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AutoCAD LT
®
2008


Features and Benefits


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 their software.

Streamline your day-to-day tasks

with AutoCAD LT
®
2008 software, the worlds number-one-selling
2D drafting and detailing product. Daily work is simpler thanks to tools built with the drafter in mind.
Work smarter 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

Feature Function
Benefit
Create
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
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.

View
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.


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Drafting Productivity

Feature Function
Benefit
Layer Express
Tools
Use AutoCAD
®
Express Tools
for layer management.
Increase productivity for everyday
drafting tasks.
AutoTrack
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.
Layers per
Viewport
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

Feature Function
Benefit
Pointer Input

Launch commands, read
prompts, and enter values right
at the graphics cursor.
Keep your attention focused on design
rather than on the command line.
Dimension Input
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.
Quick Calculator
Perform calculations, convert
units, and derive values from
drawing entitiesall from within
AutoCAD LT 2008.
Get the power of the CAL command
without complex command syntax.

Rollover
Highlighting
Highlight objects dynamically in
the drawing by rolling over
them with the graphics cursor.
Helps minimize time spent selecting the
wrong object in a drawing.
Editable Scale
List
Create, delete, and save
customized scales lists.
Easily see and work with your own scale
list. www.autodesk.com/autocadlt

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Feature Function
Benefit
Group or
Ungroup Pan
and Zoom
Commands
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

Feature Function
Benefit
User Content

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.
Tool Properties
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.
Manage Tool
Palettes
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
Feature Function
Benefit
Annotation
Scaling
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.

Create Tables
Insert standard WYSIWYG (what you
see is what you get) tables with in-place
editing and intuitive keyboard function-
ality, 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.
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Perform
Calculations in
Tables
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
®
application retains
formulas that were created in Excel.
Perform necessary calculations right in
AutoCAD LT 2008 software. Helps
reduce errors when updating values.
Edit Tables
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.
Bi-directional
table linking
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.
Multiple
Segment
Leaders
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.

Multiple Line
MTEXT
Attributes
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.
Full WYSIWYG
Text Placement

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.
Text Formatting
Toolbar
Adjust text appearance 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.
Tabs, Indents,
Bullets, and
Numbering
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.
Create Multiple
Hatches
Select multiple continuous boundaries
and hatch them all with a single
command.
Save time by avoiding repetitious use
of the Hatch command.
Edit Hatch
Origin

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

Edit Hatch Origin

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




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






Dimensioning

Feature Function
Benefit
Varying
Dimension
Linetypes
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 Arc
Lengths
Dimension the length of an arc, using
standard arc length symbol.
Avoid time-consuming workarounds to
dimension an arc.
Dimension
Break
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.
Inspectio