Below are two standard scale tables for Engineering and Architectural drawings.

To obtain the scale factor of an Engineering drawing scale:

1. Multiply the feet of the desired scale by 12.
2. For example 1″=50′ scale would be 50×12 = Scale Factor 600.

To obtain the scale factor of an Architectural drawing scale:

1. Multiply the denominator of the desired scale by 12.
2. for example 1/4 scale would be 4×12 = Scale Factor 48.

Working with tables in Microsoft Excel is much easier and convenient than the CAD table features in AutoCAD, and there are many ways to use your table or schedules created in Excel to be imported into AutoCAD:
• As a Microsoft Excel worksheet:
The table will look exactly like the Excel spreadsheet you created and changes can be made in Excel by double clicking on the table. In other words, it is an Excel spreadsheet hosted in AutoCAD.
Procedure:
1. Select all the cells that you want to import from Microsoft Excel.
2. Right click, select Copy or simply use Ctrl+C.
3. Open AutoCAD.
4. From the top menu, select “Edit” then “Paste Special” then “Paste” then “Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet”.

• As an AutoCAD Entity:
The Excel table will be converted to an AutoCAD table.
Procedure:
1. Select all the cells that you want to import from Microsoft Excel.
2. Right click, select Copy or simply use Ctrl+C.
3. Open AutoCAD.
From the top menu, select “Edit” then “Paste Special” then “Paste” then “AutoCAD Entities”.

• As an image or picture:
The Excel table will be converted into an image entity.
Procedure:
1. Select all the cells that you want to import from Microsoft Excel.
2. Right click, select Copy or simply use Ctrl+C.
3. Open AutoCAD.
From the top menu, select “Edit” then “Paste Special” then “Paste” then either “Picture (Metafile)” or “Bitmap” or “Image Entity”.

• As a linked Excel table:
The table will be linked to the Excel sheet so that when you make changes in Excel the table will be automatically updated in AutoCAD. This is very useful if many people share one document and constantly need updating.
Procedure:
1. Select all the cells that you want to import from Microsoft Excel.
2. Right click, select Copy or simply use Ctrl+C.
3. Open AutoCAD.
4. From the top menu, select “Edit” then “Paste Special” then “Paste Link” then “Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet”.

• As a linked AutoCAD Entity:
The Excel table will be converted to an AutoCAD table and linked to the Excel sheet, so changes made in Excel can be updated automatically in AutoCAD.
Procedure:
4. Select all the cells that you want to import from Microsoft Excel.
5. Right click, select Copy or simply use Ctrl+C.
6. Open AutoCAD.
5. From the top menu, select “Edit” then “Paste Special” then “Paste Link” then “AutoCAD Entities”.

Follow these steps to add an automatically loading LISP routine to your ACAD STARTUP.

1. Save the LISP file with lsp extension to your C drive in this directory C:\Documents and  Settings\username\Application Data\Autodesk\..your AutoCAD version here..XX\RXX.0\enu\lisp routines folder.
2. Open AutoCad and type “APPLOAD” in the Command line.
3. When the dialogue box pops up, click on
the “contents…” button in the bottom right hand corner (“Startup suite”).
4. In the Startup Suite dialogue box, select the “Add…” button.
5. Browse for your LISP file with .lsp extension that you have saved before.
6. Click Add once you find your lisp file.
7. Close all dialogue boxes and you are done.

The next time you open AutoCAD the lisp routine will automatically load without any command invoke.

Use this command If you need to quickly rotate the crosshairs on the screen at a specific angle so you can draw along any object alignment without having to change The UCS settings nor rotating the view:
In the command line type SNAPANG. When prompted enter the new angle rotation for the crosshairs.

Have you noticed that when you double click inside a viewport in AutoCAD, the view automatically zooms out and then you have to rescale the viewport? It could be really annoying, especially if you do not know the original scale of the viewport. Well, it has something to do with your UCS setting. To correct that, you need to change the UCSFOLLOW value to “0”.  To make the change, try this: while inside the viewport type UCSFOLLOW in the command line and enter “0” for the value. That corrects only the current viewport, because the UCSFOLLOW setting is saved separately for each viewport. Apply the same method for each viewport

In AutoCAD we often get an error message about proxy AEC objects when we open a drawing.

Proxy objects are objects that were created by an unavailable ObjectARX application such as Revit software. These proxies carry information that is not supported in AutoCAD. However, you do not need the original application to display the object in AutoCAD. You can get rid of the proxy objects by creating a new version of the drawing with all the AEC exploded.

To do that:

1. Type AECTOACAD or –EXPORTTOAUTOCAD in the command line.
2. Hit Enter for filename.
3. Type the new name for the new file.

When you open the new file you have just created, the annoying proxy error pop up will not show anymore.