Frequent tipster Danny Korem shares some ideas for using fields in AutoCAD.

"In many cases, you can right-click and opt for Insert Field instead of typing. Fields can display values from an object's properties (for instance, a polyline's area, a circle's radius, and so forth) in your mtext, attribute value, or table cell, and will do so even if the value changes when the file is refreshed (by Save, Regen, Plot, etc.). The fields can be utilized in text/mtext, an attribute value, a table cell, or a sheet set placeholder.

"Just as you can insert a field, you can also edit an existing one. Besides displaying an object property that might change during the lifecycle, you can use the additional format to add a prefix or suffix, fix a conversion factor to specific units, suppress zeros, set the precision, and more. Always right-click to find out if there is any trick in your feature.

"Fields make attributed blocks more dynamic, as they will display values that might change without leaving the user responsible for constant updating. The best way to use fields is to keep saving the file so if any changes have to be reflected, your work will be easier and much more secure."

Notes from Cadalyst Tip Reviewer Brian Benton: I love fields; there are so many different things that they can do for you. If you have a table displaying areas of closed objects (polylines, polygons, regions, hatches), fields can be inserted that display the area of the objects. This way you know the numbers are up-to-date and accurate. I like to use fields in conjunction with sheet set values, especially drawing numbers. If a new drawing is inserted into a set I simply renumber them in the sheet set, and the fields will automatically update the text accordingly.