AutoCAD LT® 2008

AutoCAD LT® 2008 software is used for drafting and detailing by design professionals in all industries who require full DWG file format compatibility but do not require 3D capabilities, advanced customization, or network licensing of thier software.

Streamline your day-to-day tasks with AutoCAD LT® 2008 software, the world's number-one-selling 2D drafting and detailing product. Daily work is simpler thanks to tools built with the drafter in mind. Work smaarter and minimize workarounds as you refine your precision with annotation scaling and layer properties per viewport, text and table enhancements, and multiple leaders.

See how AutoCAD LT 2008 stacks up against previous releases in the AutoCAD LT Release Comparison Matrix, located at www.autodesk.com/autocadlt-features

Efficient Drafting

Dynamic Blocks

Create Dynamic Blocks from existing block libraries in a simple, graphical manner. Use Dynamic Blocks to save time and help standardize drawings by minimizing the need to redraw standard components.

Edit existing block libraries to set parameters and constraints. One block can contain multiple editable components in place of several blocks. Find the right block much more efficiently. Inserting and editing the block is virtually error-free.

Use the new visibility controls to present a variety of standard block configurations in a single block. Quickly and easily use different blocks without deleting or exploding them.

Drafting Productivity

Use AutoCAD® Express Tools for layer management. Increase productivity for everyday drafting tasks.

Use AutoTrack technology to create temporary alignment paths that help designers draw objects at specific angles or in specific relationships to other objects. AutoTrack includes two tracking options: polar tracking and object snap tracking. Increase productivity for everyday drafting tasks.

Specify line color, weight, type, or plot style as a function of an individual viewport, and not as a global property of the entire drawing, with enhanced layer manager. Helps remove the work of creating and editing duplicate geometry and virtually eliminates a potential source of error.

Enhanced User Interface

Launch commands, read prompts, and enter values right at the graphics cursor. Keep your attention focused on design rather than on the command line.

See dimension values, such as length and angle, on the object being created or edited. Enter new values and change them dynamically in the graphics window. Interact dynamically with your design. This capability enables you to explore alternatives on-the-fly.

Perform calculations, convert units, and derive values from drawing entities-all from within AutoCAD LT 2008. Get the power of the CAL command without complex command syntax.

Highlight objects dynamically inthe drawing by rolling over them with the graphics cursor. Helps minimize time spent selecting the wrong object in a drawing.

Create, delete, and save customized scales lists. Easily see and work with your own scale list.

Group pan and zoom operations into a single operation for the Undo or Redo commands. Save time when using the Undo or Redo commands.

Tool Palettes

Drag and drop frequently used blocks and hatches directly onto tool palettes. Drag content from tool palettes directly into your drawing. Quickly find frequently used content, such as blocks, hatches, and solid fills. Maintain standards and efficiently insert them into your designs.

Pre-assign tool properties such as layer, color, and scale. Automatically switch layers, colors, and scale as you insert content into your drawings. Save time and maintain standards by knowing that content is inserted on the proper layer with the correct scale, linetype, color, and other properties.

Create palette groups using the Customize dialog box. Switch between palette groups from the Customize dialog box or from the tool palette itself. Easily organize your tool palettes into logical sets and quickly restore them at any time to increase productivity and save time.

Annotation

Use the scale to control the appearance, size and placement of text, hatches, blocks, line types, leaders and dimensions in your drawing. Control size, placement and appearance based on the scale set for each viewport. Scaling of annotation is now automated, avoiding the creation and duplication of drawing annotation across multiple layers.

Insert standard WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) tables with in-place editing and intuitive keyboard functionality, similar to that of Microsoft® Word. Save time with a one-step process instead of a series of manual steps using a variety of commands.

Perform sums, averages and counts across rows and columns. Use standard expressions in a cell such as addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, exponents, and equals. Importing from a Microsoft® Excel® applications retains forulas that were created in Excel. Perform necessary calculations right in AutoCAD LT 2008 software. Helps reduce errors when updating values.

In addition to standard grip editing, table editing options are available through the context-sensitive menu and the Properties window. Reduce frustration and save time through simplified table modification procedures.

Enhanced tables provide the option to combine AutoCAD and Excel tabular information into a single AutoCAD table. Helps keep data up-to-date with automated table linking.

Enhanced tools automate the creation of multiple leaders and the orientation of the leaders (tail or content first) with the notes. Helps users avoid the need to create and align leaders by hand.

Create one attribute for a value that is to be displayed on two or more different lines. Create attributes one time and apply to multiple objects.

Create and edit text so it will appear exactly as it does in the drawing. Easily view, size, position, and edit text relative to nearby geometry.

Adjust textappearance as needed using familiar tools common in other text editing applications, such as Microsoft Word. Apply style, font, and other text properties to characters and words. Quickly create and edit text.

Set indentation and tab stops, apply bullet styles for paragraphs, and create numbered lists using standard rulers. Easily create multi-line paragraphs, bulleted lists, and number notes with professional-quality formatting.

Select multiple continuos boundaries and hatch them all with a single command. Save time by avoiding repetitious use of the Hatch command.

Point and click to select a new hatch origin. Avoid complex workarounds to place a hatch to your preferred origin point.

Both individual and cumulative hatch areas are listed in hatch properties as hatches are created. Quickly and easily calculate areas of hatches.

Dimensioning

Select different dimension and extension linetypes by using the Dimension Style or the Properties dialog box. Give your dimensions exactly the linetype you prefer without spending time to explode and edit them.

Dimension the length of an arc, using standard arc length symbol. Avoid time-consuming workarounds to dimension an arc.

Automatically break a dimension line that crosses another dimension line. Avoid current workarounds used to create dimension breaks. Dimension breaks maintain the integrity of the dimension and will automatically adjust to changes in the design.

Associate and display inspection requirements with specific dimensions. Avoid creating additional text describing the inspection requirements that are not associated to the dimension.

Add a jogline to a dimension to indicate that the object dimensioned is not completely represented in the drawing. Avoid current workarounds used to create a jogline. Include a jogline in a dimension and maintain the integrity of the dimensions and the dimensions will automatically adjust to changes in the design.

Create a jogged radial dimension line to indicate the radius of an arc or a circle that is too large to fit on the drawing. Save time by automatically creating a jogged dimension line.

Flip an individual dimension arrow from inside to outside the dimension line and back. Avoid workaround to move dimension arrows manually.

Data Exchange

Workflow and Interoperability

Read and write to previous versions of AutoCAD software. Easily collaborate and exchange data with users on older versions of AutoCAD.

Import a DWF file and use it as a starting point for the addition of more information. Secure, lightweight DWF files enable users to share design information with other companies on a project.

Publishing

Electronic Publishing

Publish drawing files in the DWF file format. Secure, lightweight DWF format enables designers to exchange electronic drawings without the use of editable DWG files.

Export drawing files in Adobe® PDF format. Enables users who have standardized on PDF to view and print drawing files.

Viewing and Markup

Autodesk Design Review provides secure, digital markup, measure, and redlining functionality to project team members who do not own or know how to use graphics softwar. Users can view, print, and mark up drawings with comments, sketches, dimensions, text, and stamps. Markups can be round tripped to AutoCAD LT, and reviewed in the context of the design itself for fast, accurate revisions. Work digitally with team members unfamiliar with AutoCAD, to speed projects to completion and easily communicate changes throughout the entire design review process.

Display the list of markups (created in Design Review) in the current markup set, using a tree view organized by sheets. republish markups, open sheets with associated markups, and change the markup status. Automate the iterative process of drawing review, mark up, and revision, streamlining workflow and helping increase productivity.

Simplified Plotting

Provides all page setup controls in one location, with the most commonly used controls on the left side. The Preview option provides a full preview of how the current plot settings will be applied when you plot the drawing. Increase productivity with easy access to the most frequently used plot controls.

Whether publishing designs to DWF files or plotting to paper, designers can continue working in the drawing editor while AutoCAD LT 2008 plots in the background. Spend more time drafting and less time waiting for plot jobs.