"I have a very useful AutoCAD tip myself that does not seem to be that commonly used but saves me hours of work. When drawing a 3D model the command FLATSHOT can be used to easily and quickly generate an accurate flat view of the model. By viewing the model from different sides (VIEW) then using FLATSHOT you can easily generate all the required views for an orthographic drawing. (Some rotation of the flat image is usually required to get all flat views on the same plane).

"The flat view is inserted as a block, so it is a good idea to open the block in the Block Editor (BE) and use the command OVERKILL to reduce and join the number of overlapping lines. (This makes object snap much easier as it does not snap on to all the odds and ends you do not want).

"If you need to insert an isometric view into a drawing, the generated view looks great until you copy and paste it into another drawing. This has the effect of distorting the Isometric view. This can be overcome by opening the block in Block Editor, copying the required parts to the clipboard, then pasting them into the drawing as a block. Not sure why this distortion happens (UCS mismatch?), but copying and pasting seems to fix it a treat.

"I have discussed this tip with quite a few people who have been unaware of it. I have also discussed it with the company that provides us with AutoCAD support and they have not heard of it either. There may be other ways of achieving the same end result that I am not aware of, but this method is quick and accurate."

NOTES FROM CADALYST TIP PATROL: FLATSHOT is a great command to use to quickly generate 2D drawings from 3D objects. If you update the model, you can quickly replace the view, again, with FLATSHOT. Create your 3D model. Change the 3D view to see what you need in your 2D view. On the command line, type in FLATSHOT. You have three choices; insert a new block, replace Existing Block, or save as an external file. Depending on your needs, pick the appropriate method to creating your view. The external file option is great for sending views to clients. There are also options to display (or not to display) hidden lines. And you can change linetypes.