AutoCAD 2015: What's New? - Part 1

By Martin Phelps

Help Options

When using the AutoCAD “HELP” system, Autodesk have now incorporated a way to locate the relevant command, once the command is displayed in the “HELP” window the icon relating to the command is shown, by the side of the icon is the word “FIND” selecting this word will now display an animated arrow showing the location of the tool, if the tool is not in the current tab the “HELP” system will switch to the tab that contains that tool. If the tool is not accessible, a tool tip will appear in the help window prompting the location of the tool.

Colour Schemes

2015 offers the slightly more modern approach to the working user interface, this now includes a dark ribbon, pallets, and status bar; this has been changed to reduce eye strain. All other dialogues such as “BLOCK”, “INSERT” etc., remain light. The dark scheme may be changed back to light via the “OPTIONS” dialogue box. This new dark ribbon looks a bit strange to start with, but once used it soon becomes the norm, I now find it a little strange going back to a light ribbon. Other tool boxes with the black back ground are “CALCULATOR”, “MARKUP SET MANAGER”, “SHEETSET MANAGER” and “DB CONNECT”

The paper space back ground is also darker but the paper remains white.

Workspaces

The “WORKSPACE” drop down list in the “QUICK ACCESS” tool bar is now turned off by default, but may displayed by selecting the “WORKSPACE” command from the list accessed via the drop down arrow at the far right of the quick access tool bar. 

The “AUTOCAD CLASSIC” work space is no more, but can easily be recreated. See earlier blog.

Galleries

2015 now offers block galleries, once a block has been added to a drawing an arrow appears just below the block “INSERT” command by selecting the arrow the block gallery is displayed showing all the blocks in the current drawing, the blocks may be selected and placed in to the drawing from this displayed location.  The image below show no “BLOCKS” in the current drawing the arrow under the insert command is missing.

Image below shows the drop down arrow under the insert command and the blocks in the block gallery.

Galleries are now also available for tables, text, multileader and dimension styles which have been defined with in the drawing. The “MORE OPTIONS” links to the “INSERT BLOCK” dialogue box. Although the “GALLERIES” are an addition to AutoCAD for speed I think you would be hard pushed to bet the response time of the “TOOL PALLETS”

View Tab on the ribbon Menu

The display of Tools such as the “UCS ICON”, “VIEW CUBE” and “NAVIGATION BAR” can now be controlled from the” VIEW” tab. Items highlighted “BLUE” are turned on.

More on AutoCAD 2015 in my next blog.