- About DraftSight Professional Help
DraftSight Professional help describes features available to users who purchase DraftSight Professional.
- Managing Individual and Administrative Profiles and UI Settings
- Mechanical Toolbox Overview
The Mechanical Toolbox add-in for DraftSight contains a set of standard 2D design, drafting, and detailing tools to help you create and annotate drawings.
- Mechanical Toolbox Settings - Predefined Layers
Use the Layer screen of the Toolbox - Settings dialog box to map and manage predefined layers to basic entity types or to Mechanical Toolbox parts, symbols, and tables.
- Design Resources
Use the DesignResources command to access resources and contents from other drawings on your computer or network places to which you are connected.
- BatchPrint Command
Use the BatchPrint command to create batch print jobs for your drawings and sheets.
- Using DGN Files as Underlays
You can attach DGN drawing files (DesiGN files) as underlays. The files are linked as references to the current drawing.
- Heads-Up Display Toolbar
You can use a Heads-Up Display toolbar that appears when you select entities in the graphics area.
- Block and BlockAttribute Tools
Use the BlockAttributeManager command to edit the BlockAttribute properties and settings in Block definitions.
- Construction Tools
- Dimensioning Tools
- Modify Tools
- AutoCompleteOptions
Use the AutoCompleteOptions command to apply auto-completion of command names and command variable names as you type them.
- Using Quick Input Methods
Quick Input provides a command entry interface near the pointer, so you can keep focus on geometry.
- Using Formulas in Table Cells
In tables, you can use formulas in cells that are calculated based on the values from other cells.
- Recording Macros
Macros automate the execution of commands.
- Working with Dynamic Blocks
You can insert Dynamic Blocks and use them in drawings (although you cannot create them with the software). For example, you can use Dynamic Blocks in custom drawings and Block libraries.
- Working with Drawing Sheet Sets
You can organize drawing sheets into drawing sheet sets to manage and publish them as a unit.
- Working with Drawing Frames and Title Blocks
At any state of the design process, you can add Frames and Title Blocks to your drawings in Model mode, as well as in Sheet mode.
- Using a Hairline Outline when Printing
- Import Tools
- Power Tools
- Cycling Through Overlapping Entities During Selection
Cycling selection lets you selectively specify entities that are close to or on top of other entities.
- Working with Dimensions
There are several dimension tools to display entity measurements and relations between entities.
- Creating a Data Extraction Table
You can use the -ExtractData command to create a data extraction table based on a specified data extraction template.
- Extracting Data to Tables and Files
You can extract information from a set of entities using the Data Extraction wizard.
- Using the Data Extraction Wizard
The Data Extraction wizard lets you specify a set of entities or blocks and extract the attribute data. You can also extract property data from entities.
- Defining the Data Source for Data Extraction
The Define Data Source page of the Data Extraction wizard lets you extract data from individual entities, all entities from a drawing, a set of drawings, or all drawings from a specified folder with or without subfolders.
- Selecting Entities for Data Extraction
- Selecting the Properties to Include in Data Extraction
The Select Properties page of the Data Extraction wizard lets you specify the properties to extract and display in the data extraction table.
- Organizing and Refining Extracted Data
The Refine Data page of the Data Extraction wizard lets you modify the structure of the data extraction table to organize and refine data before exporting it to a table or to an external file.
- Setting the Data Extraction Output
The Choose Output page of the Data Extraction wizard lets you output the extracted data to a table within your drawing, to an external file, or both.
- Formatting Data Extraction Tables
The Data Extraction page of the Data Extraction wizard controls the appearance of the data extraction table. This page appears only if you specified Insert data extraction table into drawing on the Choose Output page.