set a dimension layer with DIMLAYER command. Every time we create a dimension with DIM command, it will be created in the defined layer. However, it only works for DIM command. It doesn’t work with Linear Dimension, Angular Dimension, and the others dimension tools.

In AutoCAD 2017, you can use it for other dimension tools. But not the QDIM command. I’m not sure, but it seems the developer forget about this tool.

HPLAYER command is not new. In AutoCAD 2017, you can set HPLAYER to non-existing layer and AutoCAD will create the new dimension for you.

US Survey Feet Unit

US Survey Feet unit is now added in the UNITS and INSUNIT command.

us survey feet

To Sum Up

The dimension layer fix in this release is pretty useful. The center mark tools are pretty nice, especially if you draw them on a regular basis. However, it looks not finished yet. A center mark style (or at least a dialog box) to change the variable will be excellent. And don’t forget about updating the existing center mark to the new values. CENTERRESET should work on all of them.

What about you? Do you like the new drafting features? What do you expect to be enhanced in this area?

 

About Edwin Prakoso

I work as a Solution Consultant in Datech Solutions, Tech Data Indonesia. I've been using AutoCAD since R14 and Revit since Revit Building 9. I occasionally write for AUGIWorld magazine and I am also active in Autodesk discussion forum. I'm a member of Autodesk Expert Elite, an appreciation for individuals who give contributions to the Autodesk community.
Connect with me on twitter or LinkedIn. If you want to have my new articles sent to your email inbox, you can subscribe to the newsletter.

Filed Under: AutoCAD

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Login
Notify of
guest

guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Join Our Free Email Newsletter
  Thank you for Signing Up
Please correct the marked field(s) below.
1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

Featured

Tool options

10+ Ways to Use AutoCAD Object Selection

Do you think selecting objects in AutoCAD is difficult? We show you 10+ ways to do it in this article!

Recent Articles

  • Revit 2024.1 Update is Released
  • What’s New in Revit 2024: Bending Detail
  • What’s New in Revit 2024: The Dark Theme

Advertisement

New on CADnotes

  • Revit 2024.1 Update is Released
  • What’s New in Revit 2024: Bending Detail
  • What’s New in Revit 2024: The Dark Theme
  • Autodesk Build: Using Assets for Progress Tracking
  • My Home on the ACC Unified Platform

Meet the Authors

avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for

Get Connected

CADnotes on FacebookCADnotes on InstagramCADnotes on TwitterCADnotes on YouTube

© 2009 – 2023 CADnotes · Feedback · Privacy Policy · Become an affiliate

wpDiscuz