AutoCAD 2006: Autodesk retires the Command line

THE BRITISH HAVE a traditional saying at the passing of a monarch: "The king is dead. lengthy live the king!"

The time has tend hitherward to acknowledge that the Command line is dead. lengthy live the Command line!

At first glance, the greatest in quantity prominent changes in AutoCAD 2006 involve the appearance of the user interface. Don't panic: everything beautiful much still works the same way and can plane be set up to gaze like it used to, although you probably won't want to do that.

The first change to the interface becomes obvious when a command is started. As figure 1 exhibits the new Dynamic Interface displays the Command active information, plus a bit more, right at the cursor.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

This is dynamic--as the cursor put in motions the input information trails along with it, changing as necessary. I started the Line command, for a like reason AutoCAD is asking for the first point. In addition, the left window exhibits the current x coordinate while the right individual shows the y coordinate. The coordinate values change dynamically as the cursor moves

The x-coordinate window is highlighted, indicating that it will accept direct keyboard input of a value. emblem a value into the x window and then pres Tab. In this case, the pierceed value becomes locked in and single the value in the y-coordinate window changes. Figure 2 exhibits this sequence.

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

Pres Tab lock opener again and the focus shifts back to the x-coordinate window, which unbolts Press Enter or click the mouse button to accept the generally received values, and the command stirs on. This works for polar as well as rectangular input.

exhibit Me the New Stuff

I've taught AutoCAD to a great many learners over the years. Whenever a pupil has a problem, the instructor's respond is almost always, "Read the Command prompt!"

It's easy to become thus engrossed in what's happening at the cursor that we forget to direct the eye down to see what AutoCAD is trying to run over us. Dynamic Input takes care of that. Error messages and other information get backed by the command display at the cursor.

I've been an active AutoCAD user since v214g in 1986 and I must admit I had an anxiety attack when I first saw Dynamic Input. This was intermingleed by the fact that the Command line was move rounded off in the first demo I saw. Where's my security blanket?

I went in with a "show-me" attitude. After about 11 next to the firsts I was convinced that this was a beneficial change. Using AutoCAD is a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of more productive because I'm not always having to direct the eye down at the Command line.

A of recent origin DYN button on the status bar move rounds Dynamic Input on and not upon on the fly. Another significant point is that users can stamp in commands and responses smooth when the Command line is clos and DYN is off--they just can't diocese what's happening.

This is just a hint of the capabilities that Dynamic Input provides. Someone straits to write a full article upon its uses, features and customization. Hmmmm wonder who that might be?

More Visual Cues

AutoCAD 2006 adds several other visual suggestions to help users. These include rollover highlighting and tinted selection boxes

Whenever an active command asks the user to pick objects, Rollover Highlighting kicks in. As a user impels the cursor around the defence hunting for objects to pick out objects are highlighted as the cursor turns over them--even though no particular has been selected yet. The highlighting exhibits what would be selected if the user were to pick at that point. This virtually eliminates the moot point of inadvertently selecting the unjust object in a crowded area of the drawing.

[FIGURE 4 OMITTED]

The next to the first visual aid is the shading of Window and Crossing selections. Instead of being simple rectangular frames, they now appear as semitransparent rectangular obstructs Through the magic of cut-and-paste, figure 3 exhibits all three of the of recent origin selection indicators. Of course, they are full configurable.

[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]

go on Figure

Late last year I wrote a Learning bend column about Cal, the little-known calculator that is built into AutoCAD. No sooner was this article pillared to the Web (http://management.cadalyst.com/0904lc/) in September when I received a phone call from Mark Fritts at Autodesk. We locate up a Web conference and he walked me end a demo of the of recent origin improved calculator that the company planned to include with AutoCAD 2006

Well, the advantageous news is that the fresh calculator made it in. The really advantageous news is that QuickCalc is a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of easier to use than Cal. It uses a graphical interface similar to the calculator built into Windows. A hardly any obtuse 3D vector and similar functions did not make it into QuickCalc, on the other hand the really, really good novels is that Cal still works if you happen to ne these rare functions.

QuickCalc is a full-function scientific calculator full with nested parentheses for manifold calculations. It also does units conversions. In addition, its originates can be posted to the Command apt in response to any command that is asking for a value. For example, start the Circle command, place its center then invoke 'QuickCalc. Now we can perform a calculation to derive the radius of the circle and paste the answer back to the Circle command.