TABLE OF CONTENTS AutoCAD is a complex program with a bewildering set of options and settings. You don't need to know everything about AutoCAD to be a productive user, but it does help to be aware of some of the inner workings that let you fine-tune AutoCAD.
This appendix covers a few of the details that can help you get tighter control over the way AutoCAD works. You'll find a brief discussion of system variables that give you direct control over options and features. That discussion is followed by a detailed look at Dimension Styles settings.
System variables let you fine-tune your AutoCAD environment. Most of the system variables control the same options you find in AutoCAD's dialog boxes and palettes. The main advantage of system variables is that you can set them without having to dig through a series of dialog boxes.
To set a system variable, you enter the variable name at the Command prompt. Or, if you're in the middle of another command, you can set a system variable by entering the variable name preceded by an apostrophe. For example, if you're drawing a series of line segments, you can enter ?Snapang at the Specify next point or [Undo}: prompt to change the Snapang system variable on the fly.
Because system variables are command-line driven and don't require access to a dialog box, you can use them in your custom macros to control settings. You can also access system variables through AutoLISP by using...
