Introduction Learning Resources Tips & Tricks Support Services

The Lyons’ Share™

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WELCOME TO THE

The DraftSight community – more than 1.6 million

users and growing.
DraftSight users represent a mix of professionals, educators, and students from a wide
range of companies, industries and educational institutions.
What DraftSight users share, is the desire to maximize their design skills and the
“DraftSight Masters Series” was
designed to help them do just that.
This Series, brought to you by The
Lyons’ Share,™ features a collection
of tips, tricks, videos, webinars and
more from DraftSight’s training guru,
Mark Lyons. It’s a one-of-a-kind
instructional resource for designers
at every skill level.
We hope you’ll find this valuable and
encourage you to share it with your
colleagues and friends.

Introduction Video

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Introduction
DraftSight Facts
DraftSight is a professional-grade, free* 2D CAD product from Dassault Systèmes.

Learning Resources
DraftSight highlights:
• You can create, edit, view DWG files
• Takes less than a few minutes to download
• Supports Microsoft® Windows XP®, Windows Vista®, Windows® 7
(General Release), MAC® and Linux. (MAC and Linux are currently
in Beta)
• Affordable Premium services
available
• Over 1.8 million users
• More than 79,000 FB fans

Tips & Tricks

Are you a fan yet?

• Available in 12 languages
• New features and updates introduced frequently
• Offers access to free community support

Standalone license. Activation required.

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*

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Learning Resources
The Learning Resources that you’ll discover in this chapter, with the exception of the
“Getting Started Guide” are video-based and take just a few minutes to view.

DraftSight Getting Started Guide

 heck out the DraftSight Getting Started Guide.

C
™ A free resource designed to get you up and
Getting Started running with DraftSight in no time.
with DraftSight™

Outside the U.S.:

Fax:
Email:
+1-978-371-5011
+1-978-371-7303
info@solidworks.com
Download PDF of guide
Web: http://www.solidworks.com/education

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Introduction
User Interface

Learning Resources
Tips & Tricks
Understanding the User Interface is an important element of learning how to use DraftSight. This is an
introduction to the design of the product screen, and the communication between the user and DraftSight.

Support Services

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Make Block Tutorial

Creating custom blocks is an important feature in DraftSight™. This Make Block Tutorial is designed to help
you get started creating and inserting blocks in your drawing.

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Introduction
Setting up your Mouse on the Mac

Learning Resources
Tips & Tricks
With DraftSight available for the Mac, it’s important to set up your mouse correctly. Watch this Setting
up your Mouse for DraftSight on the Mac Tutorial for helpful information when using a Mac.®

Support Services

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Mouse Gesture

The Mouse Gesture is a way of combining pointing device movements and clicks which DraftSight™
recognizes as a specific command. Mouse gestures can provide quick access to common functions of a
program. They can also be useful for users who have difficulties typing commands.

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Introduction
Create Your Own Custom Toolbars

Learning Resources
Tips & Tricks
Customizing your user environment to increase productivity is key for any proficient user. With DraftSight,
you can create your own custom toolbars as a way of increasing your productivity by grouping commonly

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used commands into one specific tool bar.

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ETracking and Polar Tracking

Using the power of DraftSight to assist in geometry creation will enhance your productivity. Learning how
to use ETracking and Polar Tracking will save you time, and help you be a more productive DraftSight user.

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Introduction
The System Setup Tutorial

Learning Resources
Tips & Tricks
Before you start using DraftSight, make sure you customize your user environment. The System Setup
Tutorial will assist you in creating a user friendly work space.

Support Services

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Trapezoid Command

A fresh new command in DraftSight is the Trapezoid Command. A Trapezoid is a four sided figure with one
pair of parallel sides. Use the Trapezoid command to draw a 2D conical entity. The Trapezoid is created as a
PolyLine entity.

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Introduction
DraftSight and Let’s Go Design

Learning Resources
Tips & Tricks
In this episode of Let’s Go Design, Jeremy uses DraftSight to help his productivity. Watch this video,
DraftSight and Let’s Go Design, to see how he was able to use 2D legacy data to help create the design

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of his field of play.

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3D ContentCentral

Although DraftSight is a 2D product, we invite you to download virtually anything you need for your
design layout at 3D ContentCentral. Most models contained at 3D ContentCentral are available to
download as a 2D .DWG file.

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Introduction
Linear Dimension Tutorial

Learning Resources
Tips & Tricks
The Linear Dimension Tutorial command creates horizontal, vertical, and rotated linear dimensions.
Follow this video and learn more about this function.

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Hatch/Fill

Use the Hatch/Fill command to fill enclosed areas or specified entities with a hatch pattern. Hatching a
drawing adds meaning and helps to differentiate the materials and areas. Some drawing applications, such
as construction drawings, require hatch patterns which can increase the clarity and legibility of a drawing.
Along with patterns, you can apply solid hatches to fill in a bounded area with any color by selecting Fill in
the Hatch type dialog.

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Introduction
Tool Matrix

Learning Resources
Tips & Tricks
DraftSight for Windows is now in general release. With that, there are some exciting new features that
have been implemented. One such feature is the Tool Matrix. The Tool Matrix is a user interface that

Support Services
behaves like other palettes, such as the Properties Palette or the Reference Palette.

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Relative Command

When using DraftSight, we often need to locate a point in the Graphics area relative to another point.
The rectangle command is an excellent example. Once you have located your first point, you need to
specify the second point relative to the first one. Use the Relative Command input to do this.

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Introduction
DraftSight for the Architectural Industry

Learning Resources
Tips & Tricks
With its layering functionality and the ability to specify units as Architectural, DraftSight is a great way
to provide your customers with professional grade drawings. They can download DraftSight for free at

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DraftSight.com and view your drawings.

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Tips and Tricks

The tips and tricks that you’ll discover in this chapter will take just minutes to review and could have a dramatic
impact on your productivity.

MATCH LAYER TIP:

You can change entities to match a destination Layer. To match the Layer of entities to a destination Layer
click Format > Layer Tools > Change Entity’s Layer (or type MatchLayer).
In the graphics area select Entities with layer changes and press Enter, or select an entity on the destination
Layer or specify the Layer Name option and select a Layer in the Choose New Layer dialog box.

MOVE INSTEAD OF COPY:

What to do if you Move instead of Copy: If you Move an object instead of Copying it, don’t panic. Use the
Copy@ command and copy the object using 0,0 as a reference point. Then Undo your Move until the object is
back in its original position. Use the Paste command with a reference point of 0,0 and you’ll have your copy
and your original object.

FIND AND REPLACE TIP:

Use the Find command to find and replace text in your document.
At the command prompt, type Find. Using the Find and Replace dialog, you can select the text to be replaced
in your document. Find will even locate text within a block and modify the block to include the new text!

DELETE LAYER TIP:

The DeleteLayer command will delete all entities on a specified layer and remove the layer from the drawing.
This is a quick way of removing unwanted layers and its associated geometry.
Click Format>Layer Tools>Delete or type DeleteLayer at the command prompt.
You can choose the layer by specifying an entity or by typing its name.

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Introduction
FLIP COMMAND TIP:
Use the Flip command to create a mirror copy of entities, deleting the source entities. The command

Learning Resources
contrasts to the Mirror command in that entities do not remain in their original positions when they move
across the mirror axis. Instead they maintain the same relative position to the symmetry axis, but flip about
the specified mirror axis. You can define the reflection axis freely by specifying two points. Use ortho mode
to force the mirror line to be parallel to the X- or the Y-axis of the coordinate system. To Flip drawing entities
type Flip at the command prompt.

COPY@ TIP:
Use the Copy@ command to copy selected entities and a reference point from the drawing onto the
Windows® clipboard. From the clipboard, you can paste the entities into open drawings using the Paste
and PasteAsBlock commands. The entities selected with Copy@ remain on the clipboard until you place
new entities on the clipboard.

Tips & Tricks

Note: The Copy command copies entities in the drawing from a specified base point to target
points within the drawing, but not to the clipboard. To Copy the clipboard with a reference point:
Click Edit>Copy with Reference Point (or type Copy@)

ENTITY PRE-SELECT:
To disable “entity” getting highlighted when hovering the cursor over it, from the menu, select Tools >
Options > User Preferences > Drafting Options > Entity Selection > Pre-selected highlighting > uncheck the
option of “Between commands”.

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COMMAND WINDOW DISPLAY:
Pressing Ctrl + 9 will toggle the command window display on and off.

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MID BETWEEN POINTS OPTION:

To draw a center line exactly between two other parallel lines, type L (or line). When prompted to Specify
start point, press Shift+Right-mouse click in the graphics area. Then, select the Mid between two points
option. Next, select the two endpoints of the original parallel lines. Repeat method for the other endpoint of
line. When drawn, select the new Line and change its LineStyle to Center or Dashdot.

SPELLCHECK TIP:
You can check the spelling inside your DraftSight Drawing. Type SpellCheck at the command prompt. In the
graphics area, select the Text entities to check and press <Enter>. The SpellCheck dialog box appears if
DraftSight finds a spelling mistake. You can choose to Ignore, Ignore All, Change, Change All and even Look
Up a word to find Synonyms.

OPENING AND REPLACING DRAWINGS:

The ReplaceOpen and ReplaceNew commands replace the current drawing with a new one. In effect,
these commands close the current drawing, and then display a dialog box for opening another drawing. If
necessary, you are prompted to save the drawing being closed.

SAVE ALL DRAWINGS AT ONCE:

Use the SaveAll command to save the drawing in the current window and all other open drawings.
To save all open drawings:
• Type SaveAll.
• Opened drawings are saved under the location, name, and file type specified when they were opened.
• If a drawing is unnamed, the Save File dialog box opens so you can set the location, name, and file type.

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Introduction
ERROR CHECK AND CLEAN:
Are you opening a .dxf file or using a DWG file that you did not create? If you are, it is good practice to
perform a Check and Clean.
The Check command is a diagnostic tool for examining the current drawing
and correcting errors. For any error detected, a description is provided in the command window
The Clean command removes unused References from the drawing.

Learning Resources
MOUSE NAVIGATIONS:
Use your mouse to easily navigate around in your drawing. Double-click middle-mouse button (MMB) to do
a Zoom > Extents (works ViewPoints on Layouts, too). Press and hold the MMB to start the Pan command. If
you have a wheel mouse, use it to zoom in and out and center the zoom at the same time (DraftSight will use
your cursor for the center of the zoom). And lastly, click and hold Shift+MMB to start the RollView command.

EXPORT DRAWING:
Use the ExportDrawing command to create a DWG file from a Block. Go to File>Export>Export Drawing. In
the dialog select Block as the source and from the drop down list, select the Block that you want to export.

Tips & Tricks

Use the Browse button to select where you want the new DWG file created. You can also export any entities
in a drawing to a new DWG file using the ExportDrawing command.

OPTIONAL FORMAT:
If you need to bring the contents of a drawing into a graphics program (like Corel® Paint Shop Pro) and you
need the image to be scalable, use the Print command to create an SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). Since
SVG files are XML-based, many graphics programs support this format.

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GET AREA:
You can use the GetArea for perimeter information, too. If you have several closed polygonal shapes, and you
need the combined length of the perimeters, use GetArea. Type GETAREA > A >select shapes > press Enter. If
you can’t see the results in the Command window, press F2 to launch the text screen.

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Support Services
DraftSight® is more than just a professional-grade, 2D CAD product, it offers added value with affordable
fee-based support services for enterprise and education users.
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See what you can save. 
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EDUCATORS
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Options:
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Introduction
How valuable is DraftSight and its support services
compared to your current or planned 2D CAD
investment?

Take just a few minutes to conduct a

Learning Resources
complimentary ROI analysis that will reveal the
significant savings your company can achieve
using DraftSight and “Enterprise” services.

Free Community Support

The online DraftSight™ Community provides easy access to the guidance, counsel and support of thousands

Tips & Tricks

of CAD users from around the world. Their experience and know-how is complemented by a wide array of
online training videos, tutorials and instructional materials. For answers to your specific questions, there is
an iQuestions forum. Join the free online community.

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