Click the subscribe button below to receive one or more of CCAD's email newsletters!
CCAD's AutoCAD Tutorials
New Group Features in AutoCAD 2012
Save the groups.dwg file on your computer and open it in AutoCAD 2012.
Creating a Group
We'll make two groups, one of the red channel and the other of the green clip.
Select one of the objects making up the red channel.
Right-click and choose Select Similar from the menu.
All the objects making up the channel are selected because they have similar properties.
Select the GROUP command (Home>Groups).
Managing Groups
The Group Manager displays a list of the groups in the drawing and performs various functions like rename, delete and explode.
Select Group Manager (Home>Groups).
The group just created is unnamed. By default unnamed groups are not listed in the Group Manager.
Click the Include Unnamed box to display all groups, including unnamed groups.
Now that the unnamed group is listed, it can be renamed.
Select the unnamed group from the lsit (it may have a different designation).
Type Channel in the Group Name: box.
Click the Rename button and click OK.
Select the clip objects with a window selection.
Select the GROUP command (Home>Groups).
Group Bounding Box
By default, groups are indicated with a bounding box.
Choose one or both groups.
Select Group Bound Box On/Off (Home>Groups) to toggle the display type of groups.
Manipulating Group Objects
Make a copy of the channel and clip.
The new channel and clip are to be stretched 2" to create a new attachment.
You can turn off grouping to change individual objects belonging to a group.
Choose Group Selection On/Off (Home>Groups).
Delete the center circle.
Select the STRETCH (Home>Modify) command.
Specify a crossing selection as shown in the figure.
Press ENTER.
Select a base point as shown.
Move your cursor straight up.
Type 2.
Press ENTER.
Select COPY (Home>Modify).
Select the circle indicated in the figure and press ENTER.
Select a base point near the circle.
Move your cursor straight up.
Type 1.
Press ENTER.
Move your cursor straight up.
Type 2.
Press ENTER.
Move your cursor straight up.
Type 3.
Press ENTER.
Now that the changes are complete, turn Group Selection On (Home>Groups).
Notice that the three circles are not part of this group since they did not exist when the group was created.
Adding to a Group
Select GROUPEDIT (Home>Groups).
Select any portion of the clip group.
Right-click and choose Add objects from the menu.
Choose the three new circles.
Press ENTER.