AutoCAD graphics improvements

00:00

[MUSIC PLAYING]

00:12

Hello and welcome to this accelerator presentation

00:14

where I will discuss the graphical improvements

00:17

in AutoCAD for enhanced quality and a better visual experience.

00:22

So let's get started.

00:25

This is the Safe Harbor Statement

00:27

and it's just a reminder that the Autodesk software changes

00:30

regularly to continually improve the software

00:33

and make it a better experience for you.

00:36

If I happen to make any forward looking

00:38

statements in this presentation, please

00:41

do not make any buying decisions based on it.

00:45

So let me introduce myself.

00:47

My name is Renu Muthoo and I'm a learning content developer

00:51

with ASCENT.

00:52

I have over 23 years of experience

00:54

in various Autodesk products, such as AutoCAD

00:57

and other AutoCAD verticals.

00:59

And I'm also experienced in Autodesk visualization software

01:02

products that include Autodesk

01:07

I create the courseware and training materials

01:09

for Autodesk products and I also provide

01:12

support for these products.

01:14

In addition, I have also co-authored few books

01:17

on both AutoCAD and 3ds Max.

01:21

The purpose of this accelerator is

01:23

to teach you about the graphical improvements that

01:26

have been added to AutoCAD over the years.

01:30

You will learn about the various

01:34

enhancements, you will learn about the improvements

01:37

for supporting high-resolution 4K monitors,

01:41

I will talk about the all new 3D graphics system that

01:44

is being developed for AutoCAD and for which

01:47

a technical preview is provided, I

01:50

will also talk about the enhancements for a better touch

01:53

experience in AutoCAD using a touch-enabled screen.

01:58

The following presentation details

01:60

features which were introduced to AutoCAD across versions 2016

02:04

to 2022.

02:06

For clarity, each slide details in which version

02:09

the feature or the enhancement was introduced

02:12

and that can be seen near the bottom right

02:14

corner of each slide.

02:17

So let's begin with the graphics display enhancements.

02:21

In AutoCAD 2016 software, the appearance

02:25

of line weights and curves was significantly improved.

02:29

When in 2D wireframe, which will style continuous lines

02:33

and curves display perfectly at any zoom level.

02:36

This means that you are no longer

02:38

required to manually use the region command when

02:42

zooming and panning.

02:43

The region auto system variable automatically

02:47

performs the regions as and when required.

02:50

You can also take advantage of the improved graphics

02:54

for capable devices, which is graphics hardware DirectX

03:01

geometry for capable devices option in the graphics

03:04

performance dialog box.

03:06

The overall performance for previewing changes

03:10

to optic properties was improved as well.

03:13

When a large number of objects are selected,

03:16

the preview of any property changes, such as color,

03:19

are displayed much faster than in previous versions.

03:23

This enables you to see the change

03:24

before committing to it, and with much less lag time.

03:28

Another improvement was when selecting several objects

03:32

to move or copy a preview of the objects

03:35

is created much faster than the earlier releases,

03:38

reducing lag time.

03:40

This enables you to move the cursor freely

03:42

with the objects attached to it without waiting

03:45

for the model to region each time the cursor moves.

03:50

In AutoCAD 2019, the graphics performance

03:54

was considerably improved as well.

03:57

Additionally, you could toggle off the smooth line display

03:60

option while still taking advantage of the improved

04:03

graphics for compatible devices by using the high quality

04:08

geometry option.

04:10

Both these options are now controlled separately.

04:13

As mentioned previously while moving and copying

04:16

a large number of objects, their preview

04:19

is created much faster than earlier releases.

04:23

Additionally, the time required to open and save files

04:27

has significantly improved as well.

04:30

There is an Autodesk example that

04:32

was conducted on one of the Autodesk test drawings

04:36

that included a number of attached images.

04:39

Here, the time required for commands

04:41

that change the color, layer, or line type

04:44

properties in the drawing was reduced from around 4 seconds

04:48

to around 0.6 seconds.

04:51

QSAVE in the same drawing was reduced from 1.4 seconds

04:56

to around 0.5 seconds.

04:58

And a region was reduced from about 0.7 seconds

05:03

to 0.1 seconds.

05:05

While performance varies in each situation,

05:09

the display has become crisp overall.

05:12

There have been a number of

05:15

the viewing navigation and manipulation of 3D models

05:19

were considerably enhanced in the 2018 and 2019 versions

05:24

of the AutoCAD software.

05:26

The performance for viewing 3D models

05:28

in wireframe, realistic, and shaded visual styles

05:32

was significantly improved.

05:35

Navigating around a 3D model using the pan, zoom,

05:39

and 3D orbit commands is much faster and significantly

05:44

smoother with less degradation even while working

05:47

on large drawings.

05:50

Introduced in AutoCAD

05:54

of selecting an appropriate configuration mode

05:57

based on your graphics card.

05:60

By default, the advanced mode is selected

06:03

for direct X11 graphics cards.

06:06

But you can also have the options

06:08

of using the basic, intermediate,

06:11

and advanced modes.

06:13

Basic mode is recommended for entry-level graphics card

06:16

that have minimal processing capability and limited

06:19

or no memory.

06:21

The intermediate mode is recommended

06:23

for mid-level graphics cards that

06:26

have some processing capability but a limited amount of memory.

06:30

And the advanced mode is recommended

06:33

for high-end graphics cards that include

06:36

a significant amount of memory and processing capability.

06:40

In AutoCAD 2020, the intermediate mode

06:43

for the graphics performance setting

06:45

was updated to automatically reset

06:48

various display parameters to optimize your display.

06:53

The speed of panning and zooming in 2D

06:56

has been enhanced by taking advantage of objects

06:59

with similar properties.

07:01

The 2D objects also display appropriate level of detail

07:05

at different levels of magnification.

07:08

When panning and zooming in real time in 2D,

07:11

the AutoCAD software now automatically performs

07:14

regeneration operation on objects as and when required.

07:19

Normally, this operation is not noticeable,

07:22

except in very large drawings.

07:24

In 2021 version, a new region auto system variable was added.

07:31

So when working on large drawings,

07:33

you might want to now turn off this region auto system

07:36

variable to prevent automatic regeneration.

07:40

When working with 3D models, navigation

07:42

generates higher or lower fidelity graphical

07:45

representations of the 3D geometry in some circumstances.

07:50

The program's responsiveness when using 3D orbit,

07:54

pan, and zoom operations has improved significantly

07:58

by making use of multicore processors.

08:01

This improvement is most noticeable on complex 3D models

08:05

using visual styles that render curved surfaces.

08:09

Starting from AutoCAD

08:13

will now support the graphics hardware DirectX12 for both 2D

08:18

and 3D visual styles, which can considerably

08:21

improve the visual performance.

08:24

Now let's take a look at an in-product demo that

08:28

demonstrates the graphics display enhancements.

08:33

Using the selection window, select a large number

08:36

of objects in the drawing window.

08:39

Note the default blue color of the selected objects.

08:43

In the Home tab, Properties panel,

08:48

open the color dropdown list.

08:51

Hover your cursor on one of the colors.

08:55

For example, magenta.

08:57

And note that the selected objects are now instantly

09:01

displayed with the color that you hover the cursor on.

09:05

Hover your cursor or another color.

09:09

For example, yellow.

09:11

And note that the change is instant and without any lag.

09:17

Press Escape to exit the selection.

09:21

In the Home tab, Modify panel, select Move.

09:28

Using the crossing window, select all the objects

09:33

in the drawing window.

09:34

Select the leftmost point as the base point

09:39

and drag the cursor along with the objects.

09:43

With the enhancements to the graphics display performance,

09:47

the cursor is moved freely with the objects attached to it,

09:53

and it does not need to wait for the model to regenerate.

09:59

Moving on to the high-resolution monitor support in AutoCAD.

10:03

In AutoCAD 2018, the viewing experience

10:07

on high-resolution 4K monitors has been improved and enhanced

10:12

considerably.

10:14

Support for high-resolution monitors was further improved,

10:18

and over 200 dialog boxes and other user-interface elements

10:22

have been updated to ensure a quality viewing experience

10:27

on high-resolution 4K displays.

10:30

Most of the interface elements, for example,

10:32

start tab, command line, view cube, big box grips, layer

10:38

manager properties palette, et cetera, et cetera, now

10:42

scale appropriately as per the Windows display settings.

10:47

In AutoCAD at 2019, additional work

10:49

was performed in support of high-resolution monitors

10:53

and included clarity and crispness of the ribbon

10:56

and status bar icons.

10:58

With improvements to the display and performance AutoCAD at 2020

11:02

now launches correctly with different direct Xdrivers,

11:06

such as a DX9 and DX11, or no driver also.

11:10

It also launches correctly on high-resolution 4K monitors

11:15

and dual monitors as well.

11:18

Now, let's talk about the new 3D graphics system.

11:22

A new cross-platform

11:25

is being developed for AutoCAD, which

11:27

will leverage all the power of modern GPUs

11:30

and multicore CPUs to offer as much smooth navigation

11:35

experience for much larger drawings

11:37

than in prior releases.

11:40

A technical preview of this new 3D graphics system

11:43

is provided in AutoCAD 2022.

11:47

It is switched off by default and has

11:49

to be turned on, so that it can be used instead of the existing

11:55

For this purpose, a new 3D tech preview system variable

11:59

has been added to the software.

12:01

To activate the new

12:03

enter On for the 3D tech preview system variable

12:07

and then restart AutoCAD.

12:09

The modern graphics system takes over viewports

12:13

using the shaded visual style.

12:16

Note that your viewport control label displays

12:19

shaded GSF as your visual style, indicating

12:23

that the technical preview is active

12:25

and using the modern graphics system.

12:29

To run the modern graphics system,

12:31

your computer is required to be DirectX

12:38

and the minimum DirectX

12:44

You can verify if this requirements

12:47

are met by running the DXDIAG command from the Windows Start

12:52

menu.

12:53

In the DX diagnostic tool dialog box,

12:57

verify that the direct 3D DDI is 12 and has the feature level

13:06

The modern graphics system does not currently

13:09

support some features, such as raster images, 2 drive

13:13

text, wide line support, for example, line weights,

13:16

wide line polylines, ray X line, and some other line types

13:21

and patterns.

13:23

Now, let's talk about the Touch Gesture Enhancements.

13:27

In AutoCAD 2021, support for gestures

13:31

has been enhanced for a better touch experience.

13:34

With a touch-enabled screen or interface,

13:36

you can easily pan and zoom, select objects,

13:40

and use objects snaps.

13:42

So when no command is in progress,

13:44

drag with one or two fingers to pan.

13:47

When a command is in progress drag, with two fingers to pan.

13:52

Pinch or spread with two fingers to zoom.

13:55

Tap on an object to select it.

13:57

When a command is in progress and if you are required

14:00

to select objects, you can drag one finger to create a window

14:04

or crossing selection.

14:06

You can double tap with one finger

14:08

to end a command or clearer selection.

14:11

When a command is in progress, tap at a location

14:15

when prompted for a point.

14:17

For more precise control over objects snaps,

14:20

drag your finger over an object until you

14:23

see the object snap you need and then release your finger.

14:28

The touch experiences that will further enhanced

14:31

in AutoCAD 2022 are single finger drag

14:36

for selecting objects in selection state, grip editing,

14:39

and input point acquisition.

14:42

Single finger tap for selecting objects and point acquisition.

14:46

Single finger double tap to cancel current command

14:50

on canvas and invoke the default action on geometry.

14:55

Double finger tap to undo.

14:57

Press and hold to invoke right click menu in drawing window,

15:01

invoke grip editing menu on grip,

15:04

and invoke object context menu on geometry.

15:09

All menus are usable while attach including dynamic input

15:13

windows and menus.

15:15

Visual style selection can be done in the drawing window

15:18

menu, which is located in the upper-left corner

15:21

by simply touching it.

15:23

Many adjustments, improvements, and fixes

15:26

were done to support AutoCAD Touch.

15:30

Thank you for joining me today for this accelerator

15:32

presentation about the graphical improvements in AutoCAD.

15:36

And I hope you enjoyed the presentation

15:38

and found the information useful.

Video transcript

00:00

[MUSIC PLAYING]

00:12

Hello and welcome to this accelerator presentation

00:14

where I will discuss the graphical improvements

00:17

in AutoCAD for enhanced quality and a better visual experience.

00:22

So let's get started.

00:25

This is the Safe Harbor Statement

00:27

and it's just a reminder that the Autodesk software changes

00:30

regularly to continually improve the software

00:33

and make it a better experience for you.

00:36

If I happen to make any forward looking

00:38

statements in this presentation, please

00:41

do not make any buying decisions based on it.

00:45

So let me introduce myself.

00:47

My name is Renu Muthoo and I'm a learning content developer

00:51

with ASCENT.

00:52

I have over 23 years of experience

00:54

in various Autodesk products, such as AutoCAD

00:57

and other AutoCAD verticals.

00:59

And I'm also experienced in Autodesk visualization software

01:02

products that include Autodesk

01:07

I create the courseware and training materials

01:09

for Autodesk products and I also provide

01:12

support for these products.

01:14

In addition, I have also co-authored few books

01:17

on both AutoCAD and 3ds Max.

01:21

The purpose of this accelerator is

01:23

to teach you about the graphical improvements that

01:26

have been added to AutoCAD over the years.

01:30

You will learn about the various

01:34

enhancements, you will learn about the improvements

01:37

for supporting high-resolution 4K monitors,

01:41

I will talk about the all new 3D graphics system that

01:44

is being developed for AutoCAD and for which

01:47

a technical preview is provided, I

01:50

will also talk about the enhancements for a better touch

01:53

experience in AutoCAD using a touch-enabled screen.

01:58

The following presentation details

01:60

features which were introduced to AutoCAD across versions 2016

02:04

to 2022.

02:06

For clarity, each slide details in which version

02:09

the feature or the enhancement was introduced

02:12

and that can be seen near the bottom right

02:14

corner of each slide.

02:17

So let's begin with the graphics display enhancements.

02:21

In AutoCAD 2016 software, the appearance

02:25

of line weights and curves was significantly improved.

02:29

When in 2D wireframe, which will style continuous lines

02:33

and curves display perfectly at any zoom level.

02:36

This means that you are no longer

02:38

required to manually use the region command when

02:42

zooming and panning.

02:43

The region auto system variable automatically

02:47

performs the regions as and when required.

02:50

You can also take advantage of the improved graphics

02:54

for capable devices, which is graphics hardware DirectX

03:01

geometry for capable devices option in the graphics

03:04

performance dialog box.

03:06

The overall performance for previewing changes

03:10

to optic properties was improved as well.

03:13

When a large number of objects are selected,

03:16

the preview of any property changes, such as color,

03:19

are displayed much faster than in previous versions.

03:23

This enables you to see the change

03:24

before committing to it, and with much less lag time.

03:28

Another improvement was when selecting several objects

03:32

to move or copy a preview of the objects

03:35

is created much faster than the earlier releases,

03:38

reducing lag time.

03:40

This enables you to move the cursor freely

03:42

with the objects attached to it without waiting

03:45

for the model to region each time the cursor moves.

03:50

In AutoCAD 2019, the graphics performance

03:54

was considerably improved as well.

03:57

Additionally, you could toggle off the smooth line display

03:60

option while still taking advantage of the improved

04:03

graphics for compatible devices by using the high quality

04:08

geometry option.

04:10

Both these options are now controlled separately.

04:13

As mentioned previously while moving and copying

04:16

a large number of objects, their preview

04:19

is created much faster than earlier releases.

04:23

Additionally, the time required to open and save files

04:27

has significantly improved as well.

04:30

There is an Autodesk example that

04:32

was conducted on one of the Autodesk test drawings

04:36

that included a number of attached images.

04:39

Here, the time required for commands

04:41

that change the color, layer, or line type

04:44

properties in the drawing was reduced from around 4 seconds

04:48

to around 0.6 seconds.

04:51

QSAVE in the same drawing was reduced from 1.4 seconds

04:56

to around 0.5 seconds.

04:58

And a region was reduced from about 0.7 seconds

05:03

to 0.1 seconds.

05:05

While performance varies in each situation,

05:09

the display has become crisp overall.

05:12

There have been a number of

05:15

the viewing navigation and manipulation of 3D models

05:19

were considerably enhanced in the 2018 and 2019 versions

05:24

of the AutoCAD software.

05:26

The performance for viewing 3D models

05:28

in wireframe, realistic, and shaded visual styles

05:32

was significantly improved.

05:35

Navigating around a 3D model using the pan, zoom,

05:39

and 3D orbit commands is much faster and significantly

05:44

smoother with less degradation even while working

05:47

on large drawings.

05:50

Introduced in AutoCAD

05:54

of selecting an appropriate configuration mode

05:57

based on your graphics card.

05:60

By default, the advanced mode is selected

06:03

for direct X11 graphics cards.

06:06

But you can also have the options

06:08

of using the basic, intermediate,

06:11

and advanced modes.

06:13

Basic mode is recommended for entry-level graphics card

06:16

that have minimal processing capability and limited

06:19

or no memory.

06:21

The intermediate mode is recommended

06:23

for mid-level graphics cards that

06:26

have some processing capability but a limited amount of memory.

06:30

And the advanced mode is recommended

06:33

for high-end graphics cards that include

06:36

a significant amount of memory and processing capability.

06:40

In AutoCAD 2020, the intermediate mode

06:43

for the graphics performance setting

06:45

was updated to automatically reset

06:48

various display parameters to optimize your display.

06:53

The speed of panning and zooming in 2D

06:56

has been enhanced by taking advantage of objects

06:59

with similar properties.

07:01

The 2D objects also display appropriate level of detail

07:05

at different levels of magnification.

07:08

When panning and zooming in real time in 2D,

07:11

the AutoCAD software now automatically performs

07:14

regeneration operation on objects as and when required.

07:19

Normally, this operation is not noticeable,

07:22

except in very large drawings.

07:24

In 2021 version, a new region auto system variable was added.

07:31

So when working on large drawings,

07:33

you might want to now turn off this region auto system

07:36

variable to prevent automatic regeneration.

07:40

When working with 3D models, navigation

07:42

generates higher or lower fidelity graphical

07:45

representations of the 3D geometry in some circumstances.

07:50

The program's responsiveness when using 3D orbit,

07:54

pan, and zoom operations has improved significantly

07:58

by making use of multicore processors.

08:01

This improvement is most noticeable on complex 3D models

08:05

using visual styles that render curved surfaces.

08:09

Starting from AutoCAD

08:13

will now support the graphics hardware DirectX12 for both 2D

08:18

and 3D visual styles, which can considerably

08:21

improve the visual performance.

08:24

Now let's take a look at an in-product demo that

08:28

demonstrates the graphics display enhancements.

08:33

Using the selection window, select a large number

08:36

of objects in the drawing window.

08:39

Note the default blue color of the selected objects.

08:43

In the Home tab, Properties panel,

08:48

open the color dropdown list.

08:51

Hover your cursor on one of the colors.

08:55

For example, magenta.

08:57

And note that the selected objects are now instantly

09:01

displayed with the color that you hover the cursor on.

09:05

Hover your cursor or another color.

09:09

For example, yellow.

09:11

And note that the change is instant and without any lag.

09:17

Press Escape to exit the selection.

09:21

In the Home tab, Modify panel, select Move.

09:28

Using the crossing window, select all the objects

09:33

in the drawing window.

09:34

Select the leftmost point as the base point

09:39

and drag the cursor along with the objects.

09:43

With the enhancements to the graphics display performance,

09:47

the cursor is moved freely with the objects attached to it,

09:53

and it does not need to wait for the model to regenerate.

09:59

Moving on to the high-resolution monitor support in AutoCAD.

10:03

In AutoCAD 2018, the viewing experience

10:07

on high-resolution 4K monitors has been improved and enhanced

10:12

considerably.

10:14

Support for high-resolution monitors was further improved,

10:18

and over 200 dialog boxes and other user-interface elements

10:22

have been updated to ensure a quality viewing experience

10:27

on high-resolution 4K displays.

10:30

Most of the interface elements, for example,

10:32

start tab, command line, view cube, big box grips, layer

10:38

manager properties palette, et cetera, et cetera, now

10:42

scale appropriately as per the Windows display settings.

10:47

In AutoCAD at 2019, additional work

10:49

was performed in support of high-resolution monitors

10:53

and included clarity and crispness of the ribbon

10:56

and status bar icons.

10:58

With improvements to the display and performance AutoCAD at 2020

11:02

now launches correctly with different direct Xdrivers,

11:06

such as a DX9 and DX11, or no driver also.

11:10

It also launches correctly on high-resolution 4K monitors

11:15

and dual monitors as well.

11:18

Now, let's talk about the new 3D graphics system.

11:22

A new cross-platform

11:25

is being developed for AutoCAD, which

11:27

will leverage all the power of modern GPUs

11:30

and multicore CPUs to offer as much smooth navigation

11:35

experience for much larger drawings

11:37

than in prior releases.

11:40

A technical preview of this new 3D graphics system

11:43

is provided in AutoCAD 2022.

11:47

It is switched off by default and has

11:49

to be turned on, so that it can be used instead of the existing

11:55

For this purpose, a new 3D tech preview system variable

11:59

has been added to the software.

12:01

To activate the new

12:03

enter On for the 3D tech preview system variable

12:07

and then restart AutoCAD.

12:09

The modern graphics system takes over viewports

12:13

using the shaded visual style.

12:16

Note that your viewport control label displays

12:19

shaded GSF as your visual style, indicating

12:23

that the technical preview is active

12:25

and using the modern graphics system.

12:29

To run the modern graphics system,

12:31

your computer is required to be DirectX

12:38

and the minimum DirectX

12:44

You can verify if this requirements

12:47

are met by running the DXDIAG command from the Windows Start

12:52

menu.

12:53

In the DX diagnostic tool dialog box,

12:57

verify that the direct 3D DDI is 12 and has the feature level

13:06

The modern graphics system does not currently

13:09

support some features, such as raster images, 2 drive

13:13

text, wide line support, for example, line weights,

13:16

wide line polylines, ray X line, and some other line types

13:21

and patterns.

13:23

Now, let's talk about the Touch Gesture Enhancements.

13:27

In AutoCAD 2021, support for gestures

13:31

has been enhanced for a better touch experience.

13:34

With a touch-enabled screen or interface,

13:36

you can easily pan and zoom, select objects,

13:40

and use objects snaps.

13:42

So when no command is in progress,

13:44

drag with one or two fingers to pan.

13:47

When a command is in progress drag, with two fingers to pan.

13:52

Pinch or spread with two fingers to zoom.

13:55

Tap on an object to select it.

13:57

When a command is in progress and if you are required

14:00

to select objects, you can drag one finger to create a window

14:04

or crossing selection.

14:06

You can double tap with one finger

14:08

to end a command or clearer selection.

14:11

When a command is in progress, tap at a location

14:15

when prompted for a point.

14:17

For more precise control over objects snaps,

14:20

drag your finger over an object until you

14:23

see the object snap you need and then release your finger.

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The touch experiences that will further enhanced

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in AutoCAD 2022 are single finger drag

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for selecting objects in selection state, grip editing,

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and input point acquisition.

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Single finger tap for selecting objects and point acquisition.

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Single finger double tap to cancel current command

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on canvas and invoke the default action on geometry.

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Double finger tap to undo.

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Press and hold to invoke right click menu in drawing window,

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invoke grip editing menu on grip,

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and invoke object context menu on geometry.

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All menus are usable while attach including dynamic input

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windows and menus.

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Visual style selection can be done in the drawing window

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menu, which is located in the upper-left corner

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by simply touching it.

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Many adjustments, improvements, and fixes

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were done to support AutoCAD Touch.

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Thank you for joining me today for this accelerator

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presentation about the graphical improvements in AutoCAD.

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And I hope you enjoyed the presentation

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and found the information useful.

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