Design Software

My Long History of Using AutoCAD, by Autodesk

My first experience with AutoCAD was AutoCAD 2.14, while I was a student at Palm Beach Junior College (PBJC), in the mid-1980's. I was also taking a Subdivisions course, in the Land Surveying curriculum at PBJC. As I was also assisting a neighboring engineer with VersaCAD, at the time, my instructor convinced me that I should prepare my subvision project using AutoCAD; so AutoCAD it was.

I stepped through, using 2.52 and 9, on PC ATs; then 10 on a Sun SparcStation; then 11 through 14 on PCs; now, in the year-based names on the Windows platform, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and currently, 2011. My experience with AutoCAD has been in the disciplines of land surveying, residential architectural design, civil engineering, site plans, developing programs for a photogrammetrist, developing a program for land surveyor, GIS (using AutoCAD Map 14 through 2009, and ESRI's ArcCAD, early on), bridge plans, WWTF plans, and currently, airport design and airport master plan preparation.

This month, April 2011, I have started using Civil 3D 2011, almost exclusively. So, now I get to experience a whole new bunch of software issues.

Troubleshooting AutoCAD - Inverted Layer Filters

2011-04-13 - Like every other piece of computer software, AutoCAD also has it quirks. The issue that I encountered today was part of the layer commands. I like to have my layer toolbar providing me only the layers that are usable in the current drawing, instead of every layer in both the reference drawings and the current drawing. So, my natural manner of working has been to select the XREFs filter in the layer manager, then checking the box for Invert Filter, as well as keeping the selection for reflecting these settings in the layer toolbar. This means that I can select only the layers that are in the current drawing, which also has the benefit of keeping the list very short.

My resolution of inverted layer filter issues webpage discussed a work-around for this AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 bug.

Troubleshooting AutoCAD - Panning to a Specific Location or Distance

2012-01-08 - Software usage changes, as they evolve through versions, and AutoCAD is no different. Back in the day, when a CADD operator performed a Pan command, the first point and second point clicks represented a relative vector (ie. angle and distance) change in the display. With this original method, one could pan an exact distance. But, as AutoCAD evolved, this pan method got hidden and the newer freehand-style pan was the normal pan. But, if you still want to perform a specific distance pan or an ortho pan, then you still have that ability, you just need to know how to do it.

The current command (AutoCAD 2011, which is what I am using at work) to perform a specific distance pan, is to use the command, -pan. You will then be prompted for first point and second point. If you want to pan a specific point to the center of your editor window, simply type your desired point, say 0,0 as the first point, and pick the center of your screen as the second point. The location, 0,0 will then be located in the center of your editor window.

Among the other permutations of this command, you can use object snaps (osnap) and pan to an endpoint, or perpendicular to a drawn grid line. If you want to pan a profile within a viewport, in order to keep the baseline of the plan view aligned with the profile, draw a construction line ( I normally have a layer named _construction, color 30, as a non-plotting layer in my prototype drawings) from your refence point on your plan in paperspace, straight down (tip - F8, ortho on); next, perform a changespace command on that line, choosing the profile viewport for the destination. You will now have the construction in the viewport for the profile. Perform a -pan command, choosing the first point as a snapped point on the profile at the referenced station in the plan view. For the second point, use snap perpendicular to the construction line. Now, the profile in the lower viewport will horizontally match the start of the plan in the planview viewport.

While that is not the only way to effectively pan a viewport, it is probably the easiest. You could also stretch the profile viewport beyond the desired size, then move the viewport and stretch the viewport back to the desired size. When I use this method, I will use the viewports grips and snap them perpendicular to the plan view viewport to ensure that they are a perfect match. I find that method is easier and fewer steps than trying to guess the size.

To perform an ortho pan, there are two methods that I use regularly. The first, using the current pan command; after making the first point pick, press and hold down the shift key, then make your second pick. The pan will be an orthometric pan.

The other method that I use for an ortho pan is to use the -pan command, enable ortho mode (F8) and pick the two points. This method has the benefit that if you make the slightest mouse movement of the previous method, after making the first click and before holding down the shift key, you will not be perfectly executing an ortho pan.

I have created this webpage as a method to document and share my AutoCAD experiences.

If you have any questions, comments or requests, you can email me at

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