TABLE OF CONTENTS You can use a wealth of AutoCAD features to improve your productivity. But even with these aids to efficiency, you can always further automate in certain situations. In this chapter, I'll introduce you to some ways you can enhance AutoCAD with add-on utilities. You'll also learn how to adapt AutoCAD to fit your particular needs by customizing its menus and toolbars.
First, you'll learn how to load and run the AutoCAD Express tools that are supplied on the AutoCAD distribution CD. By doing so, you'll be prepared to take advantage of the many utilities available from user groups and online services. You'll also see how third-party tools can enhance AutoCAD's role in your workplace. Then, you'll learn how you can create keyboard macros and incorporate them into custom menus and toolbars. And, finally, you'll learn how to create custom linetypes and hatch patterns.
Topics in this chapter include the following:
Using Enhancements Straight from the Source
Putting AutoLISP to Work
If you've followed the tutorial in this book, you've already used a few add-on programs that come with AutoCAD, perhaps without even being aware that they were not part of the core AutoCAD program. In this section, I'll introduce you to the AutoCAD Express tools: a set of AutoLISP, ARX, and VBA tools that showcase these powerful customization environments. The best part about the Express tools is that you don't have to know a thing about programming to take advantage of them.
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